Labor Day, the first Monday in September, traditionally marks the end of summer as many kids head back to school. Sitting smack-dab in the middle of Back to School shopping season and retailers launching into promoting Halloween and the holidays, Labor Day is a great time for companies to stay in touch with their customers. Keeping interested individuals abreast of special offers and new stock that is rolling in, companies should be taking advantage of the Labor Day holiday to reach out and communicate.
When out and about during the Labor Day weekend, it is much more likely to reach someone via a text message than any other type of offer. About 98% of text messages are read within three minutes after arriving on an individual’s phone. And text message response rates are significantly higher than response rates on email campaigns, research has shown.
Nearly 60% of Americans say they go shopping on Labor Day, according to one survey, and the average family spends as much as $150 during the long weekend. School supplies and clothes are the two most frequently cited purchases that consumers said they were buying over Labor Day, and those purchases make perfect sense. Nearly 130 million Americans head to the grill during Labor Day weekend which means a lot of food shopping is done too.
In today’s world, most of that shopping is going to be done online. And buying online means using forms of currency other than cash. Debit and credit card transactions will continue to be hugely popular.
Companies looking for a message to promote to their customers may want to take their cues from the weather. Fall, that beautiful time of year when leaves change color and trees and forests become wondrous landscapes of oranges, reds, and yellows. When some chains eagerly role out pumpkin spice drinks and treats to celebrate its arrival. Using the changing calendar as the source for a new offer is a great way to communicate in a fun and timely manner with your customers.
Labor Day may mean the end of Summer, but it should not mark the end of communicating with your customers via text.