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Marketing via text is increasingly being employed by retailers to reach consumers in a format they’re already using.
Apple, for example, recently released a product specifically for reaching out to consumers by messaging called Apple Business Chat, with partners including Lowe’s, The Home Depot and Marriott. And in China, 1 billion users spend more than 90 minutes a day on WeChat, a messaging app that’s frequently used for e-commerce.
A recent Software Advice study found that messaging can be particularly effective in closing online sales after a customer has expressed interest but then moved on. According to Software Advice, nearly 80% of customers who left an item in a cart without buying would purchase the product if they receive a follow-up message – email, text or online ad – if a discount was offered. Even without a discount, half of customers sent a text reminder would revisit or purchase the product, Software Advice says.
Martin Khan, who heads digital marketing for software firm Morningscore, also recommends pairing discounts in messaging.
“Since purchasing furniture is a process that takes longer than average — the buyer wants to make sure they’re making the right choice – retailers can stimulate them with both text-based promotions,” Khan said. “Offer a discount to users who send an email or write to your page and leave their email. From there, you can apply the discount to the registered users – or otherwise prompt them to register in your system – and it’s really easy to retarget them online on both Facebook and AdWords.”
Khan also cautions that it’s important to make your data policy clear when you’re marking with text, since the European GDPR privacy rules recently went into effect.
Chris Wiegand is CEO of Jibestream, which develops indoor mapping technology. The company’s approach can be paired with marketing messages, he says, to offer incredibly localized in-store offers.
“In the age of Amazon where so much of retail activity takes place online, brick and mortar retailers have had to find new ways to engage shoppers and drive in-store sales,” Wiegand says. “In more niche settings like furniture and home décor retail stores, one of the challenges for consumers is navigating the products, aisles and floors to find what they’re looking for. The consumer often has an idea of what they’re interested in. But many shoppers visit stores to see products first-hand before taking to the web to look for discounts, promotions and potential savings. What if retailers knew what those consumers were interested in and offered compelling reasons for them to purchase on-premise?”
Wiegand’s firm has worked with retailers who employ these “hyper-local” offers, most frequently through mobile notifications on Apple and Android smartphones or tablets. They could also be sent using SMS text messaging.
“For retailers, hyper-local messaging is fundamentally about bridging the gap between the digital and physical shopping experience,” he says. “The outcome is seamless for the consumer and a way for retailers to encourage spending with shoppers who have already demonstrated a strong purchase intent.”
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