5 Tips to Stay Ahead for Your Bank Holiday SMS Marketing
So the first of the May bank holiday weekends has finished and the next one is just around the corner. These three day weekends are great opportunities for marketing and can see spikes in sales for all manner of businesses, not just in travel and tourism but also in many other sectors. With two long weekends in close succession, staying ahead of the game with your SMS Marketing can be a challenge – so here are some tips to make sure that you are ready to make the most of the opportunity.
1. Plan ahead
Because it is so quick and simple to use, there may be a temptation to focus all your attention and efforts on your other marketing channels and come back to SMS Marketing once everything else is ready. However, given that the British love to be mobile on a long weekend, the chances are that SMS will be the best way to reach your customers – so don’t let it slip into second place.
Start to think of ideas and plan your SMS Marketing now, so that you can come up with something that is well thought out, high quality and effective.
Think about what kind of themes will be relevant – spring weather, sunshine, barbecues, beaches… try to plan your message around something that is relevant to your brand and will resonate with your customers, and make sure you use some carefully chosen power words for maximum effect.
2. Draft out your campaign
Sometimes what we believe is a great, catchy campaign just doesn’t work for others. Preparing now gives you a chance to draft out your message and test it on your colleagues to make sure that it is giving the right message – allowing you time to make adjustments if necessary.
Be careful to remember that no matter how amusing, clever or punchy you feel the campaign you’ve created is, SMS Marketing must be designed with the customer in mind. The mobile phone is a very personal space and you must respect how your customers can expect to interact with your brand. Know your customers, know your brand and aim to strike the right note.
3. Plan your timings
When it comes to successful SMS Marketing, timing is everything. Think about when would be the best time to get your SMS messages out to your customers – waiting until the bank holiday weekend is already underway may not always be the best approach. On the other hand, sending out key messages too early can also work against you. Getting your timing right is an art form, so take the time to do some research and planning now and it will pay dividends.
People tend to prefer planning things like itineraries and entertainment in advance, so it may well prove to be in your interests to reach out sooner rather than later. If, on the other hand, you are promoting a flash sale then it is all about last minute.
The right timing can vary greatly depending on the nature of what you have to offer, so don’t leave this all-important aspect of planning to chance.
4. Check your links
If you are planning to include links to a website with your bank holiday SMS Marketing campaign, there are some key points to consider. First of all, make sure that the link you are sending really does work – an incorrect link that goes nowhere will destroy any chances of converting and can harm your brand’s credibility. Be aware that many customers will be away from home and may be relying on their data allowance to browse any links you send – so try to ensure the link is direct to the mobile version of the site as this will make sure the experience is fully optimised for mobile browsing and as user-friendly as possible.
Also, consider using a link shortening tool such as bitly.com as this will not only look better but will also free up some vital characters which can be put to better use.
5. Ensure your SMS Marketing list is up to date
It’s always a good idea to keep customer records up to date, but with the all-new GDPR now a hot topic, it is about more than best practice – it is about compliance with the law. The new law comes into place on May 25th, ahead of the second May bank holiday weekend, so it is absolutely essential that you are compliant and the best time to check this is now.
Click here to check our recent article on GDPR compliance for a brief overview of how it might affect you.
It may be necessary for you to update your customers’ permission to receive communications by SMS, so it is highly recommended to work with your marketing team now to ensure you are in a position to make the most of the bank holiday sales opportunity without risking any compliance issues.
Ready to take your marketing to the next level with SMS Marketing? Get in touch with our friendly team now on 0800 954 5305 and we’ll have you up and running in no time.
Related Articles
How to build up your mailing list after GDPR
How to Use SMS and The Olympics to Boost Business
Almost any business, or even a not-for-profit company, can take advantage of the frenzy of sporting events, like The Olympics. Especially when you combine it with mobile marketing. That’s because there are plenty of fans, and their devices, here in the UK.
Best Practices for SMS Marketing
In many of our previous posts, we have discussed the whys and hows of SMS marketing, listing the benefits, and the impacts on lead generation. There’s no doubt that by employing a marketing strategy that uses business SMS as a medium that your processes will become more efficient and your leads will become more targeted, meaning a better ROI. Here we will look at the best practices for SMS marketing to ensure your campaigns are offering the best for you and your users.
Restaurants Can Turn Every Table into a SMS Marketing Campaign
In sit down restaurants, what is the one feature every patron will look at? The table. Think about it. They need to look down to pick up utensils, put their glass back down, find their napkin, or to find a distraction for those awkward moments with your fellow diners. What if you could turn that time into a SMS marketing opportunity?
Three Things You Must Do Right in Your SMS Marketing
SMS messaging can be one of your more effective marketing techniques, but only if you do it right. A poorly executed SMS marketing campaign could have disastrous results for your future budget, and for your organisation.
9 Factors That Prove SMS Marketing Really Works
Marketing is all about finding the balance between gaining a personal relationship with a client and communicating in a professional manner. SMS marketing is all about experimenting with that balance and has now become a highly popular form of marketing. Here are 9 reasons why SMS marketing actually does work.
The benefits of virtual mobile numbers and short code SMS
How to Avoid Failing at SMS Marketing
For many businesses it's often a knee-jerk reaction to create an app, or to run mobile ads, or to start an SMS list. But without really understanding what it’s all about, you can waste a lot of time and money before realising what you actually need to do.
Advantages & Disadvantages of SMS Marketing
SMS marketing is very different to most other more traditional marketing tools, specifically because of its short-form, text only nature. This certainly shouldn't put you off though. We have put together our guide to both the best things about SMS marketing and some of the potential problems, and how to work around them.
On The Rise: 6 Changes in Marketing That SMS Can Help Exploit
While traditional advertising methods are declining, SMS marketing is increasing and it is a trend that looks likely to continue. Here are 6 recent marketing trends that open the door for you to take advantage through your next SMS marketing campaign.