Get Your Health Food Business Off To A Healthy Start with SMS Marketing
British consumers are becoming more concerned than ever before with the provenance of the food they consume, be it the main meal of the day or the snacks that keep them powered through the day, as well as in the gym or on the run. Gluten-free, vegan, paleo and organic products have all surged in popularity over 2017, and it is reported by the Soil Association that the organic market alone is now worth over £2 billion to the British economy. For retailers and health food outlets, there has never been a better time to be in business – and SMS Marketing could help you to ride the wave and maximise revenues in 2018. So how can health food businesses make the most of the channel? Here are some easy to implement ideas.
Top SMS Marketing tips for health food retailers
If you are a health food retailer, SMS Marketing is a great way to connect with both new and existing customers to drive sales and improve satisfaction. Even if you are operating as a not for profit or alternative business model to support a cause, it can also help to promote awareness, increase revenue and spread your message. Try these examples to get started:
New Products – Whenever you get a new product or range in-store or online, send an SMS message to your customers to let them know. If more information about the product such as ingredients, nutritional information, details of the manufacturer etc are available online, be sure to include a link to the product page. Remember that you are dealing with an audience who pride themselves on being fully informed and they will appreciate your efforts. A simple message might read:
“Hi John, we thought you might like to check out the tasty new range of vegan protein bars from Cocolicious. Click here for all the essential information. The Heath Food Shack.”
If you are selective with your customers and send the most relevant information to the right people, you will significantly increase your conversion rates. In the above example, you may have used a customer interests survey during your sign up process to establish that John is interested in sports nutrition or enjoys an active lifestyle, for example. A simple choice of tick boxes could furnish you with all the information you need.
Special offers – Customers always want to know about special offers on your products – especially when they have already shown a willingness to pay a premium for high quality, healthy food, and snacks. Whether it’s an individual promotion on a specific brand or product or a store-wide sale, be sure to let your customers know when and where they can benefit. As in the previous example, you may also wish to tailor offer announcements to fit the customer’s personal profile.
Competitions – Competitions can be a highly effective way to increase sales as well as promote your brand and reach new audiences. A simple ‘text to win’ competition is easy to implement and run at a very low cost, and the increased sales you can expect as a result make it well worth the investment. For added effectiveness, consider using an SMS shortcode that allows you to encourage participation not just by SMS replies, but also through print and digital media. An example might look like this:
“Want to win a month’s supply of lean, clean, organic energy bars? Text FEED ME to 87007 to enter our draw now!”
Such a campaign can be easily adapted for use across all of your marketing channels with minimum effort, be it a website banner, a digital billboard or a newspaper advert to name but a few.
Shared values – for most health food fans, it is far more than simply a dietary decision – it is a way of life. These customers want to shop in stores who have shared values. With this in mind, it is important to make sure your customers know just what you stand for (and what you don’t). Whilst a blog is a great place to convey this all-important message, SMS Marketing is an ideal way to make sure your customers know about new posts and get online to read them. Send a link by SMS and customers with smartphones (that’s an estimated 85%, for the record) can easily log on to your site to read the latest post. And once they are there, the chances of winning conversions are already in your favour.
Top Tips SMS Marketing tips for health food restaurants
Many of the tips that work for health food retailers can be easily adapted to the needs of restaurants, but there are other options too. Read on for some more inspiring ideas.
New menu items – Just as a shop can use SMS Marketing to send customers updates about new products, you can use SMS to let customers know what’s new on the menu. If you’ve added a fantastic new dish, be sure to shout about it and invite customers to book a table and try it out for themselves:
“New this week, the mouth-watering vegan pot roast. Call us now to book your table and be the first to try this delicious, warming dish.”
Be sure to use some carefully chosen words to tempt the taste buds and entice those customers to book.
Loyalty Scheme – returning customers are an important part of any restaurant business, so making sure your customers keep on coming back is essential. Of course, first and foremost in this equation is the quality of the food and the standard of service – but why rely on this alone? SMS Marketing is a great way to run a loyalty scheme to reward customers for repeat bookings, whether in the form of bonus points, free extras, upgraded menus or more. Use SMS to communicate and keep them coming back.
Special events – whether you are looking to get your floor filled for Valentine’s day or promote a themed evening, SMS Marketing is a great way to encourage customers to reserve those tables early to help ensure a sold-out restaurant. Use power words such as ‘Now’ to create a sense of urgency and promote fast responses, for example:
“Limited tables left for our vegetarian Valentine’s special evening. Book now on 01209 324537 to guarantee your table now”
Feedback – positive feedback is essential for most restaurants to succeed in the modern, connected world, so making sure you give customers a chance to share their feedback has never been more important. SMS Marketing is an easy way to survey customer satisfaction. Limit your survey to a maximum of 5 simple questions that can be answered using a single number ranking system. Enquire about key factors such as quality of dishes, the standard of service, atmosphere, etc. In the unlikely event that the feedback is not what you expected, be sure to follow up personally in the first instance.
Here at Fastsms, we are proud to offer an exceptional low priced SMS Marketing solution that is ideal for health food outlets and restaurants. To learn more and find out how to make the most of SMS Marketing for your business, call our friendly team of experts now on 0800 954 5305.
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