With innovative startups emerging daily, brands need to stay on the cutting edge of marketing to maintain and grow their customer base. Companies that use mobile marketing successfully build customer trust and retention by sharing promotions and exclusive offers via interactive ads, games, augmented reality and more.
Unlike email marketing, SMS marketing ensures quick deliverability, higher conversion and open rates and platform flexibility. Most importantly, text messaging gives you a direct line of communication with your customer base—those who have invited you to communicate with them through this highly personal channel.
But get this: 58% of people say texting is the ideal way for businesses to reach them, yet only 39% of companies send text messages. Why?
Let’s look at eight big brands that use different types of mobile marketing campaigns to grow sales and build engagement.
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The power of mobile marketing lies in connecting with customers where they already are—on their phones. Incentivizing customers with loyalty programs and rewards is a great way to get them to opt-in to receive SMS messages from your business.
Once they’ve made it onto your marketing list, you can continue providing them with product updates and special offers to keep them engaged with your brand.
Starbucks has been on the cutting edge of mobile marketing for quite some time, setting the standard for customer loyalty programs via their mobile app. Joining Starbucks Rewards gives customers the convenience of ordering and paying ahead, being notified of special promotions via SMS, earning points for free food and drinks, and getting free birthday treats.
Domino’s “Piece of the Pie” Rewards program enables customers to earn a free pizza after they’ve made six orders, plus member-only promotions and offers via email, text or both. In addition, users are told up front that they’ll receive up to six SMS or MMS marketing messages per month, setting contact expectations.
Chipotle puts a new spin on loyalty programs, offering customers the chance to earn free food, Chipotle merch, and the opportunity to make charitable donations to causes they care about. In addition, users can sign up online or download Chipotle’s app to receive order-related notifications.
In 2009, HBO used SMS text message marketing to promote the Mayweather-Marquez fight and generate interest in its mobile VIP club. HBO invited consumers to text PELEA to a designated short code for a chance to win an autographed boxing glove. In return, consumers received an SMS message to join the VIP club. As a result, almost 70% of recipients joined the club, giving HBO a new remarketing database.
Augmented reality is a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world through their phone or other mobile device. While still in its relative infancy, augmented reality is expected to make great strides in creating unique customer experiences.
“Try before you buy” furniture? You bet! IKEA has taken a leap into augmented reality with their IKEA Place app that lets you place virtual versions of IKEA furniture and decor into your home. Easy-to-use drag-and-drop functionality lets you view color, size and design variations.
While not an SMS application, IKEA has found a way to take something that almost everyone has (a smartphone) and turn it into a marketing tool for their brand. They’ve leveraged the growing popularity of mobile to create convenience, value and a great customer experience.
Living Wine Labels took a unique approach to market nine wine brands, creating an app that enables users to watch their favorite wines come to life via augmented reality. Looking at the bottle’s label through the app lets you listen to stories from Snoop Dogg, real-life convicts and rebels, and characters from The Walking Dead.
Brands on Living Wine Labels include 19 Crimes, Beringer, and Chateau St. Jean.
Several famous brands (including – surprisingly – fashion brands Louis Vuitton, Dior, Burberry and Gucci) have created their own games to promote sales and expand brand awareness. However, the development of custom games can be prohibitively expensive.
One alternative is product placement in games like Animal Crossing, Roblox and Fortnite. It remains to be seen whether brands “within the metaverse” will experience real-world benefits from these efforts.
Once again, Starbucks sets itself apart by capitalizing on the Pokemon Go craze.
Starbucks partnered with Pokemon Go to make over 7800 of their coffee stores into PokeStops or Gyms while the game was at its peak in 2016.
To bring gamers to their stores, Starbucks created a limited edition Pokemon-inspired drink (Pokemon Go Frappuccino), bringing impressive returns and media attention to Starbucks.
Intentional social media photo opportunities in brick-and-mortar stores have been shown to draw customers in while avoiding creating disruptions in retail shoppers’ experience. Creating “Instagrammable moments” and offering discounts to shoppers who tag them in their social media posts has increased social followers and online sales.
There’s no denying that social media posts have magnetized consumers to both online and brick-and-mortar stores. In 2017, Warby Parker, an ecommerce brand new to retail stores, created “Warby Parker Green Rooms,” where customers could shoot 15-second videos of themselves to share on their social media channels.
SMS marketing is one of the easiest, cheapest and fastest ways to enter the world of mobile marketing and promote your brand, it’s no surprise that some of the largest retailers rely heavily on this channel.
Companies that use SMS marketing aren’t just big-name brands. Whether you’re a small business or an established company, texting your audience is a cost-effective way to grow.
Keep your customers updated on your special offers, provide them with quick customer support and remind them of your business with the help of bulk SMS marketing.
Don’t miss your chance and try Textedly free to experience the benefits of SMS marketing for your business today!