Today’s consumers are resolutely mobile, always on the move. They send and receive all kinds of messages, and their expectations of brands are becoming increasingly specific and demanding.

After New Year’s but before Valentine’s Day, the winter sales season begins, and consumers will be out in force, spending hundreds of euros on their shopping. How can you rise to the challenge of SMS marketing, generate more revenue, and build customer loyalty?

Follow our 11 fundamental principles for successful communication between your business and your customers during the sales period by sending SMS campaigns.

1. Provide added value to your customers

Consumers are extremely connected to their mobile phones, a tool reserved for their inner circle. Honor the trust they place in you by sharing their phone number by making good use of it for your campaign.

Avoid sending information and offers in your SMS campaign that they can already find on your e-commerce site or in your store. Instead, sending an SMS campaign with exclusive offers will create a sense of exclusivity that drives conversions.

2. Think about your customers

As a marketing professional, you know exactly where you want to lead your customers. So, take a step back and think about them! What do they want to receive from your brand? What kind of message would they appreciate from you? What information is useful to them? How can you make their lives easier?

Customers will be looking for marked-down prices, so it is a good idea to take the opportunity to clear out last season’s stock. With a more nuanced approach, you can even offer products or services as pre-sales or early-access deals, mixed in with your sale items.

An SMS marketing campaign is relationship marketing that relies on a long-term, win-win relationship between the brand and the customer—don’t forget that! Also, think about customer service; it’s an excellent way to use the strengths of SMS to consolidate your customer relationships!

3. Do not disturb

Do not send sales-related SMS messages after 9 p.m. or before 9 a.m. During the sign-up process for your SMS notification program, ask your audience for their preferences (preferred times for SMS alerts, types of notifications, etc.).

You must schedule every SMS sales campaign in advance to avoid sending communications at inconvenient times, ensuring you launch promotions when your customers are most receptive.

You will optimize interactions by giving your audience a sense of being valued, which will become a real asset for building trust.

4. Optimize your timing

The timing of your SMS campaign is crucial to your mobile strategy. Buyers expect your business to provide the information they want, when they want it, how they want it, and wherever they are.

Optimize your SMS campaign for the sales by choosing the right moment to launch your alerts. For retailers, aim for just before or during peak shopping periods.

For restaurants, sending messages just before meal times is most effective. Above all, avoid sending promotional SMS outside of your store's opening hours.

5. Give to receive

SMS marketing is part of a relationship-based approach, and your goal is not so much to close immediate sales as it is to strengthen your customer relationship over the long term.

Learn to collect customer information delicately, without making it your sole objective. Pairing data collection SMS with high-value messages is an excellent way to receive by giving first.

During sales periods, competition is fierce. Your goal should be to get your community to visit your store daily. A good tip is to choose two products your customers are highly interested in and include them in the sale. Use your best communication tools to encourage your audience to return as often as possible.

6. Analyze your SMS campaigns for the winter sales

To evaluate the value of the content in your various SMS campaigns during the sales, calculate the number of unsubscribes and the conversion rate for each of your campaigns.

Compile the results from your sales period and analyze them to draw lessons about the different types of content and their impact, so you can better evolve your SMS campaign strategy for future sales.

7. Be ready!

When you ask for your visitors' phone numbers for an SMS campaign, be fully ready for action!

Your subscription confirmation SMS and the launch of your first sales SMS campaign must be ready to go quickly, as a long wait could cause customers to lose interest and unsubscribe.

8. Keep it simple

When you want to collect customer data, take advantage of the SMS campaign subscription page on your website. It will allow you to gather a maximum amount of information at once (time zone, zip code, relevant segmentation data, permissions, etc.) while reducing the effort required from your customers.

Furthermore, this will allow you to offer them only high-value SMS during the sales, which will increase their satisfaction.

9. Optimize the customer experience

When planning your SMS campaigns, ensure you optimize the customer experience by including links to the mobile version of your site in your messages using Rich SMS.

Never send a message that requires printing documents or opening an email; and if your customers need to enter information, consider social media logins like Facebook, which are easier for them and more effective for you in terms of data collection.

10. Focus on clarity

From the start, communicate clearly with your subscribers about what they can expect from your SMS messages. This can take the form of a simple sentence during subscription confirmation (e.g., Thank you for signing up to receive our special offers).

If you are not clear with your customers, they may unsubscribe from your SMS campaign program if the messages do not meet their expectations.

11. Keep it balanced

Moderation is a virtue in all things, and SMS marketing is no exception! Don't overwhelm your customers' phones with endless text messages. You’ll lose your credibility along with your subscribers. Two to four messages per month is a good frequency.

To get your SMS marketing strategy off to a great start and see your sales skyrocket during the sales season, focus your overall approach on these few simple yet essential principles for success.

Keep in mind that beyond increasing your revenue, your goal is to build a relationship of trust with the consumer so that they remain loyal to your brand.