Text Message Marketing Priorities for 2020
Consumer survey shows digital coupons are here to stay
Marketers are an optimistic bunch and no time of year is that more apparent than the new year when resolutions are rampant as marketers using mobile coupons hope to make the new year’s results significantly better than the previous year.
For marketers leveraging mobile as a tool to attract and engage both consumers in general and past customers, in particular, the opportunity to connect and engage with them through special deals and offers like SMS coupons hold significant promise according to CodeBroker’s Mobile Coupon Consumer Research Report
The Mobile Platform Play
Text message marketers are looking at mobile as a “platform” play, what with its omnichannel opportunity (text, email, app, website). This omnichannel approach appeals to consumers by giving them a choice for accessing SMS coupon offers via their preferred mobile channel. And it also benefits marketers/retailers because it increases the likelihood that the consumer will enagage.
Text message marketing software is about to overtake email as the preferred application for how consumers wish to receive coupon offers to their mobile devices. According to CodeBroker’s mobile coupon research, 75% of consumers use a coupon they receive via text within one week and 25% use them within three days.
It’s clear that consumers want mobile coupons. Mobile phones provide consumers with an easy-to-access, one-stop spot to access their coupons across the entire coupon experience: access, storage and redemption — 69% of CodeBroker survey respondents say they would prefer to store coupons on their phone compared to only 31% who prefer to print coupon offers to bring to the store.
Engaging Consumers at Every Phase of the Consumer Lifecycle
Mobile phones can have impact on marketing at every phase of the consumer-marketing lifecycle: Acquisition, Retention and Reactivation (for lapsed customers).
Acquisition: On-demand coupons — this is when consumer responds to an ad or in-store signage to get a coupon on her phone — are a great way to attract new customers. In fact, 78% of the respondents to CodeBroker’s mobile research indicated that they would redeem a coupon they requested in response to an out-of-store advertisement. Marketers have an opportunity to cement that relationship through a “welcome coupon”; typically used to entice someone to join your SMS marketing list or loyalty program, 68% said they would be more likely to join a brand’s marketing list if they received an instant coupon as an incentive to join the list.
Keep in mind that the acquisition phase often occurs outside of the digital channel — 57% of respondents said that in-store signage was the most likely form of advertising to get them to respond to a coupon offer. That points to the importance of ensuring communication alignment and support across all channels.
Retention: Once on board, it’s important to make a connection and express appreciation for a new customer by keeping them regularly engaged. Set up processes and touchpoints to connect with customers on a regular basis in accordance with their purchase history and preferences. Keep in mind, as well, that mobile couponing offers an opportunity to successfully engage with, and gain back, customers who may not have made a purchase for some time.
Reactivation: Today’s consumers are busy and have multiple messages coming to them from multiple directions. It’s not surprising, then, that over time they may forget about you and their shopping experiences with you. Unless you remind them! Mobile coupons delivered via promotional text messages drive high levels of purchase by creating an urgency associated with the message — 25% of respondents indicate they plan redemption within three days — 60% within one week.
Another key statistic: shoppers are highly likely to return when offered a high discount with single-use coupons. In fact, 77% of consumers prefer higher-value coupons that they can use only once, versus a lower-value coupon that they can use again and again (preferred by only 23%).
A new year means new opportunities for retailers to leverage research-backed best practices to sustain shopper engagement throughout the three phases of the consumer-marketing lifecycle. Making just one of the resolutions above can have a positive impact on your sales and bottom line in 2020.
