The holiday season is always the most important time of the year for marketing, and with so many channels to keep track of it can be easy to let one fall by the wayside. When considering your marketing campaign strategy for 2014, make sure you have all your ducks in a row, including mobile SMS marketing.
November and December account for 20 percent of the average retailer's yearly profits, according to Business 2 Community, and as firms plan their marketing strategy for this year, there are a few factors to keep in mind.
Engagement is key – They key to driving sales with your marketing campaign this year is engagement. The news source reported that 93 percent of Facebook users have left a product recommendation or review on a social media site. Furthermore, 65 percent of reviews or recommendations led to a conversion, which in turn help drive sales. For businesses, this means the more they engage consumers, especially via mobile and social media — two channels heavily tied together — the more they will be able to encourage further sales.
Many people shop early, but even more shop last second – According to the news source, 44 percent of shoppers purchase their gifts at least a month in advance of Christmas, meaning it's almost too late to reach these consumers. However, that still eaves the majority of shoppers to engage with your marketing efforts this year, with 35 percent of consumers waiting till within one week of Christmas to make a purchase.
Mobile is the leader this year – While mobile is a key marketing channel, it's also the leading shopping platform for many consumers this year. Entrepreneur reported that 76 percent of shoppers will make a purchase on their smartphone this year, while 66 percent will use their tablet. Furthermore, 84 percent of consumers rely on their mobile devices while shopping in a brick and mortar store to search for sale items, compare prices, find gift ideas, read product reviews or check items off their shopping lists. This makes it an essential platform for all holiday shopping efforts, and a critical one for marketing efforts more than ever before.
Businesses need to leverage every tool at their disposal this holiday season to drive revenues. Mobile is one of the leading marketing channels this year, with more consumers opting in to text messaging services than ever before and open rates at 99 percent. Companies simply need to ensure they are optimizing their reach and achieving optimal send and frequency rates to maximize the potential of this channel. Investing in a bulk SMS gateway can simplify these efforts and ensure consumers receive their promotional texts in a timely manner.
