Holiday sales are almost always strong, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get stronger. The secret to boosting holiday sales? Authentic, relatable content sent through a convenient channel. This is why so many companies are turning to business SMS campaigns during the holidays. Business SMS is one of the most popular communication channels available. Today, 98% of SMS messages are read, and 90% of texts are read within the first three seconds of receipt. During the short holiday season, business SMS campaigns are the best way to reach your customers and encourage them to spend before holiday deals are over. Read on to discover 10 business SMS campaigns to help you boost holiday sales.

Examples of Holiday SMS Campaigns

<u>Seasonal Tips</u>

Another light-handed way to remind your customer about your business is starting an SMS campaign featuring seasonal tips about your industry. This tactic is particularly helpful if your business sells a product or service that requires some sort of care. For example, a plant nursery might send a message like this:

_Rose’s Garden Shop here. Don’t forget to bring your delicate plants in once the temperatures reach below-freezing! Check out our website for a full list of affected plants. {{link}}

<u>Location-Specific Texts_</u>

Creating an SMS campaign meant for locals can endear your customers to your brand. For example, you could send a short message like this to local customers:

_Stop by and see us at the holiday fest this Sunday! We’ll be by the coffee stand, with free mini chapati for all. —Bob, with Sunflower Bakers _

<u>Holiday Greetings</u>

Realizing that customers want connections with businesses, not coupons, many businesses have embraced personalized holiday content strategies. Simply offering your holiday wishes—and maybe a fun holiday-related emoji to boot—is a great way to remind your customer about your business in a friendly, meaningful way. For example, a simple holiday greeting SMS campaign might include a text like this:

Wishing you a Happy New Year, {{first name}}! �_

<u>Gift Suggestions</u>

Most everyone feels a crunch when it comes to gift-giving. There’s always one person who you just can’t figure out a gift for. With business SMS, you can either send a quick gift suggestion list or send a link to one if you have a nice HTML page already set up. For example, you might send a text like this:

10 days until the new year! The Gifts & Such team’s favourite holiday presents, which you can find in our stores until we close on the 24th, are: Pine candles Local-made mugs Bakery-fresh caramels Silk scarves Stacking rings

<u>Cheering Images</u>

Depending on your brand, you may want to send a simple wintery image or GIF during the holiday season. Like a holiday greeting or seasonal tip, this is a great way to remind customers about your brand in an authentic way. For example, a clothing store may send this text as part of an SMS campaign:

_We all love Christmas sweaters at this point in the year. Just don’t forget to use a gentle detergent and cold water when it’s time to do laundry! —Angie’s Clothing Boutique _

<u>Once-A-Year Giveaways </u>

The holiday season is a popular time for sweepstakes and contests. Advertise your big giveaway through your SMS campaign, but make sure you only do it once to avoid bothering your customers. Don’t forget that your main goal is to remind customers about your brand so they’ll head there to purchase their gifts. A giveaway reminder might look like this:

The PizzaGuys sweepstakes close tomorrow at 5—don’t forget to text us HAPPY HOLIDAYS to enter. You might win a Ksh.200 gift card!

<u>Special Event Notifications</u>

If your business is hosting a weekend event, sending a reminder via business SMS is one of the best ways to reach your customer base in time. Customers might even be willing to RSVP via an access link. A special event notification might look like this:

Selena’s Coffee is hosting weekend cocktails for local businesspeople next Saturday. Are you interested? RSVP here >> {{link}}

<u>Charity Drives</u>

Remind your customers to spread holiday cheer with a charity drive notification. Letting your customers know about a charity drive will increase your donations while reminding them what a community-driven business you are—and encouraging them to come into your store. A charity-focused SMS campaign text might look like this:

Reminder to stop by our store with your canned goods for our holiday food drive! We’re 80% of the way to our goal! —Tony, with Bay Area Grocery Store

<u>In-Store Messaging</u>

With the right integrations, your business SMS platform should be able to recognize when customers are in-store and automatically send messages to opted-in customers. This is an excellent opportunity for an SMS marketing campaign. In-store SMS marketing campaign examples include messages like this:

_Hi {{customer name}}! Don’t forget to check out our stocking stuffers by the register—everything is 50% off! _

<u>Additional Drip Messages</u>

SMS drip campaigns are highly effective. However, sometimes teams forget about adding seasonal messages so that customers think that texts are being sent individually. For example, here’s a holiday message that can be added to a feedback request campaign:

Hi {{customer name}}! Happy holidays. Can you let us know how you felt about our last customer interaction? Feedback is anonymous, and we pass on compliments to our staff for extra holiday cheer. {{link}