Food for Thought – SMS Marketing Techniques for Grocery Retailers

In the age of social distancing, one of the few places people are venturing out to is the supermarket. There are ways that you, as a grocery retailer, can expand your marketing outreach to improve service options to better support customers through these uncertain times. The way to do this is by leveraging text messaging. The good news is that many shoppers already engage with their local grocery stores via text, and the trend is growing.

Benefits for Grocery Brands Using SMS

Immediacy, reliability, and, most of all, cost efficiency– these are just a few of the reasons why SMS-based advertising should be a key part of your marketing strategy. Here are some others:

• Drive Additional Spend – Consumers who get SMS marketing messages are 40% more likely to convert[1]than those who do not, and 77% spend more[2]when redeeming a mobile offer.
• Increase Response Rate – The average response rate for a text message is 45% vs. email response rate of 6%[3], making SMS the more effective marketing channel for time-sensitive, events, and offers.
• Improve Customer Engagement – SMS produces engagement rates8x higher[4]than retailers normally achieve via email marketing. Keep customers coming back for more by leveraging shoppers’ individual preferences and sending out relevant content and offers.
• Stay Ahead of Competition – Research shows that35-50% of sales[5] go to the vendor that responds first.With 98% of all text messages being read in under 2 minutes, and only 22% of emails being read[6], makes SMS the more efficient, cost-effective solution to reach consumers first.

How Supermarkets Can Use SMS Marketing – The Day-to-Day Practicality

Increase Coupon Redemption Rates

• Use SMS to send coupons directly to your customers’ phones. You can even include scannable barcodes that make their shopping experience easier.

Improve Customer Retention and Loyalty

• Send SMS reminders to your customers about store hours and locations.
• Send personalized messages that allow for two-way communication
• Transition your loyalty program to mobile, so there’s no hassle with forgotten cards or account numbers.
• Send messages thanking them for buying a product or service or ask them to take a brief survey. It’s built-in, low-cost market research.

Send Announcements and Alerts

• Send inventory alerts – that’s especially useful in today’s times when consumers are often in search of sometimes scarce staple household goods.
• Send pick-up and delivery alerts. Grocery shoppers will appreciate that you respect their time and have made their convenience a top priority.
• Use SMS to announce one-of-a-kind promotions, including “just for you” text-only deals.

Through the increased use of cost-effective, text-based marketing, you can reinforce customer relationships during these challenging times. Everyone needs groceries, after all. That’s why smart grocery retailers need SMS marketing. Contact us to learn more.

Sources:

[1] https://techjury.net/stats-about/sms-marketing-statistics/#gref

[2] https://www.readycloud.com/info/instant-digital-savings-mobile-coupon-statistics-for-2018

[3] https://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2017/33045/email-vs-sms-battle-of-the-heavyweights-infographic

[4] https://www.retaildive.com/ex/mobilecommercedaily/sms-has-eight-times-the-response-rate-of-email-study

[5] https://blog.hubspot.com/insiders/why-your-b2b-lead-response-time-is-killing-your-business

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