4 Smart SMS Marketing Ideas For Your Small Business This Summer

Don’t look now but within a month’s time, the summer season will be here! Officially getting underway on Friday, June 20th, summer is the perfect time for small businesses to heat up their marketing efforts. With longer days, vacation vibes and more social outings, your customers will be active and ready to spend their money. One of the fastest and most effective ways to reach them is through SMS marketing! This summer, why not reach out and text somebody?

Here are four smart SMS marketing ideas for your small business this summer:

1. Flash sales.

Needless to say, summer is an exciting time of year. It’s wise to create excitement through new and inventive promos, specific to the season. Generate a sense of urgency in your customer base with limited-time offers. Send out quick texts along the lines of “Introducing our 24-Hour Summer Sale! Get 20% off all sunglasses – today only!” This type of promotion works to drive immediate traffic to your store or website.

It’s a good idea to use SMS to notify your VIP list first. That way, they’ll feel appreciated and will be more likely to convert. Everyone loves to feel special.

2. Vacation-based promotions.

Naturally, the summertime is when many people go on vacation. Do you sell travel-related items like apparel, accessories, beauty products or electronics? If so, highlight how your products fit into your customers’ summer plans. For example: “Are you beach bound? Don’t forget your waterproof phone case. It’s 20% off this week only!” This taps into seasonal behaviour and makes your texts feel timely and relevant.

Do you own and operate a service-based business like a salon, clinic or home service? Send friendly reminders to your clients to book appointments before their vacations.  Here’s an example: “Heading out of town? Book your trim before your trip! Limited slots left.”

3. Weekly summer tips or challenges.

Engage your audience beyond promotions with short, value-packed texts. Consider sending “Summer Tip of the Week” texts or launching a “7-Day Summer Challenge” related to your brand. This kind of content boosts brand awareness and keeps your subscribers engaged without always pushing sales.

4. Loyalty rewards and giveaways.

Encourage repeat business by offering SMS-exclusive loyalty rewards or running a summer-themed giveaway. Text something like: “We’re feeling generous this July! Reply ‘SUNNY’ to enter our $100 gift card draw!”

Part of your reward strategy could be to offer exclusive summer event invites. Host a sidewalk sale, BBQ or a pop-up event. Send out text invitations to the subscribers who reply to your messages. Make sure they’re complete with the date and time of the event. Maybe you could even offer a special code for a free gift or discount.

Start a loyalty rewards program with help from Melo Technology!

With Melo Text, our SMS marketing software, you can forget all about those archaic and often misplaced paper punch cards. Instead, you can offer SMS “punch card” loyalty rewards to your customers. It will help to build loyalty to your brand, keeping customers happy and coming back. Digital punch cards remove any unnecessary hurdles and dramatically increase customer engagement.

To learn more, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-888-MELOTEL or fill out the form on our Contact page.