5 SMS Marketing Ideas For A Cold Winter

Talking about the weather might be cliché, but it's something everybody has in common. You can use this commonality to engage with your subscriber list using some or all of these cold-weather themed SMS marketing ideas.

1. Record Lows Mean Record Lows Announce early in the season that you'll be offering a ridiculously big discount coupon on the first day of the season that breaks a cold-temperature record. Send weather updates from time to time to keep people interested and engaged. When the day comes -- you may have to dig into some obscure temperature records to make sure it does ("coldest Thursday of the decade," for example) -- drop your coupon with a one-day time limit.
2. Weather Advisory Services Since you're already tracking the weather for your record lows campaign, start updating subscribers to any heavy weather advisories you hear about. Offer suggestions about traffic safety, saving on heating bills and other tips related to the chilly weather. If your business has goods or services that can help your subscribers manage the cold, include some coupons.
3. It's So Cold Contest Do this once a week, offering a simple discount to all participants and a larger deal to the winner. The rules are simple. Each participant finished the sentence "It's so cold...." in the funniest way possible. Share winners on your website and Facebook pages for cross-platform success. Offer bonus points to people who can come up with an answer that matches your business.
4. Awesome Hat Ambush Use this to generate instant business on a slow afternoon. Send out a buy-one/get-one coupon with a two-hour time limit just before the lunch break or evening shopping rush. Offer an even bigger BOGO to anybody who shows up wearing an awesome winter hat. The definition of "awesome" is up to you and your staff.
5. Winter Sports Events Winter has great opportunities to sit down in front of the tube with friends, such as the Superbowl and the NCAA March Madness basketball playoffs. As these events approach, broadcast trivia and other notes celebrating the season -- and announcing related specials your business will offer. During the game, hold a trivia contest or similar even to hold engagement ant interest.

Have you dropped any particularly interesting or effective SMS campaigns during the cold-weather months? Tell us about them, or your best ideas, in the comments below.