12 posts categorized "Mobile Coupons"

Entry By Jason Brick

As 2013 approaches, everybody everywhere will be thinking and talking about the New Year. New Year’s parties. New Year's resolutions. New Year’s cocktails. New Year’s cartoons and specials. All the New Year’s hype doesn't mean your marketing should avoid the topic in your SMS offers for the weeks on both sides of the day...but it does mean you need to go the extra mile to make yours stand out in the sea of holiday greetings.

Try one or more of these SMS couponing ideas to help ring in the season with the best revenue possible.

1. First Customer/Last Customer Deals
   Whatever your last day of business for 2012 is, announce that morning that the last sale you ring up will be at a 25% or greater discount. Tease out reminders over the course of the day to keep interest going. Do the same for your first day of business for 2013, with a similar discount for the first customer of the new year. Announce this the day before for a strong opening morning. This contest can be especially fun if your business stays open past midnight, with the two winners buying back-to-back.
2. New Year Trivia Contest
   For the five days on either side of the new year, run a daily trivia contest about 2012 statistics related to your business. An ethnic restaurant could ask about news events from its country of origin, while a sporting goods store might run questions about the Olympic games. Every winner gets a coupon.
3. The Obligatory Photo Contest
   New  Years is a time to get crazy, even if your particular celebration style doesn't include excessive alcohol. Find a theme related to your business and have participants send in photos taken between 12:01 on the 31st and Midnight. Your particular contest will depend a lot on the kind of business you run. A day care might go for cutest party outfit, while a bar could run one for skimpiest costume party getup.

Keep on giving with a resolution tracking contest. Get participants to commit to their goal...losing a pound a week, swearing off cigarettes, getting a 3.5 GPA or better at school…pretty much anything. As each person falls off the resolution wagon, update participants of how many people are left. The winner gets a significant prize in the form of a free gift or mega-coupon.

As the day approaches, what are your resolutions for the New Year? How can the team here at Ez Texting help you reach them?

Entry By Jason Brick

With everything else going on during the holiday retail rush, it can be hard to find time to come up with SMS Marketing content for December. Fear not, dear readers, the Ez Texting Blog is here to help. Whether you use one idea, all the ideas, or springboard off of them for your own content, Merry Christmas. 

1. Stocking Stuffer Super Sale
   For suggestive selling at its finest, offer a variety of coupons for low-ticket items that offer a discount with the purchase of larger merchandise. This could take the form of a 5% off per $10 value of other items, a buy-one-get-one deal, or packaging accessories for your big sellers. Add a time-limit to create a rush for a single slow afternoon.
2. The Twelve Days of _________
   This one is practically cheating, giving you twelve coupons from one basic idea. Start a countdown to a specific date -- Christmas, the solstice, the new year, your last day open before closing for your own holiday, whatever. Each day, place a discount on a single item that's either high-margin or moving too slowly. When you announce an item, include a teaser for the next day's sale. 
3. Photo Contest Extravaganza
   Folks love their holiday photos, so celebrate that with a series of photo contests, giving the top ten participants a special discount or freebie. If you have a screen in your shop, consider putting up a slideshow of winning images to play throughout the month. Some ideas for photo contests include:
   • Best tree
   • Most exhausted face after shopping
   • Ugliest gift wrap
   • Nicest holiday feast
   • Cutest stockings
4. Christmas Poem Contest
   Encourage your people to get creative by announcing a series of poem contests on your social media platform. Once or twice a week, send out a single word: the type of poem this contest is about (for example, " Haiku" or "Dirty Limerick"). Print or write out the best results, along with whatever prize you've decided the winners have earned. 
5. Worst Day/Best Day Giveaway
   The holiday season gives us all some of the warmest and fuzziest memories of the year, and some of our most stressful experiences. Set aside a handful of low-cost, slow-moving items as giveaway prizes and award them to folks who give you the best and worst stories of the holiday season.

Readers, what was your most successful holiday SMS plan ever? What new ideas do you have for this year? Share with us in the comments and have a great holiday season. 

Entry By Jason Brick

SMS Marketing works best if you can link it with what's going on in the world around you. That's why you should comment on "politically safe" news items in real time to start a conversation. With Halloween, the zeitgeist is all about parties, fun, kids and cheap scares. Throw a few of these text message coupons and events into your rotation to get some extra treats for your business, too.

Doubt Halloween is worth paying attention to? The National Retail Federation the average American consumer will spend $80 this year on Halloween decorations, constumes and candy – adding up to $8 billion Dollars in retail sales!

1. Costume Contest
   For a new spin on an old idea, hold an image contest where subscribers respond to your broadcast with photos of their costumes. Go one step further with themes, or even an impromptu costume contest where contestants must respond within five minutes of your broadcast.
2. Party Supply Depot
   If your business offers anything somebody might need for a Halloween party, offer some kind of discount on those items -- especially if paired with a higher-ticket part of your stock. Be creative with these deals. It's okay to stretch the point to get a customer.
3. Solstice/Samhain/All Hallow's Eve
   Remember that Halloween isn't the only (or even the oldest) holiday at the end of October. Depending on your customer base, you could offer coupons and events throughout the week by hitting all the major festivals of this part of the season.
4. Horror Movie Poll
   This one's pretty self-explanatory. Have subscribers use text messaging to vote on their favorite horror movies, with those who voted for the winner (or loser) getting a special discount. Split it up into themes ("Best Slasher Flick"/"Most Unintentionally Hilarious") for more participants, more winners and more content.
5. The Great Pumpkin Hunt
   Take a photo of a porch jack-o-lantern somewhere in your city and broadcast to your subscribers. Offer big prizes or discounts to people who can bring in -- or respond with -- a photo of the same pumpkin. As Halloween night progresses, broadcast hints and clues to help people find it.
6. Don't Forget the Cleanup!
   Various tricks and pranks combine with general party mayhem to make November 1st a major clean-up day for lots of people. If your business offers cleanup help, supplies, or respite during a work break, offer a coupon to bring the crew in. If not, offer discounts to people bringing in a picture of what a disaster their home has become.

What Halloween broadcasts have worked best for you? Comment below with your cleverest/most successful/most disastrous witching hour ideas.

Entry By Jason Brick

"How about that weather?"

There's a reason people talk about the weather even though we all know that's what you talk about when you can't think of anything intelligent to say. It's the one thing you can absolutely guarantee people in your ZIP code all have in common.

As summer shifts gears into fall, people notice the weather. It will be on their minds, meaning your SMS coupons and broadcasts will have more sticking power if they include some mention of the changing seasons.

1. Low Temperatures Mean Low Prices Tie a coupon or three to the dropping thermometer by offering a discount on days the mercury dips the lowest so far that year. If you have easy access to real-time readings, you can offer a time-sensitive deal to people who get in before things warm up in the morning.
2. The Betting Pool Every fall, there's a first day the temperature drops below a certain threshold. Every fall, there's a first day with no sun visible behind the cover of clouds. Every fall, there's a first day of color on the leaves. Hold a poll predicting what those days will be, with small discounts for all participants and a bigger prize for the winners.
3. Don't Leaf Savings Behind This one's easy and fun. When the leaves start falling, send a broadcast offering a coupon discount to everybody who brings in a fallen leaf. Store them in a barrel or crate to show how many people came through.
4. Here Comes the Rain If you live in the right climate, rain is as much a part of fall as the dropping temperatures. You can use most of the ideas above, skinning them for rain instead of temperature or leaves.
5. The Last Hurrah In many regions, late September or early October gets one last week or so of summer-like weather before Autumn really drops the hammer. When that happens, blow up subscriber phones with contests and deals celebrating the reprieve. Discounts for people who show up in shorts, or a contest for predicting how warm it will get, are just two ideas for this concept.
6. Falling Back Okay, this one's not really about weather -- but it is a fall-season idea worth trying. On "Fall Back Day," use that extra hour for a special event for SMS invitees and guests. Since the actual hour happens at 2 in the morning, consider running it just before you open, or at another time during the day.

Entry By Jason Brick

The third quarter can be slow for many businesses. The summer travel season is over, leaving many consumers feeling a bit tapped, and the holiday rush is still months away. Although you aren't likely to see the kind of earnings you did during other months, you can still bump your revenues with some seasonal text coupons.

Add one of these 12 ideas to your text message marketing efforts, or use them to come up with your own:

1. Seasons Change. Offer a discount on the first day the temperature drops below the summer average. 
2. Back to School. Host a happy hour sale for all new freshmen at the local high school. Do one on another day for sophomores, juniors, and seniors while you're at it.
3. Football Time. Give away a small item (free drink or a loss-leader gimmick) for people who bring a photo from the local high school football game). Works just as well for soccer, cross country and other fall sports. 
4. Gettin' Hippy With It. September 21 is International Day of Peace. Have a "peace party" with prizes or discounts for the best costumes. 
5. Happy Equinox. Celebrate the autumnal equinox (September 22 in 2012) by giving a discount on any two different items bought together that have the same price. 
6. Clearance Sale. A no-brainer. Give steep discounts on stuff you're clearing out to make way for fall merchandise - and steeper discounts for people who bring in a new subscriber. 
7. Celebrate Women. September 22 is American Business Women's Day. Offer a discount to women who give you their business card. 
8. Bourbon Street. September is "National Bourbon Heritage Month." Not every business can make something of this fact, but bars and restaurants that don't are missing a golden opportunity. 
9. Be Prepared. September is National Preparedness Month. Create an appropriate "package" of merchandise and offer a coupon discount -- or offer a flat discount as part of a contest where subscribers take photos of their preparedness efforts. 
10. Don't Leave. If the trees start shedding this month in your area, have a contest where subscribers send in photos of their leaf piles. Use categories like "biggest," "most colorful," and "funniest shape."
11. Charity Drive. Hold a warm clothing drive for a local homeless shelter. Use an SMS contest to get the word out.  
12. Aaarrrr! Some folks consider September 19 "National Talk Like a Pirate Day." The implications for your text message and discounts should be obvious.

Entry By Jason Brick

Ed. note – For general Back To School SMS Marketing ideas/strategy see our previous post.

There's a classic Calvin and Hobbes cartoon where Calvin fears that summer vacation is slipping away from him and starts running around in a panic, trying to pack in as much fun as he can in the remaining weeks of summer. Your customers won't take it that badly, but the return to school is on a lot of minds as August fades into September. Mentioning that fact in your text message coupons can keep you in front-of-mind awareness during this relatively busy consumer season. 

1. The Inevitable Merchandise Sale
   Everybody does this, the trick is to find some way to be creative about it. If you offer anything remotely related to the school year, school supplies, or similar, broadcast a different deal every day in the week before school. Get a copy of the supply list from your local school district for help with ideas.
2. Alumni Weekend
   Broadcast a discount to anybody who can show up with proof they attended the local high schools. Be liberal in what you count as proof to maximize takers, and consider a two-for-one buddy deal so your alumni can include folks from out of town.
3. School Days Photo Contest
   Everybody has one or two pictures from high school they don't want to make public. Your job is to offer a deal so great they text that photo to you anyway. Extend this one by having a different themed contest every week: worst hair, best clothes, prom night pics, etc.
4. Mom's First Day Off
   This is an under-served but real part of the back-to school season: that first day when the stay-at-home parent has no little ones underfoot. They'll be looking for a little pampering, so offer a deal that gets them to indulge in your business.
5. School Year Philanthropy
   During the first week of classes, schools eagerly accept donations of cash and supplies from anybody who offers them. Instead of sending a coupon that gives a discount to your subscribers, offer a donation for every purchase made by a subscriber. This can help grow your subscription list, as parents share the deal across their PTAs.
6. Iron Student Contest
   Take time to help aggressive students shine by offering a discount to those who bring in the most challenging class schedules to prove how tough they have it for the coming year. If your business caters to a less academic crowd, tweak it to reflect the tastes of your subscribers.

Labor Day marks the end of summer: the weekend pools stay open and the week to start getting ready for colder months ahead. Like any other benchmark time, this season is an opportunity for you to tailor your text marketing to what's going on in your world. Adding some or all of these ideas to your content calendar can keep your broadcasts compelling and timely.

Seasons Change (and so does your inventory)

If you're switching from summer to autumn inventories, offer exclusive text discounts on people wanting to stock up on your unused seasonal products. Using leftovers as a loss leader can be a great way to maximize your profits.

Community Events

You won't be the only one planning something special for the holiday. Find out about parades, concerts, festivals and other events that you can mention in your broadcast. Offer a deal for people participating, attending or who respond with a photo of the event. 

Partner Progress

Consider other businesses in your area with which you don't compete. Perhaps you can combine efforts and each broadcast a message about one another. This is especially helpful if your business doesn't offer anything that's thematically linked with Labor Day.

Remember the Unions

Many people overlook who Labor Day celebrates. More than cook outs and pool parties, this holiday was created to honor the manual laborers and union workers. Impress your union customers by offering a special for anybody who comes in with their union card.

The Long Weekend

For some customers, Labor Day is just an excuse to lock themselves in for three consecutive days and recharge. If you offer goods or services that make this easier, throw out an offer. To make it fun, consider escalating offers for each consecutive day of relaxation your subscribers enjoy.

Back to School

Labor Day coincides with a return to school in many regions. If that's the case where you do business, consider deals for back-to-school supplies, or activities for parents with a suddenly empty nest.

Picnic Time

Never forget the value of Labor Day for that last picnic, beach trip or other celebration. A coupon for to-go lunches, picnic supplies or an outdoor activity near your area can get the most out of  this common seasonal trend.

Entry By Jason Brick

Unless your business is in the Southern Hemisphere, August is one of the hottest months of your year. With shared experience one of the quickest routes to rapport with your customer base -- and thus to sales -- cash in on the "dog days" by adding some or all of these text ideas to your SMS content calendar.

1. Get Out of the Kitchen! If you run a restaurant, capitalize on how hot cooking makes the house feel for everybody, and doubly so for the cook. Use a simple "mercy" discount to encourage folks to carry out or dine in.
2. Partner With the Pool Or any other business with a summertime, it's-too-hot-to-breathe, specialty. Offer a discount for anybody who brings in a receipt from the location you announce. Be sure to tell your partner you're doing this, so they can return the favor.
3. Brag About Your A/C Admit it. You've considered sleeping at the office just because of how much cooler it is in there. Invite your subscribers to enjoy that cool air with a coupon giving a discount equal to the difference between the temperature at their house and the temperature in your business. Have them text in photos of their home thermostats for verification.
4. Energy Savings Summer often draws heavily on the local utility infrastructure as people crank their cooling systems and water their lawns. Get green and offer a discount for everybody who spends less on utilities in August than they did in January. Have them bring in utility bills, or just a photo of the relevant paperwork. Have a contest for the biggest change.
5. Weatherman Contest! This one's simple and fun. Offer a freebie loss-leader item to the person who responds to your broadcast with the most accurate guess for the next day's high temperature. Be sure it's something you can give a lot of in case of a tie.
6. World Record Celebration No matter what year it is, the August you're stuck in the middle of feels like the hottest on record. As the temperatures peak for the season, maintain a stream of messages promising a record-breaking discount on the day the temperature beats its past performance. If that doesn't look likely, do some quick research to find another record such as longest consecutive rain-free streak, highest temperature on a Saturday, or any other excuse to trigger this deal.

Entry By Jason Brick

July 4th. Independence Day. Even people who are otherwise unpatriotic tend to get excited about the national picnic and fireworks day. Those who are proud Americans can get downright emotional about the birthday of the Great American Experiment.

As this season of summer celebration approaches, throwing some Independence Day text coupons into your SMS blast mix can help convert some of that excitement into a healthy bottom line. Try some of these can't-miss coupons in the coming weeks.

• Traditional Purchase Coupons. Picnic and party supplies, not to mention patriotic decorations, are traditional purchases for this holiday season. If your shop sells them, offer a discount so folks buy them from you instead of the competition. If you don’t sell those products, offer a discount for people who come into your store carrying one of those items – or give a coupon to individuals who donate such an item to a local charity.
• Showing the Flag. Get patriotic by encouraging your customers to show the American flag on Independence Day. Offer a discount or free small items to anybody who comes in carrying an American flag or wearing apparel with the flag on it. Another option is to ask customers for photos of the flags flying at subscribers' houses.
• History Lessons. Put together a series of texts containing trivia and famous quotes related to the birth and early history of our country. For best results, make it a trivia contest with a discount for those who respond with the correct answer.
• Talking About the Weather. July 4th is smack in the middle of summer; tie coupons to the weather creatively. One example would be to offer a discount associated with the current temperature -- 7.5 percent off when it's 75 degrees out.
• High-Ticket Item. Text coupons aren't as effective for higher-ticket items as they are for smaller purchases; but, you can still use holiday-themed coupons to convert thinkers into buyers. Use the message to create a sense of scarcity by holding a holiday season sale open only to those who respond to your broadcast.
• Seasonal Contests. SMS subscribers love contests, both for the prizes and for the fun of participating. Offer a small discount for participation, and a larger prize for winners. Some Independence Day contests include best fireworks photo, patriotic trivia contests, best picnic story and biggest holiday gathering.
• On-Site Events. If you'll be out and about on July 4th, broadcast hints about your location. Offer a coupon for the following week to anybody who brings a photo of you -- or your staff -- into the shop.

Entry By Jason Brick

The summer vacation/retail season can be one of the hottest of the year - no pun intended. Even in industries where business tends to slow in summer, a good text message marketing campaign can help you survive until the school year and holiday seasons get your gravy train rolling once again. Whichever extreme your business lies within, you can boost sales and improve profits by broadcasting some of these summer-themed text coupons. 

1. Holiday Coupons Match a summer holiday with something you offer, no matter how slight the connection. Offer a discount for buying on that day, or for buying goods related to the holiday. Don't settle for just July 4th, Memorial Day and Labor Day. You can use the dozens of observance weeks and lesser holidays to keep in touch with your subscribers. 
2. Beat the Heat Whether you offer actual cooling products, or simply have a shop with good air conditioning, make these offers whenever the mercury rises. Every summer has its hottest week - celebrate it with a coupon offer. 
3. Summer BOGO By one, get one free is classic couponing, a successful tactic born long before SMS was even a thought. Use summer-related gear like sunblock, iced drinks or cheap paper fans to bring folks in to buy your higher-ticket items. Consider using a loss-leader strategy here to lure in subscribers with an irresistible deal.
4. Celebrating Community Almost every town in the country has at least one summer festival - and many have several. Stay on top of what's scheduled in your market, and send coupons that participate in the event. Offer a special discount for those who can prove attendance.
5. Partner With Neighbors If your business isn't really summer-centric, talk with a neighboring business that is. Have both broadcast a special discount for those who bring in a receipt from the partner. This builds your business both with the coupon, and by adding potential subscribers to your own broadcast. 
6. Vacation Photo Contests Summer is vacation season, and people love to talk about their vacations. Integrate your SMS with your Facebook by having subscribers share their (appropriate) vacation photos on your page. Give a big discount to the best photo of the week, and a lesser discount to all participants. 
7. Kids Discounts Summer also means parents with a house full of bored children. An "act fast" coupon that gives parents something to do with their kids for an afternoon will get you business and loyalty. Send it out around 11 AM for an afternoon event, ranging from "kids eat free" to a free kids clinic on something your business does well.