With the festive season fast approaching, brands and businesses everywhere are planning to roll out a range of offers and discounts, for their clientele. While most physical stores often have reduced capacity, customers prefer to shop online through eCommerce websites and social media platforms. Studies concluded that 90% of customers preferred text messages over direct phone calls. Businesses that reached out to customers through text messages saw an 89% increase in their consumer base.
Here are some of the steps you need to take to ensure that you not only gain new customers but retain their loyalty and boost sales.
Physical retail stores - Organize offline events and promote through SMS and WhatsApp
During the festive season, it is essential to have a diversified marketing approach. In addition to online promotions, consider hosting events at your physical retail locations to provide customers with a deeper experience of your product line.
For instance, you can organize special week-long holiday sales for occasions like Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali, and Christmas at select retail outlets. Inform potential attendees about the nearest location to them via SMS and WhatsApp. If needed, ask for their location, and respond with the nearest store featuring the ongoing sale.
Display your QR code visibly within the store using standees and banners, especially near the PoS. Make sure that even the packaging products have the QR code that customers can scan even after completing a purchase.
Retailers - Boost conversions with exclusive discount coupons via email
Whether you operate online or have a physical store, the festive season is ripe for expanding your reach and increasing conversions. Consider creating exclusive discount codes for your subscribers and deliver these enticing coupons through email.
Recipients can redeem them easily. You can also feature these discount codes on your Facebook page, allowing visitors to access them by providing minimal information such as their name, email ID, and address.
Catering - Foster long-lasting customer relationships through voice call
The festive season is when homes are filled with guests and food is a necessity. It is the perfect time to build rapport with your target audience. Use Sinch’s voice call platform to offer value by demonstrating that you understand their pain points.
Train your customer service team to communicate effectively and engage with these clients. Prompt responses to requests and orders are the key. Also, provide immediate solutions to potential issues regarding delayed deliveries or food quality. These are essential to maintain enduring relationships with customers.
Specialized QR codes for this service can be promoted across all your communication channels, including printed promotional material (menus), email, SMS, and social media. Once customers opt in, you can also send them reminders about promos and special meals or dishes that you have planned for the festive season using voice calls.
Fashion - Utilize WhatsApp QR codes for enhanced engagement
Don't underestimate the power of WhatsApp QR codes for your fashion business, especially during the festive season. Incorporating a "Talk to us on WhatsApp now" QR code onto your products and even coupons can work wonders for customer engagement.
You can also integrate it seamlessly into your branding and logo sections. Make sure this QR code is also present on your social media pages, including Facebook, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn.
By scanning the code, potential customers can initiate a conversation with you instantly, eliminating the need to manually add your number. You can even have pre-written messages ready for them. If you have ongoing festive promotions, ensure that the QR code leads users directly to them.
Apparel - Establish a loyalty program and engage customers with text messages
If you haven't already implemented a loyalty points program, now is the ideal time to start. For those already enrolled, use this festive season as an opportunity to reconnect and remind them of the benefits they can enjoy by purchasing festive season clothing from you.
Reach out to previous buyers, inform them about their unutilized loyalty points, and recommend top-selling items they might be interested in. Provide convenient links to your online store, making the shopping experience seamless and engaging.
eCommerce - Provide shipping and delivery updates via WhatsApp and SMS
With the Sinch WhatsApp Business API and SMS API, you can ensure secure end-to-end conversations, allowing you to share sensitive information about festive purchases without concerns about data security.
For customers with multiple orders or multiple items in progress, send them timely shipping updates at critical points during the product transit. Inform them when their products leave your warehouse, when they reach the local processing hub, and when they are out for delivery.
Additionally, consider offering gift cards with extra discounts or special offers for purchases beyond a certain amount.
The bottom line
An omnichannel experience is great for both the customer and the brand and allows you to seamlessly create an ideal consumer experience through the holiday season. Customers crave consistency and sending them regular updates, offers, products, and more not only shows them that you care but offers them easy access to your store.
Make the most of festive season and build customer relationships that last a lifetime!