By sending SMS communications that include deals and special offers, businesses that leverage SMS technology can increase revenue and brand awareness at the same time. Marketing with SMS service provides a low cost, high engagement platform that attracts new customers and gives you a reason to stay in touch with existing customers.

• Highlighting new items, product arrivals, or product features
• Incentivizing an immediate purchase while in a retail location
• Educating customers on the services and options available for purchase
• Promoting specials, discounts, or purchasing incentives with viral text promotions
• Reinforcing brand awareness
• Increasing customer loyalty

SMS messages allow brands to offer clients updates and discount codes in a variety of ways. Here are just a few of the ways that SMS messaging can be used in retail locations to increase customer engagement, brand loyalty, and revenue:

Special Offers. SMS messaging is a great way to offer special discounts and incentives to customers. A simple text message letting them know what’s going on provides excellent engagement.
Promo and Coupon Codes. Nothing draws people to a store like a deal. Text messages are a great way to offer customers a coupon code or promotional offer that gets them through the doors.
Product Notifications. Want to let your customers know when a new product line or service is available? SMS is the perfect way to do so.
Delivery Information.  Notifying customers that an item they ordered is available for pickup can be communicated through text message with ease.
Loyalty Programs. SMS messages can be used to create simple yet effective loyalty programs with shoppers. Offering an incentive via text message is a great way to build your retail brand.
Sale Alerts . Special sales are a great way to bring customers through the doors. What better way to promote a sale then through text messaging?
Geo-targeted Messaging. SMS messages can be triggered via geo-fencing, allowing you to engage with customers when they have entered your store.
Special Events. Promoting special occasions with text messages can be a great way to increase attendance and participation.
Company News. SMS marketing messages should provide value to the customer. Communicating interesting news about your stores does just that.
Customer Feedback. Soliciting quick customer feedback about products or services is easily accomplished through text messaging.
Brand Presence. SMS can be used without a call to action as a way to keep your brand, product, or service visible to your customers.

Not long ago, a DVD and game rental kiosk company had grown its user base through ease of use, reasonable pricing, and convenient locations around the country. But for all of the company’s success, the sales and marketing teams were left pondering a sad truth: the vast majority of people that came within a few feet of a rental kiosk walked right by. Obviously not everyone walking into a neighborhood pharmacy, convenience store, or fast food restaurant is there to rent a movie, but team members were startled by how little attention the kiosks received from passersby.

The marketing team knew that increasing rentals and use of the kiosks among non-users wouldn’t happen right away. They decided to try increasing user engagement through a different technical medium: text messages on cell phones. In the summer of 2013, the company launched “10 Days of Deals.” During the promotion, users could text a keyword to a specific number and receive a coupon code ranging from a few cents to the cost of an entire movie rental. The promotion also gave the marketing team a chance to increase brand awareness through the text messages. The promotion worked as existing users and curious non-users alike signed up in droves. The ten-day campaign produced 200,000 new SMS subscribers to the promotions and resulted in 1.5 million new text messages between the company and its customers. Existing customers found their way to the kiosks more often while new, curious potential customers were incentivized to try the service.