👀 INSPO FOR YOU: HOW RARE BEAUTY USES SMS 👀

SMS texts from brands- I think this is an either love it or hate it type of vibe. Personally I wake up to 20 different brand texts everyday because ya know I love a coupon and you bet I am putting my phone number into those pop ups to get 20% off.

But then I regret it when 6 months later I am still getting FLASH SALE messages every other day from that sock brand that looked cool at 1am while I was scrolling in bed…

A lot of consumers feel this way and I think that’s why some business owners shy away from SMS as a marketing strategy.

BUT…

There are also brands I absolutely LOVE to get messages from. Why? Because I am a brand fan. And also because they text me only when they have something important to say and I appreciate that. Plus, I never miss a product drop, a sale or an update.A few brands I think are doing it really well are SKIMS (seriously- they pretty much always get me to click on links when they text me and I end up buying something), Annie Bing (they drop new arrivals via text) and Rare Beauty.

Let’s dive into a few recent texts from Rare so you can see some SMS best practices…

 ⬇️ USING SMS TO DRIVE SALES ⬇️

Rare texted me this today and I was obsessed from the second I saw it. It’s the perfect (and cutest) fall makeup bag. But here is where they get really smart…

This text isn’t just a “buy this now” announcement. It’s strategic.

The bag is new (exciting!) and will likely get brand loyalists to check it out. 

BUT there’s more! 

They are offering a freebie when you spend $40. The bag is only $20. Which means customers have to build a cart. 🛒 🤑 AND they just launched a new product so maybe if someone hasn’t grabbed it yet they will now…

SMART. SMART. SMART.

⬇️ USING SMS TO GIVE VIPS THE ROYAL TREATMENT ⬇️

I love it when brands use SMS to share new product drops. I follow Rare on social and knew a product was coming BUT I didn’t see any posts about it when it launched (thanks, Instagram) but because of this text I was reminded.

These small, simple nudges can lead to more orders through increased visibility.

You can’t see it here but this pic is actually a GIF that switches between Selena (gorg!) and a product shot. I love GIFs and so whenever a brand creates a custom one I think it just adds that little extra 🌶️.

📲 WILL SMS WORK FOR YOUR BRAND? 📲

SMS is an investment both in time and money, so you’ll want to ensure that you have the bandwidth to stay consistent.

You also want to make sure you have something to say. Using SMS to remind your audience to check out your site (because you haven’t made a sale in a few days) isn’t a strategy and it gives SMS a bad name. But reminding them of product drops and new offers? Creating fun and unique media for your texts? YES to that!

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