With so many brands vying for buyers’ mindshare, it has become extremely tough for retailers to attract and engage customers, that is, until SMS messages came around. Multiple options for a single product makes customers switch brands easily and retailers are therefore constantly coming up with new deals and offers to woo buyers.

The challenge, however, is – how does a retailer get his message across. He may be offering the lowest price for a product and the best deal in the market, but how does he communicate with his customer. Emails average less than 10% response rates, and social media posts do not fetch the desired result, thanks to the overwhelming noise on every platform. Retailers will have to find a better way to get their message across.

Opportunity: As more than 97% of Americans use SMS messages every day, a huge opportunity lies beneath messaging. Research shows that over 64% of buyers are likely to have a positive perception of companies that converses via messages. That’s good news. When you blend relevant stories and information with the power of conversational messaging, you can and will attract prospects and customers to your door and keep them coming back for more.

Let’s see how a leading retailer is using SMS messages to engage with their customers.

Just like the example above, Retailers can use automated messages to provide exclusive deals, beat off-peak downtime, upsell high margin goods and services or announce new products. However, they need to ensure that they segment their data based on geography, interests, gender etc. and send only relevant information to customers. Sharing timely and relevant information can determine the success of a messaging campaign.