Tips on targeting local customers with SMS marketing

While independent retailers are somewhat limited by their geography, they have the benefit of focusing marketing efforts on targeted, local demographics. In turn, SMS messaging has emerged as a powerful tool for driving interest in retail stores from local customers.  

With its unparalleled reach and immediacy, SMS campaigns offer a direct line to engage and influence potential buyers within specific geographic regions. Whether you own a running store or a wine shop, harnessing the power of SMS marketing is a great way to maximize impact in your local region.

Customer Acquisition 

Since you need to focus on the local population, effective customer acquisition is all the more important for retail stores. Luckily, SMS marketing is a very powerful tool for obtaining new clients.

Capture Digital Leads at Your Physical Store 

While many people tend to think of digital tools like landing pages to capture leads, taking advantage of foot traffic at your store is a great way to build your SMS contact list with local recipients. For example, if you own a bike shop, getting tune-up customers to sign up for SMS marketing could lead to future bike sales.

Capture Leads Using Hyper-Localized Digital Ad Campaigns  

Digital advertising platforms like Google Ads let you hone in on specific locations. As the Google Ads site explains, “you can choose entire countries, areas within a country like cities or territories, and even a radius around a location.” By running digital ads in a smaller geographical region, you can capture relevant web traffic and incentivize potential customers to sign up for SMS messaging.

Customer Retention  

SMS marketing is also a great way to retain local customers after they have already purchased from your retail store.

Craft SMS Messages About Your Local Area   

One of the most beautiful things about running an SMS campaign in a small area is the ability to craft personalized content about your region. What better way to attract local customers than to advocate for your town or city? To take it a step further, you can even capitalize on local happenings like weather events. For example, sending out a text about a flash sale on winter clothes right before a big snowstorm hits could drive serious revenue.

Promote In-Store Activities & Local Gatherings   

Sending SMS messages to local customers is a great way to promote in-store activities like product launches. Another approach might be to promote charitable works in your community through SMS messaging. No matter what your goal, on-target, local content written for local audiences will cultivate excitement and drive foot traffic.

Revenue Generation  

No matter the type of retail store you operate, the end goal for any good marketing campaign should be revenue generation.

Give Exclusive Deals to Local Customers 

Making your local customers feel valued with exclusive deals is a great way to drive traffic to your store and boost sales. At RareCircles, we recommend crafting texts that promote a sense of urgency with a compelling call to action (CTA). For example, an SMS message stating, “40% off sale tomorrow only” is a surefire way to get the attention of local customers. 

Utilize Loyalty Points Programs

Loyalty points programs are very effective tools for keeping local customers interested in your store and spending money. For example, reminding a customer how many loyalty points they have in their account with a text is a great way to keep them engaged for a future sale.