Businesses capitalizing during Ramadan

Family gatherings are being planned, the shops are open late and restaurants are all booked out; Ramadan is just around the corner!

During this time of year, businesses are looking for ways to capitalize on the significant consumer purchase growth. As families prepare for Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, they budget to spend over 50% more on goods and services. This festive season provides a great opportunity for businesses to maximize the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns by using an SMS software platform.

How businesses can benefit from using SMS during Ramadan

1. Increased mobile usage

SMS marketing is the ideal solution for reaching consumers during Ramadan due to spikes in mobile usage. During this time, users spend 44% of their screen time on their phone which is higher than any other device. The increase in mobile usage improves the effectiveness of SMS marketing as consumers can be reached quicker and more directly.

2. Managing employees

Operating a business in retail or hospitality can be a stressful time during Ramadan due to increased sales and foot-traffic. However, SMS software can relieve a lot of this tension. Coordinating staff rosters is made easier with SMS. High open rates of 98% give you the piece-of-mind that your employees know when they are required to work. If you urgently require a worker to come in you can instantly message your entire employee database with bulk SMS. SMS messages have an average response time of 90 seconds meaning you won’t have to panic whilst waiting hours to hear back from your employees.

3. Promotional offers

SMS software is the ideal platform to offer customers special promotions during Ramadan. Many families plan a big feast for Eid al-Fitr so a promotional offer will give your restaurant the winning edge. Bulk SMS marketing is an affordable and easy way to spread the word on any special Ramadan deals, extended opening hours or VIP nights.

4. Flash sales

Flash sales are a great way to create a sense of urgency for customers and increase foot traffic in your store. Bulk SMS is an effective tool for flash sales as you can send instant messages to large contact groups to tell them about your Ramadan specials. If your business finds itself with excess stock leading up to the last few days of Ramadan, a bulk SMS message indicating a flash sale can be a great way to reduce waste.

5. SMS coupons

Giving discount coupons to customers is an effective way to get them through your doors. You can send an SMS coupon to your entire customer base in just minutes using SMS software. A study conducted by Restaurant Report found that SMS coupons have a 1000% higher usage rate than print coupons. Check out more great ways your hospitality business can capitalize on SMS software here.

6. SMS gifts

Ramadan is the season of giving; so why not send your customers an SMS gift for Eid al-Fitr? 91% of adults keep their mobiles within arms-reach and digital coupons are easily stored which increases the likelihood of redemption. A small gift such as, “10% off your next purchase”, can go a long way in maintaining customer loyalty. SMS software simplifies this process with merge send making it easy to wish your customers an Eid Mubarak in a personalized message with an attached gift.

7. Loyalty programs

Whilst Ramadan lasts just 30 days, it is the perfect opportunity to build customer relationships that will last beyond the festive season. Setting up a loyalty program in-store where customers provide their mobile number and other details is a great way to keep them coming back after the conclusion of Ramadan. Once the customer data is collected it can be imported into our MXT software. You can then use SMS software to offer these customers exclusive deals and maintain the relationship for an extended period of time.

8. MMS

An MMS is an eye-catching way to grab the attention of consumers and has many clever uses. Ramadan is often represented by popular symbols such as the crescent moon and star, lanterns and Ramadan drummers. Consumers associate these images with Ramadan and are often drawn to them during this period of time. You can use these icons in your marketing and combine it with other SMS software tools such as scheduled campaigns, loyalty programs, coupons and flash sales to improve effectiveness.

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