Maximizing Holiday Wine Sales with Opt-in Text Marketing

Is anyone planning to maximize their DTC wine sales this holiday season?

If so, you already have all you need to boost your DTC sales another 10-30% this season, simply by adding text messaging to your marketing mix.

According to the latest research on DTC sales effectiveness, retailers who engage shoppers with BOTH text and email are rewarded with “30% higher customer lifetime value, 15% more orders and 10% higher average order value than with email alone.”

According to wine industry expert Lewis Perdue, the DTC sales boost driven by marketing messages delivered to mobile devices is particularly apparent during the holiday season.  The research he shared in this week’s Wine Industry Insight shows “mobile and desktop about evenly divided for e-purchases, but that changes big-time with the upcoming holidays.”

Consumers are quickly turning to their mobile phones for their holiday shopping needs.  And the best way to reach these mobile customers is text messaging.

Consumers are quickly turning to their mobile phones for their holiday shopping needs. And the best way to reach these mobile customers is text messaging.

So how can a motivated wine marketer take advantage of text messaging this holiday season?

The answer is toll-free texting

Unlike traditional marketing channels, toll-free texting is inexpensive, customers love it, and any winery can deploy it in 10-days or less.

A HOLIDAY TEXT MARKETING PLAYBOOK FOR WINERIES

If you’re ready to succeed with text marketing, here’s a simple checklist you can follow to get started immediately:

  • Sign-up for a text marketing service
    If you happen to work with WineDirect or Commerce7, our managed integration with SimpleTexting is a proven place to start.  PreferencePro Toll-Free Text Messaging for Wineries uses a 24/7 sync and 30+ wine marketing attributes to automate personalized text campaigns. With prices starting at less than $100/mo, your fully customized text marketing platform will be ready in less than a week.

  • Promote your text channels
    Text marketing is purely opt-in, so you’ll need to ask customers for their permission before sending any text messages.  The good news is that majority of consumers are eagerly awaiting their invitation.  So immediately after activating text marketing, start using email, social media, your website, and your tasting room to offer customers a chance to connect via text.  For ideas on how to approach your best customers, take a look here.

  • Deliver a predictable cadence of text communications
    The latest research from SimpleTexting shows that 56% of consumers prefer receiving text messages from businesses every two weeks, while 29% prefer receiving business texts once a week.  Since sending too many text messages is the top reason consumers unsubscribe, paying close attention to cadence is critical to text marketing success.  For now, you can safely plan on a two-week cadence, but you don’t have to limit your customers to only one messaging track.  Offering specialized keywords like “events” or “deals” can further engage motivated consumers without alienating others who prefer a slower pace.

Most online consumers are already receiving text messages from their favorite businesses.  In 2021, the majority of consumers were interested in receiving a business text every two weeks.

Most online consumers are already receiving text messages from their favorite businesses. In 2021, the majority of consumers were interested in receiving a business text every two weeks.

And remember, the holiday season is just the beginning.  Any success you achieve with text messaging now will continue to pay handsome dividends next year and beyond with happier customers and more DTC sales, courtesy of toll-free text messaging.

Happy Selling!