For better or worse, 2023 was a stunning year for DTC wineries.
Since so much has already been written about our challenges, we're spreading holiday cheer by focusing on the most positive trends we saw in 2023.
Topping our list is SMS wine marketing.
Why?
Because wine consumers and merchants love it.
And since most wineries haven't tried SMS, text messaging is one of the few affordable marketing moves DTC merchants can make in 2024.
After decades of “rinse-and-repeat” DTC marketing, 2023 was an eye-opening year many wine merchants
If you crave DTC marketing data this holiday season, savor these sweet treats published by Klaviyo, Silicon Valley Bank, SimpleTexting, Text Request, and VinterActive in 2023.
2023 SMS Wine Marketing Report Card
SMS is now the #1 way to engage every generation of consumers
80% of consumers opted-in to receive business texts in 2023
53% of consumers want to send texts to their favorite brands
45% of consumers purchased after receiving a business text in 2023
The most popular business texts in 2023 were appointment reminders, customer service texts, and sales promotions
86% of U.S. merchants have already started texting their customers in 2023
Businesses texting consumers were 217% more likely to report success than companies that don't use text messaging
Personalized texts produced 17% more clicks and 40% higher conversion compared to bulk marketing campaigns
98% of companies texting their customers recommend SMS marketing to other merchants
Wine merchants texting their customers in 2023 reported 35-times better customer engagement compared to email marketing
Wine merchants texting consumers saw 5-times better open rates compared to email in 2023
Wine merchants texting consumers in 2023 reported 2-6 times higher click-thru compared to email
14% of U.S. wineries used text messaging in 2023, a 50% annual rate of growth
12 Reasons for optimism in 2024
This year's data on SMS wine marketing paints an optimistic picture of wine merchants finally realizing the potential of today's most popular communication method.
With early adopters generating results an order of magnitude better than email, the rise of SMS wine marketing couldn't happen at a better time to aid an industry facing many challenges.
We hope this news provides you a measure of hope and resolve to thrive in 2024.
Happy Selling!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Founder & CEO of VinterActive LLC, Bryan St. Amant, is a pioneer in developing preference-based direct marketing and its successful application in the wine industry.
His award-winning work has been featured in books, magazines, and seminars, including CFO Magazine, Inc., CNN Money, eMarketing Magazine, Integrated Direct Marketing, Direct Marketing Association, Wine Business, Grapevine Magazine, Wine Marketing Report, and the Wine Industry Network.