It's a fact…
Despite the record-breaking sales and marketing results posted by wineries using text messaging, the best data we have shows that fewer than 10% of U.S. wine merchants used this affordable, ubiquitous communication tool in 2022.
Perhaps there's merit to taking a "wait-and-see" approach with many wine marketing opportunities.
But what if that's not the case with SMS wine marketing?
What if early adopters are the only wine merchants who can easily reap the benefits of text messaging?
I ask these questions because the latest research on SMS marketing shows that the window for generating game-changing success might close much sooner than many wine merchants suspect.
Here's why: Text messaging works because it's the easiest way today's consumers can stay in touch with family, friends, and a limited number of trusted brands that add value to their lives.
The catch is that there's a limit on how many brands consumers feel comfortable inviting to share their personal space. And understandably, their limits are low.
After most U.S. adults had already opted-in to receive some business texts, our friends at SimpleTexting found that the average consumer was comfortable receiving texts from 5 brands in 2021.
But when the team at Klaviyo asked the same question later, they reported in 2023 that an average consumer was now receiving opt-in text messages from only 3 brands.
Apparently, even though more brands than ever now offer customers a way to stay in touch via text, today's consumers continue to protect the privacy of their inboxes by raising their standards.
Early adopters of SMS wine marketing enjoy a unique competitive advantage in 2023.
So it's up to you, my wine marketing friends, to make the cut by edging out some serious competition.
Common sense shows you're not competing with 3-5 wineries. You're competing with 3-5 banks, healthcare providers, restaurants, and other purveyors of luxury goods for a coveted spot on your customers' contact lists.
With this competition, how many wine brands do you think will make the cut? If you're lucky and the marketing gods are kind, the most likely answer you can hope for is one.
That's why it's so important to be the first wine merchant to offer your best customers this powerful way to stay in touch.
If you win the race to engage your biggest fans with SMS messaging, the benefits can be breathtaking, with open rates, click-thru, and sales conversion results that our industry hasn't seen in decades.
But if you wait for the competition to blaze the trail, you might be sadly out of luck.
While early adopters of business texting continue to reap their rewards, you might deeply regret knowing you failed to act on a once-in-a-generation opportunity to profit from SMS wine marketing.
And that's the danger of waiting too long to text your best wine customers.
Happy Selling!