10 SMS Examples for Holiday Marketing Messages

1. Spruce Up Your Holiday Messages

When sending a holiday message to clients, add fun, holiday-themed emojis (? ? ? ? ⛄ ❄) or a winter-inspired image for some extra buzz (and to fuel even more sales). Consider capitalizing important words (like CYBER MONDAY or SALE) and adding exclamation points or emoji sirens (??) to boost notice even further.

Why It Works!

Playing off the holiday atmosphere is a huge motivator when it comes to sales. For many, the holidays are tied to fun family traditions. Even something simple — like a Christmas tree or hot cocoa emoji — can evoke feelingPlaying off the holiday atmosphere is a huge motivator for sales. For many, the holidays are tied to fun family traditions. Even something simple — like a Christmas tree or hot cocoa emoji — can evoke feelings of nostalgia, motivating engagement and increasing sales. Research also shows that emojis improve customer retention rates by up to 20%.

Infuse your SMS and MMS messaging with emojis and holiday-themed imagery to:

1. Cue the “holiday feeling.” Along with holiday season messages to clients, emojis often inspire customers to shop for seasonal products and experiences.
2. Stand out. Use holiday messaging to differentiate from your usual content and to grab attention.

2. Create a Special Holiday Hashtag with SMS Texts

Many businesses and organizations have started organizing holiday marketing campaigns around seasonal hashtags in recent years. For example, Starbucks encouraged customers to create holiday cups during the #GiveGood campaign. Participants were encouraged to share their special creations on social media using the campaign hashtag, and Starbucks even featured a few of these designs on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

When building your holiday hashtag, use it as an opportunity to collect user-generated content. Remember, you don't need to supply a physical prize to participants to boost UGC. Instead, consider featuring top contributors on your social media.

Why It Works!

Using holiday hashtags helps expand your organic reach and build online recognition, categorizing your content as easily searchable. Instagram continues to grow as the go-to online shopping platform. Nearly 130 million people engage with shoppable posts each month.

For example, using #blackfriday and #blackfridaysales (along with the year) can boost Black Friday text promotions and help give you a competitive advantage online regarding visibility and holiday sales conversion. This is especially useful for targeting last-minute holiday shoppers.

Hashtags can also:

1. Generate relevant conversation. Hashtags are a collective way to tie content with trending topics and conversations. It’s always a good idea to stay abreast of the online buzz, and, if appropriate, to join in!
2. Increase engagement. When used strategically, these go a long way. But, don’t go overboard — aim for around nine on Instagram and fewer (one to two) on Facebook and Twitter.

3. Launch a Holiday Product Campaign

The holidays are a great time to launch new products or make special announcements along with a festive twist! You can try various marketing campaign ideas you can try — for example, if you have multiple seasonal products, don’t unveil them all at once. Instead, consider crafting an "Advent Calendar" product launch or a "12 Days of Christmas" campaign that drops a mystery product each week. Then, nudge recipients with a call-to-action that encourages customers to visit your website or Instagram page to "unwrap" the week's present.

Why It Works!

Around this time of the year, most everyone has shifted into high gear, looking for that oh-so-elusive "perfect gift." Gamifying your product launch and adding a holiday mystery incentivizes engagement and can help boost customer retention. Spreading out your offering throughout the shopping season also increases sales and opt-in opportunities as other retailers slow down.

You can also use this strategy to:

1. Add value. Product launches are an excellent opportunity to tie in gift-giving suggestions (e.g., "This Christmas, your favorite cook will be kissing you!") or to advertise holiday bundles (e.g., "Wait till you see this paired with our best-selling sweater…") for an added boost to your average order value (AOV).
2. Offer incentives. Consider offering a price cut or coupon for the new product to those who opt-in to SMS messages.

Need a few more ideas? Check out these retail holiday resources.

4. Take Advantage of Holiday Sales with Text Marketing

Customers expect steep discounts on their favorite products and services during the holiday season. It's one of the reasons why Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Small Business Saturday are so popular. (We have a Cyber Monday Marketing guide to help you make the most of these popular sales holidays.)

Why It Works!

So, these annual events can be a massive draw if your business has an in-store or eCommerce side.

You could promote these special holiday sales even further via text message marketing. Usually, sending your first text message marketing campaign only requires a few minutes of setup and generates a 6X greater open rate than emails.

This strategy works for obvious reasons, but to make the most of holiday sales text marketing:

1. Get a head start! Be sure to begin dropping sales before the season's already arrived. Use this as an opportunity to offer SMS-only offers to VIP customers who already opt-in or offer early sale access for those who sign up.
2. Send cart abandonment reminders. Shoppers often get busy and distracted. You can use SMS messages and fun holiday-inspired language to remind customers to finish their purchases before seasonal goods sell out.

5. Build a Holiday Gift Guide with MMS Texting

What better way to promote your special products and services than a holiday gift guide? A great gift guide that generates leads, brings in customers and increases sales requires careful marketing and sales team planning. In addition to offering a printed holiday gift guide, many businesses also create a downloadable online guide.

Why It Works!

The holidays often result in system overload for many online shoppers. Creating a gift guide simplifies the buying process by grouping items in an easily digestible way.

Additionally, texts with images or videos, known as MMS text messaging, can increase engagement by 250% compared to text-only SMS.

Use holiday MMS messages to:

1. Re-engage interest. Energize weary shoppers by texting customers an image of the guide or some exciting, can't-miss gift options.
2. Bundle gift ideas. If your product or service offerings support different consumer types, consider creating one or two themed gift guides to target specific interests (e.g., "For the Tech Lover" or "For the Adventurer"), which can further amp up your AOV.

6. Say “Thanks” via Text Message

Use the holidays as an opportunity to thank customers for their continued patronage. Personalized messages help cut through all the holiday shopping noise and offer a greeting that isn't consumer-focused, which can be a very welcome reprieve.

Why It Works!

In a season that often seems all about buying, taking a moment just to say, “thank you” is a great way to make your customers feel valued. They'll appreciate the lengths you take to show them that you care.

Use SMS and MMS texting to:

1. Give back. Distribute a small token of your appreciation, such as a discount on a future purchase (which can help drive sales in January or February, traditionally slower months for most retailers).
2. Create non-promotional content. In addition to simple thank-yous, consider dropping holiday season messages to clients that highlights your brand’s personality.

Not sure where to start? Try these non-salesy holiday phrases for marketing:

“We know the world is full of choices. Happy Holidays, and thank you for choosing us!”

“We're so grateful you're alongside us for the journey. We wish you a wonderful holiday season and look forward to seeing you in the new year.”

7. Activate Fundraising Campaigns with SMS Messaging

Finally, the holidays are the perfect time to activate special fundraising campaigns. With more consumers on-the-go during the busy holiday season, organizations like the Salvation Army leverage text-to-give during the holidays. Any mobile user who wishes to donate to the Salvation Army can text "KETTLE" to 858585.

"Consumers are encouraged to share their thoughts regarding the campaign on social media. Individuals that share their #RedKettleReason posts online via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube will have their posts appear online on RedKettleReason.org," reports Alex Samuely on Retail Dive. Nonprofits can also leverage the GivingTuesday holiday to boost those all-important donations.

Why It Works!

Because this time of the year is so busy, SMS and MMS messaging can help keep customers in the loop and break up the monotony of consumer-driven content.

Use SMS and MMS texting to:

1. Send reminders. Spread holiday cheer and inform your customers about upcoming charity drives and fundraising events, which can help increase donations and foot traffic.
2. Highlight community efforts. Even if you’re not a nonprofit, the holidays are an excellent time to highlight the causes close to your heart. It’s also a good opportunity to pull back the curtain and show subscribers who you are as a company and individuals.

8. Send Time-Sensitive Shipping Reminders

Even though shoppers know the holidays are coming, they must start shopping early. In fact, for Christmas purchases, 40% of sales are made between December 15 and December 24. That's down to the wire not only for gift-givers everywhere but also for businesses that ship products.

To ensure customers receive their orders on time, consider sending shipping reminders via text that specify when to purchase based on the shipping time needed. For example, tell them when to submit an order for ground, two-day, or overnight shipping.

Why It Works!

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for people, so it makes sense that shoppers have a lot on their minds. That means they can remember to complete a purchase in time for shipping turnarounds; if they do, business could be recovered.

Use SMS marketing to:

1. Send time-sensitive messages. SMS marketing is the best method for motivating customers to take action quickly. 70% of people open texts within 5 minutes of receiving them.
2. Remind customers of your shipping policies. Every business has different shipping policies, fees, and time frames, so customers will find it helpful to have more info about yours—for holiday and future purchases.

Check out our guide on managing shipping for small businesses.

9. Offer a Holiday Tiered Promotion

Shoppers have as many internet tabs open as they have holiday wishlists, which means they’re shopping around for the best deal. In a season saturated with offers, stand out by offering a tiered promotion to incentivize customers to spend more (and get a heftier discount).

Why It Works!

Tiered discounts usually involve three different dollar amounts that customers need to reach, so the more they spend, the more significant the discount. This type of promotion is:

1. Good for business because it increases your AOV—customers will consider adding more items to their cart to reach one of the discount tiers.
2. Good for customers because they’re receiving a bulk-order discount that they might not have received otherwise. It’s a win-win.

10. Follow Up With a Post-Purchase Message

There's no better time to surprise and delight customers than the holiday season when shoppers everywhere might feel frazzled or overwhelmed. Receiving a personalized text can be the difference between a one-time and a long-time customer.

Consider sending post-purchase messages focused on customer service. These texts could ask customers to rate their purchase, prompt them to reply with questions, or suggest other related items they could pair with their purchase.

Why It Works!

In a season where increasing sales is one of the biggest marketing goals, businesses often forget to check in with customers. Customer service should always be a top priority, and that's where post-purchase messages come in.

Here are a few ways to leverage SMS marketing to engage your audience:

1. Two-way texting. Two-way texting, or conversational texting, is a great way to interact with your audience, and it's especially helpful for post-purchase messages. You can have one-on-one conversations to make your customers feel seen and heard, boosting your brand loyalty.
2. AI + SMS. Create more personalized messages using generative AI, which can gather data on purchase history, customer behavior, demographics, and more to give businesses a more detailed look at their audience. Use AI and SMS together to amp up your customer service tactics and drive engagement.