Padrones Pizza East: I’ve been using a text blast company for a year and feel like it’s almost a lost cause. I did a blast tonight and had a redemption rate of only 2.4%. What rate should I expect to get?
royster13: Even at 2.4%, it may still be worthwhile. Some questions to consider: What does the service cost you vs. the sales generated? Are you gaining new clients for your database? Sometimes things don’t look good in the short term, but over the long run it might work out OK.
Patriot’sPizza: Text blasts are akin to generic direct mail. Just because someone received your text doesn’t mean they need a pizza at that time. New customers should get a thank-you text the next day after their first visit. It becomes a whole new ball game when you thank them for their business. Next, go through your database and thank all of your past customers for their support, too. Finally, look at those customers who haven’t placed an order in the past 90 days and send them a free cheesy bread deal—no purchase required. That’s a good start.
bodegahwy: We’ve been working on launching a text program. I’m hoping to build our list to 1,000 members as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we can’t migrate the customers we already have on our POS and email program into the SMS program, so we will use a pretty aggressive special offer to get people to try the system for the first time. That first order will not be a moneymaker, as my focus will be on getting customers onto the list. We’ve set up an initial opt-in campaign that will offer 30% off a single order. The offer implies that it must be used within 24 hours, but it can actually be used any time—only once per customer. Once we have a list of VIP members, we will send more typical offers regularly, along with special-event messages tied to Denver Broncos games, etc. I will send emails to our list promoting the VIP text program, which will direct people to our online ordering, where we capture emails. We will also promote it with 1,500 box toppers, in-store signs and ads in our local newspaper.
