The impact of mobile marketing can’t be overstated. According to IDC, more people in the U.S. will access the Internet through a mobile device than through their PC by 2015. In this new series, Elite Email takes a look at highly successful campaigns to uncover their mobile marketing lessons. This week’s case study: How putting an emphasis on savings helped fuel increased opt-in rates for Lifetouch Portraits. While it might be a little overused, there’s still some credence to the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. When it comes to your mobile marketing strategy, the same can definitely be said about a great case study example. For that very reason, now is a great time to look at how Lifetouch Portraits switched things up a bit to grab additional opt-ins from an audience that was still on the fence about sharing text information with a brand. Whether your mobile campaign is well underway or you’re just learning about the benefits of reaching out via this channel to your customers, there’s plenty you can learn by taking a snapshot of Lifetouch Portraits’ success.
Approaching the Problem From a Different Angle
If you’ve kept up with this series of case studies, then you know that most of the brands we’ve highlighted have approached SMS growth via a roughly outlined set of rules and methods. Generally, the process goes something like this; the brand in question starts collecting phone numbers and opt-ins with the promise of a deal at a later date, then delivers in a big way that excites the audience. While there’s definitely nothing wrong with this strategy, Lifetouch Portraits decided that it had a better way of connecting with consumers on their mobile phones.At the core of this approach was an upfront deal for interested shoppers. In exchange for opting-in to the program, customers received an immediate $5 off of any of the numerous photography services offered by the brand – no strings attached. Instead of having to wait for the deal, shoppers could sign up and instantly save some cash in-store or on the way to a photo shoot. Clearly, it’s hard to pass up on this kind of discount, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t come with a least a few questions surrounding this upfront approach.
Concerns about Opting out
At this point, you’re probably thinking that all customers did was sign-up, save a few bucks, and then opt-out as soon as possible. While there’s no denying that some people decided to measure their time on the contact list in minutes and not months, this course of action was not nearly as prevalent as you’d think. In fact, only about 2.3 percent of customers unsubscribed after snagging a quick discount with a brand that’s willing to offer front-loaded incentives as part of its mobile campaign. Generally speaking, it’s safe to say that if you do right by customers with your initial offer they’ll be more than happy to stick around and see what’s next on the list of great text deals.
Capturing the Moment of Success
So just how successful was Lifetouch Portraits’ SMS campaign? As part of the initial $5 discount push, this photography and development service saw text message opt-in rates jump by 163 percent during the campaign. In short, what was once a trickle of interest in what the company had to offer to customers on the go turned into a veritable flood of interested shoppers looking to save a few bucks on their next visit. After enjoying this initial surge of opt-ins, Lifetouch Portraits still commands an expansive and constantly growing audience that’s always excited to read about the brand’s next great text deal.
Figuring out Your Brand’s Strategy
Even if you’re brand is in a completely different industry, there’s plenty you can take away from this case study to help build your own successful, upfront text messaging campaign. The first part of the process is offering up a deal or discount that can really wow your audience. While the $5 savings might not seem like a lot from a big picture perspective, Lifetouch Portraits knew that frugal customers wouldn’t be able to turn away from this kind of meaningful savings on an upcoming purchase. After you decide on your own deal or discount to tie into the opt-in process, giving these customers a reason to stay subscribed is the next step. Recurring offers, informational content, and limited time discounts all fill this role more than adequately. Once you have these two pieces of the puzzle in place, you can sit back and watch your opt-in rate, and brand awareness, take off to previously unimaginable levels.
