Dear paper flyer. – Or should I call you leaflet, circular, pamphlet, handout? Paper flyer is fine? Okay. So, you’ve been spreading your word, sharing the good deals and coupons (which we really do appreciate) since the late 1700’s, on paper. You’re easy to make, you’ve been mass distributed and you’ve been a marketing-winner in a paper-filled world. Yes, I know, you can be glossy and come in a variety of formats.
I also see you’ve got your feet wet, trying to go digital in the way of assuming the role as an online flyer. You’re even an app, these days. Congratulations. You took the first steps. But, here is something I’d like you to consider.
Picture not having to sit in a physical mailbox or linger patiently on a website until someone clicks there to view it. Picture not being hidden in an app icon, awaiting the first hurdle – to be opened, then the second hurdle – being seen amidst all the other flyers on the app itself. What if you could be sent directly and seamlessly to customers and be the only flyer that gets looked at when opened? What if you knew that you had a 95% chance of being opened?
More than half of the world now uses a smartphone and statistics show that SMS has a whopping 95% open rate. Pair that thought with the knowledge that you’re being sent to an opted-in customer list. These are loyal customers who want to read you.
You also have a wide range of options to time your messages. Outside of what day of the week you choose, you can be sent at a specific time that best fits your customers. For example, if you’re a grocery flyer, you may think it best to be sent on a Wednesday at noon, to prepare customers for a Thursday or Friday supermarket visit. Another thought to timing: You can be easily altered to account for sudden environmental or socioeconomic changes that could drive traffic for specific products – like shovels during a snowstorm, for example.
Another benefit of SMS, and of digital flyers in general, is the ability to track what customers have viewed on a flyer. Tracking what interests customers can lead to better offerings and ultimately benefits both customer and merchant. This along with the timing flexibility I mentioned, could eventually lead to preferences at the flyer level.
You’re asking, “Why not go the email route?” I can answer that one for you with some statistics. 10% of emails (in Canada) are doomed to the spam folder, while less than 15% even get opened.
Oh, is your paper starting to crinkle? That’s okay. For now, you are still a comfortable habit for customers, but you will become unmistakably thinner as people, more and more, are being drawn to digital flyers. Why not give SMS a try? The results will be astonishing and have you ditching the paper and going with SMS!
What to do with all that left-over paper lying around? Well – you can recycle it, of course!
At Raange, Inc., our goal is to elevate traditional brick & mortar retailers to quickly and easily transition to the latest marketing concepts and communication channels, to rebuild trusted dialogue with past, present, and future customers. Contact us about a PILOT today.
Let’s Talk About Boosting Your Flyers! Email @: Contact_Me@raange.com; Text @: (514) 613-3324 with Keyword ‘BOOST’
*Partner content. To work with Retail Insider, email: craig@retail-insider.com
