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8 Father’s Day Marketing Ideas using SMS

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Templates & examples 6 min read | Sinch Messagemedia wrote in blog on August 18, 2022

Last year in the US, spending on Father’s Day gifts was tipped to exceed a massive $20B. This year will be no different – people love spoiling their dads, stepdads, grandpas, and all the other father figures in their lives.

Before the big day arrives, your strategy to boost Father’s Day sales. If you sell ‘daddy staples’ like personal care items or clothes, tools or gardening gear, electronics or auto accessories, now’s the time to promote your wares. Stuck for Father’s Day marketing ideas? Read on.

4 tips for boosting Father’s Day sales with SMS

If you’re planning to send bulk SMS to your customers with helpful gift guides, promos, and ideas (and, why wouldn’t you, with 98% open rates on SMS?), then make it count. Here are three things to keep in mind when planning your Father’s Day marketing campaigns.

1. Think outside the sock drawer

Dads don’t need any more ties. Instead, look beyond boxer shorts when it comes to Father’s Day gifts, and help your customers choose interesting, useful, and memorable gifts that dads will love.

For example, say you sell handmade soaps. Instead of presuming dads aren’t your target market, think again. The global market for men’s personal care is predicted to hit $277B by 2030, as more and more men embrace the wellness revolution. With this in mind, do your research to see how your products or services could fit with what modern men want.

2. Send personalized SMS campaigns

If you’ve built up a solid database of loyal customers, then now’s the perfect time to strengthen those relationships with personalized text messages. Use keywords, coupons or special discounts to create a sense of urgency around your Father’s Day text marketing campaigns. If they’re a new customer or found you organically, use pop-ups on your website that ask for their name and mobile number in exchange for an immediate Father’s Day SMS code or discount.

3. Embrace the dad jokes

This is the perfect time for dad jokes. Particularly if your brand’s light-hearted and fun. If you can – and if it suits your brand – pepper your copy with puns to get into the spirit of Father’s Day. 

Or, for a more emotional hook, why not use nostalgic imagery or copy that tugs at the heartstrings? Lines like: “Remember when…?” or “Share treasured memories …” are sure to pull people in.

4. Get out in front of the competition

Whether you run a pampering business for guys or sell uniquely dad-themed gifts, get your brand in front of your customers before your competitors do.

An easy way to do this? Use our fast SMS gateway to send bulk messages. Hit ‘send’ well before the special event to grab early birds hunting for good deals.

4 examples of SMS marketing for Father’s Day

With the above tips in mind, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of what a great Father’s Day message looks like. Of course, not all of these examples will suit your business – but they should hopefully give you some inspiration for your own campaign.

1. Reward those who join the club

Sure, Father’s Day is a great opportunity to boost sales. But don’t forget it’s also an ideal time to collect customer information and grow your database.

In this example below, a customer shared their details (for example, through the brand’s socials or website) to join the VIP club. The reward? A handy Father’s Day promotional discount.

SMS example of Fathers Day VIP special

USE THE TEMPLATE:
<<Thanks for joining up with [your company]’s VIP club. As a VIP member, you get great offers for Father’s Day, and so much more.>>
<<Here’s your Father’s Day coupon: [link] Enjoy [discount] off any item for the rest of the month. Plus, get 20% off second items, so why not treat Dad and yourself?>>

2. Offer customized and personalized gifts

Make it personal by letting people customize gifts, if you can. Show what’s possible by using Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), which includes imagery and a subject line. In this example, the brand lets customers stamp dad’s initials on the product.

SMS example of Fathers Day gift promotion

USE THE TEMPLATE:
(Subject Line)<<Customise your [product] this Father’s Day for free.>>
Hi [customer name], grab any of our [product or product line] for Father’s Day, and add dad’s initials for free. Only available this week. Use our free Monogram Maker to see what it looks like before you buy: [link]>>

Ready to try?

Sign up for a free trial at MessageMedia to get sending.

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3. Go virtual for those who can’t meet in person

Not everyone can see their dads in person. Use one of your text messages in the lead-up to Father’s Day to offer virtual gifts or experiences, like gift cards.

SMS example of virtual Fathers Day promo

USE THE TEMPLATE:
<<If you can’t be with your dad this Father’s Day, here’s a great alternative. Send dad a [your virtual product] with a personal note. Browse our selection of [virtual products] to share with your family: [link]>>

4. Use keywords to help hone in on dad’s hobbies

Two-way SMS is a powerful way to curate more targeted gift guides. Send your customers a list of keywords, and ask them to pick the word that best reflects their dad. Then, send a personalized gift guide full of ideas tailored to that keyword. It makes it so much easier to find the perfect gift for dad.

SMS example of Fathers Day gift guide 1

USE THE TEMPLATE:
<<Not sure what to get dad this Father’s Day? We can help. Text us which word describes your dad, and we’ll send you some great gift ideas.>>
<<[Choose your Father’s Day keywords]>> 
<<[Chosen keyword], hey? Here are some great gifts for your [keyword descriptor] dad: [link] >>

Stand out with SMS this Father’s Day

If you haven’t already, why not give MessageMedia a try? Just in time for Father’s Day, you’ll get 25 free SMS to start with. From there, the sky’s the limit in terms of how you use SMS to engage with your customers.

Ready to roll?

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