It seems like these days every business is jumping on the SMS marketing train. Cannabis is no different. Text message is an easy and effective way to reach your audience because texting has become a main form of communication in today’s society.
Think about how often your phone is with you throughout the day (yes, we know you take it into the bathroom!). How many people do you text? How many texts do you send? Do you prefer texting over email, phone calls or other forms of communication?
One reason why sending a text message is so popular is because it’s immediate and personable yet noninvasive.
Given the pervasiveness of text messaging then, you might be wondering “should I use SMS messaging for my cannabis marketing and what is that sweet spot that gets customers to take action without feeling harassed?”
We’ve got some data from one of our ecosystem partners, Happy Cabbage Analytics, that will shed some light on this topic so keep reading!
Before we jump into the meat of this article, let’s take a closer look at our relationship with our cell phones and how this influences our daily lives.
According to recent research from dscout, people tap, swipe, and click an average of 2,617 times per day. One study from 2019 found that Americans spend an average of 5.4 hours a day on their phone.
When we break that out into specific demographics, the data show that nearly half of millennials spend five hours or more on their phones compared to 35 percent of baby boomers. Thirteen percent of millenials spend 12 hours or more on their phones all day. That’s a lot of time staring at your screen, even if you’re using it for work.
As we might predict, social media comprises the majority of smartphone screen time. According to data from Provision Living, Americans spend an average of 64.5 minutes a day on Facebook and 48 minutes on Instagram.
Millennials text more than boomers with 48 minutes spent per day compared to 30. Below you can see how screen time is spent for both groups.
Suffice it to say, the data is clear. If you want to reach someone, the best way is going to be through their mobile device.
It can be. But there are certain limits you don’t want to go over when it comes to frequency of messages sent.
The benchmarking data from Happy Cabbage analytics looked at several large-scale delivery operations in California, all with similarities in business model, marketing strategy and monthly revenue.
When looking at the effect texting frequency has over immediate and cumulative sales, the data found that increasing texts per month moderately increases ticket size from around $111 per two texts to $125 per seven texts.
For the effect text message frequency has on cumulative customer sales over 30 days, the data found that sending six text messages resulted in $501 cumulative sales compared to $327 with only two text messages sent.
As it turns out, you actually can text your customers too much! More than seven texts within a 30-day timeframe can be harmful to customer ticket size.
In terms of purchase frequency, the number of store visits increased per text until customers reached a limit of five text messages per month. Those that received an average of five monthly marketing and promotional text messages tended to visit a store an average of 4.98 times, which is double the visits compared to customers who received one text a month.
In this instance, you can think of a text message as a gentle yet immediate reminder to the customer. It lets them know that you are thinking about them and gives them a hook, such as reminding them of their store credit or a daily special, that triggers them to take action.
Of course this will vary depending on each customer segment and demographic. As the earlier data showed, younger generations are much more likely to respond and interact with text messages.
If you’re wondering just how many text messages you should send to your cannabis customers every month, the sweet spot is between 5-7 SMS messages.
When it comes to customer engagement and loyalty, you want to create an emotional connection with your audience. It’s important to connect with them in a way that inspires them to take action and that also helps solve a problem for them.
How can you show your customers that you have a product or service that they need, or that will positively influence them in some way? It all starts with your brand and your message. Can your customers relate to what you have to say or offer to them?
Connecting with your cannabis customers in a way that is already easily integrated into their daily lives and routines makes it that much easier to grab their attention.
It’s estimated that today we encounter between 6,000 to 10,000 advertisements and marketing messages every single day. Most of this happens subconsciously.
That’s why finding a way to be front and center in your customers’ minds can significantly strengthen your bond with them and motivate them to invest their time, energy and money in your business.
If you are looking to take your cannabis SMS marketing strategy to the next level, we can help pair you with the right cannatech partner for your unique business and marketing needs.
Schedule your free consultation with us today and we’ll provide a complete assessment of your existing tech stack and provide guidance on how to find the right SMS marketing and customer loyalty partner that can help you grow your business and build resilient customer relationships.
