Text message marketing is a flexible digital marketing channel, which businesses of any kind can use and benefit from. Wholesale distribution businesses are no exclusion and they can get the most out of this productive channel as well. But before getting into the details, let’s understand what wholesale distribution business is and what it does.
What is Wholesale Distribution Business
Wholesale distribution business is all about selling manufacturers’ products to retail stores. Impressive as it is, wholesale distribution business dates all the way back to ancient times, when merchants used to go around to buy goods and resell them to people. The only difference is that the merchants had their own retail stores back then.
Wholesale distribution businesses are a critical component in the market for both the manufacturers and retail stores. They circulate the manufacturers’ products in the market, thus taking all the logistical hustle upon them. In other words, manufacturers don’t need to cooperate with each and every small retailer to sell their products since the wholesale distributors do that for them. They also present the manufacturer’s products in different markets, which increases the sales and availability of their products.
Wholesale distribution businesses are advantageous for smaller shops as well. Sometimes it may be too expensive for retailers to import products to their country directly from the manufacturer. Wholesale distributors here can act as local suppliers for those small retail shops, benefiting both retailers and manufacturers.
What is SMS Marketing
Text message marketing has been around for a long while without losing its relevance. It’s been benefiting businesses in various industries: from restaurants, retail stores and fitness centers to real estate agencies, eCommerce shops and nightclubs. It is the ultimate tool to bring you as close to customers as possible.
People receive tons of advertising messages daily through social media websites, email, TV or radio commercials. Having this overload of messages everywhere, people are long used to ignoring most of the ads they see. People open and read 98% of text messages, which is why SMS marketing still remains effective.
Text messages are short and don’t take too long to read. This is part of the reason why SMS marketing is an effective communication channel with clients. Obviously, no one wants their time wasted.
SMS Marketing for Wholesale Distribution Businesses
As a wholesale distribution business, your customers are obviously retail stores. In other words, your targets are legal entities rather than natural persons. Finding a database of phone numbers for new organizations to cooperate with is nearly impossible. Due to this, your text message marketing mostly needs to be aimed at your current clients.
The objective of your text message marketing campaign should be establishing a bond with your clients. Remember that they are retailers, so they have hundreds of other partners to care about. Communicating with them via SMS will save both of your times. In this context, here are 3 ways to implement text message marketing in your strategy.
- Send Referral Incentives
As much as your current clients are your main target, there is one way to attract new ones. Offer something special to your partners for referring a new customer to you. This can be a discount that you can afford or free samples of products as a bonus. It is completely up to your discretion as to how you can incentivize your clients.
The best part about referrals is that your new clients will most likely be trustworthy. It is out of your client’s interest to refer a credible partner to stay in a good partnership with you. Besides, it is a matter of their status to show that they are working with decent organizations.
Your clients don’t have to refer their competitor to you. They have many more partners or networking affiliates that may need your products. For example, you are a light bulb distributor for an electronics store. The store can refer a partner .
Referrals are never limited. Your clients’ referred companies can refer new ones and this range can continue endlessly.
- Send Offers Through SMS
Let’s be honest, you need your clients more than they need you. Therefore, it is of your interest to save their time and communicate with text messages whenever possible.
Text message marketing will come in handy when you have a new product to offer. You won’t need to spend a lot of time presenting it to each client, thus saving you time and money. You can send short text messages letting them know you have a new offer. SMS marketing will also allow you to set an auto reply containing more information in case it interests your client.
You can send text messages for special offers too. For example, you can offer gifts or bonuses to your loyal clients. This will be especially useful to convince clients, who intend to leave, to reconsider cooperating with you again.
- Promote Your Discounts via SMS
As opposed to retail stores, your discounts are exclusive for your clients. In other words, your promotion is for a strictly limited audience. Therefore, spending money on advertising channels like billboards, TV commercials, social media ads or even Google ads is pointless.
SMS marketing is the best way to let your partners know about your discounts in this case. Moreover, since they are already working with you, you probably have their mobile numbers. Thus, it will be easier for you to import it in an online platform and send out messages.
In the wholesale retail business, retail stores always need wholesale distributors’ products. So, your clients will be happy receiving the discount message, especially when they need your product right away.
Useful Tips for Text Message Marketing
There are of generalized tips for SMS marketing best practices. However, for this specific business these five will do.
Permission – You are legally obligated to ask for permission before sending out SMS campaigns. Since they are already your partners, they’d hardly reject it.
Content – Don’t get overconfident just because the recipients are already your clients. Pay attention to the importance of the content and use influential words like “RIGHT NOW, ONLY FOR YOU, FOR FREE”.
Personalization – Your customers will feel special when they receive personalized text messages. All SMS platforms have this feature and it is very easy to use.
Easy Opt-out – Include clear instructions for recipients to opt out of your messages. Without this they can end up ceasing the contract with you.
Frequency – Give your customers a break. Make sure you don’t overload them with your text messages. The timing is ultimately up to you to decide, but be careful not to annoy them.