Four Ways Text Marketing Can Help C-store Operators Attract Customers & Boost Revenue

PHOENIX — Mobivity Holdings Corp. unveiled four trends to help "transform" the convenience store industry via text marketing technologies. 

"We are seeing increased interest in text programs among c-store brands as a complement to fuel and loyalty programs that may only reach 15 percent of a store's customers," said Dennis Becker, Mobivity chairman and CEO. "Text message marketing solves this problem by helping reach the other 85 percent of customers and offering another channel to connect and engage with the brand."

The four ways text marketing can help c-stores attract customers and increase revenues, according to Mobivity, are:

Drive Loyalty Sign-Ups and App Downloads

Loyalty programs require a multichannel approach, and text marketing is a critical channel to growing a loyalty program by reaching c-store customers who have yet to join and aren't receiving loyalty emails and push notifications, according to Mobivity. Also, text messages have a significantly higher open rate (98 percent) than email messages (20 percent). Lapsed texting is another form of messaging that targets customers who haven't visited recently to nudge them back into the store.

Increase Pump-to-Store Visits with CPG Collaborations

C-store growth opportunities can come from incentivizing fuel-only customers into the store. One proven approach is to promote consumer packaged goods partner brands with timely offers and colorful, on-brand images that consumers already recognize. Stores can connect these text offers to transactions and redemptions for better attribution and greater insight into subscriber engagement, relayed Mobivity.

Offer a Text Club to Complement Fuel and Loyalty Programs

To start building a subscriber base, stores must have a way to opt-in text club members through their loyalty program and app. A strong text marketing implementation strategy should generate 500 subscribers per store within six months. By leveraging a text marketing platform, brands can attribute every redemption to a specific subscriber date, time, location and transaction.

Drive Foodservice Through Daypart Targeting

One of the key uses for text marketing in c-stores is in driving to-go food purchases with special offers created for specific times of the day. Using daypart targeting, c-stores can create unique incentives to increase frequency and spend among returning fuel customers that stop in for a fill-up, such as an offer for a free or discounted coffee in the morning or sub in the evening. Personalized offers are redeemed 14 times more frequently and increase guest frequency by 26 percent, revealed Mobivity.

Text marketing best practices combined with an easy-to-use, trackable technology provides c-stores with the tools necessary to maximize current initiatives like loyalty programs and apps and increase customer frequency and spending.

Phoenix-based Mobivity provides a platform to connect national restaurants, retailers, personal care brands, and their partners with customers to increase retention, visits and spend.