The holiday shopping season “officially” kicks off on Black Friday, which falls a week later than usual this year. Learn how to reach busy shoppers and maximize conversions during this shortened window with personalized mobile messaging.

A look back on 2018:

The 2018 holiday season saw an increase of 17.4% in e-commerce sales from 2017 and featured a number of record-breaking days. More shoppers than ever before chose to use their phones to take advantage of limited-time offers and check items off their shopping lists. Black Friday 2018 was the first day in US history to see more than $2 billion in sales coming from smartphones. Mobile sales accounted for 44% of total e-commerce spending throughout the entire holiday season—more than $50 billion in total.

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What to expect in 2019:

Year over year, we’ve continued to see mobile shopping increase each holiday season. It’s clear that m-commerce is not a trend—it’s a fundamental shift in how modern consumers browse and complete purchases. This holiday season, 84% of shoppers are planning to use their smartphones to research and purchase items. Brands need an innovative strategy to reach mobile-first shoppers not just over Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend, but throughout the entire season.

To help brands have a big impact this 2019 season, we created an interactive holiday guide full of actionable tips and real-life examples of personalized mobile messaging in action. Below are five strategies for how to engage mobile consumers and drive more conversions this holiday season:

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1. Limited-Time Offers

The immediacy of text messaging makes it the perfect channel to spread the word about limited-time deals. Send messages to let your subscribers know about sales that are only happening for a short period of time. Experiment with fun creatives like animated GIFs to catch shoppers’ eyes and create a sense of urgency. End with a strong call-to-action and a link back to your site.

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2. In-Store Invites

Geo-targeting helps brands send mobile messaging subscribers highly relevant content and drive in-store foot traffic. Send invites to subscribers for local store events, or direct them to nearby locations where they can try items before they make their purchase. Because consumers are especially busy during the holiday season, remind your audience about the option to buy online and conveniently pick up their order at a local store.

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3. Shipping Deadlines

Consumers have a shorter window of time than usual to cross all the items off their shopping lists this year (there are 6 fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2019 than in 2018). Since a significant amount of holiday shopping will be completed online, send helpful reminders to let subscribers know when shipping deadlines are coming up. Your shoppers will appreciate the heads up, and they’ll feel confident that their purchases will arrive on time.

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4. Inspirational Content

It’s important to keep your audience engaged throughout the entire shopping season, whether with promotional or non-promotional messaging. A “12 Days of Deals” text message campaign is a great way to drive repeat visits to your website or store while building excitement around each new deal. Wishlist ideas and gift guides provide inspiration and help mobile subscribers find the perfect gift for everyone on their lists.

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5. Automated Messages

Around 75% of e-commerce shoppers abandon their shopping carts before completing a purchase. And during the hectic holiday season, this number is likely even higher. Setting a well-timed automated reminder via text is a major opportunity for brands to recover lost revenue. Include the name of the product, or a relevant photo, along with a link directly back to their carts to make it easy for shoppers to complete their purchase.

As more and more shoppers rely on their smartphones to make holiday purchases, marketers need an impactful strategy to engage these consumers and drive conversions. Our interactive guide provides you with actionable tips and real-life examples of personalized mobile messaging used by thoughtful brands to reach shoppers, drive revenue, and increase conversions this holiday season.