Communication with customers is essential for the success of any business, including cannabis retailers. When it comes to reaching out to your customers, there are various methods available, but two popular options are push notifications and SMS messages. Using both options for customer comms is the best way to increase customer affinity.
Benefits of Push Notifications
Instant and Direct Communication
Push notifications provide instant and direct communication with your customers. As soon as you send a push notification, it appears on their device’s screen, ensuring they see your message right away. This immediacy is crucial for time-sensitive promotions, limited-time offers, or important updates about your cannabis products.
Visibility
Push notifications are delivered straight to the phone screen and are actionable with a single click.
Ungated Content
You can relay sales info and link directly to your products inside of the mobile app with push notifications. And you don’t have to gate the content after the click.
Cost-Effective Communication
Implementing push notifications is a cost-effective communication strategy for cannabis retailers. Unlike SMS messages that may incur charges per message, push notifications are typically sent via mobile apps or web browsers, making them a cost-efficient way to engage with your customers. This cost-effectiveness allows you to allocate your budget to other important aspects of your cannabis retail business.
The Drawbacks of SMS Marketing Campaigns for Cannabis Retailers
While push notifications offer numerous advantages for cannabis retailers, SMS marketing campaigns have some drawbacks that should be considered. Recently, restrictions from mobile network providers have made it difficult to use SMS marketing as a viable way to engage cannabis consumers. Let’s explore the cons of using SMS messages for communication:
Higher Costs
Unlike push notifications, which are often sent through mobile apps or web browsers, SMS messages may incur charges per message. This can become costly, especially when targeting a large customer base or sending frequent updates. The cost factor may impact the budget allocation for other essential aspects of the cannabis retail business.
Lower Open Rates
SMS messages do not have the same level of visibility as push notifications. Cannabis has unique problems with SMS messaging. Carriers will sometimes block the messaging or the recipient marks it as spam. This can result in lower open rates, as users may overlook or dismiss SMS messages without realizing their importance.
Gated Content
Because of carrier restrictions SMS marketing providers suggest or require you to censor and gate your content. This leads to low interaction and conversion.
Conclusion
While both push notifications and SMS messages have their merits, cannabis retailers can greatly benefit from leveraging both in tandem..
Remember, communication is key, and push notifications can be the key to success for cannabis retailers!
