There’s nothing like waking up on your birthday to cards and messages from loved ones. And your customers love them too! If you manage marketing for a business, sending birthday SMS messages can be a great way to build an emotional connection with customers and clients.
In this guide, we’ll share how to get started with birthday text messages and the steps you need to take to craft the perfect SMS.
What is a birthday text message?
A birthday text message is an SMS message you send to people on or just before their birthday.
This text not only offers birthday wishes to the recipient, but also a surprise, often in the form of a gift or a discount on their next order.
What are the benefits of sending birthday SMS messages?
When you run a business, making people feel valued and appreciated goes a long way. Sending a birthday message is an easy and effective way to show that your brand cares.
Why should you send your best wishes in the form of an SMS message?
- They get people’s attention: While people may receive hundreds of emails a day, they may only receive a handful of texts.
- They’re designed for a “warm” audience: People must intentionally opt in and give their mobile number to receive SMS messages, meaning they’re more likely to convert.
- They’re short and easy to read: Text messages are quick to read and understand, meaning people are more likely to act on them.
- They can be accessed from anywhere: People can receive an SMS message as long as they have a cellular connection—no WiFi or data connection is needed.
How to send birthday messages to customers
If you want to send birthday messages to people, the best way to do this is through an SMS marketing tool.
These marketing tools use automation, meaning you don’t have to send texts to people manually. The platform will send them automatically on the specified date.
To send birthday messages to people, they also need to opt in to receive SMS messages from your business and provide, at a minimum, their day and month of birth.
Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), you must have a customer’s permission to text them, and you must respect their wishes if they opt out.
Ten tips for sending birthday texts
Sending birthday text messages can help you foster customer loyalty and increase sales, but you need to have a solid strategy in place.
We’ve put together 10 tips to help you send timely, impactful, and on-brand birthday messages.
Tip #1: Send a birthday discount or gift
While people will be delighted to get a "happy birthday" from your brand, a surprise can encourage them to make a purchase from your business.
You can either provide a free birthday gift or a discount on an upcoming order. Try different offers and see which is most positively received.
By providing unique discount codes for each customer, you can easily see who is redeeming them.
Tip #2: Time your SMS messages
When sending birthday wishes, it’s best to send multiple texts. We recommend sending an SMS message a few weeks before someone’s birthday, and again on the big day itself.
While the open rate of SMS messages is high, there is a small risk that your text might not be delivered, or they may overlook it. Sending it 2 times increases the chances of your customer seeing your text.
Sending a text before their birthday also gives them time to redeem any discounts or gifts you have to offer.
Tip #3: Use personalization
Personalization makes your birthday messages more relevant to each individual recipient, increasing the odds of them responding positively.
An easy way to personalize your SMS messages is to use your customer’s first name. This makes it feel like your messages come from a friend, not a brand.
You can also look at their previous order history and browsing history to offer them a birthday discount or present that they’re more likely to take advantage of.
Tip #4: Conduct A/B testing
When sending birthday texts to customers, even small tweaks can significantly impact your open and conversion rates.
A/B testing, where you develop 2 similar versions of an SMS message and see which people respond to best, can help you craft optimized messages, yielding high results.
Most SMS marketing tools offer A/B testing as standard when setting up text campaigns.
Tip #5: Keep it short
A standard SMS message is only 160 characters, including letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols. If you go over this, you will need to use another message, which will increase the cost.
This means you need to make sure your message is concise and punchy. Providing a link to a page on your website in your text means people can access more information if they need it, saving valuable space.
Here’s an example of a birthday message that is within the 160-character limit:
“Happy birthday, [Name]! We hope you enjoy your special day! 🎂 There’s a special treat just for you on our site: [Link]. With love, [Business Name]”
Tip #6: Combine with other marketing channels
SMS messages work best when combined with other methods of contacting your customers.
Text messages are particularly effective when coupled with email. For example, you can send a short SMS message to a recipient telling them to check their inbox for a treat and send an email with more details about the gift on offer.
Alternatively, if you want to make your customer smile, why not post a handwritten note to their home or business address?
Tip #7: Set an expiration date
If you offer people a discount or gift, set an expiration date for them to redeem it.
This not only streamlines your operations but also creates a sense of urgency for your customers, encouraging them to make a purchase sooner rather than later.
If you don’t have space to mention your expiration date in your text, add a link to your website and provide more information there.
Tip #8: Respect quiet hours
When you send promotional texts to people, adhere to the quiet hours of the country they live in.
Quiet hours are times when businesses are not allowed to call or send SMS messages. In the United States, for example, you can’t send marketing texts between 9 pm and 11 am ET.
SMS marketing tools can handle quiet hours for you, meaning you don’t accidentally send a text to a customer during these times.
Tip #9: Protect your data
Under regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), you must protect a customer’s personal data.
A customer’s date of birth (even just the month and day) counts as personal data. This is because it can be used to identify a person.
If you collect dates of birth for marketing purposes, you must ensure this data stays safe. You can do this by:
- Encrypting it so if it’s breached, it can’t be read
- Limiting who in your business can access this information
- Implementing 2-factor or multi-factor authentication
Also, use the privacy policy on your website to tell people what you use their date of birth for, how you handle it, and how you store their data.
Tip #10: Review and refine SMS campaigns
To maximize engagement, it’s critical to constantly review and amend the SMS messages you send.
Some key metrics to monitor when analyzing your birthday messages include:
- Delivery rate: Delivery rate measures the percentage of messages delivered against the total messages sent. A low rate could mean you have invalid phone numbers on your list.
- Open rate: Open rate measures the percentage of recipients who open and read your text. A low rate could mean you’re sending messages at the wrong time.
- Click-through rate: Click-through rate (CTR) measures the percentage of recipients who click on the link in your text. A low CTR could mean your offer isn’t enticing.
- Conversion rate: Conversion rate measures the percentage of people who redeem their gift or use their discount. A low conversion rate could mean people aren’t interested in your offer, or it’s too hard to claim.
- Unsubscribe rate: Unsubscribe rate measures the percentage of people who opt out of receiving your messages. A high unsubscribe rate could suggest you’re sending texts too frequently or that your tone isn’t right.
Key takeaways
- What is a birthday text message? A birthday text message, or birthday SMS message, is a text you send to existing or prospective customers on (or just before) their birthday.
- Birthday messages are designed for conversions: They get people’s attention, are short and easy to understand, and can be read from anywhere. Plus, people have to opt in to receive them, meaning you’re reaching out to a warmed-up audience.
- Automation makes sending texts easier: You can use SMS marketing tools to automatically send messages to people at the right time.
- Personalization is essential: Greet your customer by their first name and look at their browsing and order history to offer them the perfect birthday discount or gift.
- Respect your customers: Only send SMS messages to people who have opted in, adhere to the quiet hours in their country, and ensure their data is protected.