Light up the sky with these 4th of July marketing ideas.  

Cue “Fireworks” by Katy Perry, and light your grills because the 4th of July is almost here. The holiday falls on a Monday this year, so many consumers will enjoy the extended weekend with activities like cookouts, community celebrations, fireworks, and travel. 

While a lot of consumer spending around the 4th of July will go toward food, people will still be looking out for great deals from their favorite brands. 

Explore these text messages that lit up subscribers’ inboxes, and snag some inspiration for your own 4th of July marketing ideas.

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Bob’s Red Mill: Helping subscribers wow their party guests with a special recipe 

Natural food brand Bob’s Red Mill shared a delicious 4th of July-inspired pie recipe with their SMS subscribers. The text message linked to the recipe on the brand’s website, where shoppers could easily add some of the pie ingredients—such as flour, cornstarch, and sugar—to their online cart if they didn’t already have them at home.

Instead of sharing a discount or other type of offer for this holiday, Bob’s Red Mill opted for a fun brand awareness play that would 1) drive traffic to their website and 2) help subscribers “wow” their party guests with the perfect treat. 

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Aurate: Creating “oohs” and “ahhs” with a themed discount code

Fine jewelry brand Aurate made sure SMS subscribers would shine as bright as the night sky by sharing a 25% off discount. The cheeky copy (“fireworks don’t outshine you”) was a clever way to tie their sparkling jewelry to the holiday. 

A few days later, Aurate followed up with subscribers who hadn’t purchased yet and reminded them that they only had 24 hours left to use the discount. This type of segmentation strategy is a great way to convert non-purchasers without doubling up on messaging to those who’d already taken advantage of the sale.

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Function of Beauty: Encouraging new product subscriptions with a free gift

Function of Beauty, a personalized beauty brand, texted customers who had an existing product subscription and encouraged them to add another. The 10% off discount combined with a free travel set was a great incentive for those who wanted to try another product.

After clicking the text message link, SMS subscribers could choose the new product they were interested in, take the quiz to customize it to their needs, and start their new subscription.

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Alala: Giving VIPs exclusive early access

Designer activewear brand Alala sent their VIP segment of subscribers—those who’ve spent a certain dollar amount with the brand—exclusive access to shop their 4th of July sale before everyone else. Instead of sharing a code the subscriber would have to enter manually, Alala included a dynamic link that would automatically apply the discount at checkout.

Rewarding VIP customers is a smart way to provide extra value from your brand, and retain them as long time customers.

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Melt Shop: Scheduling delivery orders ahead of time

Knowing 4th of July celebrations often center around cookouts and barbecues, Melt Shop—a comfort food fast-casual restaurant—encouraged subscribers to get their delivery orders scheduled ASAP. By doing so, they could be the MVP party hosts, while the restaurant would “take care of the rest.”

Not only did Melt Shop position themselves as helpful, but they also drove revenue ahead of the busy holiday.

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Brio: Surprising shoppers with a flash sale

Personal care brand Brio texted subscribers a surprise flash sale alert. They let subscribers know it was good for 48 hours only, and encouraged them to act fast before it was too late. The flashing GIF grabbed subscribers’ attention, and included the discount code for 15% off.

Brio ended the text message with a bang by letting shoppers know it was their last big sale of the summer.

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Bobo’s: Sharing savings with new subscribers

Baked goods brand Bobo’s edited their SMS sign-up unit to reflect their special 4th of July snack sale. Because the holiday was likely top-of-mind for shoppers, this seasonal sign-up unit stood out from other websites’ pop-ups. 

After a new subscriber signed up for texts from the brand, they received a 4th of July-themed welcome message. The text shared the discount code, and reminded subscribers to grab their snacks.

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Frisch’s: Celebrating with delicious carry-out and drive-thru specials

Quick service restaurant Frisch’s celebrated the holiday with SMS subscribers by sharing their special Big Boy Bundle promotion. The restaurant included the time frame during which subscribers could take advantage of the deal, and let them know they could order it for carry out or drive thru. 

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Tips for other upcoming holidays:

• National French Fry Day (July 13): Offer subscribers free fries with every online and in-store order above a given dollar amount.
• National Clean Beauty Day (July 15): Give subscribers a sneak peek into the benefits of your most popular clean beauty products, or educate them on the importance of clean beauty. 
• World Emoji Day (July 17): Diversify your campaign messages by telling your brand’s story using only emojis—following up with a quick “translation” to grow brand awareness.
• Parents’ Day (July 24): Help subscribers celebrate their parental figures by sending a gift guide with recommendations for every interest. 
• National Lipstick Day (July 29): Embrace this holiday by sharing an SMS-exclusive offer for makeup lovers to find their new favorite shade. If you offer virtual try-on, let subscribers know how easy it is to see how the shades will look on them.
• National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day (August 4): Sweeten your subscribers’ day by offering them a free dessert with any purchase.

Check out our full 2022 text messaging calendar for more seasonal marketing dates and tips. And browse hundreds of text messaging campaigns sent by our customers in Texts We Love.