Use these ideas to keep revenue and engagement up as the summer winds down.

Labor Day is just around the corner. The holiday marks the unofficial end of summer—and is a chance to celebrate with beach trips, barbecues, and bargains.

Many consumers will be taking advantage of the long weekend to refresh their wardrobe, stock up on fall must-haves, and shop last-minute back-to-school deals. Labor Day is deemed the last major spending holiday before Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and it’s time to put your email and SMS campaigns to work.

Here are 12 Labor Day marketing ideas to help you stand out from the crowd and end summer on a high note.

1. Engage VIPs with early access to the sale

Elemis treated VIP customers to a 24-hour early-access preview of the Labor Day sale. These loyal customers got to enjoy 25% off sitewide before others could shop the sale, guaranteeing they could snag their favorites before they sold out over the holiday weekend. 

‍Pro tip: Sending multiple messages to promote your Labor Day campaign? Use segmentation to exclude recent purchasers from sale reminders, so you’re only targeting shoppers who haven’t converted yet.

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2. Help customers with their Labor Day celebrations

Rastelli’s, a meat delivery service, wanted to play a role in their customers’ ultimate summer sendoff barbecue or cookout and reminded customers to have orders in by midnight for guaranteed on-time delivery before the holiday. 

‍Pro tip: 56% of consumers say they’re more likely to engage with text messages if they include GIFs, images, or emojis. Try including one or some of these elements in your Labor Day campaigns to drive better results.

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3. Share new reasons to shop the Labor Day sale

Sashka Co. used SMS to let customers know that new (and super cute) colors were available and at a steep discount of 80% off. That’s two compelling reasons to shop the Labor Day sale, and the promo code was easy to remember when it came time to redeem it.

‍Pro tip: We've found that, on average, text messages with coupons have a nearly 4x higher conversion rate than those without them. The average order value is also consistent across messages with or without coupons, meaning higher conversion rates without sacrificing revenue.

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4. Use multiple marketing channels

Morris Home sent a text message to give subscribers a sneak peek of what's coming in their mailbox soon. Yes, the physical mailbox, not the inbox. This message also teased the offer of a free gift with purchase. By showcasing the mailer, they aimed to increase recall and brand recognition with subscribers. Meanwhile, subscribers could start browsing furniture and accessories online.

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5. Run a flash sale with steep discounts

Beachwaver sent an email to alert customers that their favorite hairstyling tools were 50% off for Labor Day. Plus, if they spent over $75, customers would unlock free shipping. The brand also used multiple marketing channels for this campaign, relying onSMS marketing after their email send to invoke FOMO and ensure customers didn't miss out on this great discount. 

‍Pro tip: Because SMS marketing is so immediate, you want to reach shoppers when they’ll be able to read and take action on the texts you’re sending them. And for email, you want to make sure you’re at the top of your subscribers’ inbox when they’re ready to browse. Check out our other top tips for knowing when to send SMS and email.

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6. Lead with price to catch subscribers’ attention

Each Night doesn’t want customers counting sheep—they want them counting how much they saved and getting an amazing night’s sleep. The brand didn't waste any time in telling subscribers exactly how much they could save by shopping the Labor Day sale, but also hinted that the sale was only for a limited time to drive urgency.

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7. Run a buy more, get more sale

Pittie Clothing Co. made it easy for subscribers to add more to their cart as if they purchased two sets of PJs for their pooch, they’d get a third set for free. Some exclusions did apply, but this was a great way to increase average order values. The brand reminded customers that this offer would end soon and that right now was the prime time to buy to have orders delivered in time for “pittie jammie weather.”

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8. Run a no-code-needed sale

Southern Proper offered 30-60% off everything on the website. It made it easier for customers to get the discounts by not having to use a promo code or redeem a specific offer. 

‍Pro tip: Your SMS experience is more than just the text messages your subscribers read. The mobile experiences you link to need to be optimized, too. When deciding what pages to link to, your goal should be to reduce the number of clicks a subscriber needs to make to convert.

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9. Remind customers the sale is ending

Oh Beauty sent this SMS campaign to remind customers it was their last chance to shop the Labor Day sale and enjoy 25% off most products. The emojis enhanced the message and conveyed that time was running out on the flash sale on beauty products.

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10. Extend your sale for VIPs

Greylin understood that holiday weekends are often saved for vacations or time spent unplugged from devices, and not all of their subscribers were going to use their Labor Day weekend to shop. So, they simply extended their Labor Day sale for their loyalty members or insiders. As an added bonus for being an insider, the brand offered customers an extra 40% off. 

‍Pro tip: Loyalty programs make it easy to reward your most dedicated shoppers with exclusive perks for making repeat purchases and referring friends and make them feel valued with things like VIP-only offers and special discounts.

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11. Ask your customers questions

Revel Nail didn’t just tell customers about their current sale—they asked if customers had already shopped it and if not, what was standing in their way. They included a creative flowchart sent–which they sent via email—all leading to the same outcome—not missing out on Revel’s 20% off sale for Labor Day. The email also tried to sweeten the deal, reminding customers that they could also nab two freebies after shopping the sale.

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12. Lean into the holiday

BEIS put a spin on the work holiday and put the labor back in Labor Day by letting customers know that even their work bag can provide summer vacation vibes. It was a simple call to action to shop vacation-inspired bags that customers could use even after summer has ended. 

Pro tip: End your message with a strong and clear call to action. Our attention spans are limited, so tell your subscribers exactly what step to take next, whether it’s taking advantage of a sale or signing up for a loyalty program.

Consumers are expecting Labor Day sales. But they’re also expecting personalized marketing messages about those sales. By integrating AI into your campaigns, you'll be able to create content curated just for them.

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Prepare your email and SMS marketing strategies for success head of the next major shopping event: BFCM. Explore our Complete BFCM Archive to find a collection of guides, tips, templates, and more. And, browse Texts We Love to get inspiration from real text messages sent by our customers.