5 Labor Day Marketing Ideas to Boost Your End-of-Summer Revenue

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Posted in
SMS Marketing
Published on
Aug 1, 2023
Written by
Kayla Ellman
Kayla is a Senior Content Marketing Manager at Attentive. You can find her binge-reading, baking from her (rapidly growing) cookbook collection, or exploring local hiking trails.
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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.

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

1. Pura Vida Bracelets: Rewarding VIPs with early access to shop

Labor Day text messaging example from Pura Vida

Pura Vida Bracelets kicked off their Labor Day promotions early—but only for their most engaged and active subscribers. The sustainable jewelry brand gave their VIP segment first access to shop their sitewide sale, before letting the rest of their audience know about the deal.

The exclusive, limited-time offer made Pura Vida's loyal customers feel special while also encouraging them to shop (and get the best items on sale) before anyone else.

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. 

2. Rastelli’s: Helping customers with their Labor Day celebrations

Labor Day text messaging example from Rastelli's

Meat delivery service Rastelli’s shares weekly deals ‌with their customers all summer long. They used their final “Summer Freeday” campaign of the season as a reminder to get orders in by midnight to guarantee delivery for Labor Day weekend. To increase average order values, Rastelli’s also threw in a bonus offer for anyone who spent $150 or more. 

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.

3. True Religion: Driving in-store and online purchases

True Religion used their SMS channel to promote their huge Labor Day sale, and let people know they could get up to 75% off both online and in-stores. The designer jeans and clothing brand also updated their triggered cart abandonment message with language about the sale. This encouraged shoppers who recently added an item to their cart to come back and complete their purchase—without the promise of an additional discount.

Pro tip: Magic Message powered by Attentive AI™ can help you write copy for your Labor Day marketing campaigns. Think of it like a teammate who you can riff on ideas with, or let the tool do the bulk of ‌the work for you.

4. Harold Home: Incentivizing email and SMS opt-ins with a special offer

Labor Day text messaging example from Harold Home

Harold Home turned Labor Day shoppers into email and SMS subscribers by offering a free mug with purchase in exchange for opting in. The personalized art retailer customized their sign-up unit to highlight the special promotion—including an image of the free mug—to capture the attention of browsers who were already looking to buy.

Pro tip: ‍Labor Day is one of the last major sales events before Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Think about how you can kickstart your holiday planning and set your brand up for success by growing your subscriber base and experimenting with new ways to engage your audience. 

5. Thread Wallets: Engaging shoppers with a big flash sale

Labor Day text messaging example from Thread Wallets

Thread Wallets launched a flash sale on Labor Day, using their SMS channel to spread the word and drive immediate revenue. The limited-time offer was only available until the end of the day, creating a sense of urgency for people to shop right away so they didn’t miss out on the chance to get up to 50% off. The lifestyle and accessories brand also included a simple but eye-catching GIF in their announcement to help boost clicks and conversions

Pro tip: Need an image to make your email or SMS campaign pop? Rather than spend hours creating or finding the right visual, Magic Message can quickly transform an image you already have—from your product catalog or that you upload directly—to fit your ideal aesthetic.

Find more inspiration for Labor Day and beyond in our SMS gallery, Texts We Love. And check out our full 2023 text messaging calendar for more key dates and marketing tips.

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