From surprise gifts to resolution support—get inspired by these festive New Year’s marketing ideas to ring in 2023 with SMS.

After the holiday shopping rush has dwindled down, shoppers will be looking to refresh their wardrobe, stock up on essentials, and begin healthy routines. You can tap into this attitude to clear out your end-of-year inventory while helping your subscribers start the new year fresh.

If you’ve used website sign-up forms to grow your subscriber list over the holidays, you’ll be starting the new year with a larger SMS audience. This is a great opportunity to nurture and retain these new subscribers by kicking off the year with engaging SMS experiences.

Get inspired by some of our customers’ most innovative New Year’s marketing ideas & campaigns to help you start the year on a strong note.

Vanity Planet: Capturing missed opportunities from Black Friday

Beauty care retailer Vanity Planet promoted their Winter Sale to SMS subscribers who didn’t take advantage of their Black Friday discounts. They sent the offer to all subscribers except those who purchased in the last three days to avoid fatiguing this engaged segment.

Knowing that many consumers were thinking about their resolutions or goals, the new year-centric theme aimed to encourage customers to kickstart their new routine. The seasonal promo code reflected what a “win” this post-holiday sale was. This campaign helped the beauty brand clear out their remaining holiday inventory while encouraging product discovery.

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MUJI: Ringing in un-discounted revenue with targeted promotions

On New Year’s Eve, household and apparel retailer MUJI helped their SMS subscribers get started on their resolutions with a timely workspace promotion. While subscribers were planning their new work routines after the holidays, MUJI tapped into this trend to drive online revenue without having to offer additional discounts.

Since MUJI also carries other products, like apparel, they ensured they reached the most relevant subscribers with a sophisticated segmentation strategy. They sent the text to subscribers who had previously engaged with their household/stationery items or showed interest from a previous two-way, conversational text message. This created a more tailored experience for the relevant audience, and helped MUJI increase brand loyalty while driving online revenue.

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Alpha Paw: Scaling SMS & email subscriber lists with stand-out flash sales

Alpha Paw, an online retailer for pet products, grew their SMS subscriber list with an adorable New Year’s themed sign-up flow. After a visitor opted in for both email and texts, they were automatically welcomed with a link to shop. After a few days, the brand shared their products’ glowing reviews as an extra push for new subscribers who hadn’t yet engaged with the offer.

Unlike other brands who launched their best deals during Black Friday, Alpha Paw stood out by promoting a major sale weeks later. The brand recognized the rarity of their 80% off sitewide offer, taking advantage of a typically quieter shopping period to grow their SMS subscriber list and nurture the new audience.

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Inkbox: Inspiring new year’s looks with style guides

Known for their semi-permanent tattoo technology, Inkbox inspired subscribers’ new year looks with a seasonal style guide. The simple, yet impactful message encouraged subscribers to discover "the tats that make them you," tying the message into the new year while encouraging product discovery.

To avoid fatiguing subscribers, Inkbox excluded customer segments that hadn't purchased or clicked on text messages in the last few months. The brand included a direct link to the style guide, making it easy for subscribers to find a design that fit their unique style.

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bioClarity: Driving repeat purchases with auto-ship offers

Clean skincare brand bioClarity, invited subscribers to glow into the new year with a refreshed skincare routine. They included an eye-catching GIF to showcase some of the best-selling products subscribers can add to their routine.

The seasonal discount code only applied to first-time purchasers of their auto-ship routine service. This subscription-style offer reassured customers they wouldn’t run out of their favorites, while encouraging repeat purchases. Since their text message subscribers are highly engaged with the brand, they’re the perfect audience for repeat order offers.

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TeamKeto: Engaging their SMS community with timely challenges

TeamKeto inspired their SMS subscribers to jump into a new healthy routine with their New Year’s Keto Challenge. Knowing that it’s easier to start new habits with a community behind you, the wellness brand united participants with a common goal.

While it was free to participate in the challenge, the perks they teased (“new meal plans & recipes”) supported product discovery and adoption. TeamKeto made it easy for subscribers to join the limited-time challenge with a direct link to the registration page.

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MATE The Label: Celebrating subscribers with exclusive deals

MATE The Label, a sustainable clothing brand, shared an exclusive New Year’s discount with their SMS channel to nurture both new subscribers from the holidays and longtime brand loyalists. They sent the seasonal discount on New Year’s Day when subscribers were in the mood to celebrate.

MATE made each of their SMS subscribers feel special by positioning the offer as a “thank you” for their VIPs. The greeting from the brand’s founder also created a more personal connection between MATE and their subscribers. As customers were just getting out of the gift-giving season, this dollar-off discount was the perfect incentive to start treating themselves, and to stock up for the new year with a larger order. 

While the holiday shopping season is a great opportunity to grow your SMS channel, New Year’s is the perfect time to nurture these new subscribers—and longtime loyalists—with unique and personalized experiences. These new year's marketing ideas not only help clear out holiday inventory, but they also build a strong SMS channel to drive engagement all year.

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Tips for other upcoming holidays

• Boxing Day (December 26): Capture post seasonal revenue by sharing an exclusive extension on your Boxing Day for SMS subscribers.
• Festival of Sleep Day (January 3): Share a helpful sleeping tip and your most relaxing products to help subscribers recharge from the holidays and start the year refreshed.
• National Take the Stairs Day (January 11): Drive traffic to your stores with BOPIS deals, encouraging subscribers to step up and get active. 
• Dress up Your Pet Day (January 14): Give your subscribers another reason to embrace their furry friends’ fashion by offering 10% off pet clothing and accessories. 
• National Popcorn Day (January 19): Get your subscribers to pop over to your website with a 15% discount on salty snacks—and a movie recommendation.
• Lunar New Year (January 22): Have potential new subscribers try their luck at winning a Year of the Rabbit giveaway with a Spin-to-Win sign-up unit. 

Check out our full text messaging calendar to find more tips for key marketing dates. And find more inspiration for 2023 and beyond in our SMS gallery, Texts We Love.