12 SMS Templates for Your Back-to-School Marketing Campaign

It is that time of the year again - summer is coming to an end and students are already prepping up for the next school year... As the world is slowly getting back to normal, retailers need to help shoppers make a smooth transition: only this time from virtual learning into real-life classrooms.

2021 brings Back-to-School shopping to record levels

According to the NRF, consumers plan to spend record amounts for both school and college supplies. Parents with children in elementary, middle, or high school plan to spend an average of $848.90 compared to $789.49 last year. The expenses for a college student are expected to reach $1200.32 per family, again - breaking the record of $1,059.20 from 2020. 

Overall, in 2021 Back-to-School spending is expected to reach $108.1 billion - an all-time high. It is not a surprise that the top product categories by spending this year will be: clothing and accessories, electronics or computer-related equipment, various school supplies, and shoes.

And while big-box retailers are betting on new brands to drive back-to-school sales, your online store will profit immensely from having a simple, yet powerful, text marketing strategy. 

SMS Cheat Sheet

Sharpen your pencils, here are our 3 expert tips that will help you score an A+ with your Back-to-School SMS campaigns:

Schedule Smartly

Start NOW. Most families will use the second half of August to start looking for valuable offers. Extend your sales until the first weekend after the start of the school year, to make sure you benefit from procrastinating parents and their last minute-purchases. For best results send your first SMS now with a follow-up text message including a small incentive in the beginning of September.

Sell Smartly

Make your offer appealing. Now, more than ever, people are focused on saving money and are actively searching for discounts. Offer special promotions such as BOGO, free shipping, and extended return. Complementary items or exclusive Back-to-School bundles at marked prices will also help attract new customers and boost the AOV of your store. 

Text Smartly

Use the good ol’ F.O.M.O. Remind shoppers the first school day is right around the (physical or virtual) corner, explicitly mention that your offers are time-sensitive and quantities are limited. Get personal in the copy of your text message, make your subscribers feel closer to your brand and products. Use some student lingo and try to add a pinch of humor, whenever possible.

And now it is time to present our list of 12 actionable SMS templates for A-graders: whether your products belong to the most purchased categories around this time of the year, or not - it is important to think outside the box and make an offer your customers can’t (and won’t) refuse.

Universal

Clothing & Accessories

School Supplies

Electronics

Shoes

Class dismissed!

Today's text marketing class might be over, but the real school year hasn't even started yet. Time to pack up your summer bags and head back to your store for your Back-to-school sale. Use our SMS templates for inspiration and start prepping your next text marketing campaign. 

If you want to earn extra credits with your next SMS marketing campaign, check out our brand new A+ texts gallery - where you will find powerful text messages from industry leading eCommerce brands.