Back-to-school shopping has changed quite a bit since most parents were children. While carts still include things like colored pencils, erasers, paper and glue, much of the shopping is now done online. 

According to research by the National Research Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights and Analytics, 2021 was a record year for back-to-school shopping. Hitting a record high of $37.1 billion, parents of K-12 students averaged $848.90 on back-to-school supplies, and college students averaged $1,200.32. 

Fast-forward to 2022: NRF and Prosper Insights advised total back-to-school shopping is expected to equal 2021’s $37 billion, while back-to-college spending is expected to reach $74 billion. 

Part of that is increased costs due to inflation. With that in mind, 47% of respondents planned to switch to less expensive options, 43% intended to look for sales or coupons and 41% intended to shop at discount stores. 

A recent Deloitte back-to-school (B2S) survey found that 77% of parents anticipate shortages, and plan to shift to another brand if the preferred one is out of stock. 

That said, retailers need to be strategic and smart about attracting business, either online or in-store. One way to capitalize on that is through SMS (short message service), or text marketing. Here are six back-to-school SMS marketing strategies.

When Is the Back-to-School Shopping Season?

Although some parents shop deals year-round, the 2022 Deloitte back-to-school (referred to as “B2S” in the survey) expectations are that most school related purchases be completed by the end of July.  

However, evergreen products such as pencils, pens, erasers, glue, electronics and paper never get sidelined by a late-summer growth spurt, so parents tend to stockpile when they see a good sale. 

Shopping for back-to-school clothes happens closer to the beginning of the school year to plan for any late-summer growth spurt.

When Do Merchants Start Prepping for Back-to-School?

Retailers need to know when the school year starts, to plan for any shopping surges related to back to school . In the U.S., this varies between the end of July to mid-September. 

For example, Pew Research found that while some states begin as early as the last week of July, the majority begin in mid-to-end of August. A couple of stragglers go back after Labor Day. 

Smart merchants need to anticipate supply chain delays to ensure they receive their stock in time to capitalize on this surge in shopping. 

While it typically concentrates on the weeks right before school starts, some back-to-school related products will need to be replaced over the course of the school year , creating marketing opportunities throughout the entire year. 

When Do Parents Typically Shop?

The Deloitte survey identified that not only were parents happy to purchase “pre-made school kits” at the time of the survey (May to June 2022), many had pre-ordered them.

The NRF survey referenced earlier found that by early July (as in a few weeks after school ended last year), 51% of parents had begun back-to-school shopping, and 39% took advantage of online shopping events such as Amazon Prime Day, Target Deal Day and Walmart Deals for Days to get a jumpstart and save money.

That said, shoppers are willing to take advantage of sales and promotions, and with many students returning to in-person learning after being at home, parents expect to spend 18% more on B2S clothing. 

Unless kids wear school uniforms, parents tend to delay clothing shopping until closer to the start of school to mitigate the late-summer growth spurt.

Depending on what part of the country your target market is, many spread out back-to-school clothing purchases to stretch the budget. If school begins in July or August, the weather is usually still summer temperatures. 

Parents may wait to buy heavier clothing or winter coats until temperatures begin to cool. If your target audience live in an area of the country that sees wide temperature fluctuations, you can tailor your back-to-school marketing over a longer period of time. 

Let’s take a look at some SMS marketing tips tailored for your back-to-school shoppers. 

6 Back-to-School SMS Marketing Tips

1. Use Demographics to Target Messages

Since the back-to-school shopping season varies across geographic regions, using location considerations in your SMS marketing makes sense. 

Create an automated campaign that rolls out over the various regions two to three weeks before the start of school, as appropriate.. 

Remember, you might have seasonal campaigns and even campaigns that start at the end of the school year.

Creating personalized messages can increase your click through rate, and maximize your ROI. Here are some other SMS best practices to keep in mind. 

2. Keep Your Target Audiences in Mind 

You want messages to be targeted to your various shoppers, such parents, teachers, andstudents at varying grade levels. With the right SMS platform, you can use tags and other data to personalize the messages you send.

For example, one interesting shift in shopping behavior, according to Deloitte’s 2022 back-to-school survey, is an increased interest in shopping for sustainability. 

Fifty-three percent of parents confirmed the intention to purchase more sustainable goods, while only one in four retailers had set near-term sustainability targets. Shoppers were willing to pay up to 22% more for this, so there’s an opportunity waiting for smart retailers to capitalize on.

With inflation also being a concern in 2022, shoppers are looking for deals and ways to stretch their budget. If you know your audience cares about sustainability, you can highlight ways you are achieving that as a merchant, so shoppers can feel good about what they are buying. Customized message content, strategic campaigns targeting specific segments are some ways you can keep your target audiences in mind.

3. Create Back-to-School Contests and Giveaways

An easy way to engage your customers, build your SMS marketing database and have some fun along the way is to create a back-to-school contest or giveaway. Put QR codes on your website, social media, and/or other offline locations, to encourage shoppers to sign up for SMS. 

Now you have an SMS audience ready to go. For more ideas on the best opt-in locations, see: What Opt-In Locations Are Most Effective for Building an SMS Marketing List?

4. Give Vip Access to Your Subscribers 

Give your SMS subscribers early access to sales, a special promo code or free shipping. If your product line can include a gift with purchase promotion, back-to-school time is the perfect time to do it. With the current socio-economic climate, moreparents will be looking for savings this year.  

5. Create a Click-and-Purchase List

A click-and-purchase list is a curated list of back-to-school items your audience might like that they can purchase with a simple click. 

For example, the Deloitte survey indicated customers are happy to take advantage of B2S kits. You can create those kits and enable customers to complete the purchase right from the text message without the need to create an account or fill a cart on your website. 

You can also take advantage of your customer profiles to make personalized recommendations for products, including additional product suggestions that other customers purchased. Make it easy for your customers to complete their shopping in one session.

Even if you don’t sell things like school supplies, spark your customers’ imaginations with tips on using your products for school or college. 

Create a series of blog posts highlighting how your products can work in a dorm or school setting, and roll them out before the start of B2S shopping. Make sure to include a way customers can opt-in for SMS messaging while reading those articles on your website.  

6. Think Outside of Traditional Timeframes

While the traditional back-to-school shopping season is July and August, never underestimate the retail power of a grateful last-minute shopper in September. 

Parents who waited to receive the “official” supplies list from school, or to buy clothes based on what other children were wearing can find themselves out of luck by mid-September when many retailers are thinking ahead to the holiday season. 

A retailer who can extend deals into mid-September is set to capitalize on the second wave of shopping. Remember to send a second round of B2S messages in mid-September to catch that wave.

Budget-conscious parents will be looking for deals on Black Friday as well, and don’t forget about the “replace the missing items” shopping throughout the year. 

In closing, back-to-school shopping can be a great time to build your customer base, reward your loyal customers and increase your average order value. Incorporating SMS marketing into your overall marketing strategy makes good business sense.