11 Texts That’ll Sleigh All Day in December

By December, the insanity of BFCM is behind you—but that doesn’t mean it’s time to slow down on sends. Although around 58% of consumers will take part in Black Friday sales, plenty of shoppers won’t start buying gifts until December hits.

With that in mind, don’t sleep on pulling in additional revenue through SMS right up until Santa’s packing up the sleigh. 

Here’s 11 texts to send in December so you can keep the holiday momentum going. With so much revenue still to be generated, that much-needed rest can wait until the new year.

’Tis the season for gratitude, and there’s no better time to give back than during the holidays. This occasion is a great opportunity to generate engagement by asking subscribers if they volunteer. Request a photo of them volunteering their time, whether it’s with a charity organization or local community hub. Or, have them share a personal story about their time as a volunteer. Reward each reply with a coupon, which is super easy to build out with our Wait for Event branching in Flow Builder. That way, subscribers get prompt, personalized replies—even if you’ve got a large subscriber list.

If you want to make this an even more meaningful subscriber experience, take the time to reply to each person individually. When we talk about two-way conversations and how impactful they can be for your brand, this is an instance where encouraging your support staff to really engage can be a great way to build brand loyalty.

Ah, the classic family photo cards. There’s nothing better than filling a fridge with pictures of new babies, growing kiddos, and family pets. 

And a photo moment is just ripe with opportunities to engage your subscribers. Here’s a few ways you could celebrate this holiday:

• Ask subscribers to text a photo of their holiday card. Everyone who sends one will receive a discount code.

• Go in search of the worst family Christmas card of all time. Ask subscribers to dig into their family archives and share some spectacularly bad photo memories. Create a slideshow on social media and showcase the best/worst ones that come through.

• Discount a product for a relevant flash sale—whether it’s stationery, family matching pajamas, or a holiday sweater collection—to help everyone send the best Christmas cards ever.

• Poll subscribers to see what type of cards they send: family photo cards, photos of pets, non photo cards, or no cards at all! Share the results.

This is also a great opportunity to ask subscribers for their mailing address. If you’ve ever been curious about dipping your toes into direct mail, ask subscribers if they’d like to receive your annual office Christmas card. A win-win opportunity!

Host a virtual gingerbread house contest with your subscribers. Promote the contest the week before the official holiday and give parameters for participation—whether that means you’re seeking midcentury styles only or stipulating that the house needs to be made entirely out of graham crackers. Choose your own adventure with this one—and have fun with it.

Create a landing page on your website for people to submit photos. This is a great way to drive some traffic back to your store—without a heavy promotion. 

Have you dipped your toes into TikTok yet? No? Well, here’s your chance.

We know that TikTok and SMS work together very well, and if you’ve wanted to try your hand at the channel, but aren’t sure how to execute, please steal this idea from us.

First, you’ll need to start your TikTok channel! (Directions here if you need them.)

Ask subscribers to send you a photo of themselves in their best ugly Christmas sweater or to tag you on a TikTok video of them walking or dancing in their favorite looks. 

Let them know the best entries will be compiled into a highlight reel on your brand’s TikTok channel. Once you post the video, be sure to text it back to all subscribers and encourage them to follow you there too!

Send greetings of love and light when the first night of Hanukkah arrives on December 18—or on one of the following 12 days if you prefer!

Though fewer Americans celebrate Hanukkah than Christmas, it’s one of the most important holiday traditions for those who practice Judaism, and it is often overlooked during the Christmas season. Whether you send warm wishes or run a sale, it’s an important date to recognize this December.

And if you happen to sell a product that would be a welcome addition to Hanukkah festivities, don’t be afraid to mention it, like Greater Than did with this campaign.

How do your subscribers welcome winter?

Consider this as an opportunity to find out more about your list. Send a campaign asking subscribers to reply with their favorite winter activity:

1. Netflix and chill

2. Skiing

3. Snowboarding

4. Playing in the snow

5. Basking in the sun (no winter season here)

Get as creative as you’d like. You could even keep the question open-ended and inquire how they stay busy during the long winter months.

Here’s a few other ideas on how to celebrate the first day of winter with subscribers:

• Crowdsource a movie watchlist. Ask subscribers to share their fave flick of all time.

• Share a playlist of cozy winter tunes.

• Ask subscribers to join your weekly supper club and share recipes every Friday throughout the cold months ahead.

Winter solstice also has lots of lovely traditions—from making paper lanterns to setting new year intentions—so there are plenty of options for celebrating the season.

It’s time for a Festivus for the rest of us!

Don’t get the reference? This holiday was first popularized by the sitcom Seinfeld. According to the show, Festivus is celebrated by gathering as a family and telling each other how you’ve disappointed one another over the past year. And in lieu of a tree, there is a pole with no decorations.

If it aligns with your brand voice, Festivus is a no-brainer to celebrate over text. 

Encourage your subscribers to partake by asking them to tell you how your brand disappointed them over the last year.

Too cringey? Ask them to respond with a keyword and you’ll tell them how they disappointed you over the past year. Obviously you would do this tongue-in-cheek, but it’d still be a hilarious way to show that a holiday turkey doesn’t have to be the only one to roast in December.

For lots of folks around the world, this is the most meaningful time of the year to spend with family. Be considerate of any texts you send on Christmas. If you are going to push a sale early, at least take the time to recognize the holiday.

But don’t be afraid to simply send a holiday greeting from your family or a personal note from you to wish your list well.

Although it’s nice to be respectful of the holiday season, let’s be real. There’s a lot of downtime post-present opening and while dinner is in the oven, leaving many consumers wondering what the next day's sales are going to be like.

Here’s a few ideas to balance a heartfelt holiday message with a sale opportunity.

This seven-day celebration kicks off on the 26th, though the holiday ends with the biggest celebration on the final day.

When we mention holidays like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, we do so in order to encourage you to be mindful of inclusivity when you’re speaking to your list. This is also why we recommend sending an option for subscribers to opt out of any holiday messages and promotions in November, because SMS allows you to speak directly to subscribers in the way that is most meaningful to them.

Don’t miss an opportunity to remind subscribers to shop for e-gift cards in case they missed someone on their list (or in case somebody unexpectedly gave them a gift). No one wants a cringey “oh-no-your-gift-is-in-the-mail” moment, so stay top of mind with an end-of-December send.

Here’s a cute one from Painted Lavender. 

Once the end of the month rolls around, we all breathe a collective sigh of relief—and that’s especially true for ecommerce merchants.

Take the time to ask your subscribers what they want to accomplish personally in the new year.

This is also a great opportunity to check in on what they might want from your brand over text. Send out a poll or an open-ended campaign about what your brand could do to improve or how you might be able to serve them better in the new year.

Well, congratulations! You made it through the craziest time of year. It’s time to pop a bottle of something bubbly and take some time to plan out your biggest year yet. And it’s time you made SMS your #1 revenue channel in 2023. Don’t believe us? More and more merchants are realizing the power of SMS—and you should too. Get in touch with us here to learn more about using Postscript today. Happy new year!