Show Your Subscribers Some Love: 8 Texts to Send in February

The new year is in full swing—and yes, it’s still crazy out there. Omicron is everywhere, shipping delays continue, and school closures are more confusing than the latest TikTok challenge.

And let’s not forget that the year’s most expectation-heavy holiday is only a few weeks away, and the clock is ticking on getting gift orders in before it’s too late. So if you haven’t already, fire up those loved-up campaigns and shipping deadline reminders to make sure that Valentine’s Day isn’t one more source of stress for your subscribers. (Here are some of our favorite V-Day texts from last year to give you some inspo).

Even though things are feeling chaotic for merchants and customers alike, there’s still a lot of love to give this February—and not just on the 14th. From Galentine’s Day to Black History Month (and maybe even an early spring, if we’re lucky🤞), we’ve got plenty to celebrate. And that means you’ve got plenty of timely opportunities to engage with your SMS subscribers.

Let’s get into it, February!

February marks a month-long celebration of the acknowledgments and key historical events throughout the history of the African diaspora. This is an incredibly important and powerful time for Black store owners.

Black-owned clothing line D’IYANU celebrated with a new drop that focuses on the future.

SMS marketing campaign from DIYANU

Black- and woman-owned apparel brand Define Me Greek also launched a new collection during Black History Month (BHM).

SMS campaign from Define Me Greek

Before pushing out a promotion or acknowledging BHM as a brand, make sure that doing so is authentic to your brand and that your approach doesn’t give off the vibe of simply capitalizing on a historic and important month to drive sales. 

For Black-owned stores, this is also a great time to send a personal note to your subscribers or roll out unique content—like a keyword-generated option for subscribers to receive Black History Month content all month long. 
Here are some of our favorite Black-owned Postscript stores as well as Shopify’s directory of Black-owned shops that you can support and promote this month and beyond.

Early spring or long winter? Punxsutawney Phil is the only one who really knows. Celebrate this offbeat American holiday with a keyword campaign asking subscribers to weigh in with their predictions by replying SPRING or WINTER—and segment from there. For all those who guessed correctly, reward them with a promo code. 

Or make it all about the Bill Murray movie and ask subscribers to reply with their personal version of Groundhog Day hell. Send the funniest responses a prize or discount code.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a greeting card-manufactured holiday—it’s a great excuse to show your subscribers some love. 

Besides, why send a card when you can send a text? 

Here are a few campaign ideas to send on the 14th:

It’s crunch time for a grand gesture! What are you planning tonight? Best response gets a FREE $250 gift card towards their next date night.

What’s your craziest first date story? First entry to make us 😬 gets a romantic UberEats order on us tonight.

Hey BB! Happy Valentine’s Day. We hope it’s filled with love, and if you’re struggling today, here’s a token of love from us. Take 20% off any order today! Offer ends tonight at midnight.  

Here’s a playlist of 20 love songs that don’t suck. Spin it at a candlelit dinner at home or dance to it in your skivvies. 

Need more heart-eyes inspo? Check out our full Valentine’s Day roundup of best texts ever.

A killer welcome series is a solid first step toward connecting with your SMS list, but you want to make sure you’re following up with subscribers who have completed the welcome series—but haven’t yet placed an order. 

Set up an automation that engages new subscribers who have not purchased (whether it's 15, 20 or 30 days since signing up without making a purchase). Use this as a branding opportunity for your store. Explain your mission statement, send a personal message from the founder, or try to generate some customer interactions.

Here’s a great example from pet food purveyor Pawstruck.

Pawstruck MMS Campaign

This MMS features a GIF that rotates through staff pet photos and then prompts customers to respond with a photo of their own pup.

Clothing brand Vapor95 tries to convert subscribers with a branded automation and coupon code.

Vapor95 Campaign

Remember: If someone has opted in to receive SMS, they are high-intent. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to convert them when their interest in your brand is still high!

When this holiday was first recognized in the 1880s, it was all about Washington and Lincoln, two presidents who celebrated birthdays in February. Today’s ecommerce merchants use it as an opportunity to run a mid-winter sale. 

Since many merchants are still scrambling to catch up on restocking their shelves after the holiday rush, consider a flash sale or quick promotion during this sales-heavy weekend. 

Repurpose this idea from Super Coffee and try running a 21% off sale for just 21 minutes!

Super Coffee Flash Sale

Or, you could promote a one-day sale (or one-hour sale like By Egreis)—first to your VIP subscribers and later to the rest of your list.

Egreis Flash Sale MMS

Keep it short and sweet, and reap those rewards.

This month isn’t all about galentines and groundhogs. Here are a few other causes for celebration—and campaigns!

The longest-running giving day in the United States falls on the second Thursday in February. Use it as an opportunity to donate a portion of your store’s sales to a favorite charity, or encourage others to give back in their community with a conversational text about the holiday.

This is a great opportunity for apparel brands to push out their coziest clothes. Have a flash sale, ask subscribers how many pairs of sweatpants they own, or send out a list of your favorite movie recs so everyone can just Netflix and chill.

Nothing brings people together like a massive fur-baby photo exchange. Even if you’re not a pet brand, take a cue from Organic Olivia and think of a strategic pet share to celebrate the holiday.

Organic Olivia Name Our Pup Campaign

Still craving some more textspiration? We gotchu. Head over to Fantastic Texts to see what some of the best brands are sending.

And happy February! We love you!