Crank up the AC, because we’ve got some hot ideas to text your SMS subscribers this month.

Summer is the season for fun, and our latest batch of campaign-worthy occasions certainly add to the good-time vibes. 😎

From jokes and chocolate to emojis and ice cream, here are 10 reasons to make your subscribers smile this month.

SMS is the fun marketing channel, and who doesn’t love a good joke in their inbox?

Sure, you can take this day quite literally and send out your best knock-knock or a wisecracking pun, or you could pull one over on your list. 

Try the classic “oops, we didn’t mean to send that” text with an “accidental” discount code. Then, follow up with a “guess the joke’s on us” message letting everyone know the promotion is only good for the next 24 hours.

Or, make the day interactive. Ask subscribers to text back with their best jokes within any parameters you set. Are you a hot sauce brand? Ask them for their best pepper pun. Do you sling shapewear? Ask for jokes that include the word “bra” or “underwear.” Just be sure to incentivize your request so people will actually respond (e.g., by offering a one-time code or gift card in exchange for participation).

It’s one of our favorite d’ehs of the year! We’re lucky to have tons of awesome members of the Postscript crew hailing from north of the border, so we get pretty excited about Canadian holidays around here. 🇨🇦

If you’re a Canadian brand—or you have a lot of Canadian subscribers—be sure to celebrate Canada’s birthday via text!

Here’s a simple example from weighted blanket brand Hush:

And here’s one with a fun image from Canadian truck parts and accessories brand Truck Part Superstore:

Or, perhaps you can simply use the occasion to celebrate your favorite Canadian things: ice hockey, maple syrup, incredible manners—you get the idea.

Is there intelligent life beyond Earth? We hope so—and many deep space enthusiasts would agree.

Consider running a “UFO sighting” campaign where you hide a flying saucer 🛸  somewhere on your site and ask subscribers to find it. First one to text back a screenshot wins a free gift!

Or, if you have products that tie in with the theme—like t-shirt brand The Dude’s Threads—launch a themed campaign to promote them:

Expect to see plenty of Independence Day texts lighting up inboxes on July 4. Though it’s traditionally a time for big summer sales events, try thinking outside the box to help your brand stand out among a sea (to shining sea) of marketing campaigns in subscriber inboxes.

Just keep in mind that you’ll want to strategize around potential sending delays due to high volume—especially if your campaign includes an image or GIF.

Posh Puppy Boutique opted for a patriotic pooch to help catch their subscribers’ attention:

Clothing brand Woolx gave some relaxed beach vibes with their 4th of July send:

Men’s skincare brand Disco used a simple GIF and a “made in America” angle to play up their Independence Day sale:

Jewelry brand CRAFTD used a clever play on words to stand out from the crowd (and as total word nerds, we give their crafty pun 5/5 stars):

Scented candle brand Homesick lit up their 4th of July campaign with punchy copy and a few well-placed emojis to really make each line pop:

And finally, healthy food brand Outer Aisle took a more content-focused approach by serving up a delicious low-carb burger recipe to try on one of the biggest grilling days of the year:

It’s time to celebrate one of the best edible inventions known to humankind: chocolate!

This is an obvious one for any brands that sling sweets, and it’s a great opportunity for a flash sale if you’re in the chocolate biz. 

But even if you’re not in the food and bev space, nothing unites subscribers like a love of dessert. So, serve up your favorite chocolatey recipes, use keyword replies to poll subscribers on their preferred forms of chocolate (FUDGE, TRUFFLE, CAKE, or HOTCOCOA), or share a fun fact or two on the history of chocolate or its various health benefits.

If loving chocolate is wrong, we don’t wanna be right.

If ever there were a day made for text marketing, World Emoji Day is it! We can barely remember our lives without these fun little icons that help us add tone, nuance, and yes—emotion—to our messages.

This is a great opportunity for a pure engagement play. Share your founders’ or employees’ favorite emojis—or invite subscribers to reply with theirs. You could even ask them to choose from a list of emojis and reply back with their selection to reveal their World Emoji Day discount (for example, heart eyes get 15% off). Or, hide an emoji on your homepage or in your Instagram story and ask subscribers to find it and text it to you for the chance to win a special prize!

Better yet, consider creating your own brand emoji in honor of this special day. 

Here’s an example from gardening brand Back to the Roots:

And in case you’re curious, here’s the reply folks received when they responded:

Our favorites happen to be 🤑, 🔥, 😎, and 🍔 in case anyone was wondering. 

Nothing says “summer” like a cold scoop of sweetness. Certain food brands (like those whose product flavors resemble ice cream varieties) and brands with ice cream-esque scented products (e.g., candles and the like) can definitely take advantage of this opportunity to engage with subscribers.

Also, who doesn’t love ice cream? In a world where we can’t always get along, we can all agree that a dish of ice cream cures all.

Here’s an example from organic ice cream brand Cosmic Bliss:

Even if your products aren’t directly dessert-related, there are plenty of creative ways to participate in this delicious occasion. For example, organic superfood brand Your Super shared this healthy homemade ice cream recipe via text:

Raising a child is one of the toughest, most important jobs in the world—and this day is all about recognizing, appreciating, and supporting those who have done or are doing it. It’s a great day to celebrate subscribers who are parents or give them a chance to celebrate their own.

Perhaps your brand’s founder has a special parent story to share. Or, you could invite subscribers to share their favorite memories about their parents—or suggest a few gift options for the awesome parents in their lives.

Children’s brand? Recognize the fact that parenting comes in many forms and that caretakers of all kinds deserve to be recognized today and every day.

Pucker up beauty brands, because it’s time to celebrate one of the world’s most iconic cosmetics. 

If you’re in this industry, highlight some of your bestselling or top-rated lip products—or run a special sale like Alleyoop did here:

Or, mark the occasion by sharing a lipstick fun fact (e.g., those who wear lipstick daily consume about 4 pounds of it in their lifetime 😮 ) or asking subscribers to respond with their best shade.

We saved the best for last—and not just because it falls at the end of the month. International Day of Friendship is a great time for brands to remind subscribers of how much they value the ability to connect in such a personal way.

Text is the channel we use most often to stay in touch with those who are close to us. It’s a channel for friends and family, so take this opportunity to let your subscribers know what they mean to you with a personal message. Even if you don’t offer them a sale or discount, they’ll appreciate feeling appreciated.

If you do go the sale route, give subscribers the opportunity to share the savings with a friend. It’s a clever referral play that just might earn you another loyal customer and subscriber!

Here’s an example from shapewear brand WomanOcean:

And here’s one from hydration brand Greater Than:

At minimum, thank your friends (a.k.a. your subscribers) for letting you hang out in their inbox, a place normally designated for besties.

Looking for more fabulous SMS marketing strategies and examples? Download our Ultimate BFCM Planner for SMS Marketers. It’s got eight months’ worth of list growth, campaign, and retention ideas to take your brand through the rest of the year—and beyond!