In an era where cinemas are struggling for viewers’ attention, it’s essential for them to innovate and offer fresh experiences. Rather than just being mere service providers, cinemas are growing into vibrant cultural hubs that engage with their audiences. Curious about how an SMS service in cinemas can enhance this transformation? Let’s dive into this blog post and explore.
SMS service in cinemas: a new way to enjoy movies
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Table of Contents
Reminder service: Are you ready?
A reminder service can help cinemas have fewer empty seats. By sending an automated text to moviegoers about two hours before showtime, it reduces chances of them being late or not showing up. This helps theaters run more smoothly and ensures audiences don’t miss their movie’s start. Text messages are read quickly, making them ideal for reminders. At the same time, it is easy to personalize them in a way that promotes customer loyalty.
Upselling: Would you like a little more?
Especially if your customers order their tickets online, a text message can be a great way to convince them of additional offers. By addressing them personally, your customers feel valued and they are more likely to accept individual offers – after all, they are streamlined to what they like. It’s important that you separate your target groups well, but also that your data is well maintained. This is the only way to succeed in personalizing the message, and the only way to send offers that are relevant to that person. If you then send a suitable upsell message, both sides benefit: You increase your sales and your customers are happy about a good offer.
Examples:
- Offer a discount on a second ticket on top of the one already purchased.
- Offer a ten-ticket discount if a customer buys tickets for a second movie in a month
- Offer a discounted menu (e.g. upon presentation of the SMS)
Upcoming Events: Cater to those who are interested
Many movie theaters don’t just show movies; they are one of the central hubs for cultural events for many people. From film festivals or themed film series to concerts, readings and lectures, they offer a wide range of experiences.
An SMS service in cinemas helps to make this comprehensive offer palatable to your customers. Inform them about all upcoming events in a week, a month or a specific type, for example “All readings in January”. Keep in mind that it’s good to let customers choose which updates they want. This way, they won’t miss out on exciting events that they’re truly interested in.
Remember: People need to know about events to attend them. And when more people attend, these cultural events thrive. An SMS service in cinemas supports this relationship.
You want to go one step further? Reward the recipients of your SMS by allowing them to buy tickets before anyone else or give them a discount. Turn your list of recipients into a VIP list!
Examples:
- Info on movie launches
- Overview of readings, concerts or other special events
- Invitations to premieres
- Early Bird Access for ticket sales
Feedback surveys: What is really important?
You’ve probably realized a long time ago that feedback is very valuable to you. It not only enables you to improve your processes, but also ensures that your customers feel their concerns are taken seriously. Use an SMS service in cinemas to specifically request feedback: SMS are perceived as very personal messages and are also easy to personalize in large numbers.
Examples:
- Book a dedicated number where customers can send messages if they have questions, criticism or ideas. Reward good ideas with discounts or small goodies
- Conversational marketing: Ask specific questions to specific customer groups and then engage in individual conversations
- A lot of information at once: Send links to (short!) questionnaires
Best Practice Overview
What is important when you send an SMS? These are the key points to consider when setting up an SMS service in cinemas.
- Get the consent of the recipients
- Let your recipients choose which topics they want to receive SMS about
- Be brief and precise
- Personalize your messages – especially if you are sending bulk SMS messages
- Allow your recipients to ask questions – ideally by providing them with your own inbound number
Conclusion: How can an SMS service in cinemas work for operators and customers?
In today’s cinema industry, customer loyalty is crucial. Using an SMS service in cinemas can help to greatly improve customer loyalty and other aspects of daily business. Cinemas can remind viewers to reduce no-shows, promote offers to boost sales, gather feedback for improvements, and highlight upcoming cultural events. It’s key to send personalized, clear messages and always get the recipient’s permission. With the right SMS approach, cinemas can enhance the visitor experience, ensuring greater loyalty and increased sales.
Just try it out for yourself. Registration with seven.io is free of charge.
All the best
Header picture by Krists Luhaers via Unsplash