SMS Marketing Blog | Subtext

How CNET and Reviewed engage with thousands of shoppers via text

Written by Subtext | Aug 17, 2021

Everybody loves a good deal and CNET and Reviewed are texting their best finds straight to their audience. CNET’s The Cheapskate deal texts and Reviewed’s Here’s the Deal have drawn large followings by sending promotions quickly, asking for shopper feedback and tailoring content based on audience needs.

The Cheapskate

CNET’s popular blog, The Cheapskate, has amassed a loyal following by providing timely, curated tech deals. They started texting as a companion to the blog  and now have thousands of loyal subscribers .This Subtext campaign delivers subscribers a combination of  e-commerce links, product reviews, blog posts, promo codes, and discounts on tech merch.

CNET knows what their audience wants because they ask. They are constantly checking in to see what subscribers are interested in hearing about.  They’re even segmenting their audience by allowing them to personalize their texts based on their preferences. By texting in the keywords “gaming deals”, subscribers can receive the best gaming deals across the web, straight to their phones. 

Reviewed

Reviewed has been doing the leg work of testing out everyday items, so their readers don’t have to. Their social media manager, Kate McCarthy, texts a weekly deals’ roundup to several thousand subscribers.

Reviewed’s texts are popular because they know what their subscribers want. Director of Audience Development Heather Muse says one of the ways they got to know their audience was by texting a short survey. They asked if they liked the frequency of their texts, what they could improve on, and what they would like to see more of.

The best part about working with our subscribers is that we’re giving them a personalized experience. We’ve received so many thank-you messages from the audience telling us they feel like we’re their personal shoppers, which is how we want them to feel,” Muse says.

Want to try using Subtext to drive engagement? Reach out at hello@joinsubtext.com.