Here’s what’s been on my mind:
When it comes to real omnichannel marketing, you’ve got SMS, email, push notifications / app, in-store, social media, maybe even paid ads.
That’s great.
But resizing your email creative and slapping it into an SMS is NOT a strategy, and, to a customer that’s subscribed on multiple platforms, is just annoying, repetitive noise.
IMO, flash sales are a perfect case study. Let’s take a look at our channels and see what works for these.
Email:
Okay, you’re having a flash sale. Don’t even THINK of sending an email.. Email is useless for urgency. It’s not going to get seen in time to make a real impact. BUT…. it is great to educate people that you offer flash sales—and get them to opt into the channel where the real message drops.
SMS:
When it comes to flash sales, this is your best tool. Instant, high visibility, they will see it. Yes, it costs more. Yes, the message is stuck behind a link, but if urgency is the goal, this is your channel. You can include direct links, track engagement, and build urgency without platform risk.
Push Notifications:
Free on most platforms. Works well if your users have the app, push notifications turned on, and they haven’t swiped it away. Smaller pool, limited UX, and almost no room for content. BUT useful if you’ve built your app as your core communication channel, like some dispensaries have.
Social Media:
Flash sale? Seems like the right idea, but, ehhh, not here. You’ll get flagged or suppressed (if not banned). You can post post-sale content, hype, UGC, or vibe, but not the actual promo. If you can say Flash Sale without saying Flash Sale, same value as email. Use this channel to funnel users into the channels you have more control over
Paid Ads:
Flash sale via ad spend makes no sense. If it’s evergreen, it’s not a flash sale, it’s a misrepresented happy hour.
In-Store / Budtenders:
The backup. If someone walks in and didn’t get the message, train your staff to honor the offer, but only after opting in on the spot.
No opt-in, no deal.
Soooo, now, let’s review what works best for flash sales.
- Use email and social media to educate and drive SMS opt-ins.
- Use SMS (or push, if you’ve positioned it properly) to drive the action.
Omni-channel doesn't necessarily mean same message, every channel. More so, every channel contributes to the overarching message. Pre-plan, sequence, and let each platform do what it’s built to do.
Thanks for reading :)
If you want help getting this structured for your next campaign, you know where to find me.
Steph
PS: I just released my Brand Partnership Outreach Template over in the Studio Vault. It’s just the thing you’ve been missing when it comes to getting better partnerships and collaborations. Grab it now to get ready for Q1 2026 (yes, already).