5 Winning Black Friday and Cyber Monday SMS Ideas

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are two highly-anticipated events on consumers’ shopping calendars. Retailers famously offer massive discounts, exclusive deals, and early holiday sales on these two days. 

In 2022, BFCM drew a record-breaking $281 billion global online sales. Most notably, 76% of this sales traffic came from mobile devices. This trend highlights the influential role that Short Message Service (SMS) marketing can play in driving BFCM’s impressive revenues. 

So, how can you harness Black Friday SMS marketing to rake in more revenue during this year’s shopping season? Below, we outline five SMS ideas and four marketing strategies to do just that.

The Power of SMS Marketing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

SMS marketing allows businesses to send promotional messages to their customers via text. By sending these messages before, during and after BFCM, retailers can spark an influx of sales. 

Take a look at some statistics that showcase the power of SMS marketing:

• The average American checks their phone 144 times a day.
• SMS marketing boasts open rates as high as 98%. 
• 90% of SMS messages are opened within three minutes of being received.
• SMS marketing’s conversion rate is 29%. 

As the data displays, SMS messages have the potential to produce swift spikes in business, especially if your promotion includes a compelling Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal. 

SMS marketing also stands out for its personalization. With the right SMS platform, you can tailor your messages to customers’ browsing behavior and purchase history.

5 SMS Message Examples for Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Now that you understand the power of SMS marketing, you may wonder how to employ it during BFCM. 

Here are a few types of promotions that can help you drive conversions:

1. Teasers – As BFCM approaches, your customers are likely gearing up for some serious shopping. Make sure you’re fresh on their minds by teasing the deals they have to look forward to.
   Example: [Name], there’s just one more week until our unbeatable Cyber Monday sale. Check out this sneak peek: [URL] Reply STOP to opt out.
   
   
2. Early Access – You can make your customers feel like true VIPs by offering them early access to your enticing BFCM deals. Just follow an SMS message template like this:
   Example: Want to score early access to our best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals? Become a VIP member today! Text Y to sign up or STOP to opt out.
   
   
3. Discounts – Once BFCM is in full swing, it’s time to push your most irresistible Black Friday promotions. Make sure to include eye-catching savings metrics and a memorable promo code.
   Example: Hey [Name], Black Friday starts now! Save up to 50% with [Company] using code BFCM. Don’t wait long, or you’ll miss these epic discounts: [URL]. Reply STOP to opt out.
   
   
4. Flash sales – Instilling a sense of urgency is a sales tactic as old as time and for good reason. It works. Flash sales can flare up your Cyber Monday SMS recipients’ FOMO and inspire them to act fast.
   Example: Hey [Name], our FLASH SALE is on! Score unbelievable discounts from [Company] while you still can. Act fast because these deals won’t last! Reply STOP to opt out.
   
   
5. Abandoned carts – BFCM induces a shopping frenzy where customers may hop from one retailer to the next, often leaving abandoned carts in their wake. As of 2021, the Black Friday and Cyber Monday cart abandonment rates were 76% and 80%, respectively. 

Fortunately, you can win back some tentative shoppers with a well-timed SMS reminder.

Example: Forgot something? Don’t let these holiday deals pass you by. Complete your purchase now to score an extra 5% off [URL]. Reply STOP to opt out. 

4 Strategies for SMS Marketing Success

While promotional messaging can vary, the essential components of a successful campaign remain the same. Here are four need-to-know strategies that can amplify your return on investment (ROI):

1. Segmentation and targeting – With a robust SMS platform, you can easily segment your customers based on demographic data, online behavior, purchase history and preferences. After that, you can customize messages for each target market.
   
   
2. Message timing and frequency – Regarding SMS marketing, timing is everything. You want your message to pop up when customers are in a shopping mood. Noon, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. are the best times for most recipients. You should also be mindful of your sending frequency. Sending too many messages may cause some recipients to opt out of future communication.
   
   
3. Compliance and regulations – In the United States, SMS marketing messages must adhere to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This act requires retailers to obtain SMS communication consent from their subscribers, allow for easy opt-outs and keep an up-to-date “Do Not Contact” list.
   
   
4. Integration with other marketing channels – SMS marketing is influential on its own. Still, it can impact even more when combined with other marketing mediums like email, social media and paid ads. An easy way to encourage cross-channel engagement is to send SMS messages promoting your email newsletters, social media profiles and landing pages. 

Once you enact these strategies, you can evaluate their effectiveness by analyzing their data. Track what types of messages yield the highest open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates and ROI. Then, structure your future campaigns accordingly.

3 Companies That Nailed Their BFCM Text Campaigns

With the key components of a killer SMS marketing campaign in mind, let’s check out some real-life Black Friday SMS examples. 

#1 Great Jones

Great Jones is a popular cookware company. To build anticipation for its Black Friday sale, it shared an SMS message promoting early access for VIPs: 

Hi there! Our Black Friday sale goes live to the public this Monday, but we feel things will move fast, so we’re allowing you to shop early. Use [Code] at checkout to enjoy 20% off orders over $100 until November 22 at 11:59 p.m. PST (exclusions apply). [URL] 

By tapping into the exclusivity of being a VIP, this SMS campaign motivated an impressive influx of sales. 

#2 Old Navy

American clothing retailer Old Navy used simple yet heart-warming messaging to motivate more Black Friday sales:

Happy Thanksgiving! Spend it together at our Black Friday Sale. Get 50% off the entire store, plus more great deals this weekend. [URL] Happy shopping!

As you can see, this promotion highlights the substantial discounts that await shoppers while tapping into the celebratory Thanksgiving holiday spirit.

#3 Dermalogica 

Dermalogica is a professional-grade skincare brand that used its Black Friday SMS promotion to inspire urgency and action:

LAST CHANCE: Our Black Friday Sale is coming to an end. Don't miss out on choosing up to 6 minis free. Plus, get a travel Daily Microfoliant. Shop now: [URL] Reply STOP to opt out.

By emphasizing that time is running out and offering a free gift to boot, Dermalogica skillfully inspired more BFCM sales. 

Break Sales Records this BFCM with Texting Base

SMS messages may be short, but their results can be tremendous with the right strategies. By following the tactics above, you can sit back and relax as you wait for conversions to roll in this Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

If you want access to a powerful SMS platform, consider partnering with Texting Base. Our SMS marketing platform provides retailers of all sizes with a user-friendly, affordable way to craft conversion-driving SMS marketing campaigns.

Want to see for yourself? Try out our powerful platform today for free.