Many brands in the U.S. compete for customers’ attention and wallets on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. To cut through the noise and reach customers, more brands are turning to SMS marketing to promote their eye-popping deals.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are among the biggest shopping days of the year. In 2021 alone, Americans spent $8.9 billion on Black Friday and $10.7 billion on Cyber Monday. Plus, 90 percent of retailers say they will offer promotions, which may make it harder to stand out. But, with SMS marketing, you can.
Below, we outline the benefits of Black Friday SMS marketing campaigns and share Black Friday text message examples to inspire you.
The benefits of Black Friday text campaigns
More customers than ever are buying products from their smartphones. In fact, the revenue from smartphones over the five-day cyber weekend grew 8 percent year over year. The cyber weekend includes the days from Thanksgiving day through Cyber Monday, including Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.
Sending deals via text message is a great way to reach customers on the mobile device they often use to purchase.
Below we break down several other benefits of SMS marketing for retail:
- 43 percent of online sales were completed via smartphone in the 2021 holiday season.
- 96 percent of marketers said text message marketing helped them drive more revenue.
- 64 percent of consumers want businesses to use SMS more frequently.
- The average click-through rate for offer messages sent via SMS is higher than other channels at 9.18 percent.
- The average text message open rate is 98 percent.
- The average text message is read within three minutes.
- The average response rate for texts is 45 percent.
10 Black Friday text message examples
Here are 10 Black Friday text message marketing examples. Use them as inspiration to get customers excited about your in-store deals.
1. Send an alert leading up to Black Friday
Create customer anticipation for Black Friday by sharing alerts about discounts or on-sale products.
Fashionista Boutique: Hi Salizar! Black Friday is around the corner. Here’s your exclusive sneak peek at the newest arrivals you can score for 50% off: [link].
2. Share your business hours
Let customers know when your business will open. This is especially important if you will have different hours for Black Friday.
Technology Plus: Hey Katherine! This Black Friday, everything in the entire store will be 30% off. Our doors open at 6 am on 11/25.
3. Offer an early bird discount
Give customers an incentive to visit your store early by sending a doorbuster discount via SMS.
Gas Station Texarkana: This Black Friday we are giving the first 100 customers in line a $25 gift card! Doors open at 6 am.
4. Send exclusive deals to SMS subscribers
It is a good practice to share unique offers for SMS subscribers. This will encourage more customers to opt into your bulk SMS marketing messages.
Costco SMS subscriber exclusive. Take 30% off orders of $150 or 50% off orders of $250 by presenting this coupon code at checkout [code]. Offer valid 11/25.
5. Promote a limited-time discount
While most Black Friday deals are for a limited time, consider adding this time element into your text to create urgency.
Island Cafe: 2-DAYS ONLY. Stop in for a bite or order takeout from Island Cafe and get 25% off your entire order.
6. Send SMS reminders about the Black Friday sale
Give customers a heads-up about when your store closes or when the deal will end. This helps with urgency.
City Pet Incorporated: Don’t forget your furry friend this holiday season 🐾 Get up to 50% off food, toys, and grooming services. Stop in or call to schedule a discounted appointment. Deals end today.
7. Alert customers about a new product
Use SMS to share news about a special edition product that is available for Black Friday.
Sweatshirts R Us: Hey, Emit! We’ve launched a special edition crewneck for Black Friday. Get yours on sale online or in stores today.
8. Gift a special offer to VIP customers
Send your loyal and most valuable customers an exclusive discount or exclusive access to a product to strengthen the relationship.
Hi Kara! We have a special Black Friday discount for you as a loyal customer of Silver Nails. To thank you for your business, show this text at your next service for 50% off.
9. Send a thank you message post-purchase
Let customers know you appreciate their business by sending an SMS message.
Thanks for shopping with Stunning Jewelers this Black Friday 😊 Enjoy your purchases!
10. Get customer feedback
Ask customers for feedback via text message after their purchase. This will help you improve the overall customer experience.
Hi Peter! Please rate your Black Friday purchase experience at Goose Outerwear from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Thank you! Reply STOP to unsubscribe.
10 Cyber Monday text message examples
Here are 10 Cyber Monday text marketing templates and examples. Use them as inspiration to get customers excited about your online shopping deals.
1. Send an alert heading into Cyber Monday
Create excitement about Cyber Monday by sending texts leading up to the day of the sale.
Fashionista Boutique: Hi Salizar! Get ready for our sitewide Cyber Monday sale. Everything will be 25% off. Check out our website and save your favorites: [link].
2. Let customers know when the deals start
Send a marketing text to let customers know when the deals are accessible.
Pet Supplies Unlimited: Cyber Monday has arrived. Get 30% off and free shipping with code CM22. Text STOP to unsubscribe.
3. Share an exclusive deal with VIPs
Treat your VIP customers well by offering them special deals or early access to them.
For your eyes only, Max 👀 We’re giving our VIPs early access to our Cyber Monday sales. Shop early and get 40% off your order. Use this link to get your discount: [link].
4. Offer SMS subscribers a free gift
Offer customers a special gift in addition to the deal to encourage them to purchase something from your store.
Hey, Erin. Cyber Monday is here! Get 25% off sitewide. Plus, as an SMS subscriber, you’ll get a free pair of AirPods on orders over $100 while supplies last.
5. Promote a time-sensitive offer or flash sale
Use SMS to promote time-sensitive offers. Be sure to include the timeframe of the deal to encourage urgency.
East Village Hotel: Our Cyber Monday sale is on. TODAY ONLY. Book your stay with us and get 40% off. Offer valid 11/28.
6. Shoot a reminder text message
Send customers a reminder about the ongoing deal to encourage them to make a purchase.
REI Outfitters: LAST CHANCE. Only a few more hours of Cyber Monday deals. Take 40% off your entire order when you use code CM22 at checkout.
7. Share news about new deals or products
Let customers know about new deals or products that are included in the sale.
Honey Comb Salon: It’s a Cyber Monday miracle! More hair care products are now 80% off! See the deals here: [link].
8. Use an abandoned cart text message
If customers leave items in their cart, use SMS to send them an abandoned cart message.
Hey Trina. It looks like you left some items in your cart 👀 Finish checking out now to secure your 30% Cyber Monday discount! [Link].
9. Send a post-purchase thank you message
Thank customers via text for shopping on your online store.
You’re a gem, Annie 💎 Thanks for shopping with Stunning Jewelers this Cyber Monday!
10. Solicit customer feedback
Ask customers for feedback via text message after their purchase.
Hi Segal. Please rate your latest purchase from Goose Outerwear from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Thank you! Reply STOP to unsubscribe.
Tips to ensure your Black Friday text marketing campaign works
1. Build your SMS contact list ahead of time
For SMS marketing to be effective, you need to have a solid SMS contact list. Building this subscriber list and collecting customer phone numbers must be done delicately to ensure you comply with the laws that regulate texting. Specifically, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act requires you to get an opt-in from customers before you hit send.
Below we break down several ways you can grow your subscriber list:
- Set up a text-to-join campaign. Encourage new customers to opt into your message by having them text a word to your business texting number.
- Add opt-in forms to your website. Consider adding a popup advertisement, contact form, or landing page where customers can sign up to receive text alerts from your website.
- Convert your existing email subscribers or social media followers. Don’t be afraid to tap into the lists you’ve already built to grow your SMS list. Send an email to existing newsletter subscribers or put a social post encouraging followers to sign up for marketing text blasts.
- Work opt-ins into your online checkout process. Add a way for customers to opt into promotional offers or updates via text message at the checkout. This could include a small check box.
- Incentivize customers. To get more signups, encourage customers to sign up in exchange for a special discount.
- Use advertisements. Don’t be afraid to put out advertisements about your text marketing messages.
To read more ways to grow your contact list, read our blog about 14 ways to encourage opt-ins.
2. Consider using MMS to bolster engagement
When it comes to marketing, sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Using MMS, which stands for multimedia messaging service, can help improve your customer engagement rate.
In fact, research shows that MMS marketing messages have a 15 percent higher click-through rate than text-only messages, and are four times more likely to be shared. MMS messages also are not limited to 160 characters like SMS messages.
The following example is an MMS marketing message. You see that a high-resolution photo accompanies the text message.
3. Use SMS as a supplement to other marketing efforts
For optimal results, SMS should supplement other efforts like paid channel ads, email marketing campaigns, social media posts, and more.
SMS is a marketing channel that gets customers’ attention, but the best brands use an omnichannel approach. An omnichannel marketing strategy focuses on connecting multiple touchpoints, like brick-and-mortar shops, social, email, and mobile. This allows a seamless experience.
A recent study found that 87 percent of customers expect brands to focus on creating this seamless experience.
For example, consider sending a series of Black Friday emails to your newsletter subscribers starting a week early. Then on the day of the sale, send a text message to customers to encourage them to buy. The two channels are not at odds; they can help you close the sale.
Additionally, you will likely want to promote your holiday sales on your website and social media. Many people plan their Black Friday shopping ahead of time, you can offer website visitors, followers, and SMS subscribers early access to them.
4. Keep your send time in mind
The best time to send BFCM marketing texts will depend on your goals and customers. For example, are you aiming to alert customers about the upcoming deal or do you want them to purchase something immediately? That will change when you want the text message blast to send.
But, ensure you don’t send any text promotions before 8 am or after 9 pm in each customer’s time zone. These are considered quiet hours under the TCPA.
5. Pay attention to the number of messages you send
When it comes to text message marketing, keep frequency in mind. Don’t overwhelm your customers with hundreds of messages or hourly updates. Sending too many text messages could frustrate your customers and result in more unsubscribes.
Typically, a good rule of thumb is to send about one marketing message per week. However, you can break the rules a bit during BFCM. However, try not to send more than one text per day.
6. Personalize and target your marketing messages
Ensure your marketing messages are personal and relevant to your target audience.
While there are many ways to target your text message, one great way is to segment your customer list. You can create an engaged customer segment to target those that interact the most with your SMS content. You also could create a list of recently subscribed contacts or craft one based on purchase history. This allows you to send more tailored messages with relevant content.
You should also personalize the message when possible. This includes adding a customer’s name to the text message. Personalization goes a long way. In fact, a recent study found that 71 percent of consumers expect personalized interactions with companies.
7. Use SMS to build relationships, not just shoot off marketing messages
While sending a text message blast will help you get the word out about a particular Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) deal, be mindful that SMS is a great way to build relationships with customers, too.
Texting was built for rapid two-way communication. As a result, have a plan in place to respond to any customers who reply to your marketing messages. Often, they may ask clarifying questions like, “what are your hours” or “do you have it in a particular size.” Use text messaging to reply promptly and work to build trust.
8. Send teaser messages to promote BFCM
One way to help ensure customers buy from you on BFCM is to create anticipation over a deal. You can do this by sending teaser messages ahead of time. The reality is that 92 percent of shoppers aren't ready to buy a product immediately. The teaser messages will help you get your deal in front of customers and give them a chance to think about what they will buy from you before BFCM.
9. Keep your SMS copy short and simple
Texting is limited by character count and the average human attention span is about 8 seconds. As a result, a good rule of thumb is to keep your marketing messages short and simple. There are several ways to do this:
- Only include one call to action in your message
- Don’t use confusing abbreviations
- Be concise
- Proofread
The bottom line
Black Friday and Cyber Monday mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season in the U.S. Customers spend billions during cyber week and brands across the world aim to capitalize on this by offering the biggest sales. To gain a competitive edge this upcoming holiday season, consider adding text message marketing to your BFCM campaigns.
Textline offers an SMS platform that will help you execute text marketing campaigns. To learn more about it, schedule a demo today or sign up for a free trial. There is no credit card required to sign up for the trial.
