Black Friday SMS Marketing: Examples, Timing, & Templates

Is your Black Friday SMS marketing strategy ready to actually break through the noise?

Every year, customers are bombarded with messages, and yet, most businesses make the same mistakes—sending generic, last-minute texts that get lost in the chaos. But what if you could send timely, personalized messages to all your subscribers that your audience actually wants to read?

This guide will show you how to:

• Time your campaigns perfectly and avoid common SMS timing mistakes.
• Craft irresistible messages that boost sales.
• Use smart strategies to keep customers coming back after Black Friday.

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Why You Can’t Ignore SMS Marketing for Black Friday

SMS is lightning-fast for delivering flash sales and time-sensitive offers. While emails can sit unread, a text gets opened almost immediately. With a 98% open rate, your message will definitely be seen.

Incorporating SMS marketing into your Black Friday marketing strategy can significantly boost sales and engage customers during the holiday season.

Here’s why SMS is essential during Black Friday:

• Customers are MOST eager to spend during this time of year: Research from Adobe Experience Cloud shows that the forecasted spending between Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2024 is $24 billion (combined).

• Mobile sales are HOT during this time of year: From Nov to Dec of 2024, 53.2% of the forecasted revenue will come from mobile devices for businesses (same source).

• SMS Open Rates: SMS campaigns typically have an open rate of 98%, surpassing email’s average open rate of 20% to 45%, depending on the industry. This makes SMS one of the most effective ways to ensure your Black Friday messages are seen.

Organi Grow Hair is an example of how powerful SMS marketing can be. They used the Shopify SMS marketing app, TxtCart, to recover abandoned carts, generating $25,000 in extra monthly revenue with SMS. That’s proof of how effective the right strategy can be.

Read next: Text Marketing Statistics You Should Know in 2024

Timing Your Black Friday SMS Campaigns Right

Crafting a well-timed SMS campaign is the key to maximizing your Black Friday success. If you send too early, your message gets lost in the noise. Too late, and customers have already spent their budgets elsewhere. Here’s how to find the sweet spot.

When to start building anticipation

You want to build anticipation, not overwhelm. Starting in October with teaser messages is ideal. These teasers can introduce upcoming deals, exclusive offers, or even sneak peeks for your VIPs. Crafting effective Black Friday text messages is crucial to maximize the impact of your SMS marketing during this period.

• October: Send teasers, building excitement around your upcoming Black Friday deals.
• Early to mid-November: Continue with countdowns and deal previews. Don’t start bombarding your list too early—slowly ramp up your messaging.
• 3 days before Black Friday: Send early access deals to your VIP subscribers. Reward them for their loyalty by letting them shop before everyone else.

Read next: 14 Growth Hacks to Get More SMS Subscribers for Your Store

Best times to send SMS marketing- Try to avoid peak traffic

Sending at the right time is essential, especially when carriers are congested during peak hours (10am–3pm ET on Black Friday and Cyber Monday). If your message goes out during this window, there’s a risk it could be delayed. You’ll want to avoid sending at the top or bottom of the hour, too—carriers tend to have higher volumes at these times, which can cause delays.

Pro Tip: Send your messages at off times, like 11:05am or 1:10pm, to beat the rush.

Here’s a general guide on the best times to send SMS messages:

• Morning (7-9am): Many people check their phones first thing in the morning. This is a great time to capture early shoppers before they start their day.
• Late morning (9-11am): Avoid the peak congestion around 10-11am by targeting slightly off times (like 9:45am).
• Midday (12-2pm): This is a solid time to reach shoppers who browse on their lunch breaks. Again, aim for off times (e.g., 12:20pm).
• Afternoon (2-5pm): After lunch, people start checking their phones again. Avoid the 3-4pm congestion by sending at 2:15pm or 4:10pm.
• Evening (7-9pm): Shoppers unwind and browse on their phones in the evening. This is one of the best windows for SMS marketing, as customers are more relaxed and have more time to shop.

Suggested schedule for Black Friday SMS Campaigns

• 1 week before Black Friday: Send your first teaser, highlighting your best upcoming deals. Keep it subtle, but exciting.
• 3 days before Black Friday: Offer early access to VIPs with exclusive deals. Send this early in the morning (around 8am), so they have time to browse before work.
• Black Friday morning (7-9am): Send a big announcement when the sale officially starts. Capture the early birds who want to shop first.
• Late Black Friday morning (10:30-11:30am): This is the second wave. Send updates on flash sales or stock availability. Avoid peak hours by scheduling at 10:35am or 11:20am.
• Black Friday afternoon (2-3pm): Target afternoon shoppers with new promotions or “last chance” offers. Off times like 2:10pm can help avoid carrier congestion.
• Cyber Monday morning (8-9am): Send the first reminder for Cyber Monday deals. This is your final push, so highlight exclusive offers.
• Cyber Monday evening (7-8pm): Send a “last chance” message with a strong call to action, urging shoppers to take advantage of deals before they expire.

Read next: SMS Drip Campaigns – Detailed Guide on How to Use with Examples

TxtCart’s campaign scheduler helps you plan SMS campaigns in advance, avoiding peak traffic times like 10am-3pm on Black Friday. This ensures faster message delivery during key shopping hours, maximizing engagement and sales opportunities. Effective communication methods, such as SMS marketing, are crucial for maximizing sales during the Black Friday weekend.

Read next: Guide to SMS Marketing for Shopify Stores.

Writing Black Friday SMS Messages That Actually Sell

• Keep it Concise: Focus on short, clear messaging—1-2 sentences max. Highlight the deal and remove any extra fluff to capture attention quickly.
• Create Urgency: Use time-sensitive language like “Last-minute deal!” or “Only 3 hours left!” to create FOMO and drive immediate action and increase conversions. Black Friday sales are a perfect opportunity to use such urgency to engage shoppers quickly.
• Strong CTA: Include clear calls to action such as “Shop Now” or “Claim Discount”. Make it easy for customers to know what to do next.
• Exclusive Offers: Send SMS-exclusive deals to leverage mobile engagement. Customers keep their phones handy, making SMS perfect for grabbing attention.
• Run Flash Sales: Announce time-sensitive flash sales to create excitement and push customers to act fast, capitalizing on their shopping mode during Black Friday.
• Create Survey-Contingent Deals: Ask for feedback through quick surveys, rewarding customers with personalized deals based on their responses.
• Personalization: Add a personal touch by using the customer’s name or referencing their past purchases. With SMS marketing apps like TxtCart, you can easily segment audiences, personalize messages from templates, and use shortcodes. TxtCart’s AI copy assistant can write highly personalized, high-converting messages based on some criteria.

Steal These Black Friday SMS Templates

Creating SMS messages that cut through the noise on Black Friday can help your brand stand out. Here’s how you can effectively use SMS to build excitement, create urgency, and drive conversions.

Black Friday SMS Marketing Templates

Creating SMS messages that cut through the noise on Black Friday can help your brand stand out. Here’s how you can effectively use SMS to build excitement, create urgency, and drive conversions.

Template Name & Description	SMS Templates
VIP Early Access Reward your loyal customers by giving them exclusive early access to your Black Friday deals. This not only makes them feel special but also encourages early sales.	Hey [NAME], we’ve got a head start just for you! Grab 30% off before Black Friday begins: [URL]. Copied! [NAME], early access starts now! Enjoy an exclusive 25% off before our Black Friday rush: [URL]. Copied!
Loyalty Reward Show appreciation to your long-time customers by offering them special perks during Black Friday.	Can you keep a secret, [NAME]? As a loyal [COMPANY] customer for [X] years, you get exclusive early access to our Black Friday sale: [URL]. Copied! Thanks for sticking with us for [NUMBER] years, [NAME]! As a reward, here’s early access to our best Black Friday deals: [URL]. Copied!
Exclusive VIP Sign-Up Encourage people to sign up for your VIP program by offering exclusive Black Friday deals.	[NAME], want early access to Black Friday deals? Sign up for our VIP club today and unlock exclusive perks! Text Y to join: [URL]. Copied! Become a VIP, [NAME]! Join our club for early access to unbeatable Black Friday deals. Text Y to join or STOP to opt out. Copied!
Teaser SMS Build excitement leading up to Black Friday with teaser texts that create anticipation.	[NAME], something big is coming soon. Here’s a sneak peek just for you: [URL]. Copied! Get ready, [NAME]! Our Black Friday deals are on the way – don’t miss out! Preview here: [URL]. Copied!
Sale Extension Create urgency by extending your sale and letting customers know they have a second chance to shop.	Missed Black Friday? No worries! We’ve extended the sale—get 20% off until midnight: [URL]. Copied! Didn’t get what you wanted? Our Black Friday sale is now extended—grab 25% off before it’s gone: [URL]. Copied!
During Sale Update Keep customers engaged throughout the sale by sending timely updates and reminders about your ongoing deals.	Our Black Friday sale is live! Get up to [DISCOUNT]% off your favorite products: [URL]. Copied! [NAME], the Black Friday sale is in full swing! Don’t miss out on up to [DISCOUNT]% off: [URL]. Copied!
Abandoned Cart Reminder Reclaim lost sales by reminding customers about the items left in their cart, with a fun twist or extra incentive.	Hey [NAME], your cart’s still waiting! Complete your purchase now and grab an extra 15% off: [URL]. Copied! [NAME], you’ve left something behind! Finish your checkout and take 10% off your order: [URL]. Copied!
Thank You Message Show your appreciation with a post-sale thank you message that helps build long-term loyalty.	Thanks for shopping with us, [NAME]! We hope you love your new products. See you again soon! [URL]. Copied! We appreciate your business, [NAME]! Thanks for shopping during Black Friday – we hope to see you again soon. [URL]. Copied!

Read more:

• 9+ BFCM SMS Marketing Templates for More Sales (2024)
• 50+ Best SMS Opening Lines (Copy-Paste these Templates)

TxtCart’s Conversational SMS transforms Black Friday messages into engaging, two-way conversations.

• Customers can ask questions about deals, availability, or shipping in response to your message templates.
• For abandoned carts, TxtCart sends personalized reminders and allows real-time responses, guiding customers to complete their purchases.

This interactive approach boosts engagement and increases conversion rates, turning simple messages into high-converting, personalized interactions. By combining smart SMS automation with conversational capabilities, TxtCart helps your brand stand out during high-traffic periods like Black Friday.

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Black Friday SMS Marketing Examples

Now let’s go through some real SMS marketing examples that are printing revenue for 7-8 figure eCommerce brands, and break down WHY they’re so effective.

1. Dr. Squatch is an SMS marketing masterclass for Black Friday…

“Even though this offer is no longer live…” (Nov 30)

Analysis: Creates urgency even after the deal ends by offering an exclusive “code” to re-engage the customer, making them feel special. Personalization boosts the likelihood of response.

“Hey 👋 it’s Chad…” (Nov 30)

Analysis: Highly personalized, directly addressing abandonment issues. Mentioning the Black Friday sale and being a new customer adds relevancy, increasing conversion potential through follow-up.

“You: Mondays blow…” (Nov 27)

Analysis: Adds humor and taps into a relatable Monday feeling, while also introducing Cyber Monday deals. This helps keep customers engaged through both humor and savings.

“Dude, THIS. IS. IT.” (Nov 26)

Analysis: Short, punchy, and urgent. It evokes fear of missing out (FOMO), prompting the customer to take immediate action with minimal distractions.

“Damn, didn’t know we could last that long…” (Nov 26)

Analysis: The casual tone paired with an extension of the Black Friday deal creates urgency while also feeling conversational and informal, which aligns with the brand’s tone.

“Shit, did you black out and miss Black Friday?” (Nov 25)

Analysis: Edgy, humorous, and engaging, it uses playful language to address customers who may have missed out, creating urgency through extended savings. Visual aids strengthen the offer’s appeal, while big savings ($157) grab attention. Adding a clear, straightforward CTA with a discount code simplifies the purchasing decision.

“WAKE THE F*CK UP! It’s Black Friday!” (Nov 24)

Analysis: Aggressive yet humorous language shocks the recipient, grabbing attention immediately. The large discount (up to 55%) drives urgency and excitement for action.

What you can learn from Dr. Squatch

• Bold language requires audience understanding: Only brands that truly know their audience can use bold language like “Shit” and “F*CK” effectively. Ensure it fits your brand voice before experimenting.
• Humor grabs attention: Dr. Squatch’s playful, edgy humor helps them stand out. Use humor to humanize your brand and make messages memorable, but ensure it aligns with your audience’s expectations.
• Urgency drives action: Creating FOMO with phrases like “ends tonight” encourages quick action. Use urgency in your SMS messages during promotions or limited-time offers to drive faster conversions.
• Casual language builds rapport: Informal, conversational language makes interactions feel personal and approachable. Use this tone to build stronger connections and make your SMS marketing feel more relatable and authentic.

2. Blume

This message opens with excitement and exclusivity, making customers feel special with early access.

• The playful use of emojis and phrases like “UR” and “BFF” aligns with Blume’s youthful, casual brand.
• Informal language makes the SMS feel personal and relatable, as if from a friend.
• The “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” offer adds value, while mentioning the holiday shopping season creates urgency.

This combination boosts engagement and encourages immediate action. While Blume’s gentle, friendly messaging is wildly different from Dr. Squatch’s bold, edgy approach, it only shows how important it is to understand your end customer. Tailoring your language to fit your brand and audience can make all the difference in the effectiveness of your SMS marketing campaigns.

3. PotteryBarn

“You’re in luck: The Black Friday Sale is still on!”

This SMS keeps the momentum of Black Friday going by extending the sale, creating urgency and an additional chance for customers to act. The message highlights “deepest deals of the year” to reinforce value, encouraging customers to take advantage of the extra day. Featuring “exclusive savings” and a direct link helps drive traffic while the short, to-the-point structure ensures clarity and immediacy. The brand logo also reinforces identity and trust.

Advanced SMS Campaign Strategies for BFCM

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are crucial for driving revenue, and a well-executed SMS strategy can make all the difference. Cyber Monday sales often lead to increased shopping cart abandonment, making it essential to implement strategies like SMS reminders to encourage customers to complete their purchases.

With TxtCart’s advanced features, brands can go beyond basic campaigns to engage customers with personalized messages, smart segmentation, and automated workflows.

Audience Segmentation

BFCM success depends on targeting the right audience. Segmenting by behavior—like recent purchases or abandoned carts—helps you craft tailored offers. TxtCart simplifies this by letting you filter your subscribers into specific groups, such as “customers with two or more purchases” or “no contact in 30+ days.” This way, each segment gets offers that feel relevant, boosting the chances of engagement and conversion.

Read next: What is SMS Segmentation, Best Practices & Examples

Personalized Offers

Sending personalized deals based on what customers have bought before is a game-changer. TxtCart provides detailed subscriber data, like purchase history and cart activity, allowing you to tailor your SMS offers accordingly. Offering a discount on a product they’ve shown interest in, for example, increases the likelihood of a sale. With TxtCart’s real-time insights, you’re always crafting offers that hit the mark. Additionally, leveraging these personalized offers during the holiday season can significantly boost your sales by engaging customers who are already in a buying mindset.

• Actionable Insights: The detailed analytics dashboard provides insights into sales by gender, country, and device. You can use this data to create tailored promotions, making offers more relevant based on demographics and customer behavior.

• Top Recovered Products: Understanding which products are frequently recovered from abandoned carts lets you create personalized offers around these popular items, encouraging higher conversion rates.

• Subscriber Lifetime Value (LTV): By identifying your most profitable customers through LTV metrics, TxtCart helps you offer exclusive discounts or loyalty rewards to retain high-value customers.

Automated Customer Journeys

Time is of the essence during BFCM. TxtCart’s automation features let you set up workflows that trigger personalized SMS messages when specific actions occur, such as cart abandonment or recent purchases.

For example, you can send an abandoned cart reminder a few hours after a customer leaves the site, followed by an upsell post-purchase. This keeps customers engaged and maximizes sales—without constant manual effort.

Read next: Complete Guide to Reduce Cart Abandonment with Conversational AI

Cart Recovery

Abandoned carts are inevitable, but TxtCart helps recover them with personalized SMS reminders. These messages can be timed to go out at key moments, nudging customers back to complete their purchase. TxtCart also integrates a knowledge base into its SMS system, allowing customers to ask questions in real-time. This smooth customer interaction helps reduce friction and makes it easier for them to check out.

Integrating SMS with Other Marketing Channels

• Email and SMS Synergy: Email is perfect for detailed, long-form content—like newsletters or product updates. SMS, on the other hand, is ideal for fast, high-impact offers. Pairing them creates a powerful one-two punch. Use email to tease upcoming sales and SMS for time-sensitive deals that demand attention. This approach blends audience segmentation with targeted messaging, ensuring both channels work together seamlessly. Integrating sms marketing platforms can further enhance this strategy by maintaining engagement across multiple channels.

Read next: Messenger Vs. SMS Vs. Email – Choosing the Right Marketing Channel for Your Store

• Social Media Integration: Don’t let social media operate in a silo. Use it to drive SMS sign-ups by promoting exclusive text-only offers on your social channels. Incentivize followers to subscribe by highlighting instant deals they can only get via SMS. This cross-channel strategy expands your reach and strengthens your personalized SMS marketing efforts, turning casual followers into engaged subscribers.
• Keep your messaging aligned across email, social media, and SMS—but tweak it for each platform. Email gives you space for details, while SMS should be short and punchy. For BFCM, keep the core message and timing consistent but adjust the format. This ensures a smooth experience for your audience and makes your automated SMS journeys feel like a natural part of the broader strategy.

SMS Campaign Compliance and Best Practices

• TCPA Compliance: Following SMS marketing compliance under the TCPA for SMS (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) is essential. Make sure every customer has opted in before receiving messages, and always provide a clear opt-out option. TxtCart simplifies this by automatically including opt-out language in every message, keeping your campaigns legally sound. Building a solid list of SMS subscribers ahead of time can maximize your campaign effectiveness, especially during peak shopping periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
• Respect Quiet Hours: Sending messages during off-hours can hurt your brand and even violate compliance rules. Stick to business hours to respect your audience’s time. TxtCart’s Automations feature makes this easy by allowing you to schedule messages and set triggers that send during compliant hours and in the CUSTOMER’s timezone.

• Test Campaigns: Don’t guess—test! A/B testing different SMS content and delivery times can help you figure out what works best for your audience. TxtCart allows you to test multiple versions of your messages, ensuring you’re always optimizing for the best possible results.

Read next: 15+ Text A/B Testing Examples to Boost Your SMS Marketing Results

Measuring the Success of Your Black Friday SMS Campaigns

• Key Metrics: To know if your Black Friday SMS campaign is performing well, track key metrics like open rates, click-through rates (CTR), conversions, and revenue. These numbers tell you what’s working and where there’s room to improve. TxtCart’s Campaign & Revenue Analytics provides real-time insights on these metrics, helping you monitor performance throughout your campaign.

Ready next: SMS Marketing Analytics: How to Measure the Performance of Your SMS Campaigns

• Clean Subscriber List: After Black Friday, take some time to clean up your subscriber list. Remove inactive or unengaged contacts to keep your list fresh and improve future ROI. TxtCart’s analytics tools can help you identify which subscribers are worth keeping and which ones to part ways with.

Read next: SMS List Cleaning: Why It’s Important and How to Do It for Your Store

• Real-Time Optimization: A/B testing is your best friend when optimizing SMS campaigns. Test different versions of your copy, timing, and offers to see what clicks with your audience. Again, TxtCart’s platform allows you to quickly refine campaigns based on what’s driving the most engagement.

Post-Holiday SMS Strategies to Build Long-Term Loyalty

• Thank You Messages: After the holiday rush, a simple thank-you message can go a long way. Sending a post-purchase SMS to show appreciation builds rapport and encourages repeat business. TxtCart’s upcoming Flows feature will let you automate these thank-you messages, keeping your brand top-of-mind without any manual effort.

Read next: 10 Best SMS Flows to Boost Your Shopify Store Sales

• Cross-Sell and Upsell: Don’t stop at one purchase—suggest related products to recent buyers. A well-timed SMS with product recommendations can lead to more sales. TxtCart will help you automate cross-sell and upsell offers, making the post-holiday engagement seamless and targeted.

Read next: Upselling Made Easy: Proven Strategies to Try

• Loyalty Program Invites: Capitalize on the holiday momentum by inviting customers to join your loyalty program. An SMS inviting them to your loyalty club can drive long-term retention. TxtCart’s Flows feature will allow businesses to send these invites automatically, ensuring every customer feels valued.
• Cart Recovery: Keep recovering those abandoned carts post-holiday, too. Sending personalized reminders through TxtCart can help customers finish their purchases, even after the big sales are over.

Set a Record this Black Friday with TxtCart

You’ve just learned how to take your Black Friday SMS marketing to the next level, from perfect timing to crafting messages that spark action. Now, you’re ready to cut through the noise and connect with your audience in a meaningful way. Here are some key takeaways to help you succeed:

• Time your campaigns wisely by avoiding peak traffic hours to ensure better delivery and engagement.
• Segment your audience based on behavior and purchase history to send the most relevant offers.
• Personalize your SMS offers, using insights like past purchases or abandoned carts to boost conversions.
• Create a sense of urgency in your messages, with FOMO-driven language that encourages immediate action.
• Don’t let abandoned carts go unrecovered—follow up with engaging reminders that encourage customers to complete their purchases.

With TxtCart, bringing these strategies to life is effortless. TxtCart’s conversational AI helps you deliver personalized SMS messages in real time, turning customer interactions into revenue. From smart segmentation to abandoned cart recovery, TxtCart ensures your Black Friday campaigns are effective and engaging, driving the results your brand needs.

Read next:

• The Complete Guide To SMS Marketing For Shopify Stores
• On-Site Conversion Strategies to Provide a Positive Shopping Experience
• How to Use Power Words in SMS Marketing for More Shopify Sales