The Ultimate 2025 Guide to Black Friday and Cyber Monday Text Messages

November 7, 2025 Marketing
a-guide-to-black-friday-sms-marketing

As we roll into the high-stakes shopping season of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, savvy marketers know that timing, relevance, and reach make all the difference. For small businesses, one channel stands out more than ever: SMS marketing. If you’re wielding a platform like Betwext, now is the moment to lean into text-message campaigns with confidence. Here’s why — and how — to make it work.

Why SMS is indispensable in 2025

Unmatched visibility and engagement

  • SMS messages routinely post open rates around 98 %, vastly outperforming email. (Sender)
  • Many sources report that 90 % or more of texts are read within the first 3 minutes of delivery. (OptiMonk)
  • Average click-through rates (CTRs) for SMS hover in the ~19-35 % range for many industries. (SimpleTexting)

The implication: when you send a compelling text, you’re virtually assured your subscriber sees it — and many will act. That kind of immediacy is golden when you have limited windows (like BFCM) to drive urgency.

Growing adoption and market opportunity

  • The U.S. SMS marketing market is projected to reach around US $12.6 billion by 2025. (Constant Contact)
  • Studies show businesses using SMS are 683 % more likely to report digital marketing success compared to those that don’t. (Emarsys)
  • Over half of consumers have reported making a purchase in response to a business text in recent surveys. Estimates vary, but this highlights the conversion potential. (EZ Texting)

For small businesses targeting high-volume shopping moments, this means SMS isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a sales lever.

Perfect fit for holiday urgency

During BFCM, mobile distraction is high, inboxes are full, and the race for attention is intense. SMS slices through that: your message hits the lock-screen, often gets opened within minutes, and gives you a direct line to the customer’s decision moment. That’s precisely what you need when a flash sale, one-day promo, or limited-stock product hits.

Strategic checklist: How to plan your BFCM SMS campaign

Here’s a practical breakdown of key steps and considerations to build with Betwext.

1. Build your opt-in list ahead of time

  • According to recent data ~84 % of consumers say they are opted-in to receive texts from businesses, with a +6 % year-over-year increase. (SimpleTexting)
  • Respect timing and frequency: sending too many messages is cited by consumers as the fastest way to lose subscribers. (SimpleTexting)
  • Tip: Prior to BFCM, run a double-opt-in push, highlight the value (early access, exclusive discount), and segment your list by engagement and past purchase behaviour.

2. Choose your message type(s)

For BFCM you’ll want a mix of these:

  • Teaser countdown: “Black Friday drop hits midnight EST. Early VIP access for SMS subscribers.”
  • Live promo alert: “Cyber Monday 40 % off site-wide—today only. Use code SMS40 at checkout.”
  • Cart–abandon or replenishment text: “Your cart’s about to expire. Add the [item] now before it’s gone.”
  • Post-purchase / loyalty follow-up: “Thanks for shopping! Here’s 10% off your next purchase—valid until Dec 31.”

3. Leverage the data and timing

  • Use urgency (“today only,” “while stocks last”), personalization (name, past item category), and clear CTA. Research shows that clear CTAs boost click rates in SMS. (SimpleTexting)
  • Time your sends carefully: Avoid weekends too early; for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, early birds (e.g., early morning) capture attention, but a follow-up reminder later in the day often converts. You might schedule: teaser three days out; main drop at midnight; reminder eight hours later.
MetricBFCM target rangeWhy it matters
Open rate~90 %+Ensures the message was delivered & seen
Click-through rate~20 %–35 %Indicates interest and link engagement
Conversion rate~20 %–30 % (varies)Measures direct impact on sales
Opt-out/unsubscribe< 2 % (ideally)Maintains list health, reduces churn

5. Segment smart, personalize even smarter

  • Segment by past-purchase behaviour (e.g., bought last year vs lapsed), by product category interest, or by engagement (frequent clickers vs dormant).
  • Use dynamic keywords: e.g., “It’s time to upgrade your [category] gear — 40 % off for SMS friends.”
  • Add exclusivity: “For you, our VIP SMS insider…” That helps reinforce the value people expect from giving you their phone number.

6. Respect compliance, timing and FYIs

  • Get explicit opt-in before sending promotional texts.
  • Offer a clear opt-out message (“Reply STOP to unsubscribe”).
  • Avoid sending at hours when people might view it as intrusive (e.g., very late night).
  • Maintain frequency discipline: respect that even though consumers opted-in, too many messages degrade trust (SimpleTexting)

Top use-cases for BFCM your business can execute today

  • Flash-sale text blasts: Announce a timed door-buster exclusive to SMS.
  • Early-access VIP list for SMS: Let your SMS list go live an hour before your public site opens.
  • Abandoned-cart reminder with expiry timer: “You left something behind — it disappears if not claimed by midnight.”
  • Shopping-window countdown: “Last chance – ends in 3 hours!” builds urgency.
  • Post-purchase cross-sell or referral prompt: “Thanks for shopping! Share this code with a friend, you both get 15% off until Dec 31.”

Why small businesses (especially) should prioritize SMS this BFCM

  • Retailers increasingly say SMS is one of their top 3 revenue-driving channels. (Adam Connell)
  • Small-business budgets must maximise ROI: SMS offers high returns (open + click + conversion) at relatively low cost compared to many paid channels.
  • During high-traffic shopping events, competition for email inbox space and ad-space gets fierce — SMS gives you a direct line.
  • With a flexible platform like Betwext, you can automate segmentation, scheduling, and trigger flows to respond in real time during the BFCM surge.

Final checklist before you hit “send”

  • Have you cleaned/verified your SMS list (correct numbers, opted-in)?
  • Are your message templates clear, concise, urgent?
  • Do you have one central goal per message (exclude multi-purpose confusion)?
  • Is your link mobile-optimised (landing page, checkout path)?
  • Have you scheduled the follow-up message(s)?
  • Are you tracking open, click, conversion, unsubscribes in your dashboard?
  • Have you added opt-out instructions (“Reply STOP”) to every message?

In 2025, SMS is no longer a “nice add” — it’s a must-have channel for holiday sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With open rates approaching 98 %, click-throughs soaring into the 20-30 % territory, and the ability to reach consumers at exactly the moment of decision, the case for text messages has never been stronger.

If you’re using Betwext to orchestrate your seasonal push, you’re in the right lane. Build your best campaign now, respect the cadence, prioritise relevance, and you’ll be ready to capture the spike.

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