Getting a head start on communicating discounts, promotions, and events to your audiences is key to building anticipation and maximizing engagement throughout your Black Friday marketing strategy. This build-up gives you multiple opportunities to interact with your customers in the lead-up to BFCM, setting the stage for long-term retention.
So, when exactly should brands start announcing their sales? We’re seeing October for bigger retailers, and smaller brands start rolling out their promotions in early November. But, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Make sure you assess the holiday with your business’ financial and inventory management capabilities in mind, cautions Kelsey Moreira, Founder and CEO at edible cookie dough brand Doughp.

In addition, there’s also no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the right channels for these urgent campaigns. According to Salesforce, over 76% of consumers prefer different channels depending on context, whether they’re browsing, seeking advice, or making purchases. Do your homework and ensure you’ve segmented your audiences based on their channel preferences prior to sending out your BFCM comms.
When your brand does decide to start sending out time-sensitive campaigns, it’s essential to do so on the channels shoppers prefer. “Even though BFCM promotions are inherently time-sensitive, it’s crucial for brands to incorporate urgency into their on-site messaging,” says Michael Wadsworth, Partner Marketing Associate, Justuno. “With more choices than ever to choose from, consumers are more likely to window shop and leave your site without converting.”

The best channel for creating that sense of urgency? SMS. In a recent Yotpo survey, the majority of shoppers (34%) are most likely to sign up to receive texts from your brand before their first purchase. Why? Consumers are motivated by a sense of urgency, like time-sensitive offers and perks. Over 57% reported the top incentive to sign up for SMS being a one-time discount code, 53% said the prospect of getting early access to sales or new releases, and 45% said regular, text-only offers are their top incentive. That means a discount-heavy holiday, like BFCM, is the ideal time to engage shoppers via SMS (and keep them engaged post-holiday as well). This is especially true for Gen Z shoppers, according to Chip Maloney, CMO at The Maze Group.

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, “drops” and limited-time offers are proven marketing strategies, and they’re proven successful for SMS as well. The immediacy of a text message encourages shoppers to act right away, especially during the holiday season when they’re already primed to purchase.
SMS makes it easy for shoppers to engage and purchase directly from the messages they receive. Click-to-Buy allows brands to create curated carts and send shoppers directly to them from a text to complete their purchase. And Text-to-Buy gives shoppers the opportunity to purchase through a series of texts, without ever having to visit your site. Getting started with SMS now gives you a direct line of communication with customers, both throughout the holiday shopping season and long afterward.