Text Message Marketing was the star of this BFCM! Consumers did more shopping via SMS this Black Friday and Cyber Monday than ever before. Retailers sent 65% more messages than 2022 BFCM, and their contacts responded with a 61% higher Click-Through Rate and 37% more attributed revenue year over year. Retailers needed to send more per customer to make a sale, and we saw both new and tried-and-true strategies resonate with audiences.

By the Numbers

Automated SMS campaigns earned 142% higher revenue this BFCM, as retailers more than doubled their triggered send volume.  Acquisition proved to be a key ingredient, with SMS Welcome Series Conversion Rate up 3% YOY and Revenue Per Message increasing 52%. Messages sent at key stages of the customer journey, including Shopping Cart Abandonment, Browse Abandonment, and Low Inventory Alerts, kept contacts engaged and clicking.

Five SMS Trends We Saw Among Savvy Retailers and Brands this Year

1. Promotion-Heavy

This year’s BFCM season brought deal stacking and coupon combining. Retailers know that customers shopping at this time of year are actively price-comparing and hunting for the best deals. So, we observed many brands offering stacked deals and coupons combined with other discounts.

2. Cyber Month 

The historical concept of a single Black Friday went by the wayside this year as retailers leaned into their best deals, new product announcements, and exclusive offers all month. We saw the first mentions of Black Friday and Cyber Monday at the beginning of November and many extensions past Friday the 24th. This trend has been building over the last few years, reaching all marketing channels in 2023. Retailers sent more than half (53%) of their BFCM text messages on Cyber Monday, marking the first year with traffic higher than Black Friday.

3. Action Packed Excitement for Non-stop Engagement

As part of an extended Black Friday strategy, many brands spread out customer engagement and built excitement with Daily Deals and new announcements over time. Whether campaigns lasted a week, a whole month, or anywhere in between, we saw many messages in our inboxes that encouraged checking again and again for more offers and products.

4. Global Reach

While Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping started in the US, the deep discounts and kickoff of the holiday shopping season have gone global, with marketers in other countries taking advantage of customer engagement at this time of year. For example, retailers in the United Kingdom and Australia shared some of their best promos via text with BFCM messaging themes.

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5. Details Provided and Multiple Sends

Finally, BFCM brought longer-form texts and multi-message campaigns on peak days to complement email strategies and share more information. Whether paired with MMS imagery or otherwise, text messages had more copy, details, and emojis to help them stand out in the inbox, and many were sent in a single day. This tactic encouraged contacts who missed initial announcements or were waiting to buy to take advantage of offers and promotions before they expired. We saw many retailers adopt a cadence of launch, reminder, and last-chance messages for their best sales (of course, within Quiet Hours).

Finish Strong

There are plenty more key shopping days through the end of the year where Text Message Marketing can make an impact, so keep your send calendar full. Connect with your Listrak Account Manager today to review and analyze your BFCM SMS results. Plus, keep a daily eye on your KPIs throughout December and use your learnings as a launchpad into 2024.