Get inspiration from these innovative Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns that will help you meet rising consumer demands this holiday season.

Want to get inspired by how other brands have achieved holiday success with SMS and email? Explore our 2023 BFCM Planner to unlock SMS message templates, a webinar to help you set your BFCM strategy, and more.

With consumers starting their holiday shopping earlier than ever, having truly stand-out Black Friday and Cyber Monday experiences will be more important than ever in order to capture their attention when the major shopping holiday finally comes. 

From growing your subscriber list ahead of the shopping season to unique holiday marketing campaign ideas that’ll catch subscribers’ eyes, we’re breaking down our favorite SMS marketing ideas to help you have your best Cyber Week yet.

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The Inkey List: Capturing new subscribers’ attention with gamified experiences

Shoppers are on the hunt for deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With offers being table stakes on these major shopping holidays, The Inkey List’s gamified experiences were a great way to stand out from the crowd, grow their subscriber list, and convert new shoppers.  

The cult skincare brand launched a Spin-to-Win sign-up unit to grab shoppers’ attention and incentivize conversions with a playful reward. Visitors could spin the wheel to win up to 25% off their order. After opting in for both email and SMS, the brand automatically sent subscribers a welcome message with their reward. 

With so many shoppers visiting your site during Cyber Week, converting those subscribers with playful experiences can have a long-term benefit. Once you’ve grown your list, you can keep them engaged through the rest of the holiday season (and the new year) to build loyalty and drive repeat purchases. 

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Astrid and Miyu: Helping shoppers find the perfect gifts with Two-Way Journeys™  

Conversational text messages are a great way to immediately deliver personalized experiences to shoppers while capturing valuable zero-party data. Jewelry brand Astrid and Miyu used Two-Way Journeys™ to act as subscribers’ personal shopper, helping them choose the perfect gift for their loved ones (or themselves). 

After establishing who they were shopping for, subscribers could share their recipients’ preferred style to get a personalized recommendation. With so many people to shop for, the conversational message helped subscribers quickly cross gifts off their list. And the data the brand collected was just as valuable. Knowing whether a shoppers’ preferences are their own or for someone else can help to better personalize experiences in the new year. You can nurture shoppers who picked something out for themselves with complementary items, or retarget those who purchased a gift to treat themselves.

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Casely: Engaging high-intent shoppers at timely touchpoints

As subscribers were shopping around on Cyber Monday for their stocking stuffers, Casely—a technology accessories brand—sent a cart abandonment reminder to re-engage potential customers. 

Casely paired this message with their Black Friday sale, incentivizing these high-intent subscribers without offering additional discounts. With the personalized link, subscribers could pick up where they left off, bringing them back to the product they had their eye on so they could take advantage of the seasonal sale.

Updating your triggered messages with your holiday offers is a great way to personalize your shoppers’ experiences at scale and drive urgency. And, because shoppers are jumping between tabs and apps during this major shopping holiday, a timely reminder of the products they’re missing out on is a great way to increase conversions.

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Spiceology: Driving last-minute revenue with timely updates

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Chef-owned and operated spice brand Spiceology sent a final reminder to their SMS subscribers to shop their Cyber Monday sale. The festive image added a dash of holiday spirit, boosting sales during a time when subscribers are on the lookout for gifts.

The direct link to their “Gift Shop” helped subscribers sleigh the gift-giving game. The curated lists based on personal preferences—from “The Outdoorsman” to “The Beer Lover”—inspired shoppers with gift ideas while supporting cross-selling initiatives. Since SMS subscribers are highly engaged and often repeat customers, Spiceology’s limited-time discount drove immediate revenue from the channel’s audience.

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Hart Tools: Personalizing seasonal promotions with Two-Way Journeys™

‍Hart Tools teased their Cyber Week deals to their engaged SMS audience. They built excitement with VIP messaging (“exclusive access”), and linked to their updated page of discounted or rollback products.

Using Two-Way Journeys™, the brand gave subscribers the option to reply “NO” to opt out of promotional texts for two weeks. This response would automatically add them to a segment that Hart Tools could exclude from promotional SMS campaigns. 

This strategy helps subscribers curate their experience with your brand, giving them a say in the types or frequency of messages they want to receive, reducing brand fatigue and opt-outs and resulting in a more engaged and loyal audience over the long term. Letting subscribers opt out of certain messages means you’re only engaging subscribers who want to receive your promotions (leading to saved costs and higher ROI).

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PÜR: Delighting subscribers with VIP experiences

PÜR—a makeup and skincare brand—rewarded their loyal SMS subscribers with early access to their Black Friday sale. Shoppers are looking for holiday deals and shopping earlier than ever, so this is a great strategy to drive revenue before Black Friday officially kicks off. PÜR’s community jumped at this opportunity to shop before anyone else.

The eye-catching GIF provided the details of the sale—allowing the text message to get straight to the highlights. The VIP positioning of the campaign made their SMS subscribers feel special, driving more conversions.

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Dreamland Baby: Growing their list with exclusive Black Friday offers

In the e-commerce world, Black Friday isn’t limited to Friday. That's why Dreamland Baby—a weighted swaddle and blanket brand—created a custom seasonal sign-up flow to grow their SMS channel and build anticipation. After a visitor opted in for both email and SMS, the brand automatically sent this triggered welcome text with a unique coupon code.

Dreamland Baby’s shoppers were able to access the best deals before anyone else. And because shoppers are especially price-conscious during Black Friday, that extra $10 off helped convert those who were on the fence. This type of welcome flow is the gift that keeps on giving: once the triggered message is set up, it’ll send automatically—so you can drive conversions, even in your sleep.

The Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period is the perfect opportunity to quickly gain new subscribers, build engaging experiences, and grow customer loyalty. These holiday marketing campaigns and strategies not only drive immediate revenue for your brand over the weekend, but also help build a strong SMS channel to drive engagement all year.

Check out our 2023 BFCM Planner to find more holiday marketing strategies and inspiration. And check out our full 2023 text messaging calendar to find more tips for key marketing dates throughout the holiday season and beyond.