Black Friday SMS marketing: tips and 60 templates [2026]

Your text message subscribers trust you with their phone numbers, but that alone doesn’t guarantee sales from your Black Friday SMS marketing. Your offers, timing, and campaign types must also match customer preferences and behavior.

You wouldn’t blast a promotional text to all subscribers on the day, nor would you send your biggest discounts to your smallest spenders.

If you have an SMS list opted into receiving marketing messages, that’s the first step, as it allows you to create audience segments. Segments make it possible to send VIP, flash sale, upsell, launch day, and other text campaigns to relevant customers.

It’s also necessary to have Black Friday SMS templates, examples, compliance information, and expert tips on hand.

Our article provides 60 customizable templates, successful brand examples, send-time optimization tactics, and automation blueprints to help you build profitable SMS campaigns for Black Friday 2026.

Why SMS marketing works for Black Friday

SMS marketing fits Black Friday campaigns because it reaches customers on the device they are already using to shop. The SMS 160-character limit forces you to build one clear offer and one link, which is exactly what a flash Black Friday sale needs.

Automation helps to scale these sales. As Omnisend’s report reveals, automated SMS gets 147% higher click rates and converts 118% better than manual sends. Setting up your Black Friday automations in advance saves time and increases sales.

It’s no coincidence that SMS click rates climb from late summer and peak across the Black Friday and Cyber Monday months. SMS takes a central place in Black Friday campaigns – based on Omnisend’s SMS marketing benchmarks, it’s the window when subscribers click most.

60 Black Friday SMS templates

The 60 templates below will help you keep within SMS’s 160-character limit across multiple message types, including early access, abandoned cart reminders, and Black Friday extensions. Replace any placeholders, such as [NAME] and [link], with your information.

We’ve included the wording “Reply STOP to opt-out” for compliance, but if you’re using Omnisend, you don’t have to copy this part because it contains opt-out messaging by default, as seen in this image below:

VIP/early access

Best for: Your biggest spenders and customers showing purchase intent for expensive products.

Launch day

Best for: Announcing new products, arrivals, and sales events to all relevant customers.

Flash sale/doorbusters

Best for: Shifting stock, testing product demand, limited arrivals, sending a Black Friday message to customers who recently purchased.

Low stock/urgency

Best for: Stock update subscribers and customers with wish lists.

Abandoned cart (BFCM)

Best for: All customers who abandoned their carts during the Black Friday period.

Order updates & thank-you

Best for: Recent customers — to improve relationships and trust.

Extension/Cyber Monday

Best for: Maximizing sales events, clearing inventory, encouraging last-minute shoppers.

BOPIS/curbside/store pickup

Best for: Local customers and those who have previously picked up in-store.

Store hours & in-store events

Best for: Customers who subscribed in-store, those who collected in-store.

Win-back, upsell & gift guide

Best for: Dormant and unengaged subscribers, window shoppers, and customers with items in their carts.

Black Friday SMS examples

Now, let’s look at some compelling Black Friday SMS examples that showcase the creativity and effectiveness of this marketing strategy:

1. Thoroughbred Diesel

What it sells

Performance diesel parts and accessories for trucks.

What the SMS does

Announces a live Black Friday sale with a direct link to shopping.

Why it works

• Leading with the brand name builds recognition and trust
• Immediate action phrase (“is LIVE!”) creates urgency without overused words
• One link makes clicking easy on mobile devices
• No discount percentages or other clutter
• SMS complements email rather than replacing it

How to apply this approach

Keep your Black Friday SMS simple. Announce the sale is live and provide one link. Email handles product details and discount percentages; SMS handles the conversions. Each channel gets a clear purpose without duplicating content across both.

2. B-Wear

What it sells

Casual clothing and tees.

What the SMS does

Announces Black Friday launch with discount percentages and a lowest-price product example.

Why it works

• Opens with urgency (“Black Friday Starts NOW!”)
• Includes both a broad discount (50% off) and a deal ($6.99 tees)
• Clarifies “(online only)” to set shopping expectations
• Shortened URL saves character space
• Gives enough detail to motivate clicking without overwhelming

How to apply this approach

Combine a storewide discount with one product example. The broad appeal gets attention while the price point ($6.99 tees) makes the savings tangible. Include shopping parameters like “online only” to prevent confusion at checkout.

3. Pottery Barn

What it sells

Furniture and home decor products.

What the SMS does

Extends Black Friday sale by one day with personalized messaging that creates exclusivity.

Why it works

• Personal tone (“You’re in luck”) makes recipients feel special
• Creates urgency with an extension rather than a standard countdown
• “Deepest deals of the year” reinforces value without listing percentages
• Links are clickable but aren’t shortened, building trust
• Multiple product categories improve relevance among different customers

How to apply this approach

Create Black Friday sale extensions to re-engage customers who didn’t purchase initially. Use personal language (“You’re in luck”) and list product categories rather than items to appeal to more people.

4. Lulus

What it sells

Curated and exclusive dresses, shoes, and clothing.

What the SMS does

Creates extreme urgency with tonight’s deadline and draws attention to the discount range with letter-spacing formatting.

Why it works

• “TONIGHT!” in caps creates deadline pressure
• “E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G” makes the value crystal clear
• Discount range (20–75%) appeals to bargain hunters
• Simple code “BF20” is easy to remember and type
• Adding the link to an additional SMS focuses attention entirely on the urgency message

How to apply this approach

Use creative formatting like letter-spacing and urgency words (“TONIGHT”) instead of hourly deadlines. Include both the discount range and a memorable promo code. Consider splitting your Black Friday message so the link comes after your promo.

5. Function of Beauty

What it sells

Shampoos, conditioners, and hair treatments.

What the SMS does

Announces tiered Black Friday discounts with trendy language and product visuals.

Why it works

• 40%, 30%, and 20% discount tiers spark curiosity
• “Understood the assignment” speaks to younger audiences using viral phrases
• The product image shows the bottles customers will receive
• The brand name appears twice in the intro and in the clickable link to establish trust

How to apply this approach

Use tiered pricing to create curiosity — customers will click to understand which products get which discount. Slang can work if your audience skews younger, but always pair it with transparent discount information. Show your products in images to make the offer tangible.

6. Seattle Sun Tan

What it sells

Sunbed tanning, spray tans, red light therapy, and wellness treatments.

What the SMS does

Combines bold visual discount with last-chance messaging and comprehensive service list.

Why it works

• Visual “40% OFF” grabs attention
• “LAST CHANCE” creates urgency
• Lists every service type so all customers find relevance
• Date range (NOV 22–30) provides context for procrastinators
• Professional graphics paired with conversational text
• Sun emoji adds warmth without overdoing it

How to apply this approach

MMS works when you need visual impact beyond what text provides. Lead with your biggest number in the graphic, then use text space to list all offerings. Mix professional design with conversational messaging to avoid coming across too corporate.

7. Vape Superstore

What it sells

Vapes, vape pods, coils, e-liquids, nicotine pouches, heated tobacco, and other accessories.

What the SMS does

Delivers a direct message about saving money with early-bird Black Friday deals.

Why it works

• Short, immediate savings messaging
• Promotes early-bird deals right away
• Catches attention with “Up to 50% off” offer
• Retains customers by playing on FOMO sentiments
• Spreads demand across the week rather than focusing on Black Friday

How to apply this approach

The early-bird framing of Vape Superstore keeps its messaging brief and active with a clear link to follow through on the savings promise. No preamble gives subscribers a reason to act now before it’s too late.

When is the best time to send Black Friday SMS (and how often)?

Omnisend research shows that morning sends outperform afternoon and evening for conversions, making 8–9 AM the best time to send SMS marketing campaigns. Friday at 9 AM specifically is the top slot in the entire dataset, with a 0.238% conversion rate across 4.57 million sends. Friday also leads as the highest-converting day overall ($0.17 revenue per SMS).

Keep in mind that under the TCPA, marketing texts can only be sent between 8 AM and 9 PM in each recipient’s local time zone, so schedule to the customer’s location, not your business hours, and never queue a send for earlier than 8 AM.

Within that window, it might be more effective to split Black Friday communication throughout the day. Use 8–9 AM for VIP early access messages, and then move on to other goals:

8 AM–9 AM (Peak Window for Sales & VIP Access): The single best hour of the day for driving completed purchases according to Omnisend’s research (led by Friday at 9 AM). Use this legally compliant opening window for major promotional launches, VIP access, and main offer blasts.

9 AM–12 PM (Mid-Morning Engagement): Strong for ongoing click activity and secondary announcements once the initial morning rush settles.

12 PM–2 PM (Lunch Break Flash Sales): Good for quick reminders or time-sensitive mid-day deals targeting subscribers on lunch breaks.

5 PM–8 PM (Evening Reminders): Best for light reminders or transactional updates. Note: Data shows conversions drop significantly in the evening compared to the morning, and state-level laws (like Florida’s) enforce quiet hours starting as early as 8 PM.

Space promotional sends at least four hours apart to avoid SMS fatigue.

Black Friday SMS sending calendar

SMS marketing tips for Black Friday

According to Omnisend’s research, Black Friday SMS marketing has generated 26.3% of SMS sales during the Cyber Ten period. On Cyber Monday, SMS sends generated 221.9% more orders year over year for companies surveyed.

Such data shows how important SMS is for BFCM. When used correctly, Black Friday SMS marketing can surge online traffic during holiday sales.

The following tips will help you get the most out of your SMS Black Friday campaigns:

1. Plan your Black Friday messages in advance

When planning your Black Friday SMS strategy, starting early is essential. This will help you take advantage of the holiday sales rush.

When strategizing your campaign, answer these questions:

• What Black Friday deals should we offer?
• What makes them special?
• Who is our target audience?
• What type of messaging will resonate with them?
• What’s the competition doing for Black Friday?
• How can we make our Black Friday SMS stand out?

Shoppers are looking for great deals, so make sure your Black Friday SMS offers real value. Here’s an example from SHEIN to inspire you:

2. Choose what information the Black Friday SMS will carry

To maximize sales, decide beforehand what information the Black Friday SMS will include. Make sure to highlight the discount or offer clearly in your messages and make it easy for people to take action.

Here’s an example:

“Early Black Friday Specials: Get 30% OFF our entire home appliance catalog. Click (LINK) for more information. Reply STOP to opt-out.”

You can use other marketing channels to provide additional information about your Black Friday sale.

3. Use a call to action (CTA)

A call to action (CTA) is essential for any marketing campaign, and the Black Friday SMS marketing campaign is no exception.

Omnisend research shows that Black Friday marketing messages with two to three CTAs received the best click rates. This shows the power of CTAs, and you can achieve the same with Black Friday SMS marketing.

However, to increase the chances of customers clicking on your CTA, it should provide a clear value proposition. Here are two examples:

• For running a Black Friday sale on your website, you can use “Click here to shop our Black Friday sale!”
• For a discount code, your CTA could be, “Text BLACKFRIDAY to 12345 to receive a 20% off coupon!”

Here’s yet another example, from Albee Baby. Notice a clear CTA urging recipients to “Shop Now.”

4. Send a follow-up message

After you’ve sent your initial Black Friday SMS, consider following up with a second message. Your follow-up message could be:

• A reminder of your Black Friday sale
• A CTA to your website or landing page
• A coupon code for people to use

This is particularly important for abandoned carts.

Omnisend’s research shows that automated messages responding to cart abandonment accounted for 44.92% of automated orders in 2023.

When a customer abandons a cart, send them a follow-up text. Here’s an example to inspire you:

The message isn’t too pushy — it’s more of a friendly reminder to customers that their cart awaits when they’re ready. Plus, it conveniently includes a link to help customers navigate back easily.

Sending a follow-up text lets customers keep your brand at the forefront of their minds while reminding them of your Black Friday deals.

5. Collect phone numbers in advance

To send SMS or a Black Friday chain text to your customers, you need to build a BFCM customer list in advance.

One way to collect phone numbers is by asking customers to sign up for your SMS marketing list on your website or landing page.

Here’s an example form created in Omnisend:

The embeddable form presents value upfront and requires customers to enter their phone number and email for free shipping. You can use a similar form in your Black Friday SMS marketing strategy to collect customer details.

You can also use exit-intent pop-ups to collect customer information for your Black Friday weekend campaigns. Here’s an example of a pop-up made with Omnisend:

If you have a physical store, you could also collect phone numbers with in-store sales, competitions, and e-receipt signups (just ensure you get consent to send marketing texts).

6. Segment your subscribers’ list

When it comes to Black Friday SMS marketing, it’s essential to tailor your offers to the needs of your subscribers.

Creating segments allows you to provide the most relevant offers to each group of subscribers. 

For example, you could segment your list by:

• Channels such as social media platforms, SMS, and email
• Customer shopping behavior
• Customer demographics and location

Here’s a YouTube video showing you a step-by-step process on how to segment your list:

7. Use MMS instead of SMS to increase engagement

MMS, or multimedia messaging service, allows you to send photos, videos, and other types of media files to recipients.

If you need your Black Friday SMS to be visually appealing, use MMS instead. You can create rich media content and up to 1,600 characters of text.

Here’s an example of how you can get creative with MMS during Black Friday:

Notice how the message captures attention with a GIF? It also includes a CTA link for the offer, making it easy for the customer to buy.

You can maximize your SMS marketing efforts by using MMS — you might be surprised at how much more engagement you get.

8. Personalize your messages

Personalized messages are more likely to be read and acted upon than generic, one-size-fits-all messages.

You can use the recipient’s first name or city to personalize your Black Friday SMS. The segmented lists discussed earlier can also help you tailor your messages to your audience.

Here’s an excellent example of personalization in SMS marketing to inspire you:

While at it, give your customers an offer that stands out from your competition — one specifically created for them.

9. Keep it short, specific, and urgent

When it comes to SMS marketing, less is more. Keep your message short to avoid overwhelming people with too much information.

Your Black Friday SMS should be clear and concise. Get straight to the point and include a CTA so people know what to do next.

Be sure to communicate your promotions, products, and discounts clearly. It’s also essential to start promoting your Black Friday deals on time.

According to Omnisend reports, the best time to send Black Friday emails is at the start of November. This is also the time your SMS marketing campaigns should start.

Why? Because that’s the time when people will be searching for early offers. 

Create a sense of urgency by including phrases like:

• Offer valid until midnight
• Order before stock runs out
• Few minutes till the sale ends!
• Final call
• Prices going up in one hour and 30 minutes

Urgency triggers the fear of missing out (FOMO), often prompting people to buy. Here’s an SMS template that you can use to create a sense of urgency:

Omnisend provides a stress-free experience for launching your Black Friday SMS marketing strategy. It also combines email, SMS, push notifications, Facebook, and Google Ads sync for better reach.

Stay compliant and build trust

Noncompliant texts might get your number blocked, which negatively affects your deliverability and sender reputation. Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), violations can even result in fines from $500 to $1,500.

You should read the official regulations for the latest advice and seek legal counsel whenever possible. Here are a few helpful links:

• Telephone Consumer Protection Act 47 (PDF, Gov)
• SMS Compliance: Best Practices (Omnisend)
• SMS Compliance for the US/CA Customers: TCPA (Omnisend)

You can keep your messages delivered and your list healthy before Black Friday volume peaks with a few simple rules: 

• Register early. US carriers require brand and campaign registration (10DLC) for business texting, and unregistered numbers are blocked. Complete registration well before November so you are cleared in time.
• Get explicit opt-in. Collect an SMS opt-in everywhere you gather numbers (checkout, pop-ups, forms) with a checkbox and a clear disclosure of who is sending and how often. For US contacts, follow TCPA consent requirements.
• Add opt-out to every message. Put “Reply STOP to opt out” in every promotional text. Omnisend includes it by default; if you send manually, add it yourself.
• Honor quiet hours. Schedule your messages around the quiet hours, typically between 8 AM and 9 PM, in the customer’s local time zone. Ignoring quiet hours might result in opt-outs or even fines.
• Identify yourself. Use your company or brand name in each text, so people know who is texting them.
• Keep consent records. It’s recommended to hold opt-in and opt-out records for three to seven years. A good SMS tool, like Omnisend, stores the records for you automatically.
• Honor revocations quickly. Under the TCPA Opt-Out Rules, you must let customers revoke consent by any reasonable means. Once revocation is received, act within 10 days and send one confirmation text.
• Keep the list clean. Before Black Friday, remove dormant, unengaged, and complaining numbers, and text only people who opted into SMS.

Measure and optimize your campaigns

SMS doesn’t have the open rates that email has, so you need KPIs that measure engagement and revenue impact to understand how effective it is this Black Friday.

Omnisend provides SMS campaign reports with insights into send and bounce rates, revenue, clicks, unsubscribes, and costs. See the screenshot below:

Core KPIs to measure

SMS campaigns generate valuable data points:

Click-through rate (CTR)

Total clicks ÷ Total delivered messages × 100

Your CTR is an engagement metric, effectively telling you the percentage of customers who click links. Black Friday SMS typically achieves 5–10% CTR, compared to 2–3% for regular campaigns, because customers are looking for deals.

Conversion rate (CVR)

Total purchases ÷ Total delivered messages × 100

CVR is your message’s ability to generate sales or achieve another outcome. Black Friday SMS conversion rates range from 0.5–2%, depending on offer strength and audience segmentation.

Revenue per message (RPM)

Total revenue attributed ÷ Total messages sent

RPM helps you calculate true SMS marketing ROI. If you spend $0.02 per SMS and generate $0.50 RPM, you’re achieving a 25x return.

Attribution challenges and solutions

You can track clicks in SMS with UTM tags in your links. However, attribution gets complicated when customers interact with multiple channels before purchasing.

Your Black Friday shopper might:

• Receive an email
• Click an SMS link
• Then buy hours later on a PC

Which channel gets credit? That depends on your attribution model:

• Last-click: Credit the final touchpoint before purchase
• Assisted: Credit all touchpoints in the customer journey

If you use an assisted model, you could follow these strategies:

• Linear: Divides credit equally across all touchpoints
• Time-decay: Gives more credit to recent interactions
• Position-based: Weights first and last touches heavily (40% each), middle touches share the remaining 20%

For Black Friday, position-based attribution often works best. It credits SMS for both initial awareness and final urgency while recognizing email’s nurturing role.

Incrementality testing

Incrementality testing compares your campaign among customers who receive a Black Friday sale message against a control group who don’t. 

Split your audience 90/10, with 10% receiving no messages. Compare purchase rates between groups to measure SMS’s impact. If the SMS group generates 30% more revenue, that’s your incremental lift.

Your 2026 Black Friday SMS playbook

Creating email and SMS automation flows triggered on behavior and segmented by customer activity is the most effective way to ensure appropriate targeting. VIPs, new subscribers, window shoppers, cart abandoners, and others should receive unique messaging via the channel that:

• Suits the campaign type, such as SMS for flash sales or emails for VIP clients
• Matches customer preferences, such as sending communication only via the preferred channel (e.g., SMS or email)

The SMS templates in this article provide a head start. Go ahead and copy them into your SMS  tool and adjust the content to suit your requirements.

FAQ

How many BFCM texts per day should I send?

Send four messages maximum on Black Friday, two to three on Cyber Monday. Space them at least four hours apart. Segment so each customer only receives relevant messages. Track unsubscribe rates. Above 2% means you’re overdoing it.

Do I need opt-out text on every message?

TCPA says yes for promotional messages. Include “Reply STOP to opt-out.” Skip it and face $1,500 fines per text. Order confirmations and shipping updates get a pass, though many brands add them anyway for consistency.

When should I start texting about Black Friday?

September’s for list building. November 1 kicks off teasers. The week before Thanksgiving, ramp up frequency. Thursday through Monday is your main window. December needs careful tapering to avoid unsubscribes.

What words trigger carrier filters?

“Free” and “cash” are instant red flags. A legitimate Black Friday deal is more likely to give you a discount or free shipping bundled with a purchase. So are ALL CAPS and excessive punctuation (!!). Carriers also flag cannabis/CBD terms, adult content, and loan/debt language.

What are quiet hours for SMS marketing?

TCPA prohibits marketing texts outside 8 AM–9 PM in the recipient’s local time zone. Violations result in fines up to $1,500 per message. Always schedule based on your customer’s location.