2025 Black Friday SMS marketing: Tips and 60 SMS templates

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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.

For example, 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, which allows you to create audience segments. That makes 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 to hand. So, it’s a good thing you’re here.

This 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 2025.

Why is SMS marketing great for Black Friday?

Mobile devices generated 57% of all Black Friday sales in 2024, scraping together an incredible $7.6 billion according to Adobe. Your customers shop on phones, making SMS the most direct path to their wallets during peak shopping hours.

Additional statistics from Adobe’s report:

• 75.2% of Buy Now Pay Later transactions happened on mobile devices
• Mobile’s share jumped from 33% in 2019 to 57% in 2024
• Mobile generated $69.8 billion in holiday sales (Nov 1–Dec 2)
• Evening hours (8–10 PM) saw $15.8 million per minute in mobile purchases

Omnisend’s data reveals the dynamics behind SMS’s effectiveness:

• Automated SMS delivers 147% higher click rates than standard campaigns
• SMS automations convert 118% better than manual messages
• One in three people who click automated messages make purchases

What’s changed for SMS in 2025

Black Friday sales texts offer more opportunities than ever, with Mintel research finding that 60% of Gen Z Teens, 56% of Gen Z Adults, and 58% of Millennials now purchase online (the highest percentages ever).

Black Friday SMS volume keeps climbing. During 2023’s Cyber 10 period, merchants sent 41.2% more messages than in 2022. Those messages delivered 5.58% click rates and 12.3% more orders. If 2025 follows the trend, it’ll be higher still.

Why SMS is the leading mobile channel

SMS’s 160-character limit forces urgency and upfront value. No lengthy product descriptions or multiple offers competing for attention. Just your core message: “Your cart expires in two hours. Complete purchase for 25% off: [link]”

We must also factor in how most people use their phones, which rests somewhere between constantly and every few minutes. SMS lands directly on the device where purchases happen, turning browsing sessions into completed sales with well-timed messages.

Of course, email remains a crucial channel for Black Friday sales alongside SMS. Check out the chart below comparing SMS and email click rates:

Black Friday SMS templates (2025)

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:

Now, let’s check out those SMS templates:

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 — automotive aftermarket parts

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. Each channel gets a clear purpose without duplicating content across both.

2. B-Wear — fashion and apparel

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 — home furnishings

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 — women’s clothing 

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 — personalized hair care

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 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 — tanning products

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.

When to send SMS — and how often to message your audience

Black Friday SMS success depends on timing and frequency. Get either wrong, and you’ll lose sales or subscribers.

Best send times for Black Friday SMS

According to Omnisend research, promotional SMS performs best between 5 PM and 9 PM, achieving 9.4% click-through rates. But Black Friday demands different tactics:

Peak performance windows

• 9 AM–12 PM: Order confirmations and shipping updates
• 12 PM–2 PM: Flash sales targeting lunch break shoppers
• 5 PM–9 PM: Main promotional messages when engagement peaks
• :05 or :35 past the hour: Off-peak, to avoid competing with scheduled blasts

Time zone management

• Schedule based on the recipient’s local time, not your business location
• Start with EST for US campaigns, then roll west
• Never send before 8 AM or after 9 PM local time (TCPA compliance)

Black Friday SMS frequency roadmap

The table below provides a timing structure for different text message types:

Avoiding SMS fatigue

Omnisend data shows customers usually tolerate one to two messages/week, but Black Friday allows a higher frequency if you provide value.

Message frequency guidelines

• Black Friday: Two to four messages (early access, launch, evening reminder, extension)
• Cyber Monday: Two to three messages (launch, afternoon update, last chance)
• Weekend: Lower it to one to two messages/day to avoid annoying customers on their time off from work

Fatigue prevention tactics

• Segment heavily to avoid irrelevant messages
• Space messages at least four hours apart
• Use MMS for variety but only during off-peak hours (slower delivery)
• Include easy opt-out instructions in every message
• Monitor unsubscribe rates — above 2% signals oversending

SMS marketing tips for Black Friday

According to Omnisend’s research, Black Friday SMS marketing has generated an impressive 221.9% more orders year over year for companies surveyed.

The data above 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.”

Check out our Black Friday email examples to get inspiration for your campaign.

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 popups to collect customer information for your Black Friday weekend campaigns. Here’s an example of a popup 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? Also, it contains 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 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.

How to stay compliant and build customer trust in 2025

Noncompliant SMS will lead to customers and phone carriers blocking your number, destroying your deliverability and sender reputation.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) covers SMS regulations for US/CA senders with explicit instructions for compliance. You should read the official regulations for the latest advice and seek legal counsel when relevant.

These links will help you:

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

Failing to comply with the TCPA can lead to fines, which aren’t cheap, ranging between $500 and $1,500 per individual violation.

2025 SMS regulations to know

Here’s what you need to do to stay compliant:

• Have an opt-in and disclosure process: Everywhere you collect phone numbers, including checkout, popups, and forms, needs an opt-in checkbox for SMS Marketing to collect a digital signature. You must also identify who will send the messages.
• Use opt-out language in every text: Omnisend includes “REPLY STOP to opt-out” by default in all texts. Your SMS tool should do the same. If you’re triggering manual campaigns, ensure that you include an opt-out option for customers.
• Keep consent records: You must keep four years’ worth for opt-ins and opt-outs. Yyour SMS tool should do this for you.
• Identify yourself in all texts: Use your company name. Customers must know who they’re receiving texts from.
• Honor quiet hours: Quiet hours dictate the times Black Friday text messages should go out. They are between 8 AM and 9 PM in your customer’s time zone only.
• Maintain a clean list: Remove dormant and unengaged phone numbers from your list to prevent wasted sends. Additionally, exclude recent complainers and those who subscribed to email but didn’t subscribe to SMS.
• 2025 changes: The TCPA set an Opt-Out Rule in April 2025. You must now:
  • Remove opt-out requests for informational messages from both informational and marketing messages
  • Let customers revoke consent in any reasonable form
  • Honor revocations within 10 days
  • Send one revocation follow-up text after receiving the revocation

Building trust with transparency

Obtaining consent, telling subscribers who will send texts, identifying yourself when you send, and letting people opt out are equally as crucial for building trust and providing a pleasant customer experience as they are for compliance.

Being transparent about your intentions, such as sending discounts, offers, and other marketing messages, creates rapport and helps you build a high-quality list of customers who want to receive your Black Friday texts.

Measuring success and optimizing your SMS campaigns

SMS doesn’t have the glorious email metric that is open rates, so you need KPIs that measure engagement and revenue impact to understand how effective they are 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 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 2025 Black Friday SMS success playbook

SMS rules for engagement, but your best sales this BFCM will come from combining email with text messaging to reach customers at optimal moments.

Creating email + SMS automation flows that trigger on behavior and segment 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 (e.g., SMS for flash sales) 
• Matches customer preferences (email marketing only)

Segmenting your customers based on their interests and purchase activity will improve the targeting of offers and discounts. Add personalization, including the customer’s name and order information, and your texts will encourage engagement.

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

Before activating your campaigns, ensure you’re following Black Friday text message best practices for compliance and trust, including opt-out messaging and only sending to those who opted into texts.

Start planning now and use our examples for inspiration. Do that and you’re all set to maximize sales with BFCM-ready marketing. 

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