Black Friday in Numbers: How SMS Determines Success

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1. Introduction

Black Friday is one of the most important shopping events of the year. Customers expect significant discounts and fast, clear communication.
This is why SMS marketing is gaining importance, a channel that reaches customers exactly when they are most likely to make a purchase.

The goal of this article is to show how available data and real-world practice prove that SMS during Black Friday truly help increase sales and why this channel can be key to the success of the entire campaign.

2. Black Friday in Numbers

Online purchases during Black Friday have been growing steadily, and e-commerce is becoming the dominant sales channel. Customers shop mostly on mobile devices, which makes SMS an ideal tool.

While email struggles with overcrowded inboxes and push notifications have limited reach, SMS is fast, delivered to almost everyone, and generates high response rates.
This combination is crucial during Black Friday.

3. The Role of SMS in Black Friday Campaigns

SMS:

  • generates instant responses,
  • doesn’t get lost in cluttered inboxes,
  • supports impulse purchases,
  • works great as an addition to email.

Businesses use them to launch discounts, send last-minute alerts, time-limited offers, promo codes, or cart reminders.

4. Case Studies 

Case Study 1: Fashion E-shop 

Situation:
The e-shop wanted to increase the effectiveness of its Black Friday campaign by adding two simple SMS messages (start of sale + last-minute reminder).

Results:

  • Sales increase: +32% compared to last Black Friday
  • SMS conversion: 3.1%
  • ROI: 920%

Insight:
The best-performing message was a short last-minute alert with a clear call to action.

Case Study 2: Electronics Store

Situation:
The retailer divided customers into three segments (audio, smart home, gaming) and sent each a relevant offer.

Results:

  • Sales increase: +18% during Black Friday weekend
  • SMS conversion: 4.2%
  • ROI: 640%

Insight:
Segmentation by interest significantly increased conversions and overall revenue.

Case Study 3: Drugstore 

Situation:
The company focused on customers who previously bought skincare but hadn’t purchased for several months.

Results:

  • Sales increase: +21% in the target segment
  • SMS conversion: 2.4%
  • ROI: 1,300%

Insight:
Personalization based on previous behaviour significantly increased customer return rates.

5. Strategies for Effective SMS Campaigns

  • Personalization and segmentation increase relevance and conversions.
  • Timing is key – morning start, afternoon reminder, evening last-minute.
  • Simplicity: short text, one link, clear offer.
  • Combine with email: email presents the offer, SMS drives action.
  • Measure results using clear metrics (CTR, conversions, revenue, ROI).

6. The Future of SMS Marketing in Seasonal Campaigns

SMS will be increasingly connected to automation, AI recommendations, and personalization.
The importance of interactive formats (such as RCS) is also growing, allowing customers to respond directly in the message.

During seasonal campaigns like Black Friday, SMS will remain one of the most reliable tools with immediate impact.

7. Conclusion

Black Friday repeatedly shows that fast and clear communication plays a crucial role in sales success.
SMS, thanks to their simplicity and immediate readability, can significantly influence campaign results, whether through higher sales, conversions, or ROI.

If you want to sell more during Black Friday, start planning your SMS strategy early and combine it with other channels.
Try GoSMS and send SMS that get read.