Why Does a Successful Black Friday Start in September? How to Prepare Your SMS Database

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Black Friday may not arrive until November, but a successful campaign starts much earlier. Ideally, as early as September.

This is the right time to build your SMS database, prepare customer segments and test that everything works from a technical point of view. By November, you will already be competing with dozens of other campaigns, more expensive advertising and much heavier promotional noise.

The earlier you start your Black Friday preparation, the bigger head start you can gain.

Start Collecting Contacts Before Your Competitors Do

Instead of a simple “Sign up for SMS updates”, offer customers something more attractive.

For example:

“Get VIP access to Black Friday 24 hours early.”

You can display this offer in a pop-up on your website. The customer gets a sense of exclusivity and you gain a new contact for your database.

You do not necessarily need to offer another discount. Early access to the offer, limited stock or the chance to shop before the main campaign starts can be attractive enough on their own.

You can also collect phone numbers directly at checkout or through competitions on social media. Always make sure you have the proper consent for marketing communication. You can find more ideas on how to grow your database and work with contacts more effectively in our article 6 SMS practices that work and get results⁠.

Clean and Segment Your Database

Having a large number of contacts is not enough.

Remove invalid and inactive phone numbers so you do not waste credit unnecessarily. At the same time, divide your customers into several groups.

You can send one SMS to loyal customers, another to people who purchased during last year’s Black Friday and a different message to newly acquired contacts.

For example, loyal customers can receive VIP access, while last year’s bargain hunters can get a reminder when the main sale begins.

The more relevant the message, the greater the chance that the customer will respond.

Your Own Database Gives You an Advantage in November

Imagine you collect 2,000 relevant contacts during September and October.

When the main Black Friday rush begins, you do not have to pay again every time you want to reach them through advertising platforms. You can deliver your offer directly to their phones.

That is why your own database is an important part of Black Friday marketing. It allows you to stay in direct contact with customers even when the online space is flooded with competing campaigns.

SMS can also be used for more than just the main Black Friday offer. You can send a VIP presale message, a reminder before the promotion ends or a final message during the last hours of the sale.

What Should You Prepare Before November?

Before the main season starts, go through this short checklist:

✓ clean and segment your database
 ✓ verify marketing consent
 ✓ test SMS delivery and any API integration
 ✓ upload contacts to the system
 ✓ prepare campaign copy
 ✓ top up enough credit
 ✓ plan your VIP message, main offer and reminder

This way, you will not be dealing with technical issues at the end of November when your campaign should already be running.

Black Friday Does Not Start With the First Discount

Do not wait until everyone else starts communicating their Black Friday offers.

Start building your SMS database in September, prepare your segments and test the technical setup. By November, you will have a direct communication channel to customers who have already shown interest in your offer.

Plan your campaign in GoSMS and get ready for Black Friday in advance.