How to Turn Black Friday & Cyber Monday Texts into Real Relationships (and Revenue)

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost here. The sales are coming, and your text is about to be flooded with discount codes and one-time promotions from every brand under the sun. But is that really what consumers want? Endless blasts with no real connection or engagement? 

Most brands will blast discounts and hope for the best. The winning brands will do something smarter: use SMS to start real conversations, build loyalty and deeper relationships that last far beyond Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Why SMS for BFCM 2025

Holiday marketing is crowded. SMS cuts through the noise with timely, personal touchpoints that feel human and drive action. Brands that build strong relationships with their fans are the ones engaging them in two-way conversations, learning what they actually want, then using those insights to tailor offers that convert and keep customers coming back.

The Shift from Blast to Behavior

Mass texts treat everyone the same. Behavior-led messaging, on the other hand, responds to what people say, click, and care about. According to Acxiom’s 2025 CX Trends Report, consumers tend to engage more with brands that cultivate a sense of community. That is how you move from a single weekend spike to a durable community that buys, shares, and stays loyal long after the holidays.

A Simple 5-Stage Plan For The Season

So how do you capitalize on those relationships with your audience? The holiday marketing lifecycle isn’t linear. You’re constantly acquiring, converting, and re-engaging. But it’s the perfect starting point to start that engagement that you need all year long.

Consider this high-level framework to turn seasonal traffic into year-round value:

Discovery & Sign-Up

After you’ve secured the right two-way conversational messaging provider, the first step is to grow your list. Start early not only to reach more people, but to understand your audience and build trust before the rush. Think QR codes in-store and tap-to-text on social, along with a clear value to sign up for your texts.

Onboarding & Data Capture

Welcome people, ask what they care about, and tag interests up front. The zero-party data, or disclosed data - what they choose to share with you - becomes your targeting edge.

Personalization

Build on your existing database and hyper-personalize your texts. The more you know your audience, the better you can cater to their needs. Share early access, sneak peeks, or gift guides that match each person’s interests, location, or loyalty tier.

Conversion

When the sale starts, send the right offer to the right group, follow up with non-clickers, and make it easy to complete purchases, including abandoned cart reminders by integrating with Shopify.

Re-engagement & Advocacy

Once the holiday campaign ends, say thank you, ask for feedback, continue to send personalized updates, exclusive offers, and behind-the-scenes content that’s worth engaging with. It’s a perfect example of leveraging BFCM as one of many starting points, not the finish line.

Proven Growth Tactics During the Holidays

12 Days of Gifts

The holiday season has always been a powerful device to draw in fans to get access to your gift programs. Gate access to a “12 days of fan gifts” campaign by requiring fans to text your number and unlock free gifts.

Contesting

Promote any of your contests for the holidays on social or via email and drive required sign-ups through your Community number. Meet your fans where they are: on their phones! 

Community & Foundation Events

For in-person events in your community, require fans to sign up to unlock prizes or even discounts when they join your team at events around your city.

Gratitude Texts 

Share a heartfelt thank-you note or personalized holiday message. 

Maximize your efforts for BFCM by getting set up now to crush your goals for one of the most critical times of year on messaging.

Quick Holiday Marketing Tips by Industry

Retail and DTC

Retailers should ask shoppers beforehand what they are hunting for and send tailored early access or last-chance alerts. Use cart recovery for high-intent nudges. Segment VIPs by lifetime spend and keep them looped into future drops, product launches, or member-only perks.

Restaurants & Hospitality

Engage customers early to find out how they are celebrating. Then use SMS automation to route people to reservations, catering, or local offers based on their plans and location.

Sports

Take this opportunity to reward your loyal fans. Run a short giveaway series to spark opt-ins, then personalize follow-ups by favorite player, city, or offer.

Media & Entertainment

Segment viewers based on what they’re watching and their favorite character. Respond to click behavior so that users who engage get bonus material. 

Creators

Let audiences choose the content they want, then reward engagement with surprise drops, first looks, or live Q&As. When you’re real in the noise of BFCM, fans notice and stick around.

See Community In Action

Ready to see how it works with your audience and goals? Let’s connect and map this plan to your use cases, timelines, and targets. 

We’re here to help. Let’s make BFCM your best Q4 and pave the way into the best New Year!