By the time Cyber Monday arrives, your customers have been bombarded with messages all weekend long. Email inboxes are overflowing, and text message fatigue is real after days of Black Friday promotions.
That’s why your Cyber Monday SMS strategy needs to be different. It’s not about sending more messages—it’s about sending smarter ones to the right people at the right moment.
As client strategy director at ebusiness pros and a Klaviyo Master Silver partner, I’ve been strategizing Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) campaigns across channels for nearly a decade.
Here’s how to make your Cyber Monday SMS campaigns cut through the noise and drive real revenue on the biggest online shopping day of the year.
1. Launch a product ahead of BFCM to grow your SMS list
If you’re looking to grow your SMS list ahead of BFCM and maximize your engagement, encourage people to subscribe to SMS for early access to a new product launch before the big holiday.
“This gives you a way to see who your true VIPs are,” says Stefan Milicevic, strategy director at Underground Ecom, a Klaviyo Master Elite partner, and one of the biggest international partner agencies, located in London, UK. “It also helps streamline sending costs.”
2. Focus on your most engaged segments
By Cyber Monday, chances are, your profit margins are tight after days of Black Friday discounting. Every SMS credit you spend needs to work harder.
The solution is laser-focused segmentation.
Start with the espresso shot segment
One of the most effective SMS segments for Cyber Monday is what we call the espresso shot segment—people who’ve engaged with your text messages in the last 72 hours, but haven’t bought in that timeframe.
Here’s why this works: customers who engaged recently are demonstrating active interest. They’re opening messages, clicking links, and staying connected to your brand, even during the busiest shopping weekend of the year.
In my experience, this 72-hour engagement window tends to deliver higher average order values compared to broader segments. When you’re conservative with SMS spend on Cyber Monday, this concentrated approach can give you a better bang for your buck.
Exclude recent purchasers
Don’t send Cyber Monday text messages to customers who’ve already purchased during your Black Friday weekend sale. This seems obvious, but it’s easy to overlook when you’re managing multiple campaigns across email and text message marketing.
Set up exclusions for anyone who’s bought since your Black Friday sale started. Focus your texting resources on engaged prospects who haven’t converted yet—these are the people you want your Cyber Monday messaging to reach.
Send to previous SMS converters (and exclude those who bought over the weekend)
If you have a segment of people who are known to buy from SMS, Cyber Monday is a good time to focus on them. “It’s an extra signal that these people have high intent,” says Jemma Sears, digital marketing manager at Kulani Kinis. “We love to add that layer into our SMS segments.”
3. Create VIP experiences that feel exclusive
Generic discount blasts won’t cut it on Cyber Monday. Your most valuable customers need to feel special, especially when they’re choosing between dozens of competing offers.
Reserve inventory for VIPs
Consider holding back limited quantities of your bestselling items specifically for VIP customers. Then use text messaging to offer reserved inventory access on Cyber Monday.
This strategy works because it provides genuine value—not just another discount code. Your message becomes: “We saved this especially for you. Enjoy our sale before it ends.”
Offer mystery benefits
Instead of leading with the same discount everyone else is promoting, try a mystery discount approach for your VIP segment. The curiosity factor can increase engagement rates and make your text messages feel more personal and exclusive.
4. Craft messages that acknowledge the moment
Your Cyber Monday SMS copy should recognize that customers are overwhelmed. Don’t pretend it’s just another day.
Use “Last chance” messaging strategically
If you’re genuinely ending your sale, make that clear. But avoid the trap of constant “Final hours” messaging that customers have learned to ignore.
Instead, focus on scarcity around specific products or inventory levels. “Only 12 left in your size” feels more authentic than “Sale ends at midnight,” especially if customers have seen similar messages all weekend.
“We’ve always been up front about our sales timings, which helps build trust with our customers—and that can give us the leading edge over competitors,” Sears shares.
We’ve always been up front about our sales timing, which helps build trust with our customers—and that can give us the leading edge over competitors.
Address purchase hesitation directly
By Monday, many customers are dealing with decision fatigue. Your text message can help by addressing common concerns:
- “Still deciding? Free returns through January”
- “Questions about sizing? Text back for help”
- “Need it by Christmas? We’ve got you covered”
5. Time your messages strategically
Cyber Monday SMS timing is crucial. You’re competing with every other brand for attention in a crowded mobile landscape.
Avoid the morning rush
Don’t send your primary Cyber Monday message first thing in the morning. Customers wake up to dozens of promotional messages, and yours will get lost in the shuffle.
Instead, consider mid-morning (10–11 a.m.) or early afternoon (1–2 p.m.) when people are more likely to give individual messages attention.
Milicevic points out the importance of knowing your customers in different regions as well.
“If you’re sending SMS in Europe, you’ll need to take local tempos into account,” he says. “An Italian customer will be taking their lunch break between noon and 4 p.m., whereas a German person will take theirs around noon. Evenings look different across different regions, too.”
If you’re sending SMS in Europe, you’ll need to take local tempos into account.
Plan for multiple touchpoints
If you’re being conservative with segments, you can afford to send a follow-up text to your most engaged customers.
Plan a strategic sequence:
- Mid-morning: main Cyber Monday offer
- Late afternoon: final hours reminder (only to those who clicked, but didn’t purchase)
Cyber Monday SMS tip: “Don’t forget to adjust your abandoned cart flows to reflect the sale period, too,” Sears suggests. “We tighten the timing for these messages and adjust the wording to reflect the offer.”
6. Prepare for this year’s unique challenges
This year’s Cyber Monday comes with additional considerations around potential economic uncertainty. Smart brands are building flexibility into their SMS strategy.
Focus on profit, not just revenue
Evaluate every text you send on Cyber Monday through a profit lens. If your margins are already thin from weekend discounting, make sure your SMS campaigns are genuinely profitable, not just driving vanity metrics.
Cyber Monday SMS tip: Get clear on the differences between profit and revenue in this deep dive on customer value optimization.
Emphasize value beyond price
Consider text messages that highlight product quality, durability, or long-term value rather than just discounts. This positions your brand well regardless of how economic conditions evolve.
7. Remember technical considerations
Mobile-optimize your messages
Most people will read your Cyber Monday texts while they’re multitasking or shopping with other brands. Here are a few ideas for keeping your texts scannable:
- Lead with the most important information.
- Use clear, actionable CTAs.
- Make the benefit obvious within the first few words.
Test send timing across time zones
If you serve customers across multiple time zones, segment your sends accordingly. A message that works perfectly at 11 a.m. ET might arrive at an awkward time for West Coast customers.
Monitor performance in real-time
Cyber Monday moves fast. Set up real-time monitoring so you can adjust your strategy if a message isn’t performing as expected. Be ready to send a follow-up with different messaging or to a different segment if needed.
8. Plan beyond Monday
Your Cyber Monday SMS strategy shouldn’t exist in isolation. Think about how it fits into your broader Black Friday weekend sequence and your post-holiday customer journey.
Set up post-purchase follow-up
Customers who buy on Cyber Monday should receive thoughtful follow-up text messages about shipping, delivery, and their next purchase opportunity.
Capture data for future campaigns
Use Cyber Monday interactions to refine your customer segments for future campaigns. Who responded to VIP messaging? Which segments converted at higher rates? This data becomes valuable for your next major sale period.
Milicevic suggests implementing an “echoes” strategy with what you learned: “The Cyber Monday offer is ‘repackaged’ into several smaller deals that come out in the following weeks alongside a Christmas sale (or something similar).”
“These typically go to engaged non-purchasers of the BFCM messaging, and they help you either move inventory, capitalize on engagement, or increase your profitability—sometimes all 3,” Milicevic adds.
Ready for your best Cyber Monday yet?
When you’re strategic with segmentation and thoughtful with messaging, your text messaging can cut through the Cyber Monday noise and deliver the conversions that make your entire Black Friday weekend profitable.
To set yourself up for success, start by identifying your most engaged SMS segments and crafting messages that make those customers feel truly valued.
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