The BFCM Messaging Library
Get inspired by these best-in-class BFCM SMS and email examples that resonate deeply with customers
Featuring campaigns from
Table of contents
List GrowthVIP/LoyaltyPromotionalNon-promotionalCart/Browse AbanadonmentConversationalList Growth
Drive SMS and email list growth by offering compelling incentives like promotions, discounts, and early access. You can also use non-promotional offers, like highlighting a loyalty or rewards program or hinting at exclusive first access to content and products.
Strategies:
- Promote BFCM early access to sales on sign-up units to capture eager subscribers looking to capture early deals
- Engage potential subscribers with fun sign-up units like mystery gifts, Spin-to-Win, or Countdown Timers
- Use a multi-step opt-in form to grab a shopper’s phone number and email address at the same time
Pro tip
Use Attentive’s list growth tool, AI Grow, to personalize the sign-up experience by optimizing creative placement on your website, customizing the offer, and supporting content like images and copy.
VIP/Loyalty
Reward your brand loyalists with exclusive “VIP” discounts and early access to new products. Loyalists have higher conversion rates and yield higher ROI. They present a great opportunity for brands to drive increased revenue during the BFCM season.
Strategies:
- Reward SMS subscribers with exclusive early access to foster a sense of VIP treatment and manage inventory effectively by spreading out demand
- Promote your loyalty program as an incentive for users to come back and feel connected to your brand
- Use giveaways and limited-time deals to get subscribers to purchase
Pro tip
Share early access sales to your VIPs across both SMS and email to capture their attention. Global Healing’s Early Access Sale across their SMS and email channels generated $200k in revenue, surpassing their goal by 333%.
Promotional
Drive SMS and email list growth by offering compelling incentives like promotions, discounts, and early access. You can also use non-promotional offers, like highlighting a loyalty or rewards program or hinting at exclusive first access to content and products.
Strategies:
- Promote BFCM early access to sales on sign-up units to capture eager subscribers looking to capture early deals
- Engage potential subscribers with fun sign-up units like mystery gifts, Spin-to-Win, or Countdown Timers
- Use a multi-step opt-in form to grab a shopper’s phone number and email address at the same time
Pro tip
Mix up your SMS and email sends. Especially during promotional periods, customers can experience fatigue from repeated email sends. In these times, SMS can be a great tool to send a “final hours” or “sale ends soon” message.
Non-promotional
BFCM isn’t just about sales and discounts. Bring in-store and product discovery to your consumer’s mobile device with non-promotional SMS and email campaigns.
Strategies:
- Use Two Way journeys to record subscriber preferences, segment, and tailor messaging
- Send reminder emails and SMS as last chance to shop deals and back-in-stock announcements
- Build brand affinity with your subscribers by sharing helpful resources so they can learn more about your values and mission
Pro tip
Use AI to add likely purchasers and remove unlikely purchasers from your segments. OLLY used Attentive's AI to add 46% more high intent SMS and 38% more high intent email subscribers to include in campaigns. This contributed to an average of 15% incremental revenue per month and 5x higher program ROI.
Cart/Browse Abandonment
During Cyber Week, as shoppers search for the best deals possible, they’ll inevitably leave items in their online shopping carts. To re-engage subscribers, send reminders and notifications for back-in-stock items to drive them to their carts.
Strategies:
- Create a triggered flow for timed SMS and email reminders for cart abandonment. Link directly back to shopper’s
- Encourage subscribers to purchase by offering cart abandoners a discount
- Shorter windows convert better: Send your cart abandonment message 15-60 minutes after the user abandons
Pro tip
Announce BFCM deals via SMS first since consumers see texts sooner than emails. SMS is a great first touchpoint for cart abandonment journeys, especially for high-intent subscribers and reaching out within a few minutes of them placing an item in their cart can seal the deal. Use email for more detailed follow-ups that include more visuals to encourage shoppers to visit your website.
Conversational
Your brand can use SMS to power two-way conversational messages to engage shoppers in real-time. You can use these automated interactions to learn more about your audience’s preferences, and give them personalized offers and recommendations in return.
Strategies:
- Promote BFCM early access to sales on sign-up units to capture eager subscribers looking to capture early deals
- Engage potential subscribers with fun sign-up units like mystery gifts, Spin-to-Win, or Countdown Timers
- Use a multi-step opt-in form to grab a shopper’s phone number and email address at the same time
Pro tip
Use conversational messaging to mimic in-person experiences and answer subscribers’ questions while they’re shopping—no promotion or discount needed! See how Kendra Scott used this strategy in their BFCM campaign to achieve standout results, including 48X ROI in gifting recommendations.
