Cyber Week is no longer the whole story. Here's what more than 4 billion SMS and email messages reveal about when to start sending, how often to show up, and which send windows drive the strongest engagement and conversions.

Everyone wants to know the best time to send a text or an email during BFCM.

It's a fair question—but it's no longer the most important one.

After analyzing more than 4 billion SMS and email messages sent during Cyber Week 2025, we found that the biggest advantage wasn't sending at one perfect hour. It was starting earlier, building campaign volume steadily throughout Q4, and using email and SMS differently as shopper intent evolved.

The timing still matters. But it's only part of the story.

Here's what the data says.

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When should I start sending BFCM text messages and emails?

Cyber Week still matters. It just isn't the entire season anymore.

In 2025, half of all Q4 campaign volume was sent before Cyber Week even began. Cyber Week itself accounted for just 15% of Q4 campaign sends, down from 16.7% the year before.

The shift is clear: brands aren't waiting until Thanksgiving week to start the conversation. They're building awareness earlier, increasing campaign cadence gradually, and arriving at Cyber Week with an engaged audience instead of starting from scratch.

That doesn't mean you should send your biggest promotions in October. It means Cyber Week works best as the culmination of a strategy that's already underway.

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A simple framework

Build momentum, not spikes

One of the clearest patterns we found had nothing to do with send times.

It had to do with cadence.

Brands that maintained steadier messaging throughout Q4—rather than dramatically increasing campaign volume during Cyber Week alone—followed a more consistent approach to holiday messaging.

While this analysis shows an association rather than causation, it reinforces a pattern we've observed over multiple BFCM seasons: gradual ramps tend to outperform last-minute surges.

For email, there's another benefit: steadily increasing campaign volume helps protect deliverability heading into the busiest messaging week of the year.

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How many messages should I send during BFCM?

If shoppers are expecting more offers, should you send more campaigns?

The data suggests yes—but how much you increase campaign volume should depend on your audience, your sending history, and your promotional calendar.

Across 879 US retail brands, attributed revenue increased alongside SMS campaign volume during Cyber Week. Brands that modestly increased campaign sends over their average from the previous three months saw meaningful revenue gains, and those that increased volume further generally saw even larger lifts.

The takeaway isn't to aim for a specific send-volume multiplier. It's to recognize that Cyber Week isn't business as usual. As shopper intent increases, your messaging strategy should evolve with it.

If you're looking for a practical benchmark, we recommend planning for at least six BFCM-related SMS campaigns. Larger brands with more promotions and audience segments may send 11 or more campaigns during Cyber Week.

Email followed a similar trend. Among 184 established Attentive email senders, brands that increased campaign volume during Cyber Week also saw substantially higher attributed revenue.

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When is the best time to send email campaigns during Black Friday Cyber Monday?

Once you've built the right campaign cadence, timing becomes your next focus.

Across 2.07 billion email campaign sends from 217 US retail brands, one pattern emerged consistently: the highest click-through rates and the highest conversion rates didn't happen at the same time.

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Email at a glance

The pattern reflects how shoppers behave during Cyber Week. They often discover promotions earlier in the day, then return later—especially on Cyber Monday—when they're ready to make a purchase. Planning for both moments gives your campaigns more opportunities to convert.

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Highest-performing email send times by day

All times shown in ET. Metrics are based on campaign send time using 0-day click attribution.

Use these daily benchmarks as a starting point, but don't think of email as a one-time announcement. Introduce your promotion early, then follow up as purchase intent builds.

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When is the best time to text subscribers during Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

SMS followed a different pattern than email.

Across 942 US retail brands, engagement peaked earlier in Cyber Week, while conversion rates climbed as urgency increased toward Cyber Monday.

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SMS at a glance

SMS is an immediate channel, so it's especially effective for creating urgency around time-sensitive offers. Engagement was strongest earlier in the shopping journey, while purchases accelerated as shoppers narrowed their choices and Cyber Monday deadlines approached.

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Highest-performing SMS send times by day

All times shown in ET. Metrics are based on campaign send time using 0-day click attribution.

Timing isn't the only factor to consider. Carrier congestion is typically highest between 10am and 3pm ET on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so schedule time-sensitive campaigns outside those windows when possible. Sending a few minutes after the top or bottom of the hour can also improve delivery speed.

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Optimize for attention first, then purchases

One insight appeared across both channels.

Shoppers don't usually purchase the first time they see your promotion.

Email earned its strongest click-through rates before its strongest conversion rates. SMS showed the same pattern across the week: shoppers engaged early, then purchased later as urgency increased.

The most effective BFCM messaging strategies don't rely on a single perfectly timed campaign.

They build a sequence.

Lead with awareness.

Follow with urgency.

Meet shoppers where they are in the buying journey.

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Why BFCM is now a season, not a week

The send time still matters. But the strategy behind it matters even more.

Brands that started earlier, increased campaign frequency thoughtfully, and timed messages around changing shopper intent put themselves in the strongest position when Black Friday and Cyber Monday arrived.

That's because BFCM is no longer defined by a single week of messaging. The brands seeing the strongest results treated it as a season—building momentum throughout Q4 and using Cyber Week as the culmination of that strategy.

Looking for more data-backed BFCM guidance? Explore The Edit, Attentive's guide to your 2026 Cyber Week strategy.