As Black Friday and Cyber Monday approach, we’ve gathered key insights from last year to help you optimize your SMS campaigns. We want to ensure your messages reach your customers at the best times and avoid any delivery issues. Here’s what we recommend based on our findings:

Why Timing is Crucial: Carrier Blocks on Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Last year, we observed that SMS traffic, particularly from unregistered 10-digit long codes (10 DLC), was often blocked by carriers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This disruption typically happens due to high message volume and congestion during these peak shopping days. To avoid this issue and ensure your messages reach customers, we recommend avoiding SMS on Friday and Monday. Instead, we suggest sending your SMS earlier and later in the week, as outlined below.

SMS Best Practices for BFCM:

1. Early Access Deals (Tuesday–Thursday): Send SMS on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday for early access to Black Friday deals. These days are optimal for SMS, ensuring better deliverability without running into carrier issues.
2. Black Friday (Thursday SMS, Friday Email): Carriers are more likely to block SMS traffic on Friday due to congestion. Instead, send SMS on Thursday to ensure your messages are delivered. You can still send Black Friday emails on Friday as usual.
3. Saturday: Saturday is a strong day for SMS, also works well for follow-ups or Cyber Monday reminders. 
4. Cyber Monday (Saturday SMS, Monday Email): Similar to Black Friday, Monday can be problematic for SMS. Send Cyber Monday SMS on Saturday to ensure maximum reach. Emails can still go out on Monday.

Quick Summary:

• Early Access Deals: SMS Tuesday–Thursday | Email any time
• Black Friday: SMS Thursday | Email Friday
• Saturday: SMS 
• Cyber Monday: SMS Saturday | Email Monday

By following these best practices, you can avoid the SMS delivery issues caused by blocked traffic and ensure your messages reach customers at the perfect time. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out!

~ Umbrella Client Success Team