Black Friday Messaging Dos and Don’ts for Mobile Marketers

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are upon us, and the clock is ticking for mobile marketers to finalize their messaging strategies. These shopping holidays are some of the busiest — and most competitive — times of the year, meaning it’s more important than ever to stand out with campaigns that set you apart from the competition and drive results. But with so many moving parts, it’s easy to miss the mark.

This guide is packed with practical dos and don’ts to help you stand out and make the most of the season without falling into the all-too-common traps we see mobile brands fall into this time of year.

In case you missed our other Black Friday preparation guides:

• Push Notifications That Drive Black Friday Conversions
• Crafting High-Converting Black Friday Email Campaigns
• Using Gratitude to Boost Customer Loyalty
• How to Automate a Successful Black Friday Campaign with OneSignal Journeys

DO: Plan Your Messaging Strategy Early

DON’T: Wait Until the Last Minute

Why it Matters:

Message timing is everything during Black Friday. With so many brands vying for attention, your campaign can easily be drowned out if you don't plan and execute with precision.

Where to Start:

• Segment Your Audience: Use your data to target and segment the right customers with personalized offers. For instance, send early access deals to your most loyal customers.
• Create a Content Calendar: Plan when and where your messages will appear, whether through mobile push, SMS, or email. Ensure your timing aligns with peak engagement times for your audience.
• Start Early with Teasers: Build anticipation by sending teaser messages weeks before Black Friday. For example, a mobile push saying, “Our biggest Black Friday deals are coming — get ready to save BIG!”

Many mobile brands fall into the trap of scrambling at the last minute, trying to throw together campaigns just days before Black Friday. This rushed approach often leads to generic, poorly targeted messaging that doesn’t stand out in a sea of promotions.

Without enough time to segment audiences or craft personalized offers, you risk sending irrelevant messages that don’t resonate — or worse, flooding users with back-to-back notifications that feel chaotic and uncoordinated. Last-minute planning also leaves little room to test and optimize campaigns, meaning missed opportunities to fine-tune messaging for maximum impact. Black Friday is simply too competitive for a “wing it” approach.

DO: Leverage the Power of Personalization

DON’T: Send Generic, One-Size-Fits-All Offers

Why it Matters:

Customers are more likely to engage with messaging that feels tailored to their preferences, purchase history, or location. According to our State of Engagement Report, notifications that use personalized content have a 344% higher engagement rate than notifications that don't.

Where to Start:

• Use Dynamic Content: Incorporate customer names, past purchase recommendations, or location-based offers in your push notifications and emails.
• Segment by Behavior: For instance, send product-specific deals to customers who’ve browsed but not purchased.
• Adapt Across Channels: Ensure consistency in personalization — if a customer interacts with a deal via mobile push, reinforce it with a follow-up SMS or IAM that mirrors the same tone and offer.

Many mobile brands rely on generic, one-size-fits-all messaging. Sending the same blanket offer to every customer might save time, but it often leads to low engagement rates and missed opportunities for conversion. Customers expect brands to understand their preferences and shopping habits, especially during Black Friday and Cyber Monday when their inboxes and notifications are already overflowing with deals.

Without personalization, your message can feel impersonal and irrelevant, causing customers to ignore it — or worse, churn. Failing to tailor your content across channels can also create a disjointed experience, leaving users confused or uninterested. Personalization isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a necessity to stand out in a crowded market.

DO: Optimize Timing for High Engagement

DON’T: Send Messages at Inconvenient Times

Why it Matters:

Poor timing can lead to low engagement or even app uninstalls. Customers don’t want to be bombarded with notifications at 2 AM.

Where to Start:

• Analyze Engagement Trends: Leverage mobile user analytics to identify when your users are most active and tailor your timing accordingly.
• Time Zone Sensitivity: Schedule messages to align with local time zones, especially for international audiences.
• Avoid Overloading: Stick to one or two messages per channel per day to avoid notification fatigue.

Timing mistakes can sabotage even the most well-crafted Black Friday campaigns. Many mobile brands fail to consider their audience’s activity patterns or time zones, resulting in notifications or messages landing at inconvenient times — like in the middle of the night. This not only reduces engagement but can also irritate customers enough to prompt app uninstalls or unsubscribes.

Another common misstep is overwhelming users with too many messages in a short span, leading to notification fatigue and diminishing returns. When timing isn’t optimized, brands risk coming across as thoughtless or spammy, which can erode trust and hurt their chances of standing out during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

DO: Keep Design Clean and Action-Oriented

DON’T: Overload Messages with Text or Images

Why it Matters:

Visual clutter and unclear calls-to-action (CTAs) can confuse users, leading to missed opportunities. Simplicity and clarity are key to driving clicks and conversions.

Where to Start:

• Prioritize Key Information: Focus on the offer and the CTA. For example, “Get 30% Off Now” should be the centerpiece of your design.
• Limit Images in SMS and Push: Keep SMS messages concise, and avoid using excessive images in mobile push notifications that could delay load times.
• Use Buttons for CTAs: Make it easy for users to take the next step. In emails, use prominent buttons like “Shop Now” instead of text links.

A cluttered design is one of the quickest ways to lose a customer’s attention during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Many brands try to cram too much information into a single message, overwhelming users with text, images, or competing CTAs. This overload can make it hard for customers to understand what the offer is or how to act on it.

In mobile channels like push notifications or SMS, excessive content can also cause delays or formatting issues, frustrating users further. Without a clear and concise CTA, customers are less likely to click through, and your message ends up being ignored. Simplicity isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about making it easy for users to engage and convert.

DO: Embrace Cross-Channel Strategies

DON’T: Overwhelm Users with Repetition

Why it Matters:

A multi-channel approach amplifies your message, but overusing channels can frustrate customers and lead to opt-outs.

Where to Start:

• Coordinate Messaging: Ensure that your push, email, and SMS messages align in tone and content, without being redundant.
• Use Channels Strategically: For example, send detailed sale information via email, then follow up with a quick push notification or SMS reminder closer to the sale’s end.
• Allow Opt-Outs: Always provide an easy way for users to opt out of specific types of communication, such as SMS reminders.

To see coordinated cross-channel messaging in action, we highly recommend exploring this Mobile Engagement Playbook, which is packed with 15+ examples of creative ways to engage your audience using every channel at your disposal.

Cross-channel campaigns are powerful, but they can backfire when brands overdo it with repetitive messaging. Sending the same offer through every channel — email, push notifications, SMS, and in-app messaging — without considering timing or content overlap can overwhelm users.

This barrage can feel spammy and lead to opt-outs or even a complete disengagement from your brand. Another common mistake is failing to coordinate messaging across channels, creating inconsistent or disjointed experiences. For example, if an email promotes one offer but a push notification mentions something different, it can confuse customers. A strategic, well-synchronized approach ensures you amplify your message without overstepping and turning customers off.

DO: Use Urgency and Scarcity Tactics

DON’T: Resort to False Claims or Fear-mongering

Why it Matters:

Urgency and scarcity encourage immediate action, but over-the-top or dishonest tactics can harm your brand’s reputation.

Where to Start:

• Countdown Timers: Use real-time countdowns in emails or IAMs to show when deals expire.
• Low Stock Alerts: Inform users when items are running out, but only if it’s genuine.
• Exclusive Offers: Highlight VIP-only deals to create a sense of privilege and urgency.

Urgency and scarcity are powerful tools, but they can backfire if used carelessly or dishonestly. Brands often make the mistake of exaggerating claims — like announcing "only 3 left in stock" when that's not true — hoping to pressure customers into buying. These tactics might work in the short term, but they can erode trust and damage your reputation in the long run.

Fear-mongering, such as using overly aggressive language or creating unnecessary panic, can also alienate your audience. Customers are savvy and can spot inauthenticity. When urgency and scarcity are genuine and well-executed, they drive action; when they’re over-the-top, they drive customers away.

DO: Test, Monitor, and Adjust

DON’T: Set it and Forget it

Why it Matters:

Black Friday campaigns are fast-paced, and what works at 8 AM might not work at 2 PM. Testing and real-time monitoring can help you adapt on the fly.

Where to Start:

• A/B Test Messaging: Test different versions of your push notifications or SMS messages to see which performs better.
• Monitor Campaign Performance: Track open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates throughout the day.
• Be Ready to Pivot: If a specific campaign underperforms, be prepared to tweak messaging or timing based on real-time data.

Too often, brands set up their Black Friday campaigns and walk away, assuming the work is done. This "set it and forget it" approach is a recipe for missed opportunities, especially on a day when customer behavior and engagement patterns shift rapidly. Without real-time monitoring and adjustments, brands risk sticking with underperforming messages or missing key moments to optimize.

For example, a push notification that works well in the morning might fall flat in the afternoon as urgency increases. Failing to test and pivot can leave valuable insights — and potential revenue — on the table. In a high-stakes environment like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, staying agile is critical for success.

DO: Provide Value Beyond the Sale

DON’T: Neglect Post-Black Friday Engagement

Why it Matters:

The relationship with your customer shouldn’t end when Black Friday does. Following up with value-driven content can deepen loyalty and encourage repeat purchases.

Where to Start:

• Thank You Messages: Send personalized thank-you messages via email or SMS after the sale.
• Exclusive Follow-Ups: Offer Cyber Monday previews to customers who shopped on Black Friday.
• Feedback Requests: Use IAMs to gather feedback on the shopping experience.

Many mobile brands focus so intensely on Black Friday itself that they forget about what comes next. Neglecting post-Black Friday engagement is a missed opportunity to deepen customer relationships and turn one-time shoppers into loyal fans.

When brands fail to follow up, customers may feel like they were treated as just another transaction, rather than a valued part of the community. Skipping thank-you messages or exclusive follow-ups also means leaving potential Cyber Monday sales on the table. Without meaningful post-sale interactions, brands lose the chance to gather feedback, showcase appreciation, and build momentum for repeat purchases.

The Final Push for Black Friday Success

Black Friday is a high-stakes event for mobile marketers, but with careful planning, personalization, and strategic use of channels, you can stand out from the crowd and drive meaningful engagement. By adhering to these best practices, you’ll not only boost your sales but also foster lasting relationships with your audience.

If you’re truly ready to elevate your mobile engagement strategy, OneSignal provides an elegant blend of cross-channel sophistication with fool-proof practicality. Our drag-and-drop Journeys builder is tailor-made for mobile marketers to automate their messaging at scale.

One in every five apps choose OneSignal for their engagement solution — should you decide to see what all the buzz is about, we invite you to try us for free.