Laura is the Senior Content Marketing Manager at Postscript. She has spent the past decade working in ecommerce. When she isn't writing about her favorite topic (marketing) or listening to podcasts about her other favorite topic (ecommerce), she's hanging out with her two sons on an island off the coast of Maine.
The Exact Times You Should Send a Text During BFCM
Every BFCM, someone on your team asks the same question: are we sending too much? Here's what happened last year. Postscript merchants sent 72% more messages over BFCM weekend, made 48% more revenue, and saw unsubscribes fall 6%. We checked it twice too.
So the answer is no. The better questions are when and how often.
When. Almost everyone schedules right after the hour or the quarter hour, so the inbox is crowded at exactly those minutes. Last BFCM weekend, messages sent at :16 earned $0.47 per message. Messages sent at :40 earned $0.95. Same weekend, same subscribers, 24 minutes later, twice the money. Schedule for :29 to :30, :40 to :42, or :57 to :59. On Black Friday, send once in the morning and again between 7 and 8:30 PM EST.
How often. Plan on at least five sends per subscriber. Unsubscribes peak at three sends and drop from there, while revenue per subscriber keeps climbing through five.
Which days. Most brands treat the week before Black Friday like a waiting room. The best earnings-per-message day all season was the Monday a week and a half before Black Friday, two years running: send volume was 74% below peak and EPM held at 76 to 80 cents.
And the best day of BFCM week itself wasn't Friday. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving tied Black Friday on earnings per message ($0.31) and beat it on click-through (3.2% vs 2.7%), because almost nobody else was sending. We're calling it Grey Tuesday. Schedule a send for Nov 24: one broadcast in the morning as your early-access open, one follow-up that evening to clickers who didn't buy. More on that in the next post.
Before the weekend: turn off 16-hour safe send, and sync any new Klaviyo lists 4 to 7 days ahead.
Schedule BFCM sends for :29 to :30, :40 to :42, or :57 to :59 to avoid the crowded minutes after the hour. Plan at least five sends per subscriber. And send before Friday: the Tuesday before Thanksgiving tied Black Friday on earnings per message with far less competition.
FAQ:
What is the best time to send SMS on Black Friday?
Off the hour. Last BFCM weekend, messages sent at :40 earned $0.95 per message versus $0.47 at :16. Send once in the morning and again between 7 and 8:30 PM EST.
How many SMS campaigns should I send during BFCM?
At least five per subscriber. Unsubscribes peak at three sends and drop afterward, while revenue per subscriber keeps climbing through five.
What is Grey Tuesday? Grey Tuesday is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. In Postscript's 2026 SMS Benchmarks it tied Black Friday on earnings per message ($0.31) and beat it on click-through (3.2% vs 2.7%), because few brands were sending.
