RCS and SMS in Marketing During Black Friday & Cyber Monday
Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) represent the year’s most competitive shopping period for e-retailers. With email inboxes overflowing and cost-per-click (CPC) on social media hitting record highs, a direct, reliable, and visually engaging channel is essential.
What is RCS and why combine it with SMS?
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the next generation of SMS. By combining these two complementary channels, you create a comprehensive mobile strategy with 100% reach and higher conversion rates. It enables brands to send interactive messages featuring HD images, product carousels, quick-reply buttons, and verified sender profiles—directly within the phone’s native messaging app, with no download required.
At the same time, SMS is unbeatable when it comes to direct reach and open rates exceeding 98%. By using SMS as a fallback for RCS, you ensure that all customers receive your offer: recipients with RCS support receive an interactive, visual message, while those without RCS support automatically receive an optimized SMS with a link to your offer.
Comparison: RCS vs. SMS for E-commerce during BFCM
To understand how the two channels complement each other during the Black Friday weekend, their key features are compared here:
Range & Coverage
SMS reaches 100% of all mobile phones. RCS reaches all Android devices as well as iPhones running iOS 18+ with RCS enabled. Combined, they cover 100% of the market.
Brand safety
SMS skickas via alfanumerisk text. RCS ger en operatörsverifierad profil med logotyp, varumärkesfärg och ett officiellt företagsnamn som stoppar nätfiske.
Content & Interaction
SMS erbjuder text och länkar. RCS stödjer högupplösta bilder, HD-video, produktkaruseller samt snabbsvarsknappar som 'Köp nu' och 'Läs mer'.
Tracking & Analytics
SMS spåras via klickade webblänkar. RCS ger fullständiga läsbekräftelser, klickdata per knapp och realtidsinsikter om kundengagemang.
3 Reasons to Use RCS and SMS in Your BFCM Strategy
1. Build Immediate Trust
Under storskaliga REA-perioder är konsumenter extra försiktiga med misstänkta länkar. RCS erbjuder en verifierad avsändarprofil godkänd av mobiloperatörerna med logotyp och grön verifieringssymbol, vilket ökar klickfrekvensen (CTR).
2. Drive Higher Conversions
I stället för traditionell text kan du presentera dina bästa BFCM-deals i interaktiva karuseller. Kunden kan svajpa mellan produkter, se rabatterade priser och klicka för att lägga artikeln i varukorgen direkt.
3. Reach 100% of the customer base
Genom en automatiserad SMS-fallback behöver du aldrig välja mellan teknisk täckning och rik design. Systemet känner av mottagarens enhet och levererar automatiskt det mest avancerade formatet som stöds.
Do you want to send only SMS messages ahead of BFCM?
If your customers aren’t ready for RCS yet, you can easily get started with SMS on your own. On our dedicated SMS portal, ip1sms.com, you can create a free account in two minutes and start sending your Black Friday SMS messages right away.
Step-by-Step: How to Build a BFCM Campaign with RCS and SMS
Phase 1: Exclusive VIP Sneak Peek (The days leading up to BFCM)
Channel: RCS. Content: Send a product carousel to your most loyal customers, allowing them to reserve their favorite products or get early access to the sale before it opens to the general public.
Phase 2: The Black Friday launch (The actual sale day)
Channel: RCS with automatic SMS fallback. Content: The main offer is sent out. RCS users receive a visually striking campaign with direct-action buttons, while others receive a crisp SMS with links to the landing page.
Phase 3: Last Chance on Cyber Monday
Channel: RCS & SMS. Content: Drive purchase intent with urgent reminders (FOMO): 'Last chance! The 40% Cyber Monday discount ends at midnight.'
Get started with RCS and SMS ahead of the year's biggest sales weekend.
To send verified RCS campaigns during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, your brand needs an approved RCS agent with the mobile operators. Registration takes anywhere from a few days to two weeks. We assist you with the entire process, from registration to ready-made campaign templates.
Contact us to secure your agent.Frequently Asked Questions about RCS and SMS Marketing (FAQ)
Approval and verification of an RCS agent by mobile operators typically takes anywhere from a few days to two weeks. It is therefore crucial to begin the registration process well in advance of BFCM.
Yes, RCS is fully supported on Android devices as well as on iPhones running iOS 18 or later (subject to carrier support). For devices that do not yet have RCS enabled, the message is delivered as a standard SMS via automatic fallback.
Case studies show that interactive RCS messages deliver, on average, up to three times higher click-through rates and significantly higher conversion rates compared to traditional SMS, thanks to visual content and preset button options.
If you only want to use SMS marketing, you do not need to book a consultation. You can sign up directly via our web portal, ip1sms.com, activate your account, and send your SMS campaigns yourself using our web services.