How to Crush Holiday Sales with SMS Without Blowing Your Budget

Hey it’s Max from The Inbox Newsletter.

SMS is like email on steroids during Q4. But if you don’t do it right, your sms bill is going to be crazy high.

Here’s how to send more texts, make more sales, and keep your margins healthy this holiday season.

Key Takeaways:

• SMS has a 98% open rate and is your direct line to customers this holiday season.

• Send a minimum of 2 texts per week during Q4 but do it smart to control costs.

• Use segmentation and timing to minimize waste and maximize ROI.

• Reserve high-cost sends for your warmest segments and key sales moments.

• Set up automated SMS flows to make sales in your sleep.

Why SMS Is a Holiday Weapon You Can’t Ignore

SMS has a 98% open rate. That’s not a typo.

Your audience is checking their phones 100+ times a day and the text message app is one of their most used apps (in the US)

But with great power, comes great carrier fees…

If you want to send 2+ messages per week this holiday season (and you should), you need to be strategic or you’ll burn more on sms marketing than you’ll make.

Smart SMS Sending Schedule for Q4

Here’s a baseline cadence to aim for:

Minimum: 2 SMS sends per week

Ideal Days (e.g. BFCM + Christmas): 1-2 sms per day

Yes, 1-2 per day during big days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

People are getting messages from every brand ever… you need to be at the top of their notifications if you want to be the first to get to their wallet.

Who do you send to?

I’m on the side of sending to your whole list… if people are ever going to buy from you, it’s going to be in this gifting period.

My piece of advice is try not to get too cute on segmentation. Send to your whole list besides maybe hyper-unengaged folk.

Cost-Saving Tactics to Protect Margins

Sending more texts = higher costs. Here’s how to protect your budget while scaling:

1. Use SMS for Clicks, Not Stories
Keep SMS short and CTA-driven. Save storytelling and longer copy for emails. One idea, one link. Only a couple of sentences. The longer your sms are the more they are going to cost.

2. Stack SMS With Email
Example: Email promo in the AM, SMS “final hours” in the PM. This prevents overlap and lowers the frequency needed to convert.

3. Automate the Basics
Set up key flows now so you’re not scrambling mid-season:

• Welcome series

• Abandonment flows

• Post-purchase upsell

4. Skip SMS for Low-Intent Campaigns
If the goal is education, branding, or just “getting on their radar”, don’t waste a text. Save SMS for conversion plays.

What to Text (Without Sounding Desperate)

Your texts should punch, not pitch. Here are a few plug-and-play styles:

Scarcity Alert:
“Only 18 sets left — our Holiday Bundle is almost gone! Grab yours before it’s too late: [link]”

Last Chance:
“Final hours to save 25%! Sale ends at midnight. This is your sign. [link]”

VIP Only:
“You’re on the list. VIPs get 24-hour early access to our Holiday Sale. Shop now: [link]”

Free Gift Teaser:
“FREE gift with every $75 order — just for this weekend (text list exclusive). Use code SMS: [link]”

Want more info?

Here’s a 41 page guide on everything you need to know about scaling your sms marketing: SMS Marketing Free Guide »

Email Inspiration Of The Day

Brand:
Billie

Email Design:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fV-SqtSVUoZVLCK4DLR4_rabxw3tInaF/view?usp=sharing

Notes:
Cyber Monday themed design! Use this as inspo for putting together your Cyber Sale emails… these features help with really making the offer deal special

Template of The Day

If you want access to a bank of 134 mix and match templates like this equating to over 5,000+ possible email designs, click here » 

Reply to this email if you have any questions or further content you want covered.

Cheers,

Max | Well Copy Email & SMS Marketing

PS - If you run a 7-9 figure ecommerce brand and you want to have a free email strategy consultation, book a call here » 

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