Picture this: It’s 3 a.m., and Sarah has just remembered she hasn’t bought her mom’s holiday gift yet. Like millions of other last-minute shoppers, she reaches for her phone. In this moment, will your brand be there to save her shopping crisis and deliver some meaningful inspiration?
The Holiday Shopper’s New Best Friend? Their Phone
The holiday shopping season is just around the corner, and one thing is crystal clear: mobile is where the magic happens. With consumers spending nearly 4.5 hours daily on their phones (and increase of 30% from last year) and checking them an average of 144 times, having strong mobile marketing strategies isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential for holiday success.
Here’s the plot twist: While most brands are stuffing customer channels with more messages than presents in Santa’s sleigh (we’re talking 10,000+ ads daily!), the winning businesses know it’s not about adding to the noise—it’s about creating those perfect “aha!” moments that turn panicked browsing into joyful buying.
Think of it this way: Those 144 daily phone checks? Each one is a chance to be the brand that makes someone’s holiday easier, better, or brighter. It’s not just about being there—it’s about being there with purpose, with value, with exactly what your customer needs at that moment.
Ready to be the brand that saves the holiday? Here are five mobile marketing strategies that will help you cut through the digital noise and become your customers’ favorite personal shopper.
1. SMS: Your Secret Sauce for Holiday Success
Think of SMS as your holiday emergency response team. When the team at gorjana needed to rescue last-minute holiday shoppers, their SMS strategy didn’t just deliver messages—it delivered miracles, driving a 17% uplift in year-over-year conversions.
Here are some examples of impactful messages to make your SMS the hero of the holiday season.
🎁 Gift Emergency Response
- “Last chance! Order in the next 2 hours for Christmas delivery”
- “Running late? Send an instant digital gift card”
- “Your wishlisted items are selling fast—secure yours now!”
💫 Social Proof Power
- “Lauren just bought the necklace you’re eyeing…”
- “Join 500+ shoppers who found their perfect gift today”
- “Our best-selling sweater has 10,000 5-star reviews!”
⭐ VIP Treatment
- “Exclusive mobile-only: Extra 10% off for SMS subscribers”
- “Skip the line with SMS-priority pickup”
- “Text-to-hold: Reply YES to reserve your items”
Pro Tip: Like gorjana proved, timing is everything. Use Iterable’s AI to identify your customers’ most responsive moments, then be there with the perfect message when it matters most.
2. Holiday Push Playbook: Nail Personalization, Boost Engagement
During the busy holiday season, customers may get sidetracked—but perfectly timed, personalized push notifications can bring them back into the festive fold. The CoinStats team mastered re-engagement by adding two simple yet powerful elements to their push strategy: timing and personalization.
Time it right: Send re-engagement push notifications just minutes after a holiday shopper abandons their cart or browses and bounces. Catch them while they’re still in the holiday spirit!
Personalization pays off: Use dynamic snippets to include details like a user’s portfolio name, and pair this with deep linking to seamlessly guide them back to where they left off. The result? CoinStats doubled their push open rates from 5.91% to 10.38%.
In addition to personalized push, which you can see above, CoinStats follows up with email and in-app messages.
Prioritize simplicity: Keep the tone transactional and straightforward. A simple, relevant push like “Tap to connect & see your MetaMask portfolio analytics” outperformed promotional messaging by nearly 50%.
It’s a small shift with a big payoff—proving that a dash of personalization goes a long way in making your push messages stick.
Inspire and re-engage customers with messages tailored to their shopping moments:
🌅 Morning Moments (7-9 a.m.)
- “☕ Your wishlist items are ready for gifting! All in stock and ready to ship.”
- “Early Bird Special: Free shipping on your saved items ends at noon!”
🏢 Lunch Break Browsing (12-2 p.m.)
- “Taking a break? That holiday sweater you loved is now 25% off!”
- “Quick gift idea: Best-sellers under $50 with same-day delivery”
🛒 Cart Recovery (Real-time)
- “Psst… those perfect gifts in your cart? We’ll hold them for the next hour”
- “Need help deciding? Here’s what other shoppers say about items in your cart”
🌙 Evening Shopping (7-10 p.m.)
- “Still looking for the perfect gift? Here’s what’s trending today”
- “Can’t sleep? Neither can these deals! Night owl special ends at midnight”
🎁 Wishlist Moments (Time-sensitive)
- “That necklace you’ve been eyeing? Only 5 left in stock!”
- “Good news! An item on your wishlist just went on sale”
Pro Tip: The key is matching the message to the moment—gentle reminders that feel like helpful nudges rather than desperate sales pitches. Think of each notification as part of an ongoing conversation with your customer, one that respects their time while adding real value to their shopping journey.
3. Embrace Multi-Channel
The most successful brands don’t put all their eggs in one basket. Look at gorjana’s impressive results—the team saw a 337% increase in conversions by thoughtfully combining SMS and email campaigns. Different channels have different uses for different customers.
Here’s what we think are creative and compelling ways to leverage multiple channels for multiple results.
SMS: The Conversion Champion
gorjana’s SMS strategy proved that brevity can be brilliant. During Valentine’s Day, the team increased message delivery by 55%, leading to a 17% year-over-year conversion boost. Their testimonial-driven texts transformed hesitant browsers into confident buyers, making every message feel like advice from a trusted friend rather than a sales pitch.
gorjana’s “You gift, they choose” SMS campaign converts last-minute shoppers during special holidays.
Email: The Digital Storyteller
Think of email as your brand’s morning coffee chat—a daily ritual that customers actually look forward to. Mix product launches with style inspiration, sprinkle in some early access perks, and suddenly you’re not just selling products—you’re sharing everyday moments of delight. Just remember to read the room: If your customer is waiting for a shipping update, save the sales pitch for later.
In-Store Integration: The Personal Touch
gorjana’s secret weapon is how the brand blends digital and physical experiences. Its BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick-up In Store) strategy isn’t just convenient—it’s a conversion machine, driving 4x more orders. Imagine turning every “Add to Cart” into an “Oh, wow!” moment. That’s what happens when your digital strategy puts on its party dress and goes to the store. Create FOMO-worthy in-store pickup experiences complete with VIP touches (hello, free gift wrapping!). Sometimes, the best unboxing video is the one happening right at your counter.
Pro Tip: Start by breaking down the silos between your channels. When they work together, the holiday magic happens.
4. Focus on the Customer Journey
Learn from Thirty Madison’s success this year: The team saw that moving their SMS opt-in earlier in the customer journey significantly boosted engagement rates. Think about your own customer journey—where could earlier mobile touchpoints make a difference?
The Early Engagement Win
Thirty Madison’s biggest breakthrough came from a simple shift: moving the SMS opt-in to the start of the customer journey. The result? Over 50% of their SMS subscribers completed their journey, compared to those who didn’t get early messages.
Try these early-journey magic moments:
- Welcome new subscribers with a first-purchase perk
- Share your brand’s origin story in bite-sized texts
- Offer a mobile-exclusive holiday preview
- Send an interactive quiz to personalize recommendations
The Perfect Message Mix
By blending SMS (think instant updates) with email (think richer content), Thirty Madison created a journey that felt both personal and purposeful. Their AI-powered timing boosted open rates by 30% and click-throughs by 7%.
Create your own perfect blend:
- Text: “Your wishlist item is back!” Email: “Complete the look with these trending pairs”
- Text: “2-hour flash sale starts now!” Email: “See the full holiday collection”
- Text: “Your order is ready for pickup!” Email: “How others are styling their recent purchases”
The Journey-First Mindset
Every message, every touchpoint, every interaction was designed with the customer’s next step in mind. The proof? Thirty Madison’s consultation completion rates jumped by double digits.
Make every step count:
- Turn cart abandoners into VIPs with exclusive offers
- Transform browsers into buyers with real customer reviews
- Convert one-time shoppers into loyalists with early access
- Switch window shoppers to in-store visitors with local perks
Pro Tip: Start by mapping your customer journey in your Iterable workflow. Test different entry points for SMS opt-ins, experiment with message timing, and let AI optimization guide your send times. Remember: a well-orchestrated journey isn’t just about the destination—it’s about making every automated touchpoint feel personally crafted.
5. Turn Holiday Sales into Year Round Wins
Work smarter, not harder. The holiday season is a great opportunity to gather insights that will power your success all year long. While most brands are focused on just pushing sales, you can use this high-traffic season to test, learn, and build mobile marketing strategies that will drive revenue well into 2025.
Here’s how to turn your holiday marketing into a year-round winning playbook.
Make It Personal (And Profitable): The holiday rush isn’t just about quick wins—it’s your chance to gather golden customer insights. Use your holiday data surge to build profiles that convert all year:
- Track which product pairings drive highest AOV
- Note peak purchase times by customer segment
- Identify browsing patterns that lead to sales
- Build segments based on holiday shopping behavior and use these insights to personalize your 2025 campaigns
Test Now, Win Later: Think of holiday testing as your 2025 strategy accelerator. While others are just pushing sales, you’re gathering intel:
- A/B test message timing (morning vs. evening revenue)
- Compare SMS opt-in placements (early journey vs. check-out)
- Trial different urgency triggers (“Almost sold out” vs. “Final hours”)
- Track which offers drive repeat purchases to turn your Q4 learnings into your Q1 winning strategy
Measure What Matters Most: Holiday metrics tell next year’s success story. Focus on:
- Revenue per message (not just opens and clicks)
- Cross-channel purchase paths
- Customer acquisition costs by channel
- First purchase to second purchase timing
Build Value That Lasts: Every holiday message is a chance to drive both immediate sales and long-term loyalty:
- Convert one-time gift buyers into regular customers
- Identify your most profitable customer segments
- Test which perks drive repeat purchases
- Track which content inspires brand advocacy
Mobile Marketing Strategies for Your Holiday Success Story
Remember Sarah from our 3 AM scenario? With your new mobile strategy, she not only finds the perfect gift for her mom but also joins your brand’s most engaged customer list. Why? Because you were there when it mattered most, turning a potential holiday crisis into a mobile marketing triumph.
As you deck the halls with mobile marketing strategies, remember: Success isn’t about sending more messages—it’s about creating those can’t-miss moments that turn holiday shoppers into year-round brand advocates.
Want to calculate just how much holiday cheer (and ROI) a mobile-first strategy can bring? Try our value calculator to see how these winning mobile marketing strategies can transform your holiday numbers. Because the best gift you can give your brand this season is data-driven success that lasts well beyond December.
