Black Friday Preview:

Last year, mobile influenced over 25% of online sales on this busy weekend. As retailers are preparing for this weekend’s buying binge, you’ll see mobile taking a greater role. Here are three stories to prep you for the weekend bonanza:

#1: Retailers ‘discover’ SMS.

Text messaging has taken a backseat to other mobile efforts over the last few years, and retailers have been slow to adopt. Fortunately, many have awoken to SMS’ many strengths–95%+ open rates, double digit click-throughs and ease of adoption. Here are stories on four retailers who get it, and are using it to drive holiday shoppers:

Best Buy: http://bit.ly/1bGOcqG
Build-A-Bear: http://bit.ly/1bNmyGW
HSN: http://bit.ly/1bNmBm6
Tangier Outlets: http://bit.ly/1bNmIy9

#2: Black Friday in Real Time

While Black Friday might officially begin on Thursday for some, not too many in retail corporate management will be sleeping this weekend, thanks to the IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark campaign. IBM will be culling real-time data from millions of transaction from over 800 retailers. When mobile showed an unanticipated spike in traffic in 2012, retailers reallocated more dollars to mobile to maximize revenue in real time. Print-n-pray strategies no longer fly on Black Friday.

Read more on this in Forbes: http://bit.ly/1iIs3gH

#3. mCommerce Infographic Overload

Blue Chip Marketing was kind enough to assemble an infographic that’s chock full of holiday shopper data. 55% of smartphone users use a retail/coupon app weekly; coupon & big box retailers lead the pack and 53% said to offer them a coupon if you want their purchase.

Review it in AdWeek: http://bit.ly/1bNnziq

BONUS: Moms & Mobile Webinar

Moms are the most sought-after mobile users. If you’re hunting for them, you won’t want to miss next Wednesday’s Heartland Mobile Council MobileU Webinar. (Full disclosure, I’m a council member).

Topic Q&A:  http://bit.ly/1iIxlsF
RSVP Here:  http://bit.ly/1bNgj5S