Create a Holiday Season You’ll Never Forget. Start NOW!
Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is the Everest of ecommerce marketing. A summit that’s exhilarating to reach but demands the right tools and techniques. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a newcomer looking to make your mark, this guide provides actionable insights to help you harness the power of these essential retail events.
Table of contents:
- Building Your Email List: The Heart of the Sale — Emails are the heart of a great sale. Discover the techniques to build an engaged audience.
- Your Irresistible Offer: Crafting the Perfect Pitch — Your offer is the hook that draws the crowd. Learn how to craft it with precision and allure.
- Getting Your Website Ready: Your Online Stage — Your website is the stage for your BFCM extravaganza. Prepare it to dazzle and perform flawlessly.
- Creating Your Email Calendar: Orchestrating the Hype — Master the art of anticipation. Build an email calendar that teases, engages, and excites.
- Using Proven Ads: The Power of Precision — Advertising is a sharp tool in your arsenal. Learn how to wield it for maximum impact and avoid common pitfalls.
- Leverage Post BFCM Holiday Season: The Encore Performance — The show isn’t over with BFCM. Discover how to extend the success into a brilliant encore.
- Starting Next Year’s BFCM: The Never-Ending Journey — The journey to Q4 success is an all-year adventure. Begin now, and be ready to conquer the following season.
Building Your Email List: The Heart of the Sale
Emails are the heart of a great sale. Discover the techniques to create an engaged audience.
Popups: Your Virtual Handshake
Popups are like the charismatic hosts of your online party. They greet guests, make them feel welcome, and invite them to join the excitement. Craft these popups wisely, leverage a compelling offer in exchange for an email (and phone number) by balancing attractiveness and engagement, and watch your email list grow.
Link in Bio: A Social-Optimized Journey
“Link in bio” isn’t just a trendy phrase; it’s an opportunity to guide your customers through an exciting journey. By placing a strategic link in your social media bio, you’re extending an invitation for followers to explore further, turning casual viewers into engaged subscribers.
Referral Program: Turning Customers into Advocates
Leverage the power of word-of-mouth through a well-designed referral program. Encourage satisfied customers to spread the love, reward them for their efforts, and create a community that markets itself.
Instagram to Email: A Seamless Transition
Social media isn’t merely for likes and comments. Transform Instagram interactions into valuable email subscriptions. Connect, engage, and channel your followers into the right path to their inbox. Post swipe-up stories to subscribe people to your email list.
Your Irresistible Offer: Crafting the Perfect Pitch
Your offer is the hook that draws the crowd. Learn how to craft it with precision and allure.
Keeping It Simple: The Art of Clarity
Your offer must be easy to grasp. Whether it’s a discount or a gift, make sure it’s something that customers can understand in the blink of an eye. The less mental effort needed, the better the response will be. We like simple “flat percentage off” offers for most brands.
Aligning with Goals: Tailor-Made Strategies
Your offer must resonate with your broader goals. Are you looking for more sales volume? A “flat percentage off” might be your go-to. Are you aiming for higher margins? Bracket discounts or Buy One Get One (BOGO) offers could be your match. Can’t discount? Offer free shipping or gift with purchase (GWP). It’s all about fitting the strategy to the objective.
Understanding Your Audience: Segment and Conquer
Before defining your offer, it’s crucial to understand who your audience is. Create detailed buyer personas that include interests, behaviors, and pain points. Segment your audience based on these insights and craft offers that resonate with them. Whether it’s a tech-savvy millennial looking for the latest gadget or a parent shopping for holiday gifts, personalized offers increase relevance and response rates.
Getting Your Website Ready: Your Online Stage
Your website is the stage for your BFCM extravaganza. Prepare it to dazzle and perform flawlessly.
Optimize for Speed: Faster Than a Caffeine Rush
Your website must be as swift as a morning espresso, ready to wake up visitors with engaging content. Optimize for speed and mobile responsiveness to ensure that the increased traffic during BFCM doesn’t turn into a bottleneck. This includes compressing images, utilizing caching, and reducing server response time to ensure customers don’t have to wait.
Create Sales Landing Pages: Your Product’s Spotlight
Build landing pages like a stage spotlight, focusing on specific products or offers. Start A/B testing early by creating landing pages to move overstock items or old collections into the limelight. Once you find a high-performing framework, replicate it for the holiday season.
Design Elements: The Festive Makeover
Bring in the festive spirit with well-designed banners, countdown timers, and themes. Dress up your website to match the excitement and anticipation of BFCM, creating a visual experience that complements your offers. For instance, include eye-catching banners promoting special offers or a countdown timer ticking down to the beginning of the sale. Remember only to use the proven frameworks previously tested.
Creating Your Email Calendar: Orchestrating the Hype
Master the art of anticipation. Build an email calendar that teases, engages, and excites.
Pre-Sale Emails: The Teasers
Craft 2-5 engaging pre-sale emails that tease your upcoming BFCM deals. Build anticipation with sneak peeks, explain the sale, and collect SMS subscribers. Make the audience feel they’re in on a secret, eagerly awaiting the big reveal.
Launch Day and Weekend Strategy: The Thrill of the Sale
Use at least 3 launch day emails (announcement, mid-day reminder, last chance) and strategic SMS notifications to turn your Black Friday or Cyber Week into a thrilling shopping experience. Start early, extend offers, and use creative communication to engage customers. Ensure everyone knows your sale is live.
Embracing the Extended Weekend: Black Friday to Cyber Monday Continuum
Black Friday isn’t the only shopping event of the season. Cyber Monday follows closely, extending the thrill of the sale into the online world. Tailor your email communication to stretch over the entire weekend, sending reminders and special offers that emphasize both shopping events. This approach ensures that your audience stays engaged and aware of all the deals available, keeping the momentum going even after Black Friday has passed.
Tailoring Strategies by Industry: Finding the Perfect Fit
Different industries may require different focuses on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. For instance, an ecommerce store specializing in tech products may find Cyber Monday more fruitful as customers look for the latest gadgets at discounted prices. Meanwhile, fashion retailers often see a surge on Black Friday as online shoppers hunt for the trendiest clothing deals. Understanding your industry’s unique trends and consumer behaviors can help you create a more targeted and successful BFCM (Black Friday Cyber Monday) campaign.
Using Proven Ads: The Power of Precision
Advertising is a sharp tool in your arsenal. Learn how to wield it for maximum impact and avoid common pitfalls.
Test Early: Your Marketing Laboratory
Experiment with ad copies, formats, and platforms well before BFCM. Test, tweak, and turn these experimental ads into your secret sauce, aiming them at warm to hot audiences for maximum impact. Remember the landing pages you created to test? Pair them with high-converting ads.
Promoting A-tier Products: The Cream of the Crop
During BFCM, put your money behind the best. Focus on your A-tier products, the ones that have proven their worth. These are the stars of your show; make sure they get the spotlight. This will be the most expensive CPM of the year, and you can’t afford to promote products with lower conversion rates.
Advertising to Specific Segments: Retargeting vs. New Customers
In the bustling shopping period around Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM), the most expensive time of the year, your advertising dollars must be spent wisely. Here’s how you can prioritize your efforts:
Retargeting Existing Customers: Focus on nurturing existing relationships and reaching those interested in your products. Targeting previous visitors, subscribers, or customers can maximize your return on ad spend (ROAS) during this critical time. Remember, Q4 is the time to capitalize on the work you’ve put in all year.
Pursuing New Customers: While the allure of new customers is undeniable, pursuing them during BFCM may be costly. If you target new customers, ensure that your pre-BFCM ROAS is strong and your profit margins are solid. Only venture into this area if you can afford to invest in attracting new eyes without jeopardizing your bottom line.
Leverage Post BFCM Holiday Season: The Encore Performance
The show isn’t over with BFCM. Discover how to extend the success into a brilliant encore.
December Strategies: The Gift of Sales
December isn’t a wind-down; it’s an encore. Create bundles, gift sales, and engage with thank-you emails. Offer loyalty coupons and referral programs. Make the holiday season a continuation of your success.
Don’t Stop Emailing: Email Marketing Campaigns for December
As December unfolds, leveraging the holiday spirit can keep the momentum of BFCM. Strategize your email marketing to nurture relationships, incentivize repeat purchases, and guide gift selections. Here are some ideas:
- Thank You for an Amazing BFCM: Send heartfelt thanks to customers for participating in your Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales.
- Share Good News: Highlight positive outcomes such as donations through sales, community support, or happy customer reviews. It’s a chance to showcase your brand’s values and successes.
- Get X% Off Your Next Purchase: Encourage BFCM customers to return by offering exclusive discounts on their subsequent purchases.
- Gift Someone You Love with X% Off: Enable customers to share the joy by offering them the opportunity to gift discounts to friends and family.
- Curated Gift Guides: Create and share comprehensive gift guides that cater to various interests, ages, or relationships. This not only simplifies the shopping experience but also promotes specific products.
- Promote Referral Incentives: Encourage existing customers to refer friends and family, rewarding both parties.
- Highlight Loyalty Benefits: Reiterate the perks of your loyalty program, enticing continued engagement.
In a season of joy and sharing, these targeted email strategies can resonate with your customers’ festive moods and translate into tangible sales. Tailor the content to your brand’s voice and audience, ensuring alignment with your overall marketing message. This multi-pronged approach builds brand affinity while guiding shoppers through December’s unique opportunities.
Starting Next Year’s BFCM: The Never-Ending Journey
The journey to BFCM success is a year-round venture. Begin now and be ready to thrive next season.
All-Year Preparation: The Symphony of Success
BFCM isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. Successful brands work year-round to perfect their message, optimize their websites, and grow their customer base. It’s an ongoing process that requires careful planning, continuous evaluation, and strategic implementation. Here’s how to set the stage for success:
Remember, Q4 Starts in Q1
Planning for Q4 starts in Q1. Begin promoting and working on your marketing strategies from the start of the year, setting clear goals and creating a step-by-step roadmap to success. Constant assessment of strategy and alignment with objectives is crucial. Implement and evaluate regularly, keep updated with trends, and make necessary adjustments to stay ahead of the curve.
Invest in Your Brand
Work consistently to refine your brand’s message, optimize your website, strategically plan email campaigns, and grow your customer base. Invest time aligning all marketing elements to create a coherent and powerful presence all year.
Keep Building Your Email List
Understand your customers and create targeted campaigns for various segments. Regular communication, special offers, and exclusive content can nurture relationships and keep your brand top-of-mind. Have an evergreen offer to continue generating leads even when off-season.
Additional Tactics
While the above strategies cover the most vital aspects, exploring and experimenting with other tactics can set you apart from the competition. Innovation and creativity in your approach can lead to a rewarding BFCM journey.
Quick Recap: Your BFCM Blueprint
- Build Your Email List: Utilize popups, bio links, referral programs, and Instagram.
- Define Your Offer: Simplify and align with goals.
- Prepare Your Website: Speed and mobile optimization, targeted landing pages.
- Orchestrate Your Email Calendar: Time pre-sale, launch day, post-sale engagement.
- Deploy Proven Ads: Start early and focus on A-tier products.
- Leverage Post-BFCM: Extend momentum, promotions, and loyalty incentives.
- Plan Next Year’s BFCM Now: All-year strategy and optimization.
This roadmap offers a step-by-step approach, weaving together the various elements of a successful BFCM campaign. It’s a well-rounded strategy that caters to newcomers and veterans alike in the ecommerce space.
Setting the Stage for Success
BFCM is more than a date on the calendar; it’s a crescendo in the retail symphony. And like any outstanding performance, it demands preparation, timing, and execution. By building your email list, defining precise offers, optimizing your website, creating an engaging email calendar, leveraging proven ads, making the most of the post-BFCM season, and starting early for next year, you’re setting the stage for success.
Having the right ecommerce marketing partner can make your BFCM performance soar ⚡️
Looking for an encore? Work with Harpia.
We’re a team of ecommerce experts specialized in helping brands like yours skyrocket with proven advertising and email marketing methodologies.
This is our fifth Black Friday Cyber Monday, and we’ve helped over 50 clients launch their best sale. We’re the backstage crew to your star performance, an ecommerce growth agency specializing in email marketing and advertising. Ready for an encore with Harpia? Contact us today to launch your best sale ever!
