The holiday shopping season is fast approaching, and with it, one of the biggest opportunities of the year: Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM). For many brands, BFCM isn’t just a one-off weekend event. Rather, it’s a critical revenue-driving period that sets the tone for the rest of the year. As e-commerce competition heats up, email marketing is one of the most effective tools for standing out (and winning conversions) in the crowded digital marketplace.
In this guide, we’ll break down the best BFCM email marketing strategies to help you maximize revenue, engage with your audience, and build long-term loyalty.
What’s The Benefit of Hosting Sales Around Black Friday?
Hosting sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday isn’t just about the immediate sales boost—it’s about capturing new customers, building your brand’s awareness, and setting the stage for a strong holiday season. Here are a few key benefits:
- Increased Revenue: BFCM is historically the highest sales period for most e-commerce businesses.
- Customer Acquisition: With customers more willing to spend, BFCM is a prime opportunity to reach new shoppers who may not buy during other times of the year.
- Long-Term Growth: Brands that successfully capture customers during BFCM can continue engaging with them for holiday campaigns, post-purchase emails, and even into the new year.
With those benefits in mind, here’s how to structure your email marketing campaigns for maximum impact during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024.
1. Build Up Your Subscriber Base
Before BFCM hits, it’s essential to start building your email subscriber list. The more engaged people you have on your list, the higher the chances of successful conversions when your sales go live. Here are some tips to get started:
- Gather emails ahead of Black Friday: Focus on growing your list throughout October and early November. You can do this through social media promotions, paid ads, and website popups.
- Create a Black Friday/Cyber Monday-themed popup: Use popups with a special BFCM offer to entice visitors to sign up. Something like, “Sign up now to get exclusive early access to our Black Friday deals!”
- Share your newsletter signup link on social: Use your social media platforms to drive people to your signup form. Highlight the benefits of being on your list, like early access to deals or exclusive discounts.
2. Segment Your Audience Ahead of BFCM
Audience segmentation allows you to tailor your email content to speak to different types of customers. By dividing your list into smaller, targeted groups, you increase the chance that your emails will convert. For BFCM, here’s how to segment most effectively:
- Engaged Segment: This segment includes people who have recently interacted with your emails. If you send multiple emails a week, this might be those who’ve opened or clicked on an email within the last 30–60 days. For brands that email less frequently, extend this to include those who’ve engaged within the last 90–120 days.
- VIP Segment: Your VIP customers are those who spend the most, buy the most frequently, or have been loyal subscribers for a long time. Define your VIP segment based on what’s most relevant to your business model, whether that’s purchase amount, order frequency, or length of subscription. These are your most loyal, high-value customers, so you should treat them accordingly.
- Previous BFCM Purchasers Segment: These are customers who have made purchases from your Black Friday or Cyber Monday promotions in previous years. Since they’ve already shown interest in BFCM deals, they’re prime targets for exclusive early access or special discounts.
3. Determine Your Email Schedule
Email frequency and timing are key factors in any successful BFCM campaign. Here’s how to nail down your sending schedule:
- Analyze your audience’s behaviour: Use past data to understand when your audience is most active and what time of day they’re most likely to open and engage with emails.
- Test email sending times: If you’re not sure what works best, use A/B testing to experiment with different send times and find your sweet spot.
- Balance frequency: You want to send enough emails to stay top of mind without overloading your subscribers’ inboxes. If you notice an uptick in unsubscribes, it may be a sign to dial back.
4. Plan Your Campaigns
It’s important to map out your entire BFCM campaign well in advance (like, now). Here’s a breakdown of how to approach each phase:
Pre-Black Friday Campaigns
Start building anticipation in mid-October. By teasing your upcoming sales and offering early-bird discounts, you’ll give your audience a reason to stay tuned and look out for your emails when BFCM arrives.
- Begin in mid-October: Early marketing efforts can set you apart from the noise when the holiday rush begins.
- Tease your sales: Use sneak peeks or “coming soon” messaging to build excitement.
- Send early-bird discount codes: Encourage sign-ups and engagement with exclusive discounts for early shoppers.
Black Friday Campaigns
Black Friday is the big day, so make sure your email stands out! Focus on eye-catching designs, compelling subject lines, and clear, concise messaging about your sales.
- Send during peak times: Aim to send your main Black Friday email between 9 AM and 11 AM to maximize open rates.
- Highlight sale details: Make sure your email is clear about which products are on sale and what discounts are available.
- Use strong visuals: Black Friday is an event, so use bold colours, countdown timers, and high-quality product images to grab attention.
Cyber Monday Campaigns
Cyber Monday is a great chance to capture any lingering shoppers. Include “last chance” messaging to build urgency and nudge customers to make a purchase.
- Create urgency: Use “last chance” calls-to-action (CTAs) to encourage quick decision-making.
- Offer something new: If possible, include a new discount or offer for segments that didn’t convert during Black Friday.
5. Retain Customers After Black Friday
Once BFCM ends, it’s not time to step back—instead, focus on retaining these new customers for the long term. With the holidays right around the corner, here’s how to keep your new buyers engaged:
- Post-BFCM promotions: Offer post-sale discounts or promotions for customers who missed out during the main event.
- Loyalty program: If you have a loyalty program, promote it to your BFCM customers and encourage them to sign up.
- Personalized thank-you messages: A simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way. Send personalized messages to show your appreciation to customers who purchased.
- Review requests: Build these into an automated post-purchase flow. Asking for feedback can help establish a relationship and provide valuable social proof for future campaigns and social.
Get Ready for the Big Weekend
With these strategies in place, you’ll set yourself and your business up for a successful Black Friday Cyber Monday. We know the world of email marketing can be complex, which is why we at Good Commerce are dedicated to helping brands level up their marketing game. Get in touch with us to find out how we can help boost conversions and build a dedicated base of engaged customers through email marketing.