The 2024 holiday season is expected to be more competitive than ever, making Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) the defining moment for many ecommerce brands. With shoppers eager for deals and brands vying for attention, having an airtight email and SMS marketing strategy is essential.
In this blog, Kelly Olson, VP of Lifecycle & Email explore actionable strategies, quick tips, and hacks to help you maximize conversions and revenue to hit your 2024 holiday marketing goals. Plus, we’ll show how Ignite Visibility’s Lifecycle Marketing Managed Services can support your brand through this busy time.
What You’ll Learn
My Expert Opinion on BFCM Marketing
While Black Friday is just one day out of the year, it can be the jumpstart you need to funnel a ton of high-quality leads into your sales funnel. In order to do this though, you have to think beyond tried-and-true Black Friday tips. You have to consider the entire customer journey.
That’s where lifecycle marketing comes in. Black Friday is a great gateway but the value really lies in where your customer’s journey takes them next. When you’re crafting your Black Friday emails, don’t focus on just making that one sale. Focus on building a relationship with your contacts so that they continue to come back to you over and over again!
Pro Tip: Revisit your 2024 holiday marketing strategy. Are you too focused on BFCM? Are you pushing sales, sales, and more sales? Instead of focusing so much on your sales revenue for this one season, reframe your marketing so that the goal is to create long-term, loyal fans of your brand – on Black Friday and beyond!
What is BFCM?
BFCM is the marketing acronym for Black Friday Cyber Monday. It’s one of the biggest shopping seasons of the year, which is why so many brands put so much emphasis on their holiday marketing campaigns.
And, for good reason! According to TapCart, 63% of consumers are more likely to pay attention to marketing messages surrounding BFCM than any other time of the year. It’s an important time of year to get your messaging right and capitalize on the season.
However, don’t over do it! According to that same survey, 62% of consumers will unsubscribe from brand messages if they feel like they are getting too many. You have to get your marketing right for BFCM, meaning that finding that perfect balance between getting your message across without overdoing it is going to help you make the most of your 2024 holiday marketing campaigns.
Your Black Friday Checklist for Marketing Success
Don’t let planning out your holiday marketing strategy get too overwhelming. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you map out your messaging for the next few months.
1. Pre-BFCM Planning: Set Yourself Up for Success
Preparation is everything when it comes to BFCM marketing. The groundwork you lay in the months leading up to the holiday season will determine your success. Here are essential pre-BFCM tactics to ensure you’re ready to capitalize on the season:
- Audit Your Automations: Make sure automated email and SMS flows—such as welcome sequences, cart abandonment, and post-purchase—are optimized to handle higher traffic during the holidays. These flows will catch potential customers at key moments in their journey, especially during the 2024 holiday marketing season.
- List Growth and SMS Sign-Ups: Build your email and SMS lists early by offering enticing incentives such as early access to sales or exclusive discounts. Use pop-ups, exit-intent forms, and sign-up incentives to convert visitors into subscribers before the holiday rush.
- Start Spending Early: Push acquisition efforts in October and early November, even if ROAS seems lower than normal. Building your audience early means you can remarket during the higher traffic BFCM days when competition and CPMs spike.
2. VIP and Early Access Tactics: Reward Your Best Customers
One of the most effective ways to create excitement and drive early revenue is through exclusive offers for your VIP customers:
- Exclusive Early Access: Reward your VIPs by tying exclusive early access deals into your BCFM email marketing content. Studies show this not only increases customer loyalty but also drives high early sales. Ensure your messaging makes them feel special and part of an elite group of shoppers.
- Wishlist Incentives: Encourage customers to create wishlists ahead of the holiday season. Not only does this give you valuable data about their interests to improve your target marketing for the holidays, but it also primes them to make purchases once your holiday deals go live.
3. Creative and Personalization Strategies: Stand Out With Smart Messaging
During the BFCM period, the inboxes of consumers will be flooded with promotions. Here’s how to make sure your Black Friday emails and SMS messages stand out:
- Simplify Messaging: During the holiday rush, clear, concise messages perform best. Focus on one main offer per email or SMS to avoid overwhelming your audience. Calls-to-action (CTAs) should be prominent and easy to understand.
- Gift Guides and Personalization: Create targeted gift guides segmented by personas (e.g., gifts for him, gifts for tech lovers, etc.). Personalize your messaging based on customer behavior, such as their past purchases or wishlist items. This adds relevance to your campaigns and boosts engagement.
- Leverage Social Commerce: Integrating social commerce within platforms like Meta and TikTok reduces friction in the purchasing process. Customers can shop directly from the platform, cutting down on the steps needed to complete a purchase.
4. SMS As An Essential Channel: Drive Urgency and Conversions
SMS is becoming a key tool for driving urgency and conversions during BFCM so you should definitely consider incorporating it into your 2024 holiday marketing strategy:
- Last-Minute Reminders: SMS is ideal for sending low-stock alerts, countdown reminders, and last-minute deals. Its immediacy makes it a perfect channel for time-sensitive offers.
- Use Shortcodes for High Volume: If your SMS list is substantial, consider using a shortcode. This allows you to send high-volume messages during peak shopping days without worrying about deliverability issues.
5. Avoid Promo Fatigue: Keep Your Audience Engaged
BFCM is a marathon, not a sprint. If you bombard your audience with constant sales emails, they may unsubscribe or stop engaging. Here’s how to avoid promo fatigue without damping the excitement over your BFCM marketing strategy:
- Mix Up Your Content: Alternate between promotional content and more value-driven messages such as gift guides, customer testimonials, and UGC (user-generated content) to keep your audience engaged without overwhelming them.
- Segment by Engagement: Target customers based on their recent engagement. For example, prioritize customers who have interacted with your emails in the last 48 hours to boost your results while avoiding the risk of unsubscribes.
6. Post-BFCM Retention Strategies: Turn New Customers Into Loyal Fans
BFCM brings in a lot of new customers, but the real value lies in turning those first-time buyers into repeat customers:
- Post-Purchase Nurture: After BFCM, set up post-purchase flows to thank customers and offer personalized recommendations for future purchases. Use these flows to build long-term relationships with your new customers.
- Reduce Cadence in January: After the 2024 holiday marketing rush, ease back on your email and SMS sends to prevent an uptick in unsubscribes.
Bonus: Quick Tips & Hacks
- A/B Test Early: Run A/B tests in October to determine which subject lines, designs, and offers work best before the holiday rush.
- Turn Off Smart Sending: During BFCM, disable your smart sending limits to ensure your customers receive all of your promotional messages without throttling.
- Data-Driven Personalization: Use insights from your customers’ wishlist building, browsing behavior, and past purchases to tailor your emails and SMS messages for maximum impact.
Accelerate Your 2024 BFCM Marketing With Lifecycle Marketing Managed Services
If generating captivating BFCM email marketing ideas and managing all email and SMS marketing delivery sounds overwhelming, let Ignite Visibility’s Lifecycle Marketing Managed Services take the load off your shoulders.
From segmentation and automation to personalized messaging, our team can help your brand run high-performing campaigns that maximize revenue and long-term loyalty during the holiday season.
Interested in learning more or having our team of email and sms experts conduct a complimentary audit of your program? Shoot us a message here. Let’s get your brand ready for BFCM and beyond!
