As an e-commerce brand, or even a service brand, BFCM is a season that holds the most potential for your annual sales. And despite the crowded craziness of it, most brands do see nearly 30% of their annual sales coming from this weekend period, if done right. So here are some strategies you can use to build your BFCM email marketing plan to see record-breaking sales — they have worked for us so they should work for you too.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) is the biggest sales event of the year, and every brand out there is vying for a spot in your customers’ inboxes.

The challenge is that as a DTC brand, you’re trying to stand out in a sea of promotions while maximizing conversions. So, how can you master BFCM email marketing and turn this high-pressure period into record-breaking results? How do you become one of those few that customers actually open?

Let’s get into a practical, step-by-step approach for BFCM email success, with proven tactics to help you increase e-commerce growth, leverage retention marketing, and enhance customer lifecycle optimization.

 

The Challenge: Standing out in a FLOODED inbox

During BFCM, the average inbox is a battlefield. Retention marketing, lifecycle marketing, and a clever mix of email marketing, and SMS marketing are essential to rise above the noise.

Your mission? Craft emails that make customers stop, click, and convert.

The key is to focus on engagement and relevance. While others spam inboxes, you can craft an experience that feels tailored, valuable, and, most importantly, hard to ignore.

 

BEFORE BFCM – Building anticipation, curiosity and readiness

Set the stage and warm up your audience. Focus on preparing your email list, creating excitement and curiosity, and ensuring your campaigns are optimized to deliver high impact.

1. Audience segmentation and data clean up

• Segment your email list into categories such as loyal customers, seasonal shoppers, recent buyers, and cart abandoners. This segmentation will allow you to tailor messages and offers for different types of customers.
• Clean up inactive subscribers to increase open rates and avoid deliverability issues.
• Update preferences and data to ensure you’re sending personalized recommendations based on customers’ recent behavior.

 

2. Optimize email flows

• Automated sequences aligned with the customer journey can make or break your holiday sales strategy.
• Your flows should reflect the Black Friday offers, so each email feels relevant and timely. Like this you strengthen your retention strategy, keeping those new customers coming back long after the holiday rush.
• Black Friday often brings a surge of first-time customers. With an optimized post-purchase nurture flow, you can turn those new buyers into repeat customers.

 

3. Send teasers + Early access emails

• Send “coming soon” emails to build anticipation and give VIP customers early access to deals. Use exclusivity and personalization to add value. Or language like, “You’ll be the first to know,” or “Exclusive access starts in…”
• Send teasers with cryptic messages or imagery that hint at upcoming deals without revealing too much. For instance, a subject line like “Something Big is Coming…” can spark curiosity.
• Consider offering an “Early Bird” discount to loyal customers, creating a sense of privilege and urgency.

 

4. Mobile optimization

• With 80% of emails being opened on mobile, make sure all visuals, buttons, and text are optimized for mobile devices.
• Test all elements (text, images, CTA buttons) to ensure readability and responsiveness across devices.

 

5. Integrated, multi-channel approach

• Use SMS Marketing to reinforce email messages with short, exclusive updates or reminders.
• Consider a direct mail piece if your audience responds well to physical mail—it could include a unique QR code or “insider access” code to create excitement.

 

DURING BFCM – Create urgency and drive conversions

This is the peak period where you need to capture attention, create urgency, and guide customers toward making purchases. Timing, consistency, and personalization are key.

1. Send high-urgency emails with clear CTAs

• Start with a launch email to announce the sale and include a bold, attention-grabbing CTA.
• Incorporate countdown timers in emails to drive urgency. Phrases like, “Ends in 24 hours!” or “Limited time only!” can increase conversions.
• Add a sense of scarcity with phrases like, “Limited stock” or “Last chance” to make shoppers act quickly.

Pro tip: Send a Heads Up email a day before the offer goes live asking customers to hold off any purchases while simultaneously telling them about the upcoming offer the next day. See what we did for one of our clients.

 

2. Create multiple email flow

• Build a sequence of emails
  • Launch day: Announce the sale, exclusive deals, or VIP access.
  • Mid-sale: Highlight trending items, restocks, or additional discounts.
  • Last-chance: Send reminders with countdown timers or final reminders to create urgency.
• Keep each email visually dynamic to avoid “fatigue,” such as mixing up formats and introducing new products or deals with each touchpoint.

 

3. Integrated marketing

• Send SMS reminders for high-priority updates like “flash sales” or “limited stock.”
• Consider push notifications if you have an app, sending “just launched” alerts or last-minute offers directly to customers’ devices.
• Use retargeting ads for users who opened your email but didn’t click through. Show relevant products they viewed to pull them back in.

 

4. Offer exclusive perks to loyal customers/ repeat buyers

• For VIPs and loyal customers, offer special perks like free shipping or extra discounts. For example, “Enjoy an extra 10% off as our thank-you for being a loyal customer.”
• Personalize these emails as much as possible with product recommendations or a personal note of appreciation.

 

5. Send plain text emails

• Sometimes, simpler is better. Plain-text emails stand out amid the crowded inbox filled with flashy, graphic-heavy promotions.
• They feel more personal and authentic, often landing in the inbox (not the promotions tab) and are quick to create.
• A/B test with plain-text emails or use them as reminders to drive urgency.

 

6. Highlight social proof and UGC content

• During BFCM, trust is everything. Showcase customer reviews, ratings and testimonials. 
• Promote user-generated content to build credibility and show potential customers how your products look in real life.

 

AFTER BFCM – Build loyalty and nurture 

Build on the momentum and turn those one-time buyers into repeat customers. This stage focuses on nurturing relationships and gathering insights to improve future campaigns.

1. Send Thank You emails

• Acknowledge your customers’ purchases with personalized thank-you emails. Make it more than just a receipt—express gratitude, reinforce the value of their purchase, and make them feel appreciated.
• Include next steps, like “Track your order here” or “Here’s how to get the best use out of your product.”

 

2. Offer a follow up disocunt/ freebie

• Encourage a second purchase by offering an exclusive “post-BFCM” discount to those who made a recent purchase.
• Highlight special products or seasonal items that go well with their previous purchase to keep them engaged. Customised recommendations go a long way. 

 

3. Gather feedback

• Send an email a few days post-purchase to gather feedback on the shopping experience and products.
• Use this data to strategise future marketing efforts and understand what worked well (or didn’t) during your BFCM campaign.

 

4. Upsell and Cross Sell

• Create post-purchase emails with tailored recommendations based on past purchases. Use phrases like, “Complete your look” or “You might also like…” to upsell complementary items.
• Focus on products relevant to the season or the BFCM sale items, to maintain momentum.
• Make these emails visually appealing to give them an overview of product’s look and feel.

 

5. Engage customers in a referral/ loyalty program

• Keep the momentum going by actively engaging new and returning customers with a well-thought-out referral and loyalty program
• Set up an automated post-purchase email flow that explains how customers can benefit from sharing the brand or participating in the loyalty program.
• If you want to create an initial jump in program sign-ups, offer a time-sensitive perk exclusively for BFCM customers.

 

With a cohesive and an integrated strategy, BFCM email marketing can deliver exceptional results, especially when you focus on retention marketing, lifecycle marketing, and customer lifecycle optimization. By using personalization, countdown timers, multi-channel marketing, and smart segmentation, you’ll stand out in a crowded inbox, drive conversions, and maximize customer loyalty beyond the sale.

 

By focusing on building relationships now, you can keep customers coming back long after the holiday season ends. Happy emailing, and may your BFCM campaigns be your most successful yet!

 

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