Last-Minute BFCM Tips for eCom

Hey there 👋 

The BFCM chaos is here, and with it, the busiest days of eCom are right around the corner..

..and it doesn’t matter if you have everything planned out for the holidays & BFCM — we got you covered with last-minute tips you can implement today!

Let’s get into it 🔥

1. BFCM Marketing Calendar 📆 

Before we get to the tips, we need to know what dates to optimize for — here’s how you should send campaigns out:

1️⃣ Thanksgiving 11/28

Send a Thanksgiving campaign to your 30-day engaged, 60-day engaged, and VIP lists. Then, send your VIP list an early access to the BFCM deals through SMS.

2️⃣ On Black Friday 11/29

Morning — send Black Friday email to your full list, excluding recent purchasers. Launch a VIP-only Black Friday SMS campaign.

Afternoon — send a reminder email to your 90-day engaged list (exclude recent purchasers) and a Black Friday SMS to your full list.

3️⃣ Cyber Monday 12/2

Morning — send a Cyber Monday email to your full list and an SMS campaign to VIPs.

Afternoon — send a follow-up email to your 90-day engaged list (again, excluding recent purchasers) and a Cyber Monday SMS to your full list.

4️⃣ Cyber Weekend Last Chance 12/4

Email the 30-day engaged segment and send an SMS to a resend segment (those that opened/clicked email but haven’t purchased), so that everyone gets another chance to shop.

Now that we know the big dates coming soon, let’s talk about what you can do right now to profit as much as possible 👇️ 

2. Mandatory Site & Campaign Prep 🖋️ 

Here’s how to lay a solid foundation for the upcoming busy days, even if the clock’s ticking:

1️⃣ Turn Off Smart Sending — for any critical campaigns that need to be sent to everyone

2️⃣ Send SMS to Your 30-day Segment — a pre-BFCM SMS campaign can build up the hype & keep your warmest leads ready to convert

3️⃣ Cross-site Banners — add banners to inform visitors of shipping deadlines & free shipping thresholds

And by site-wide banners, we mean something like this (from Grace & Lace):

A simple banner that shows how close they are to getting that sweet free shipping, without covering the entire screen — why doesn’t every brand do this? 🤔 

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3. Countdowns & Engagement 🕜️ 

Now we continue the campaign prep with these strategies:

1️⃣ Send Countdown Emails — to build up anticipation, this time targeting your 60-day engaged segments and VIP lists (with very clear CTA’s)

2️⃣ Set Up Promos — like new visitor welcomes to keep them engaged for longer, abandoned cart pop-ups, and offers that show up when someone’s leaving your store

Including a BNPL option (or a decent discount) in your abandoned cart offer can really win back some hesitant buyers, here’s an example:

Adding a countdown timer can seriously increase CR% (just don’t add one everywhere 😅)

P.S. — Check out our more in-depth BFCM Checklist for email marketing, upselling & UGC strategies 👀

4. Sign-Ups & Removing Friction 👀 

What we did with countdown emails & overlays was great, and we can do more to move the needle forward:

1️⃣ SMS Onboarding — use high traffic days to grow your SMS list with special offers, like a 10% off or even free shipping

This also works as a new visitor offer — a shopper signing up to your list for a discount, for example

2️⃣ Special Perks — give your VIP segment early access to BFCM deals (you could even create timed bundles, as they are more likely to buy)

3️⃣ Gift Guides — create collections like “Top Picks for Her” to help shoppers that are overwhelmed by the amount of choices

While not a guide specifically, Sephora bunched up their products, making it super easy to shop:

5. Festive Spirit & Gifts 🎁 

While BFCM is the real thing we’re all prepping for, every holiday matters for your brand. Here’s how you can bring the festive spirit to your shoppers, fast:

1️⃣ Holiday-Themed Overlays — a simple wheel or “Unlock Your Holiday Deal” helps people get in the mood & feel better shopping

2️⃣ Seasonal SEO — update product descriptions & collection pages with holiday-themed keywords like “Thanksgiving Gifts You Cannot Miss” or “Cyber Monday Must-Haves”

3️⃣ Site-wide Theming — even just changing the color palette of your site, peeping at the bottom can go a long way in creating festive excitement

Speaking of a wheel, here’s a great example of one that’s actually pleasing to see:

That’s it! Couple this last-minute prep with our BFCM Checklist, and you’re good to go, even if you’re short on time. We wish you a fruitful eCom BFCM & holiday season 😄 

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Daniil from ECORN