9 marketing tactics you need to implement this BFCM

In the hustle and bustle of the BFCM season, marketers often face this common hurdle: the need to make their brand seen and heard amidst the flurry of discounts and promotions. As the competition heats up, the pressure to acquire and build relationships with customers rises.

Your existing customers make up half of your orders received during BFCM. While, the other half is made up of new customers. So it's important that your marketing tactics cater to both of them.

We've curated a list of tactics that can get you the most out of this year's BFCM and stand out from other brands.

1.Grow your list early

Growing a list takes time. And, you need a sizeable and high quality list for your email and SMS marketing to be successful this BFCM.

Nurture your contacts before BFCM, tell them why they should buy from your brand, and your brand alone, and get them primed for purchase when BFCM rolls around.

So, start growing your list as early as August using these aggressive methods. Speaking of growing your lists…

2.Set up BFCM-themed pop-ups

Switch your usual pop-ups with BFCM-themed pop-ups that lets shoppers sign up for extra BFCM incentives or guides for holiday gifts. Inform your shoppers that they'll be receiving other relevant marketing communications.

Use social media ads, posts, and stories with links that lead prospects to a landing page and collect their contact information. Collect additional information like preferred products and other 0P-data. Segmenting your audience will help you send relevant campaigns and reconnect with them even after the holiday season comes to an end.

We're working on a blog dedicated to growing your list for BFCM. Subscribe to get it delivered to your inbox once it's out!

3.Pre-BFCM Campaigns

Your email and SMS campaigns during the next 3 months play a crucial role in driving revenue. Plan for these right now and get your audience warmed up for BFCM with campaigns like:

Teaser emails

Send a sneak peek email that about your upcoming offers to pique interest early. Let your audience know what to expect and get them excited when your offers roll in. Personalize this email by displaying products that the viewer has browsed before. Encourage readers to add the products to their wishlist to get notified when the sale goes live.

Contest and quizzes

Conduct contests and quizzes to engage with your audience better before BFCM. Tailor these events for specific segments to make them more personalized.

For example, if you are a skincare brand, conduct "The dry skincare challenge", "skincare trivia" contests and use quizzes to collect 0P data.

Early access for VIP segment

The VIP segment is your most loyal audience. Make them feel special by giving them early access to the BFCM sale.

4.BFCM Campaigns

Once November rolls by, your marketing focus should shift towards reminding customers about the sale and create FOMO with campaigns like:

Limited-time deals

Use a countdown timer to create a sense of urgency and encourages shoppers to buy before the sale ends. If you are sending an email, display the top deals you're offering along with the countdown timer and add CTAs that lead to appropriate product pages.

Limited Stock

Your pre-BFCM campaigns should have given you sense of what products people like and buy. Showcase scarcity (only X items left, X units sold already, etc) to drive FOMO. You can also offer discounts only for X quantities.

For more, check out our dedicated BFCM Email Campaigns blog.

5.Aim to increase average order value

Although flat discounts can attract customers, they can eat up your profit margin and affect profitability. This is especially bad when you are already running on low margins.

To tackle this:

• offer discounts, gifts, mystery items, free shipping, etc., over a certain order value.
• give incentives to promote your up-selling and cross-selling strategies.
• let customers create customized bundles or choose pre-bundled products at a discounted price.

These strategies makes people spend a bit extra to avail your deals, increasing your AOV.

6.Go omni-channel with social media

Complement your other direct response channels with social media to to promote your BFCM sale. Collaborate with influencers to reach their audience.

7.Promote your loyalty program

During BFCM around 48% of your revenue comes from first-time buyers. Loyalty programs help you retain them for repeat purchases. Promote your loyalty program by sending emails to first-time buyers and talk about its benefits.

At the same time, offer extra benefits to your existing members and give them early access to the BFCM sale.

8.Leverage ads early

Paid ads can become an expensive affair during BFCM. If you're a smaller brand, you cannot outbid the bigger players with deeper pockets. So, make sure you get on early with your Facebook and Google ads.

Your acquisition costs will be significantly lower and also if your ads generate interest early, you can leverage your other channels like email and SMS, which have higher conversion rates.

9.Use product stickers

Product stickers and tags such as "BFCM Sale", "Best Seller", "Offer Ends Soon", "Limited Stock" are simple yet effective way to draw attention towards the price reduction and helps in creating FOMO.

Some other stickers you can use are:

• Free shipping
• + Mystery item
• + Free gift
• BFCM coupon code inside
• Value for money
• Buy one get one
• No return/exchange charge

For your VIP audience, send promo codes via email and SMS. On your website, use stickers like "Unique Promo Code", "Use VIP Code" to let them avail extra offers.

The BFCM season is a perfect opportunity to boost profitability and grow your customer base. Implement the right marketing tactics that fits your brand and make the most out of it. Optimize your website before BFCM hits and keep tracking your marketing efforts and make necessary changes.

Here's a quick rundown of the marketing tactics:

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