Checkmate Your Competition: How to Win this BFCM with Segmentation

Ever played a game of chess where an initially brilliant move ended up backfiring, leaving you on the brink of defeat? I recently found myself in just such a predicament, but a stroke of luck turned the tables, leading to an unexpected victory.

This experience taught me a valuable lesson: success often hinges on careful strategy and not taking winning for granted. Curiously, I've observed a similar theme during BFCM in the business world.

Many companies anticipate a sales explosion without the necessary strategic groundwork, akin to assuming victory in chess without considering the ticking timer.

Just as every move in chess demands thought and precision, every action you take during BFCM should be deliberate and well-planned. One critical move you can make is audience segmentation, letting you to tailor your marketing efforts to different customer groups, increasing the likelihood of success during the BFCM sales frenzy.

Let's dive into the six key pieces that can significantly enhance your BFCM marketing strategy.

The Rook: BFCM pop-up subscribers

The Rook's movement is simple and straightforward. Similarly, the people who subscribe to your BFCM popups have a straightforward journey during your promotions.

Set up opt-in popups for your BFCM sale and target them specifically with offers they've shown interest in. You can also use this time to collect 0P-data to send them tailored campaigns in the future.

Note: Make sure the pop-ups highlight your BFCM sale and offers a BFCM incentive. Oh and, turn off your usual pop-ups during this period.

The Pawn: Unengaged customers

The weakest piece on your board but with careful nurturing you can make them into a valuable cohort.

After BFCM, many new customers may not return. To re-engage them effectively, create a segment of shoppers who haven't made a purchase in X days following the year-end holiday season.

The Knight: Early access customers

Knights can skip other pieces and so will your early access customers who get deals earlier than the rest.

Early access customers provide your brand with unique opportunities for feedback, early sales, and word-of-mouth referrals. They appreciate the privilege of being ahead of the curve; create personalized campaigns that acknowledge their exclusivity and offer incentives to convert their interest into purchases.

The Bishop: Contest participants

Contest participants are customers who've shown interest in your brand's activities. Sending campaigns keeps their interest up. You know the drill, yes, create a dedicated contest participants segment. Collect their contact information as an entry requirement so that you can start sending campaigns right from the start.

Bishop's diagonal movement symbolizes the different angle we take to segment actively engaging customers.

The Queen: High spending loyals

The Queen is the strongest piece on the board, the same as your high spending customers.

Firstly, define what high spending means for your brand. Then, segment customers who reach that bar. These are customers who love your products. So, send campaigns requesting UGC content to build your brand's authenticity.

Further divide this segment into customers who are loyalty program members and remind them about the points they have. For customers who aren't, promote your loyalty program.

The King: Customers with high discount value

Just as how the King is the centerpiece of the chessboard, discount lovers form the core of your strategy during BFCM.

People shop heavily during BFCM for the discounts, no surprise. But there will be some shoppers whose usage of discount coupons will be higher than other customers. You know what this customer segment loves the most, Discounts! Use this information to create personalized campaigns as part of your retention strategy.

Start segmenting, reach different customers effectively, and get the most out of email and SMS marketing this BFCM.

Remember that these segments are your strategic pieces on the marketing chessboard. Each one has a unique role and can be moved strategically to capture your audience's attention, loyalty, and ultimately, their purchases.

Need an in-depth guide on BFCM email marketing? Check out our BFCM 2023 Email Marketing Handbook.