3 Ways To Optimise Your Email Marketing BEFORE Black Friday
Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping events of the year, and if you’re in e-commerce, your email marketing game needs to be on point.
But it’s not just about crafting the perfect email on the day itself.
The real magic happens in the weeks leading up to it.
Here are 3 crucial email marketing steps you should take before Black Friday to maximize your sales and ensure everything runs smoothly.
1. Clean and Segment Your Email List
Why It’s Important:
A clean, well-segmented email list is the foundation of a successful Black Friday campaign.
Sending promotional emails to a disinterested audience is like shouting into the void—it’s a waste of effort, and it can even hurt your sender reputation.
What to Do:
Clean Your List: Remove inactive subscribers who haven’t opened or clicked on your emails in the past 90 days. This will help improve your deliverability and ensure that your emails land in the inbox for everyone else, not the spam folder.
Create Segments: Break down your audience based on purchase history, engagement level, and preferences. For example, create segments for VIP customers, first-time buyers, and subscribers who have shown interest in specific product categories. If you have capacity, send individual emails for each major segment.
Run a Re-Engagement Campaign: For subscribers who have been inactive but you’re not ready to remove, send a re-engagement email series to win them back. Offer a small incentive like free shipping or a small discount to get them to interact with your emails again.
Pro Tip: Use segmentation to send sneak peeks or exclusive early access to your most loyal customers. This makes them feel valued and builds excitement for your Black Friday deals.
2. Optimize and Test Your Flows
Why It’s Important:
Automated email flows like abandoned cart, welcome series, and post-purchase follow-ups are the backbone of your email strategy.
They work in the background to nurture leads and retain customers.
Before the Black Friday rush, it’s crucial to ensure these flows are optimized and functioning as intended.
What to Do:
Review and Update Content: Ensure that your flows are up-to-date with relevant content and offers. For example, update your abandoned cart emails to include mentions of upcoming Black Friday deals or extended return policies during the holiday season.
Check Triggers and Timing: Make sure your flow triggers are set correctly and that the timing is appropriate. For example, you may want to shorten the time delay between emails in your abandoned cart flow to create a sense of urgency during the time your sale is live, typically consumer buying cycles are reduced during BFCM.
Test Your Flows: Run A/B tests on subject lines, copy, and offers to see what performs best. This will give you valuable insights that you can apply to your Black Friday campaigns.
Add Black Friday Tags: If you have a post-purchase flow, consider adding a Black Friday upsell or cross-sell email to promote related products.
3. Grow Your Email List Before the Holiday Rush
Why It’s Important:
Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are highly competitive times for eCommerce. Ads get expensive, and everyone is vying for the same customer attention.
If you wait until November to build your email list, you’ll be paying premium prices for leads.
This works best if you have a new product launching that everyone wants, or something more exclusive than what they can receive from your store at any other time of the year.
What to Do:
- Leverage Referral Programs: Encourage your current subscribers to refer friends and family by offering incentives like discounts, gift cards, or even early access to your BFCM deals.
- Run Giveaways: Organize giveaways that require participants to join your email list. Make sure the prize is relevant and valuable to your target audience to attract quality leads. This strategy can rapidly increase your subscriber base while also generating buzz around your brand.
- Optimize Sign-Up Forms: Ensure your sign-up forms are prominently displayed across your website, including pop-ups, sidebars, and exit-intent forms.