The Ultimate Guide to BFCM Prep: How to Plan, Optimise, and Maximise Your Black Friday Cyber Monday Sale (updated)
The busiest time of the year for eCommerce is right around the corner — Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is the most anticipated annual shopping event, and now is the time to start preparing.
This year, more than ever, the focus is shifting from sheer volume to long-term customer engagement. Consumer expectations are high. With just seconds to capture your customers’ attention, you need a strategy that stands out in a crowded inbox and marketplace.
From fine-tuning your marketing strategies to optimising your customer experience, setting the groundwork now will ensure your store is ready to maximise sales during the holiday rush. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essentials to set up your online business for BFCM success.
The importance of BFCM marketing
Marketing during BFCM is about more than just discounts. You need your emails to stand out in a sea of promotions because, let’s face it, everyone’s inbox is overflowing during this time.
The right campaign can grab attention in seconds, and a smart follow-up? That’s what keeps customers coming back for more. Emails are your direct line to your audience, whether you’re offering personalised recommendations, exclusive deals, or time-sensitive reminders that create that "I need this now" urgency. A well-timed, well-crafted email can turn a casual browser into a loyal customer, which is why nailing your email (and SMS) strategy is crucial for sales and long-term relationships.
Why you should prep early
First things first, you want to get ahead of your planning. Waiting until the last minute means scrambling to pull together campaigns, which can lead to missed opportunities, underperforming emails, and a whole lot of stress.
By starting early, you’ve got time to nail your messaging, fine-tune your offers, and ensure everything from your email flows to your checkout process is ready to handle the holiday rush. Early prep also gives you space to experiment—whether A/B testing subject lines or tweaking landing pages, you’ll have time to optimise. In short, prepping is the key to ensuring your BFCM goes off without a hitch.
BFCM Calendar
Use our marketing calendar to make sure you’re on track with your BFCM planning:
Early October (Weeks 1 & 2)
1. Grow your email & SMS lists
Optimise your sign-up pop-ups, make improvements based on A/B testing, offer exclusive early access to BFCM deals in exchange for sign-ups, and use social media to drive people to your newsletter. Incentivise with discounts or VIP perks. Take this further by having subscribers sign up for a BFCM waitlist or landing page to build more hype around your sale.
Tip: Keep your copy simple: "Get first dibs on our BFCM offers – sign up now for early access!"
How to grow your subscriber list
2. Segment your audience
Use past data to divide your audience into high-value customers, deal-seekers, and new subscribers. You can segment even further by identifying your repeat purchases, positive reviewers, or highly engaged email subscribers. This will help personalise your campaigns and send more targeted offers.
Read more here.
3. Analyse past BFCM campaigns
Review what worked (and what didn’t) last year by properly analysing trends. To build a winning strategy, look at open rates, click-through rates, and conversion data. Identify best-performing subject lines and offers. Pick out your best campaigns, see what people bought, where people clicked, and any other patterns you can replicate. Use all this knowledge to influence how you design this year’s BFCM emails.
Mid October (Week 3)
1. Plan your campaign timeline
Map out your email and SMS schedule. Start by sending out teasers, sneak peeks, and exclusive previews. Include a clear call to action, building excitement for what's to come.
2. Create early-bird campaigns
Launch pre-BFCM sales for VIPs or subscribers only. Offer limited-time discounts or exclusive bundles to reward loyal customers. Mention that they’re getting a head start on the main event.
3. Test subject lines & content
Remember when we asked you to identify winning patterns? Make sure you A/B test them to prove your theories about what worked. Test subject lines and SMS messages. Playful vs. direct? Emojis or no emojis? Test CTA placements, size and wording, product images, and email layouts.
Late October (Week 4)
1. Finalise all campaign content
Ensure all email drafts, SMS messages, and visuals are ready to go. Your subject lines, email content, and discount codes should all be locked in and set up.
2. Warm up your audience
Send teaser emails with messages like "Something Big is Coming" or "Get Ready for Our Biggest Sale Yet." Remind customers to mark their calendars and pay attention.
Early November (Weeks 1 & 2)
1. Launch pre-sale campaigns
Send "early access" emails and SMS blasts for subscribers or VIPs. Tease what’s coming with sneak peeks of exclusive offers, but keep the biggest deals for BFCM.
2. Confirm deliverability
Double-check that your email platform and SMS provider are ready for high volumes of traffic. Clean your lists, removing inactive subscribers to increase open rates.
3. Set up automations
Ensure abandoned cart, browse abandonment, and order confirmation emails are all optimised for BFCM. Offer extra incentives like free shipping for abandoned carts during BFCM.
Mid November (Week 3)
1. Hype it up
Send last-minute teasers with exact dates and times for your BFCM sale. Consider a countdown in your emails/SMS, and build excitement with "early access" or "exclusive first look" offers.
2. Reconfirm campaigns are ready
Make sure all promo codes, URLs, and automations are fully functional. Test your entire funnel from email open to checkout.
3. Prepare your customer support
Make sure your support team is ready to handle any issues with orders or questions during BFCM. You may want to include customer service links in emails.
Black Friday Week
1. Go live with your campaigns
Launch your main BFCM email and SMS campaigns. Hit your audience with your best offers, and make sure emails land in the early morning to maximise open rates.
2. Real-time adjustments
Track your email and SMS performance closely. If engagement drops, resend or tweak messaging. Keep an eye on abandoned carts and make sure follow-ups are firing as expected.
3. Follow up
Send reminder emails and SMS messages for expiring deals, focusing on urgency. Use language like "Last chance!" or "Final hours to save."
Cyber Monday
1. Hit customers with a final push
Launch a new email/SMS campaign with Cyber Monday deals. Offer something fresh like a one-day flash sale or additional discount to boost urgency. You can also just use this as a sale extension for Black Friday, giving customers who may have missed out an exclusive chance to still get in on the deals.
And if you’re serious about planning, why not get ahead with your post-BFCM strategies too:
Post-BFCM (Weeks 1-3)
Send thank you emails: Personalise thank-you emails to BFCM customers. Include product recommendations and sneak peeks of upcoming offers or release (this is a good time to start pushing festive gifts).
Promote your loyalty program: Encourage repeat purchases by inviting new customers to join a VIP program. Highlight exclusive benefits like early access and discounts.
Request Reviews: Ask customers for feedback and reviews on their BFCM purchases. Incentivisie with discounts or giveaways to build trust.
Holiday Shopping Reminders: Launch Christmas shopping campaigns with gift guides and last-minute deals to keep the momentum going.
Final Thoughts:
BFCM isn’t just about having flashy discounts and hoping for the best. In your Black Friday prep, you need to lay a solid foundation and well in advance so you’re ready to maximise every opportunity the sales season throws at you. With the right plan in place, you can cut through the noise, engage your customers, and drive serious results. So, just don’t wait until the last minute. Get ahead of the competition, fine-tune your approach, and make this BFCM your most successful.
