Black Friday is a little over two weeks away! That means now is the crunch time for preparing your ecommerce store and your email marketing campaigns.
During Black Friday, most brands will send email marketing campaigns to announce their sales, generate hype, and drive traffic to their website.
In this blog, we’re sharing 3 types of email campaigns that you should be running for Black Friday, to help your store stand out from the crowd.
Why Black Friday Email Marketing Matters:
Black Friday is hugely competitive for ecommerce brands. If everyone is running a sale, how will your little store even get noticed?
The answer is: through clever marketing.
Did you know that more than 60% of people look forward to receiving promotional emails? It’s true. This is why sending emails is one of the best ways to promote your Black Friday sale.
Through emails, you can:
- Build awareness of your sale
- Generate hype and excitement
- Drive traffic to your website
- Drive sales
- Build relationships with customers
- Build brand loyalty
Now that you know why Black Friday emails are so important, let’s dive into the details of how to curate your campaigns.
3 Email Campaigns for Black Friday:
Just sending one email to announce your sale isn’t enough. To make the most of the Back Friday sales weekend, you need to take the time to create a strategic and thought-out email campaign. Here are three basic emails you should send:
- Automated Welcome and Abandoned Cart Emails: During the busy holiday season, you should make the most of automated email flows. Make sure to update your automated emails with seasonal content, including copy and creative elements that are relevant to Black Friday. This can help to increase engagement and motivate customers to make a purchase.
For your Welcome email flows, consider shortening the sequence to avoid flooding your new subscriber’s inboxes during the peak holiday season. For your Abandoned Browse and Abandoned Cart emails, consider adding a third or fourth email and shortening the timing between abandon and the initial email to drive quick conversions. Also make sure to highlight your returns and shipping policies in your welcome, browse abandon and cart abandon emails to help encourage visitors to make a purchase.
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2. Early Access for Loyal Customers: Personalised VIP messaging can be especially effective during the holiday season. For big sales like Black Friday, consider sending an ‘early access’ or VIP email specifically to your high-value customers to let them access the sale before anyone else.
You may even want to offer these VIPs an increased discount/ promotion or ‘free gift’ perk on top of your standard BF offer to further reward these loyal customers. This will also help your email to stand out in their inbox on competitive days.
Including VIP incentives within each email can also drive increased conversions from this highly engaged group. Consider adding a banner within your VIP email that highlights any additional benefits you may offer like upgraded shipping, a personalised customer service email address, or access to a personal shopper.
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3. FOMO Emails: Another important email in your Black Friday flow is the ‘FOMO’ email. Leveraging ‘Fear of Missing Out’ tactics is a powerful tool for driving conversions. This email creates a sense of scarcity and urgency, driving viewers to make a purchase.
For example, you could highlight that your sale is ending, that your stock is running low, or that your offer is exclusive and won’t be repeated. In your email, you can include a countdown timer or phrases like ‘while stocks last’, ‘limited time only’, to increase pressure. Just be careful not to over-do it, as this will turn customers away.
Black Friday Email Don'ts:
Here are some quick tips on what not to do in your Black Friday emails:
- Leave it to the last minute
- Forget to optimise for mobile
- Forget to test it before sending
- Flood customers’ inboxes (3 emails is enough)
- Over-do it (e.g. all capitals, too many emojis, too much intense colour)
- Send it at the wrong time (like 3am)
- Be misleading
- Attempt to re-engage ghost customers (they will unsubscribe)
- Link to a broken page
- Include a broken discount code
- Promote an out-of-stock product
- Not have an expiration date
- Not be transparent about costs (e.g. shipping)
- Fail to clearly communicate returns policy
Key Takeaways:
Black Friday is a hugely competitive sales event. However, if you are prepared, you can leverage it to make big rewards for your business. Sending strategic emails is one way to reach your customers and drive them to take action.
Remember to:
- Be ready
- Make use of automation
- Reward loyalty
- Evoke scarcity
Learn more about preparing your store for Black Friday in our blog.
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