Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are more than just blockbuster sales days; they're a golden opportunity for e-commerce businesses to build lasting customer relationships.
As the dust settles and the frenzy calms, what should your next steps be?
To help you navigate this crucial period, we asked five of our seasoned team members for their best post-BFCM advice. Here are their responses:
1. Start with a simple thank you
Wondering what’s the first thing you should do after BFCM? Here’s a simple but useful tip from our account manager and COO Sofia Vargas:
"Start with a simple thank you to acknowledge their purchase – it’s a small gesture that goes a long way.
Then, make sure your customer service is on point. Be there to answer any questions and solve problems quickly; it shows you really care. You could even send your new customers an email on how to make the most out of their product.
For ex: How to set up your new vacuum cleaner, or a guide to all our makeup brushes. Product explainers can go a long way to show customers you care. If it’s apparel, even a simple email with aftercare instructions can add value and help your brand stand out.
And don’t forget about the content. Keep it interesting, useful, and consistent. Whether it’s product tips, relevant articles, or just some good old entertainment, make sure it’s something that adds value to their day.
Keep these things in mind, and you’ll not only have made a sale, but you’ll also have started a conversation that can lead to a lasting customer relationship."
2. Focus on turning newly acquired customers into lifetime buyers.
BFCM is the time of acquisition when you bring in customers with astounding deals and maybe even sell at minimal profits to a point where you might be becoming unprofitable as a brand.
But what use is this acquisition, if you cannot capitalize on it later on?
Here’s some practical advice from the head of our Quality Assurance team, Shaheer Khalid to help you double down on your newly acquired customers:
"You need to constantly flirt with the prospect, make them fall in love with your brand.
How?
A very good question.
Understand where the customer is coming from. Create a segment of this list who you acquired newly and because they came with a discount, it is likely they will ONLY buy again if a discount was offered to them.
Send out discounts but this time, lower the discount value from the original one you had for BFCM. Get them to purchase from you for a second time.
You should have your post purchase automations ready which focus on indoctrinating the customer and making them fall in love with your brand.
The aim of the post purchase should be to get high engagements and more value given to the customer. And likely get the customer to buy for a third time from you at full price."
3. Highlight your store’s USP’s
Black Friday is a busy time, but once that’s over you have enough time on hand to let your newly acquired customers learn more about you and your store.
Here are some tips from our trusted account manager Santiago who’s got plenty of experience in creating retention marketing strategies for e-commerce brands on what to do next:
"Customers come for the discount, but they stick for the Unique Value Proposition the store has to offer. Building a community right away helps generate long term engagement (and increases Lifetime Value)
My number 1 tip would be to send engaging email campaigns that aim to:
A) Build TRUST by generating brand awareness - Send emails that focus on highlighting the story around your brand and products. You can do this by sending holiday emails from the founder, and about us emails.
B) Provide educational/informational value - Send content mails about topics of interest for your customers. These don’t necessarily need to link to any of your products, just give them free value. For ex: Sending emails about how to figure out your skin type if you’re running a skincare business."
Our CEO, Daniel discussing post-BFCM strategies with Santiago and Sofia
4. Reduce unsubscribe rates by sending an opt out email
Not everyone wants to be bombarded with Black Friday emails. Here’s a tip from our Copy Coach Nick to make sure you don’t lose too many subscribers this sale season:
"Don’t forget to check your unsubscribe rate and apply that insight to future sales.
Is it really worth losing a customer in exchange for a quick sale at a discount?
For some brands, we're bombarding them with daily emails (but beautifully written) saying the same thing. I'm predicting a huge spike in unsubscribes for some of these stores as a result.
What's the solution?
Get customers to opt in or opt out before Black Friday so that they know what they're signing up for.
That way you don't bother the ones who don't want to receive a flood of emails.
This is something you can implement right away to ensure you don’t lose too many subscribers post BFCM.
Here’s an example of an opt-out email:
5, Nurture your customer relationships
Make sure you stay in touch with your customers even once Black Friday ends. Here are some actionable tips from Diga, a member of our Klaviyo expert and Quality assurance team to help you engage and retain your new customers:
"Implement personalized follow ups: Segment your customer base for targeted marketing, and implement personalized follow ups to enhance customer interactions.For instance: You can create a new segment for all the new customers you’ve acquired this BFCM and send them personalized follow ups for feedback.
Maintain an active online presence: Determine the channels of communication (email, SMS, social media, etc.) that are most effective for your target audience, and use an omnichannel approach to connect with them.
Offer excellent post-purchase support: This can include a comprehensive FAQ, live chat support, easy return policies, proactive outreach for feedback, fast shipping options, transparent tracking systems, and hassle-free return procedures."
To wrap up, the post-Black Friday and Cyber Monday phase is as critical as the events themselves. It's a time to solidify the influx of new relationships and convert them into enduring partnerships. We hope these insights shared by our team, ranging from personalized follow-ups to creating engaging content, help provide you a blueprint for deepening your customer connections.