Email and SMS do some of their most important work over Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They reach shoppers you do not have to pay to reach, and they shape whether a peak-season customer ever buys from you again.
Most of what makes a strong BFCM in your CRM is set up weeks before the sale starts. This checklist covers what to do now, what to plan for the run-up, and what to have ready for after the sale. Tick off what is already in place and focus on the gaps.
Now: get the foundations right
Grow your list before the offer goes live
Every subscriber you add before BFCM is someone you can reach without paying for the click. Review your sign-up forms and pop-ups, and give people a clear reason to join, such as early access to your offer.
Collect SMS consent alongside email
If you plan to use SMS over peak, you need opted-in subscribers first. Add an SMS step to your sign-up form now so the list has time to build.
Protect your deliverability
Sending far more email than usual to people who have not opened in months is a quick way to land in spam. Clean out long-inactive subscribers, build up volume gradually through October and November, and focus peak sends on engaged contacts.
Update your core flows
Welcome, browse abandonment, abandoned cart and post-purchase flows will see more traffic than at any other time of year. Make sure their messaging, offers and delivery cut-offs reflect peak, and that nothing contradicts your campaign.
In the run-up: plan the campaign
Map out your send calendar
Plan every email and SMS from now to Cyber Monday: teasers, early access, launch, reminders and last chance. Check that email and SMS work together rather than reaching the same person twice in an hour.
Look after existing customers first
Your best customers should not hear about your offer at the same time as everyone else. Early or exclusive access for VIPs and repeat buyers rewards loyalty and brings in revenue before the inbox gets crowded.
Segment beyond the whole list
Past purchasers, recent browsers, high-value customers and people who have never bought all need slightly different messages. Even two or three segments will make your campaign more relevant than one send to everyone.
Build a lead-in for your holiday drop
If you have a holiday collection or BFCM offer coming, a "Get notified" list lets you build interest before launch and gives you a warm audience on the day.
Test everything before it sends
Check links, discount codes, product availability and how each email looks on mobile. A broken code on Black Friday morning is far harder to fix than it is to prevent.
After the sale: keep the customers you won
Plan for the second purchase
BFCM brings in a lot of new customers, and many never buy again. Set up a post-purchase journey that welcomes them, introduces the wider range and gives them a reason to come back, without relying on another discount.
Cross-sell into a new category
Recommending the product someone has just bought, at a discount, is not a strong follow-up. Introduce them to a different category you want them to explore, ideally one with healthy margins.
Ask for reviews at the right time
Peak orders are a valuable source of fresh reviews. Time your review request for when the product has arrived and been used, not the day it ships.
Have January ready
Decide now how you will re-engage BFCM buyers in the new year, so they do not drift away once the sale is over.
Start now, not in November
You do not need to tick off everything on this list. Pick the gaps that matter most for your brand and customers, and get them live while there is still time to test and adjust before traffic peaks.
