Black Friday / Cyber Monday is a clear opportunity to drive direct transactions through one-time offers, but you need to focus on developing relationships with your new website visitors and customers beyond one sale. Your bigger opportunity is with the lifetime value of the new customers you generate.
Fact: 80-90% of holiday sales come from warm and hot audiences (i.e., past buyers, subscribers, fans and followers, website visitors, etc.).
This means the holidays are the absolute best time to increase your revenue.
Why?
Because the opportunity for sales is at its highest!
Here’s your step-by-step holiday campaign checklist:
⌧ Campaign #1 - Presell
Timeframe: November 8 - November 28
Goal: Capture emails.
- Create a Zipify landing page (opt-in page).
- Set up Facebook, YouTube, and Google Display ads (awareness and cross channel).
- Set up 3 dedicated emails to introduce, indoctrinate, and educate your audience on what's coming up.
People love the idea of knowing about something in advance, waiting for it, and finally engaging with it.
⌧ Campaign #2 - Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Timeframe: November 29 - December 2
- Set up 10 dedicated emails: (3) Friday, (2) Saturday, (2) Sunday, and (3) Monday.
- Set up 8 promo emails.
- Set up 2 content emails with PS graphics that drive traffic to your site.
Remember to reintroduce your brand, tell your story, aspirations, and mission/vision ("feel good about buying from us"). Make sure to include any key points about your brand. For example, do you practice sustainability? Do you have social proof?
PRO TIP: Prime email sending time to 7am, 5pm, and 7pm.
PRO TIP: Showcase products that are popular and profitable (top of emails and collection pages).
⌧ Campaign #3 - Holiday Sales
Timeframe: December 3 - December 9
- 8 emails and 2 are value based. Focus on core "hero" product(s) or collections -- different concept from Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
- Sub campaign: Not a huge discount, but about how awesome these products or collection are.
PRO TIP: Use a discount ladder. If someone has already bought from you, you need to switch up your communication and exclude certain emails and ads (Klaviyo is really great for this).
Hit the one-time purchasers with an offer they can’t refuse. For example: they bought a product at 15% off -- let's hit them with a limited time offer (3 days) to get another product for 20% off.
⌧ Campaign #4 - Standard Shipping Deadlines
Timeframe: December 10 - December 14
This is the last time someone can order and receive their shipment before the holiday gifting period.
- Green Monday (December 9): 9 dedicated emails that dive deep into specific collections or products.
- Ads do the same. ^^^
⌧ Campaign #5 - 2 Day Shipping Deadline
Timeframe: December 16 - December 21
- 6 emails: 2 content and 4 promo. These are your “last chance” emails.
*** Most people stop here. ***
DON’T!
⌧ Campaign #6 - New Year’s Sale
Timeframe: December 24 - December 31
Last chance to buy and get a discount before the end of the year. If someone didn't buy in any of the previous steps, he/she gets targeted here.
PRO EMAIL TIPS:
Elements to test in subject, offer, and content:
✓ Emojis vs none
✓ CAPS vs none
✓ Questions vs curiosity statements
✓ Text vs HTML
✓ Native links vs buttons
✓ Customer testimonials vs not
✓ Short vs long copy
Mistakes most marketers make during the holidays:
🚩 Don't do enough
🚩 Not enough budget
🚩 Automatic links vs discounts codes
Follow this checklist and you’ll be well on your way to meet your holiday revenue targets.
