With the Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) season just around the corner, e-commerce businesses are gearing up for the most exciting and lucrative time of the year. In the fast-paced world of online shopping, where competition is fierce, there’s a secret weapon that can give you a significant advantage: email marketing, turbocharged with the magic of automation.
In this article, we’re about to embark on a journey to uncover a treasure trove of knowledge. We’ll unveil how email automation can be a game-changer in your BFCM email marketing strategy. It’s not just about sending emails; it’s about crafting personalized, timely, and irresistible messages that will have your customers eagerly hitting that “Buy Now” button. So, let’s discover how email automation can double your conversions and take your e-commerce business to new heights this BFCM.
What Is Email Automation?
Undoubtedly, one go-to channel for every eCommerce store owner and marketer is email marketing, and that is one of the most important factors in your e-commerce content marketing strategies. However, to make this channel even more effective, there is a magical wand called an email automation tool for marketing that works 24/7 to deliver the right message to the right people at the right time.
The magic wand helps you to send your emails on time, which makes your audience feel personalized, timely, and relevant. Whether it’s sending welcome emails to new subscribers or reminding your customers about abandoned carts, email automation handles it all seamlessly.
Let’s jump into the common use cases for email automation:
1. Welcome Emails: The warm digital handshakes that greet your new subscribers to make them feel valued and personalized to your brand.
2. Cart Abandonment Emails: I’m pretty sure we all would have crossed these emails in your inbox. One effective email was sent to the shoppers to remind them about the items left in their carts. A gentle nudge to complete their purchase.
3. Promotional Offers: One mandatory email should be sent to your new and existing shoppers about the special deals and discounts running in your store.
4. Teaser Emails: Yes! One fascinating email that builds excitement and anticipation among your customers. Generally, these emails are not overdone, but on some big events like BFCM sales, these emails work wonders.
Now, let’s move on to see how email automation fits into the grand scheme of conversion optimization. Well, let’s unravel that secret!
Why Is Email Automation Important During BFCM?
We all know Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) have evolved more than a shopping frenzy; they represent a massive opportunity for eCommerce businesses to boost their sales and revenue during a short period of time. But, in this digital age, where competition is fierce, email marketing emerges as a powerful and crucial tool to navigate the BFCM season successfully. But how?
Instant Connection with Your Audience
In the whirlwind of BFCM, your customers want to feel connected with your brand. Well! That is possible through email marketing, which allows you to instantly engage with your audience, updating them on your offers, promotions, and exciting deals.
It’s a personal touch in a digital world, enabling you to engage with your audience on a one-on-one level, building anticipation and driving traffic to your website.
Targeted and Personalized Offers
During BFCM, generic one-size-fits-all marketing won’t cut it; you need something more. Email marketing tools like BayEngage help you to communicate tailored offers you have designed for your customers based on their user behavior and preferences. This approach makes your customers feel special and increases the likelihood of a sale.Â
For instance, if a set of customers has shown interest in electronic items, you can tailor your email to showcase the latest tech deals, launched products, and more. This kind of personalization fosters a sense of being valued and understood, significantly increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Enhance Email Engagement and Drive Conversions
Engaging emails are stated to be those emails that are more likely to be opened, read, and acted upon. But this can happen effectively only if your emails are dropped in their primary box on time. That is where email automation tools like BayEngage pop up, which delivers well-crafted, engaging content at the perfect time for maximum impact.
Furthermore, an email automation tool ensures that the right emails reach customers at the optimal time, increasing the likelihood of conversions.
Cost-Effective
The most sensible point to be noted from a business perspective, compared to traditional advertising, is Indeed! Email marketing’s return on investment (ROI) is impressive. Well! You can reach a large audience without breaking the pot of savings, which makes it an ideal choice for smaller businesses.
Though budget-friendly, it makes it accessible to businesses of all sizes, from small startups to established e-commerce giants.
Re-engage and Build Relationships
To keep it open, BFCM is not just about one-time sales; it’s an opportunity for the brands to build lasting relationships with their customers. In that way, email automation goes hand-in-hand with re-engaging and nurturing your past customers, which increases the chances of repeat purchases.
Now that we’ve established the importance of email marketing during BFCM let’s dive into some practical strategies for effective email automation.
Email Automation Strategies for This BFCM
To make the most of email automation, particularly during high-stakes events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM), you need to craft a well-structured BFCM marketing strategy that goes beyond just sending automated emails.
Here are some key strategies to ensure your email automation is a success:
1. Segmenting your Email List
The one default and mandatory process to follow beforehand is email segmentation, which is the process of breaking down your email list into smaller, i.e., segmenting the email list into specific targeted groups based on specific criteria like customer buying behavior, demographics, abandoned carters, and more. This way, it can help you to send highly relevant emails.
For instance, if you are running a clothing store, you can segment your email list based on their buying behavior to upsell/cross-sell your products by sending tailored promotions and product recommendations, which increases the chances of conversion.
2. Creating Compelling Subject Lines
Indeed! It’s a key to your email open rate that grabs your recipient’s attention in a flick to open your email. For example, a subject line like “Don’t Miss Out on 50% Off This BFCM!” creates a sense of urgency and value for your target customers. But remember not to be more salesy head!
In addition, never stick and get packed up with one subject line because what works in one email campaign won’t work in another. So, it is better always to test and experiment with your subject lines to see which one gets a better open rate.
3. Timing and Frequency of Automated Emails
The most sensitive factor to be considered is the timing and frequency of the emails during BFCM. You can’t send your emails haphazardly instead, plan your email sending times carefully.
To do this effectively, you have to start your groundwork before a month to inform subscribers about your upcoming BFCM deals. Then, as a next step, you have to ramp up your email frequency in the month of October to generate excitement. Finally, unleash your most enticing offers during November or Black Friday weekends to ensure maximum engagement.
4. Dynamic Content
Rather than being narrow, it is good to pitch out dynamic content to your audience, which means tailoring your email copy and visuals based on the recipient’s behavior and preferences.
For instance, if your customer’s search history shows more interest in tech gadgets, your email can showcase the latest tech deals, launched products, accessories, and more. This way, dynamic content keeps your emails fresh and relevant and increases the chances of engagement and conversions.
BFCM Email Marketing: Increasing Content Variety
Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are the perfect occasions to not only entice customers with irresistible deals but also engage them with a diverse range of content.Â
By enhancing the variety of content in your email campaigns, you can capture your audience’s attention and keep them eagerly anticipating your next message.
Here’s how to infuse variety into your BFCM email marketing:
1. Welcome Emails
The warm welcome email is the first conversation your audience receives from their favorite brands, which sets the stage for your subscribers’ onboarding journey. During BFCM, these emails can also serve as a sneak peek of what your brands are upto.
It is one good strategy to introduce your brand, provide a brief overview of your BFCM deals, and even include an exclusive early-bird offer in your welcome email. For example, you can also add a coupon code as a token of love or a link to your best-selling products to entice them to start shopping.
2. Educational Content
The next on the pipeline is to educate your audience by sending educational content, such as how-to guides, tips, and tutorials, that can help customers make informed decisions during BFCM. For example, if you sell skincare products, provide a tutorial on skincare routine that is crafted for different skin types. This not only educates but also builds trust and positions you as an authority in your niche.
3. Promotional Offers
Indeed! An important part of eCommerce business is the promotional emails you send to your customers, which is also a core component of your BFCM email strategy. Remember, promotional emails should create a sense of urgency and exclusivity. For instance, you can send emails with limited-time offers like “24-Hour Flash Sale: 50% Off.” Such offers not only encourage the customers but also make them act quickly to secure the best deals.
4. Cart Abandonment Emails
The most mandatory emails to send to your customers as a brand are Cart abandonment emails, which are significant for recovering potentially lost sales, especially during BFCM. These emails must be crafted with highly personalized and persuasive reminders, like “Did you forget something? Your items are waiting.” You can also include product images as a reminder, customer reviews, and a direct link to the abandoned cart to make it as easy as possible for customers to complete their purchases.
5. Teaser Emails
Never fail to create excitement in the minds of your audience as a brand because there is a higher chance that your audience will expect something from their favorite brand. So, it is better to take advantage of the opportunity to provide sneak peeks of your upcoming BFCM deals, hinting at the amazing discounts and products that await your subscribers.
For example, send emails that say, “Get Ready for Our Biggest BFCM Sale Ever!” or “You Won’t Believe What’s Coming This BFCM!” These emails create buzz around your customers and keep your audience eagerly awaiting the big day.
The BFCM Email Automation Campaign: Monitoring and Adjusting
Regardlessly, email marketing during Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) can be a high-stakes game. Yes! Adjusting your email campaigns and monitoring them in real-time is essential to maximize their effectiveness.
Here’s how to keep a watchful eye on your email automation campaigns during BFCM and make necessary adjustments to ensure success:
1. Monitoring Essential Metrics
In order to measure the success of your email marketing campaign, it is essential to pay close attention to key metrics like open rate, click-through rate, bounce rate, conversion rate, and ROI. Instead of shooting in the pitch-dark place, it is good to analyze these metrics to help you identify what really works and what might need a bit of improvement.
2. Tracking in Real Time
We all know BFCM is fast-paced, and you can’t afford to wait for post-campaign analysis. So, to avoid this barrier, it is better to use real-time tracking to see how your email automation campaigns are performing as they’re sent. This allows you to make immediate adjustments if you notice any issues or opportunities.
3. Fine-Tuning Subject Lines
As discussed above, subject lines play an important role in email open rates. If you notice that specific subject lines are consistently performing better, it is a wise decision to replicate the successful elements in future campaigns. To do this efficiently, you can also use A/B testing to experiment with different subject lines and determine what resonates most with your audience during BFCM.
4. Refining Email Design and Copy
The next go-to work is email design, and the copy should not remain static throughout BFCM. You should be refining your email design and copy based on metrics is essential. Even here, you can also apply the A/B testing rule that can help you determine which designs and copies are most effective. For instance, you can test different call-to-action buttons or visuals to see which ones generate more clicks.
5. Enhancing Retargeting Tactics
Now it is time for retargeting; not all customers convert on their first interaction with your BFCM email. Retargeting tactics are crucial for re-engaging customers who haven’t converted. Use tools like BayEngage to send retargeting emails to remind them of your offers and encourage them to complete their purchase.
All Set to Boost Your Conversion 2X on this BFCM?
To conclude this statement – ‘Email automation is the secret sauce that can boost your conversions twofold during BFCM 2023.’ With the right email marketing strategies and a dash of automation, you’ll be on your way to a successful and profitable BFCM season.
Keep in mind that email marketing is an ongoing process that can benefit your business year-round by using the right tool like BayEngage. So, whether it’s BFCM or any other season, harness the power of email automation to keep your audience engaged and your conversions on the rise. Happy emailing and happy selling!
