Working with some of the biggest names across Shopify, we know a thing or two about their BFCM strategies. And while this won’t be a tell-all, it’ll be a general, how-to. Common knowledge from working in the industry summed up and ready for your disposal.
The basic funnel for every marketer and brand is Acquire → Nurture → Convert.
We’ll talk about different channels, and their abilities and features that allow them to do just that.
First up, the classics.
The ‘ol faithful. People have been singing its farewell song for awhile and it still hasn’t kick the bucket. Email marketing is a powerhouse for a reason. It’s low-risk and low-involvement from it’s subscribers make it an acquisition standout. But as our audience’s inbox’s become more and more cluttered, it’s ability to nurture and convert are severely low with a plummeting open rate of 22%.
If you’ve got a huge audience on email, don’t ditch it. Use all the content you’re creating for other channels, social, your blog etc, to supplement your newsletter.
The best brands are thinking….
High-level and low-maintenance by repurposing content and always sharing value, big sales and releases when the arise.
The top-tier brands are thinking…
Is it time to move our power-email users somewhere else? Where engagement and reach is higher? More on that later.
Use Cases for BFCM
- Full collection preview & first looks
- Brand behind the scenes
- Sign ups to other initiatives for first dibs to sales (SMS, IG DM)
Scores
Acquisition A+
Nurture C
Convert D
SMS
With a 98% open rate, texting wins for the most eye-catching marketing channel out there. Acquisition wise, it’s a harder hill to climb, with audiences not really wanting to have your brand’s early access link alongside Grandma’s heartfelt message. While many people do subscribe to text marketing, it’s personal and “invasion of privacy” feel makes it a high risk for opt-outs.
The best brands…
Keep it short and sweet with SMS marketing. No long block texts, no bot-like copy. It’s a text, and it sounds like one.
The top tier brands…
Personalize the experience. Asking the person if they’d like to receive sales, alerts, etc, before sending. With such a high risk for opt-outs, they are as considerate and personal as possible.
Use Cases for BFCM
- Sale alert
- Personalized codes
- Feedback post-sale
Scores
Acquisition C
Nurture C
Convert B
The new player
Social Commerce
It’s been estimated that [social commerce sales will reach $45.74 billion this year, with more than half of the USA’s adults making at least one purchase on a social platform. With half of today’s biggest social sites allowing automated messaging and in-app checkouts (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), social commerce is not only the future, it’s here. Mixing the power of SMS’s open rate, email’s rich media content, and the instant checkout abilities traditionally held for online storefronts, social commerce is a massive shift in way BFCM will go down. It’s an acquisition, nurturing and conversion machine, with it’s ability to be hyper personalized and frictionless.
The best brands…
Won’t send their audience off of Facebook or Instagram to make purchases. Instead, the’ll feature headless, omni-channel shopping on the app.
The top tier brands…
Will boost their Instagram ads with engagement-based CTA’s (like, DM to sign-up to early access to our sale)
Use Cases for BFCM
- In-app storefronts (AKA headless shopping experience) and sales
- Personalized BFCM experiences and offers via only Instagram DM
Scores
Acquisition A+
Nurture A+
Convert A
This BFCM will be one of the greatest pushes in social commerce that we’ve ever seen.
