‍

We’re back with part three of our Black Friday/Cyber Monday series to ensure your sends stand out in your shoppers’ inboxes. Missed the part one? Click here. Missed part two? Click here. 

Here’s the final installment: 👇 

‍

4️⃣ Personalize your offers

While mass sitewide sales will still be the norm, we also predict you’ll see more personalized offers this BFCM…

Deeper customer insights + sophisticated email segmentation tools = greater ability to offer unique deals for shoppers.

But regardless of the tech available, personalized offers are still tricky to execute well and can be a little nerve-wracking for a high-stakes sale like BFCM. 

Here are a few ways you can offer your customers more personal deals (without sweating bullets):

• Segment out your loyal or “VIP shoppers” and offer them something exclusive/extra over BFCM (early bird sale, free gift, extra discount, etc.)
• Repeat purchasers? Send them an extra discount on a bundle or subscription offer.
• For people on your list who haven’t purchased from you, consider sending them the most attractive deal on your best-selling product – something to get them excited enough to seal the deal. If you offer a service, this could also be a free trial or a few months free to get started.

Now, for the inspo! 👇

‍

‍

This coffee brand offers exclusive merch and products to loyalty rewards members that aren’t available to the general public. 

Why it works: Leveraging email tactics to promote personalized offers like exclusive merchandise for loyalty reward members can be very effective. It encourages engagement, adds additional perceived value, and adds exclusivity for signing up.

‍

Pioneer took it one step further and made their Black Friday sale ONLY for subscribers. We also love their approach with this email: simple, sexy, and mysterious! 👀

Why it works: People love to feel special! Showing subscribers an offer that celebrates their involvement with your brand is a fabulous way to deepen the brand relationship.

‍

‍

This email from Cupcakes and Cashmere shows another personalized offer to VIPs over BFCM (early access + extra discounts). 

One thing to keep in mind is that this was *not* just sent to their VIP list. 

The upside here is that this email may entice regular customers to sign up as a VIP. However, that might irritate customers who *are* VIPs and feel like they aren’t getting something exclusive. Pros and cons!

‍

5️⃣ Being a rebel: Anti-Black Friday messaging 

There’s no way around it: Black Friday is the epitome of consumerism.

Not necessarily a bad thing if you’ve got stuff to sell and bills to pay...

But more and more brands are rebelling against the capitalist holiday — whether by donating a portion of sale funds to charity, running sustainability campaigns, or opting out of the sale altogether. We expect to see this trend continue in 2023.

If you’re thinking of being a rebel this BFCM… 👇

‍

‍

Quip’s BF campaign takes a giving approach by donating a portion of funds to a foundation in alignment with the brand. (Kudos for mobile optimization here!)

Why it works: What’s better than buying something for yourself? Buying something for yourself and being able to feel good about it! Quip’s give their shoppers that feel good feeling and an extra push to purchase this holiday period.

‍

‍

Ikea rebranded Black Friday into “Buyback Friday,” a sustainability campaign to buy back used furniture from customers, giving a generous discount code in return (which is kind of an oxymoron, if you really think about it… 🤷)

Why it works: The very idea of turning Black Friday into a buyback event is novel and can generate significant media attention and word-of-mouth marketing. They may be aiming to tackle overconsumption, but it’s also a genius play to have shoppers trade in their old furniture and get a discount code to refresh their living space. Smart move, Ikea.

‍

‍

Being anti-Black Friday doesn’t always have to be so serious, as Cards Against Humanity proved with this campaign. 

In case you’re wondering: The company later revealed what it did with the $70K+ this stunt generated. It was split evenly among its 17 employees. 

‍

➕ And finally… 

Looking for a less drastic way to stand out this BFCM?

Don’t use “Black Friday starts NOW” as your subject line this year. Please? 😂

‍

‍

(Thanks for the laugh, Litmus.)

‍

✨ Conclusion

Don’t just go status quo with your emails this Black Friday/Cyber Monday. If you want to not get lost in the sea of emails your customers will receive, steal these tips and watch your engagement (and sales) skyrocket.

‍

Do you have top tips for standing out in the inbox during the busy holiday shopping season? Reply to this email and let us know!