BFCM Marketing Tactics and Strategies for Increasing Sales

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) have become the biggest online shopping weekend of the year. But the real question is whether your brand is ready to capitalize on it. 

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Online spending during Cyber Week, which spans Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, was initially projected to be $40.6 billion in 2024, but it surpassed expectations, reaching an impressive $41.1 billion. This surge proves that the event is an opportunity brands can't afford to miss.

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In this blog, we'll walk you through actionable BFCM marketing tactics and strategies to help you drive traffic, increase conversions, and scale your revenue like never before.

What is BFCM?

BFCM stands for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the two biggest shopping days that follow the Thanksgiving holiday. Originally popular in the US, they have become major global sales events.

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What started as an American tradition has transformed into a global retail phenomenon:

• Massive Revenue Spikes: BFCM sales accounted for more than 20% of total annual revenue for many US-based online retailers in 2024. This isn't a one-off. It's part of a more significant shift where customers actively save and plan for BFCM purchases, making it a cornerstone for Q4 sales.
• Online Shopping Preference: Mobile shopping apps dominated holiday shopping in 2024, with 81% of consumers turning to them during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This percentage is expected to climb in 2025, driven by convenience, mobile-first shopping trends, and faster delivery options.
• Global Appeal: Retailers in over 50 countries participated in BFCM promotions last year. This includes cross-border e-commerce platforms that saw record-high order volumes from US consumers buying from overseas.

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The growth of BFCM over the years proves that brands need thoughtful planning to stand out in the crowded digital marketplace. Let's look at how to lay the groundwork before the frenzy begins.

Pre-BFCM Planning and Preparation

To win the BFCM game, you need to start early. Planning gives you time to prepare campaigns, stock up on inventory, and fix technical issues before shoppers arrive.

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Here are the key areas to focus on during your pre-BFCM preparation:

• Inventory Management: Ensure bestsellers are well-stocked, and overstock items are bundled for clearance and sale. Work closely with your suppliers early to prevent stockouts and analyze past BFCM data to accurately predict product demand. Group slow-moving products with popular ones in bundles to increase average order value and clear shelves.
• Website and Mobile Optimization: Test your site speed, mobile responsiveness, and checkout flow. A delay of just 2 seconds can double the bounce rates. Run regular stress tests to simulate traffic spikes, optimize for mobile-first indexing, and ensure that pages load quickly and efficiently. Ensure all promotional banners, pop-ups, and CTAs display correctly across different devices.
• Build Anticipation: Launch teaser emails, countdown banners, and VIP early access offers weeks before BFCM. Use storytelling in your email campaigns and social media posts to tease upcoming deals. To build buzz and exclusivity, offer limited "first-look" access to subscribers and loyal customers.

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Also read: Black Friday Checklist: 25 Tips To Prepare for BFCM 2024

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A well-oiled plan sets you up for a smooth and profitable sales weekend. But what drives customers to buy? That comes down to your marketing strategy.

Top 4 BFCM Marketing Tactics and Strategies for Increasing Sales

To make the most of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period, businesses need to employ effective strategies. These top 4 BFCM strategies will help you boost sales, engage customers, and stay ahead of the competition during the busiest shopping season of the year.

1. Use Targeted Marketing

BFCM shoppers are bombarded with options. What makes them choose you? Smart, targeted marketing that connects emotionally and offers real value.

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These proven tactics can make a difference:

• Social Proof and UGC: Feature customer reviews, testimonials, and real-life product usage via social posts and homepage sliders. Consider using dynamic social proof, such as "X people bought this today" or "Customer favorite!" tags, to enhance your product listings. Create a branded hashtag to collect user-generated content (UGC) and incentivize submissions through contests or giveaways.
• Personalized Journeys: Use browsing history and past purchases to craft tailored emails and product recommendations. Utilize AI-driven tools to segment your audience, recommend products, and send timely cart reminders. Offer personalized discounts for returning customers to increase repeat purchase rates.
• Exclusive Offers: Bundle high-demand items or offer tiered discounts to incentivize higher cart values. Try strategies like "Spend $100, get 20% off" or early-bird discounts for the first 100 buyers. Utilize psychological pricing and position higher-priced products adjacent to cheaper bundles to enhance perceived value.

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With your marketing game strong, the next focus is triggering action through urgency.

2. Creating Urgency and Scarcity

People hate missing out. That fear is exactly what you need to tap into during BFCM. Scarcity-driven marketing pushes customers to act fast and decisively. Let these urgency boosters guide your strategy:

• Countdown Timers: Add timers to product pages and email headers to create a real-time sense of pressure. Place these on landing pages, limited-time deals, and checkout pages to trigger an action. Countdowns for restocks or "deal ends in" can significantly reduce hesitation and speed up decisions.
• Flash Sales: Run timed sales with limited stock every few hours or days. Highlight the number of units remaining, and rotate product categories to keep things fresh. Flash sales boost site visits throughout the day and encourage impulse buying.

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Urgency is most effective when your customer experience is seamless. Next, we explore how to make shopping a smooth and satisfying experience.

3. Optimizing Customer Experience

Even the best deals can fail if your customer journey is clunky. With higher-than-usual traffic during BFCM, even a single glitch can cost you thousands of dollars. Here's how to make sure your shoppers have a great experience:

• Smooth Checkout: Minimize form fields, enable autofill, and offer guest checkout. Keep your checkout to a single page when possible and include progress indicators. Enable address lookups and one-click payment options to reduce friction.
• Payment Flexibility: Offer multiple options, such as Apple Pay and PayPal, to cater to every buyer. Additionally, consider offering Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions, which are gaining popularity among US millennials and Gen Z shoppers.
• Responsive Support: Offer live chat or automated bots to resolve queries promptly and efficiently. Set up FAQs, chatbot flows, and escalation protocols. Ensure 24/7 support with automation processes, easing pressure on your team during peak hours.

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A great user experience increases loyalty and boosts your brand image. But to scale visibility, you need assertive digital outreach.

4. Using Digital Channels

You can have the best offers and a smooth user experience, but none of that matters if your audience doesn't see them. Digital outreach amplifies your visibility and keeps you at the top of mind for your customers. Explore these top-performing digital channels:

• Social Media: Run stories, reels, and live sessions showcasing deals and customer testimonials. Focus on trending formats, such as behind-the-scenes content or countdowns. Encourage users to tag your brand and share their purchases in exchange for discounts or shoutouts.
• Email and SMS: Send segmented campaigns based on user behavior for higher open and click-through rates. Use A/B testing to refine subject lines and offer time-limited coupons for maximum urgency. Combine abandoned cart emails with SMS nudges to recover potential lost sales.
• Influencer Collaborations: Partner with micro and macro influencers to build trust and tap into new audiences. Influencer unboxings and limited-time affiliate codes can create urgency and virality. Select influencers whose target audience aligns with your buyer persona.

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Once the BFCM dust settles, there's still more to be done. Post-event engagement ensures long-term value from short-term wins.

Post-BFCM Engagement

Many brands forget that BFCM customers can become lifelong buyers if they are nurtured correctly. Post-purchase engagement helps you stay relevant and valuable. These are the most effective ways to keep the momentum going:

• Loyalty Programs: Offer points, cashbacks, or referral rewards for future purchases. Make these programs visible right after purchase with easy opt-ins. Gamify rewards and send reminder emails when customers are close to earning a perk.
• Data Analysis: Review campaign performance, sales spikes, and drop-off points to inform your next steps. Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as conversion rates, bounce rates, and product page performance. Use insights to refine your next BFCM and regular campaign cycles.
• Feedback Collection: Send out surveys to gather insights on what worked and identify areas for improvement. Offer incentives for survey completion and use NPS scoring to track satisfaction. Gather feedback on everything from shipping speed to product quality and usability.

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Your post-BFCM game needs to be as strong as your preparation to stay ahead in future campaigns. And that's where Return Prime steps in.

How Return Prime Supercharges Your BFCM Sales

Return Prime specializes in simplifying the returns and exchanges process for e-commerce businesses. With its customer-focused solutions and a 4.9-star rating, Return Prime helps over 10,000 global brands streamline the returns experience, ensuring customer satisfaction while boosting operational efficiency. 

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It integrates seamlessly with major logistics platforms like Shippo, ShipStation, USPS, FedEx, Easyship, and USPSv2, offering plug-and-play connectivity that supports a smooth and scalable workflow. Return Prime helps brands convert BFCM buyers into loyal customers with robust solutions:

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• Wonder Revenue Booster: Turn returns into revenue opportunities through custom upsell offers. This helps retain a sale even if the original product didn't work out. Show customers curated suggestions at the return stage and increase your revenue per customer.
• Wonder Promotions: Launch time-sensitive offers and discounts that boost engagement and conversions. Create urgency and exclusive deals during and after BFCM to maintain momentum and drive additional purchases.
• Wonder Smart Exchange: Let customers exchange products instantly and seamlessly, reducing refund rates. Keep the sale alive by making the exchange process quick, automated, and delightful. This also increases customer satisfaction.
• Wonder Bot Automation: Provide 24/7 customer service with automated return and exchange management. This tool frees up your support team during the BFCM rush, ensuring that customer queries are answered promptly and accurately.

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With Return Prime, you're not just prepared for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM). You're set to win it. Take the example of Bummer, a fast-growing innerwear brand, which utilized Return Prime to reduce return processing time by 87.5% and decrease return requests by nearly 74%, all while handling 2–3 times the order volume.

Conclusion

BFCM marketing success doesn't happen overnight. It takes early planning, sharp execution, and constant post-sale nurturing to get the best results. By optimizing your site, crafting targeted campaigns, and improving the customer experience, you set yourself up for record-breaking sales.

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With the right tools and a solid BFCM marketing strategy, your brand can stand out, convert better, and turn seasonal shoppers into loyal fans. Let this BFCM be your most significant success yet!

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Want to simplify your returns and increase your BFCM profits? Book a demo with Return Prime today and turn every return into a repeat sale. Don't let all that effort go to waste. Partner with tools that make selling and retaining easier.