Your Black Friday Email Playbook

Hey, Michael here from AdSumo Digital.

We’re back with another edition of The DTC Letters.

Today, we’re diving into one of the most important topics for eCommerce brands this time of year:

How to Crush Black Friday and Cyber Monday with Your Email Marketing

Here’s what we’re covering today:

• Why BFCM is your most critical revenue opportunity

• How to set up your email calendar for success

• Proven strategies to stay out of the spam folder

• How to keep the momentum going after Black Friday

Let’s get into it!

Deep Dive (Some In Depth Knowledge, Case Study, Training, Etc.)

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Why BFCM is Your Super Bowl

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are the most important days of the year for eCommerce brands.

Many brands see 50% of their annual revenue generated in this 3-month window.

But that means a lot of pressure. Everything from inventory and fulfillment to email campaigns and customer service has to be dialed in.

Tip #1: A strong email marketing plan can help you squeeze more revenue from your existing customer database without relying solely on ads.

Plan Your BFCM Email Calendar Now

Preparation is the key to success. Having a clear, well-structured email calendar will ensure you hit all the critical sales moments leading up to BFCM, during it, and beyond.

Here’s what you need to focus on:

• Early Access for VIPs: Create a sense of exclusivity and reward your top customers by giving them early access to your biggest deals.

• Teaser Campaigns: Send teaser emails in October and early November to build anticipation for your Black Friday offers.

• Post-BFCM Campaigns: December isn’t just a cooldown period—it’s an opportunity to extend the momentum, especially for gift-heavy brands.

Tip #2: Use Klaviyo’s segmentation tools to manage your audience and make sure each segment gets personalized offers.

Stay Out of Spam with Deliverability Best Practices

During BFCM, inboxes are packed with promotions. Even brands that never hit spam can get caught if you don’t play it smart.

To improve your chances of inbox placement, here’s what to do:

1. Warm Up Your List: Start focusing on your most engaged subscribers in October. This will build a positive sender reputation before the Black Friday rush.

2. Stick to Value: Leading up to November, avoid flooding inboxes with too many sales emails. Focus on value-based content that nurtures your audience and keeps engagement high.

3. Check Your Deliverability: Use tools like Google Postmaster or GlockApps to monitor your deliverability and make sure your domain isn’t getting flagged.

Leverage Emotion and Urgency in Your Campaigns

Here’s the deal: everyone is offering discounts during BFCM.

To stand out, you need to tap into emotion and urgency in your messaging.

Here’s how to do it:

• Make Offers Simple: Easy-to-understand discounts (like 25% off sitewide) are more effective than complex, tiered offers. Customers need to grasp the deal instantly, especially during BFCM when their inbox is filled with options.

• Drive Urgency: Add countdown timers to your emails and phrases like “Last Chance” or “Only 24 Hours Left” to create urgency and boost conversions.

• Personal Touches: Send a mix of designed and plain-text emails to give your emails a more personal, human touch.

Keep the Momentum Rolling After Black Friday

The sales don’t have to end on Cyber Monday.

If done right, December can be just as profitable as November, especially if you use smart email flows and segmentation.

Here’s how to keep the momentum going:

• Segment by Behavior: Identify those who purchased during BFCM and those who didn’t. Offer special incentives to non-buyers and create VIP experiences for repeat customers.

• Holiday Gift Guides: In December, push emails that highlight holiday gift guides and bundle offers to target last-minute shoppers.

• Last-Chance Shipping: Create urgency with shipping deadlines, reminding customers to get their orders in before it’s too late for holiday delivery.

Wrapping It Up

BFCM is your best shot to close out the year with massive sales.

But the brands that succeed are the ones that come prepared—with a solid email calendar, emotional messaging, and strategic planning.

By following these steps, you’ll stay ahead of the competition, keep your emails out of the spam folder, and maximize every click.

Need help creating your BFCM email strategy?

Reply to this email and let’s make this the biggest Q4 your brand has ever seen.

Best,
Michael

PS - If you run an Ecom brand and want to have a 15 minute strategy session with me, book a call here »

Today’s Helpful Links

• My most recent YouTube Training