BFCM 2024 is the biggest buying day of the year. It’s a chance to beat your competitors, make more sales, and make people loyal to your brand. But great chances come with big responsibilities. 

Don’t worry; our guide will show BFCM marketing ideas for small businesses. You can equip yourself with the strategies and insights to survive and thrive during this e-commerce peak season.

Overview Of BFCM 2024

What Is BFCM?

If someone says “BFCM,” they mean “Black Friday Cyber Monday.” These are two big shopping days that mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday is the day after Thanksgiving.

These days, BFCM is very important for stores because it often brings in more people and more sales, especially online.

When Is BFCM 2024?

Black Friday is the start of a weekend of sales that end on Cyber Monday. This is a big shopping day for stores.

• Black Friday will occur on November 29, 2024.
• Cyber Monday This event will follow on December 2, 2024.

How Is BFCM 2024 Different From Previous Years?

We both know consumer expectations are changing along with the always-shifting retail scene. That’s why we’re here to help you realize what differentiates Black Friday and Cyber Monday from past years and how maximizing these events can help.

1. Kickoff May Be Sooner Than Usual

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) shopping continue to become famous. According to research by Boston Consulting Group, over 74% of the US population is planning to shop on Black Friday in 2023. That means retailers should expect increased competition this year.

The shorter holiday season in 2024 is a big reason for this Black Friday trend. Stores will have less time to make holiday sales since there are only 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

2. Customers Start Researching Early

As the holidays approach, shoppers are becoming increasingly smart. Google’s study shows that in 2023, more than half of buyers in the U.S. looked up product reviews before going to the store. 

That also means they can spend their holiday studying and buying things over many months.

3. Rise Of Mobile Commerce

Cloudflare study shows that Black Friday was the busiest day of Cyber Five for mobile traffic, with 55.3% of events happening on a smartphone. So, we think the BFCM season 2024 still had more mobile users than any other device.

4. Paid Search Is Most Likely To Be At Its Best

According to Adobe’s research, during the shopping season, paid search drives 29.4% of all retailer online sales. This is the reason we believe sponsored search will likewise be really important for your BFCM 2024 sales.

5. People Want More Deals And Discounts 

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says the world economy will grow slowly in 2024, reaching 2.6%. This is just above the 2.5% level, usually seen as a slowdown.

In this context, customers often save money even during the most active shopping season of the year. They will, therefore, search for goods with better offers and rates.

6. Health, Beauty, And Apparel Companies Will Grow Most

Foxecom’s data shows that online sales went up the most in the Health and Beauty area (+12%) in the first quarter of 2024. So, we can say that on Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024, Beauty and Health might have more sales.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, we think people became more aware of and prioritized their health and fitness. This significantly affected their buying habits.

7. Sales Will Come From Social Shopping

Salesforce’s study of the 2023 holiday season shows that five times as many people came to the website through social media. More than just emails and ads on the web. It’s clear that social media platforms are a must-have for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) marketing. It’s not a surprise to us since Gen Z and Y already can’t live without social media.

8. High Expectations Of Customer Support

As we move into 2024, customers are expecting support services to be faster and more tailored to their needs. Based on data from the Zendesk CX Trends Report 2023, 72 percent of customers want immediate service support. During busy shopping times like BFCM, when demand is high and competition is tough, this trend is especially important.

BFCM 2024 Readiness Checklist

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner! To make the most of this shopping frenzy, your online store needs to be in tip-top shape. This checklist will guide you through the essential steps to prepare your business for the busiest shopping days of the year. Let’s get started!

Website Optimization

✅ Page speed should be under 2 seconds for maximum user experience. Statista data from 2023 shows that only 16% of people are willing to wait 3 seconds for a website. 

✅ Mobile responsiveness without requiring manual adjustments.  

✅ Install security features such as biometrics and two-factor authentication (2FA) for your e-commerce store.

✅ Seamlessly integrate the payment gateway into your website or application.

Inventory Management

✅Stock planning based on demand forecasting. You can calculate sales velocity and review upcoming marketing activities based on your results. Read NetSuite’s article “16 Steps to Succeed at Inventory Forecasting” for more information.

✅ Supplier coordination and logistics management by strategic planning, execution, and control of the flow of goods and services to the end customer.

Customer Support Preparation

✅ Scaling customer service teams by hiring more agents, leveraging technology, and optimizing processes.

✅ Using AI-powered robots to provide help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Check out The CX Lead’s blog post, “32 Best AI Chatbots for Customer Service in 2024,” to find apps that fit your needs.

Crafting The Perfect BFCM 2024 Marketing Strategy

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the golden ticket to boosting sales, but it takes more than just flashy discounts to win over customers. It’s time to roll up your sleeves and create a marketing plan that not only attracts shoppers but keeps them coming back for more.

Email Marketing

When using the BFCM email marketing strategy 2024, we recommend segmentation email. It means dividing your list into groups to send more relevant content to each group. You’ll get more opens and click-throughs and fewer spam reports and unsubscribes.

In our option, one effective urgency-driven tactic is a countdown timer. It drives visitors to click on your CTA and creates a sense of urgency and scarcity, motivating readers. Just look at Dr. Martens’ Cyber Monday email below to get ideas. 

As you can see, the BFCM email marketing campaign’s best practices include using bold colors, clear call-to-actions, and a countdown timer to create a compelling message for the recipient.

Don’t worry—it’s easy to make email marketing that looks like Dr. Martens. Klaviyo’s blog has 11 BFCM email marketing templates and examples that you can use. 

Social Media Marketing

It doesn’t matter what size of business you have; all of them use social media marketing. We give you some BFCM tactics that work well on certain platforms, like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.

For Instagram:

• Engaging Reels showcasing products and offering exclusive BFCM deals.
• Utilize Instagram stories to share behind-the-scenes content, product demos, and countdown timers to build anticipation.
• Tag products in posts and stories to make shopping seamless.

For Pinterest:

• Create shoppable boards featuring products and collections.
• Utilize rich pin formats (product, recipe, article) to enhance visibility.

For TikTok:

• Host live shopping events with exclusive deals and giveaways.
• Partner with TikTok creators to reach a wider audience.
• Make your Black Friday trend relevant by showcasing all your Black Friday deals.

The chance to make sales through TikTok is especially great. TikTok’s report says that 67% of users want to shop while looking through their feeds. Also, thanks to TikTok’s viral algorithm, any user has the potential to go viral. That means you can leverage influencer partnerships and user-generated content from there.

Paid Advertising

As Black Friday and Cyber Monday get closer, you can reach these shoppers through social paid ads. According to StitcherAds research, Gen Z users respond best to short videos like those on Reels or TikTok. However, millennials like to see all the information about a product in a social ad.

You can read Semrush’s Beginner’s Guide to Paid Advertising to find out more about how to set your budget, pick the right ad format, and use retargeting to get the best results.

Creating Irresistible BFCM 2024 Offers

Sure, deals are the whole point of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Actually, not any offer will do. If you want to really make a splash and increase sales, you need to make deals that people can’t refuse. Start exploring and learn how to make deals that people can’t refuse.

Types Of Offers That Resonate With Customers

There are a bunch of ways to sweeten the pot for your customers. Here are a few popular options:

• Discount deals like “20% off everything” or tiered discounts for more significant purchases.
• Bundle deals for a reduced price. This encourages customers to buy more.
• Free gifts with purchase, like a sample product or a branded item.
• Free shipping is a classic crowd-pleaser. You can also offer discounted shipping for orders over a certain amount.
• Limited-time offers that expire soon. This can encourage impulse purchases.

From our experience, you should always keep in mind that the best deal depends on your target market and the goods you sell. Try out different options to see which one works best for your business.

Testing Offers Before BFCM

Before you hit the big red “launch” button on your BFCM campaign, it’s essential to put your offers to the test. 

A/B testing lets you see what really works behind the scenes. You can test everything, from the headlines to the pictures to where the buttons are placed.

And don’t forget to listen to your customers. Their feedback is like gold. Pay attention to what they’re saying and use their insights to fine-tune your offers.

Enhancing User Experience During BFCM 2024

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are all about the shopping experience. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to make sure your customers have a smooth and enjoyable journey. Let’s dive into how to create an amazing shopping experience for your customers this BFCM.

You can give your customers a smooth and enjoyable shopping experience by focusing on key areas that need better.

Designing A User-Friendly Interface

Target’s BFCM 2023 marketing instruments had an easy-to-use interface. People were shopping when a big black sign caught their eye. The first sign, a vague promise that deals were coming, got people’s attention.

Users can see a well-organized style with different groups showing different price choices just by scrolling down. Some items show savings as a part of the original price, while others show an exact amount of the regular price.

We can say Target knew how to keep shoppers hooked. They created a fun and functional page, making it hard to resist hitting that “buy now” button.

This approach utilizes EComposer’s drag-and-drop builder page to create a high-converting BFCM landing page design with a user-friendly layout.

Simplifying Navigation And Checkout Process

It should be easy for people who buy from you to find what they need. You can make it easy to find your way around, like Adidas did, by adding options like “Shop Women” or “Shop Men.” People can quickly find what they need.

And let’s not forget about checkout – keep it simple and straightforward. No one wants to fill out a novel to buy a t-shirt. Make the process as smooth as possible by minimizing form fields and offering easy order changes. Remember, the easier it is to shop, the more likely customers are to buy.

Enhancing Search Functionality And Product Recommendations

Visualize your online store as a busy market. You want people to be able to quickly and easily find what they need.

A smart search bar that predicts their needs and suggests relevant products is like having a helpful shop assistant. Let them filter their options by size, color, or price.

And why stop there? Recommend items that go perfectly with their chosen product – it’s like offering a stylist’s advice. By making their shopping experience smooth and personalized, you’ll keep them coming back for more.

Mobile Optimization Techniques

Some common ways to optimize for mobile devices are to use flexible web design, keep loading times as short as possible, and make sure screens are easy to use with a finger. These make things easier to use on smaller screens.

Some business owners like having websites that look different on phones and computers. Now you know why we say you should work with your web developer about what will work best for your business and website.

Mobile-First Design Principles

In today’s mobile-obsessed world, designing with smaller screens in mind is crucial. It’s like building a house – start with the foundation (mobile) and then add more rooms (larger screens). This ensures everyone feels at home, no matter their device.

Based on these ideas, the page can be set up exactly like this:

You can find more detailed instructions in BrowserStack’s guide to designing Mobile-First on the Website.

Ensuring Smooth Checkout On Mobile Devices

People explore a lot on their phones, but it can be hard to get them to buy something. Why? Because it’s annoying to move from a phone to a PC to finish a buy. If you want your customers to stay happy and buy from you, the mobile checkout process needs to be as smooth as silk.

That is why you should make a mobile checkout that works well on phones. It is important if you want to enjoy a lot of mobile traffic.

The easiest way to ensure smooth checkout on mobile devices is to make your checkout button stand out. Look at Judy’s checkout button is displayed in contrasting colors to the other buttons in the image below.

The most important thing is to keep the checkout button above the fold so customers don’t have to scroll down to find it. If that’s impossible, make it sticky at the top or bottom of the screen.

Unfortunately, we can only give you the simplest idea in the space of this article. If you need more ideas, read 14 Mobile Checkout Best Practices from The Good’s blog.

Maximizing Sales On BFCM 2024: Day-Of Strategies

BFCM is busy. To get the most out of this shopping rush, you need to have a good plan for the day of. Not only should you have sales, but you should also make shopping more fun.  

Real-Time Monitoring And Analytics

We can make your dream come true with the help of Google Analytics and real-time tools.

You can use heatmaps to show customer behavior analysis with different parts of a website page. Depending on the color, the amount of movement can be seen. Colours that are warm, like orange, red, and yellow, make people pay attention. In the meantime, cool colors like blue, purple, and green make people not care.

We recommend you read the full guide to creating a Google Analytics Heat map.

Now that you know these things, you can keep a close eye on your website. Find out what people click on, where they stay, and how long they stay. It’s like getting to see your BFCM customer journey maps from behind the scenes.

You may alter your plan whenever you want from now on. Sometimes you need to get rid of a popular item or change how you spend your ads on something that’s all of a sudden very popular. There are many choices.

Leveraging Social Proof And Urgency

You can create a sense of urgency with limited-time offers and low-stock alerts. People love a good deal, but they love even more, knowing it won’t last. Countdown timers create that “panic buying” feeling that drives sales.

With live sales alerts, you can let your customers feel the thrill for themselves. Let everyone know when someone buys your item. There’s an imaginary crowd cheering them on. Also, don’t forget that reviews from past customers help build trust.  

Customer Support

Everything is happening quickly at BFCM, but don’t forget that happy customers return. With great customer service and involvement, a one-time buyer can become a loyal brand champion.

Think about being able to talk to a real person right now while you’re shopping online. That’s what live chat and quick messages are good for. Always be there for your customers, ready to help them, answer their questions, and deal with problems immediately.

Proactive communication is also key. Keep customers in the loop with updates on shipping, delays, or any changes to their orders. This builds trust and reduces frustration.

Use the power of social media, don’t forget that. To keep the conversation going, talk to your customers personally and answer their questions. You could even hold games or freebies. Get customers to share pictures of their purchases with certain hashtags. This will turn them into brand ambassadors.

Post-BFCM 2024: What Comes Next?

So, BFCM is over. You’ve survived the rush, but the work isn’t done. Now comes the crucial part:

Post-BFCM Analysis

Now, it’s time to take a deep breath and analyze what worked and what didn’t. Look at:

• Your sales tracking is to be collected about your business performance and customers as it relates to sales activities.
• Traffic sources include organic search, social media, email marketing, paid advertising, referrals from other websites, and direct traffic.
• The conversion rate shows how many people have done what was asked of them.

Also, think about your customer acquisition vs. customer retention rate. Knowing these numbers will help you figure out if you got new customers or just paid attention to the ones you already had. 

BFCM 2024 New Customer Retention: Post-purchase Engagement Strategies

The simplest customer retention strategy for post-BFCM is to send emails with sincere thanks and special deals or discounts. To get the most out of each customer, we recommend you cross-sell or up-sell similar items.

But do you know what customer retention strategies for post-BFCM are? Our experience says it is the launch of a loyalty program.

See our case study with Özel Beslenme, a Turkish functional food business on Shopify, for inspiration. They saw a large increase in sales after the implementation of a loyalty program. It not only raised client involvement but also brought in a significant amount of additional money. 

Their reward program is run by BON Loyalty on Shopify E-commerce. For an affordable cost, the BON app had a lot of features that were useful. It’s easy to change the look of buttons, pop-ups, loyalty landing pages, and automatic emails with this Shopify loyalty app. Also, it’s easy to give and redeem rewards with out feature.