Cyber Monday 2021 and Black Friday are both coming soon. Are you working on an email marketing strategy?

One is essential, as there are so many options and distractions. It’s vital to make use of every tool to reach new customers. Don’t forget about your current customers. Do they want to shop with you again next year or be convinced by a competitor?

Email is still the best way to maintain contact with existing customers and subscribers.

Why?

You can send specific offers directly to their email. You don’t have to follow the social media advertising guidelines or Google’s ad specifications. Search engines and algorithms are not your only determinant. You create the email. It is created for specific recipients. You send it to them directly.

This is why email marketing continues to provide the highest returns on investment in the digital marketing space.

You can use these tips and strategies to improve your Black Friday/Cyber Monday email campaign or to create one for 2021.

1. Make a plan.

Do not just send out random emails with blanket offers such as “20% Off” or “20% Discount”. While it’s better than nothing at this time, it won’t maximize your revenue. Even if it is a simple strategy, you can make a difference.

2. You can create one or more offers

Look at your inventory. Are you looking for a product that you can offer? You might have something unique that will draw customers to your website who may also purchase other products. A product you aren’t afraid to discount because there are too many in stock.

Sitewide discounts are the most popular Black Friday deal. Bonus gifts such as gift cards or gift cards can be included for those who spend more than a certain amount of money or purchase specific items. Tiered discounts can be created. Spend $100 to get $10 off. Spend $250 to get $30 off, etc.

Sitewide discounts offer many benefits, with simplicity being the most important. They are also the most popular type of sale this time of year. It won’t be easy to stand out from the crowd by doing what everyone else does. For some ideas on how to improve upon the existing approach, see the next tip.

3. Determine who your offers are for

Offering offers that are targeted at them exclusively or specifically will help you build a deeper relationship with your audience. This is possible by creating email segments. You can also separate your contacts into separate lists.

You can create multiple offers to multiple segments of your contacts if you can segment them effectively.

One offer might be for seniors, while another one is for business owners and another for parents who have children still living at home. Offers could also be dependent on income, location, and previous purchases.

You can segment your data to create more effective Black Friday or Cyber Monday emails if you have the right information.

Here are some examples:

Previous customers

Kobe Digital has a follow-up function that allows you to send emails to anyone who has previously purchased. Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers can be sent to them. They will feel appreciated and may even motivate them to purchase again from you.

It is always easier to win new customers than it is to market to existing customers.

Target based on past purchases

You can also create sales based on past purchases. You can be sure that someone who bought pet food from your company in the past will need it again. You could send them a personalized Black Friday deal to make sure they purchase it from you.

Sometimes past purchases can suggest future purchases. Someone who bought gardening soil from you in the past might be looking for gardening tools, fertilizer, seeds, fertilizer, or plants.

Target based on activity

Perhaps it has been a while since customers have bought from your store. Six months. One year. Two years. Kobe Digital offers a Win Back email function that allows you to target inactive customers to send them special ‘come back’ offers during Cyber Week and Black Friday.

4. Use coupon codes

This is the best thing you can do for your Black Friday or Cyber Monday email campaign. Why? It allows you to track your data.

Different coupon codes can be used for different marketing campaigns. This includes direct mail and other media. After the season ends, review which campaigns were most successful and then build on them next year.

5. Send the first email today

You can’t go back to the past. You need to get the seeds in the heads of your customers so that they can reap the benefits of Cyber Monday and Black Friday.

You can create more anticipation if you communicate sooner. Anticipation is a positive emotion that can lead to action.

Another great thing about this strategy? It’s extremely easy.

Even if you don’t know the details of your offers, you can send this email right away. You can simply tell your customers about the great deals that are coming their way. You don’t have to send a lengthy email. Simply plant the seed.

This email can be sent to all your subscribers, even if your offers are going to be segmented later. 

6. As the day’s approach, send more emails

Do not wait for Black Friday to arrive before you send out an avalanche of emails. Customers wake up Friday morning to 500 emails in their inboxes.

That’s rough.

You’ll be remembered by your customers if you have planted the seed and watered it over the weeks leading to the big day.

7. Surprise bonus

Black Friday sales are extended by some companies through the weekend. Some companies start them earlier than the date. Cyber Monday is no exception to this flexibility, and it is often called Cyber Week.

However, no matter what approach you choose, surprise your customers with a cool bonus that will create attention and excitement.

This is how it works:

Start by sending emails to customers in advance of Cyber Monday and Black Friday, letting them know about great deals. You may segment your special offers into different lists. Your customers look forward to the big day.

They will be more excited if they receive an extra-special bonus on Cyber Monday or Black Friday. It could be anything:

• Shipping Free
• Gift wrapping included
• An accessory or holiday ornament as a bonus gift
• Gift cards that can be used in the New Year
• Special Offer: Buy one and get one for free

You are free to be creative!

They are great motivators. These words can be used in your Black Friday or Cyber Week email campaigns.

8. Be sure to emphasize the deadlines

The deadlines for Cyber Monday and Black Friday are almost set by the company. You can emphasize dates, but not times. You can also emphasize the fact that you are extending your sale through Saturday and Sunday.

Not all deadlines have to be strictly time-based. They can also be quantity-driven. “When they’re gone,” they say. You can also offer deals where only X people receive the largest discount. Everyone else will get a smaller discount after that. Different approaches work best in different industries.

9. Emails to your abandoned cart on Cyber Monday / Black Friday

These days people shop on many different sites, which could lead to multiple abandoned carts. They want to act quickly while deals are hot. Each sale is not easy to close.

In normal times, abandoned cart emails go out within hours or days.

This is too long on Cyber Monday and Black Friday. Reduce the time it takes to send abandoned cart emails. This will increase your chances of your shoppers returning to your site if they abandon it before buying.

10. Get your email list growing with a special deal

It’s great to make big revenues on Cyber Week and Black Friday, but it’s even more rewarding if you can convert your first-time customers into repeat buyers. Dan Kennedy, marketing guru, says that you can’t convince a customer to buy. To get a customer, you must make a sale.

It is why it is important to grow your email list. You can offer a Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal or a gift to anyone who signs up for the email list. They will be available for future campaigns until they unsubscribe.

Even if they don’t purchase from you this year you can still market to them. You can also continue to market to them if they buy from you in the future. They are part of your circle of influence in any way they choose.

Create quick opt-in forms. You can use them to attract more visitors to your site. These forms should be prominently placed, particularly on your homepage or main product pages.

Double opt-in is a good idea to ensure they don’t give out a fake email address. Don’t give the ‘new customer coupon codes’ until you receive the confirmation email. This email is the second in double opt. This will result in a better-quality email list.

11. Email campaigns can be created for after-sales

Cyber Monday doesn’t mean the end of holiday shopping. Many people shop throughout December.

Create another campaign to continue reaching out to your email subscribers, especially those who have made purchases. These campaigns should be run throughout the month.

You can also create a follow-up email campaign for customers who purchased on Cyber Monday/Black Friday. These emails can help you achieve many wins.

• We are grateful for their purchase
• Get shipping updates
• Include instructions for how to use and care for the product
• Ask for reviews
• Send new offers

This shows customers that you care about their experience and not their money. It will also result in fewer customer returns and greater customer loyalty.

12. Varietate your subject lines

Finally, if they don’t open your emails they won’t be able to see your offers.

This is email season that is busy, so inboxes may overflow. What can you do to increase open rates with subject lines?

The keys are range and amount.

You shouldn’t send three emails during the holiday season. These emails may get lost in the holiday frenzy and customers will not see them. Repeating the same details and offers multiple times is okay, as most people will forget the entire information.

You’ll need to balance your emails so that subscribers don’t get annoyed. Pay attention to unsubscribe rates. It is normal for some people to unsubscribe from time to time. If the rate is rising faster than usual, you can reduce the frequency.

Modifying campaigns based on subscriber activity is a better way to manage this process. You might send reminder emails only to people who haven’t opened or clicked on your email. The reminder will not cause frustration as they may not have seen the first email.

The same email can be used for both of these. You can change the subject line to “Did this happen?”

You need to use a variety of subject lines to get noticed beyond just increasing your email frequency.

Imagine opening your email on Black Friday to see 20 subject lines from different companies. They might say, “20% sitewide discount!” or “30% sitewide discount”. Or “30% off all in-store purchases.”

To paraphrase The Incredibles: If everyone’s offer seems great, then there is no other. The deals aren’t special because all the subjects have the same message.

You can stand out with a variety of subject lines

• Use urgency.

• Humor — Yes, use some humor in your subject lines.

• Encourage curiosity and make them wonder about the inside.

• Personalization is important, especially for targeted emails.

• Yes, you can make certain subject lines “on the nose” as in the examples above.

Use all of these techniques and not just one. This will help you stand out and get more leads.

These 12 strategies can be used in your Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021 email campaigns. Get your customer service team ready for some orders!