The Complete
BFCM Marketing & Sales Guide 2024

Everything you need to prepare your e-commerce business for an outstanding BFCM 2024.
Biggest Shopping Weekend of the Year!
BFCM Hero
Limited time to prep, but we’ve got everything you need!
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Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF
Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF
Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF
Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF
Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF
Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF
Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF
Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF
Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF
Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF
Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF
Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF
Use code BFCM24 to get 15% OFF

In this BFCM Playbook, you’ll find

Key insights and trends from BFCM 2023
Expert tips to turn your website into a conversion machine
Proven marketing strategies from 100+ top-performing brands
A full toolkit, including a checklist - free and paid resources included!
Everything’s actionable to ensure your site is ready for the biggest sales weekend of the year!

Download this Guide

and increase your Shopify Checkout Conversion

Content

BFCM Calendar 2024

Going about BFCM preparation without planning and structuring can lead to some crucial tasks being left for the last minute. Which is why, having a structured approach is extremely important while planning for BFCM 2024 sales. Follow our BFCM 2024 Calendar to ensure that you complete all the crucial tasks before time runs out!

Planning Phase

1-15 Oct

Building Phase

16 Oct - 6 Nov

Pre-launch Phase

21 Oct-15 Nov

Launch Phase

18-28 Nov

Post-sale Phase

29 Nov onwards

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
2
3
4
Analyse last year’s BFCM performance. Identify what worked and what didn’t. Focus on metrics like conversion rates, top-performing products, and customer feedback.
Conduct competitor research to understand the industry trends for 2024. Take note of their offerings, marketing tactics, and customer engagement strategies.
7
8
9
10
11
Set clear, measurable goals for BFCM 2024. These could include BFCM sales targets, new customer acquisition goals, increasing average order value (AOV), etc.
Plan your budget, allocating resources for marketing, logistics, and customer support, etc.
14
15
16
17
18
Finalise your marketing strategy for BFCM.
Decide which products to feature during BFCM 2024.
Evaluate discount amounts & promotions for shortlisted products.
21
22
23
24
25
Begin optimising your website. Run the first set of load tests, after setting proper targets for the tests.
Evaluate the results of the load tests and see which aspects need improvement.
Test your website’s checkout process. Ensure that the payment gateways are functioning smoothly & the checkout flow is user-friendly.
Test the mobile UX and responsiveness of your website. Make notes of improvements you wish to make.
28
29
30
31
Review your inventory levels.
Evaluate the stocks you will need for BFCM 2024, tally them with your inventory, and make necessary arrangements with suppliers/manufacturers for restocking.
Start preparing your Customer Support team for BFCM. Make sure they’re trained and equipped to provide fast and effective resolutions during BFCM sales.
1-2
Analyse last year’s BFCM performance. Identify what worked and what didn’t. Focus on metrics like conversion rates, top-performing products, and customer feedback.
3-4
Conduct competitor research to understand the industry trends for 2024. Take note of their offerings, marketing tactics, and customer engagement strategies.
7-8
Set clear, measurable goals for BFCM 2024. These could include BFCM sales targets, new customer acquisition goals, increasing average order value (AOV), etc.
10-11
Plan your budget, allocating resources for marketing, logistics, and customer support, etc.
15
Finalise your marketing strategy for BFCM.
16
Decide which products to feature during BFCM 2024.
17-18
Evaluate discount amounts & promotions for shortlisted products.
21-22
Begin optimising your website. Run the first set of load tests, after setting proper targets for the tests.
23
Evaluate the results of the load tests and see which aspects need improvement.
24
Test your website’s checkout process. Ensure that the payment gateways are functioning smoothly & the checkout flow is user-friendly.
25
Test the mobile UX and responsiveness of your website. Make notes of improvements you wish to make.
28
Review your inventory levels.
29-30
Evaluate the stocks you will need for BFCM 2024, tally them with your inventory, and make necessary arrangements with suppliers/manufacturers for restocking.
31
Start preparing your Customer Support team for BFCM. Make sure they’re trained and equipped to provide fast and effective resolutions during BFCM sales.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
Run the second set of load tests to test the implemented solutions for increased traffic.
4
5
6
7
8
Make contingency plans for restocking during BFCM, in case you run out of stock.
Start creating your marketing campaigns. Plan your social media posts, email campaigns, and ads.
Ensure your shipping and fulfilment processes are ready to handle a surge in orders.
Start using teasers and early access promotions to build excitement for your upcoming BFCM 2024 sales.
Schedule marketing emails; segment lists and craft personalised emails to be sent out automatically.
11
12
13
14
15
Start collaborating with influencers to expand your BFCM campaigns’ reach.
Start integrating Shoppable Videos onto your website using Whatmore. Install the Whatmore app, and add your videos to the library.
Embed the videos in your Whatmore library onto your website. Add videos created by influencers, as well as product videos
Begin pre-launch promotions. Start offering early access deals or exclusive discounts to your top customers
18
19
20
21
22
Design urgency tactics such as countdown timers, flash sales, or limited-time offers to drive immediate conversions.
Use Whatmore Studio to create videos for products set to go on BFCM sale.
Use Whatmore to enable Video Banners promoting BFCM 2024 deals.
Add videos created using Whatmore Studio to your Shoppable videos.
25
26
27
28
29
Begin announcing upcoming deals on products to build anticipation.
Implement countdown timers to flash sales and or limited-time offers.
Complete any last minute preparations before the ultimate weekend
Start analysing BFCM performance data. Review sales, conversion rates, and customer behaviour during the even
1
Run the second set of load tests to test the implemented solutions for increased traffic.
4
Make contingency plans for restocking during BFCM, in case you run out of stock.
5
Start creating your marketing campaigns. Plan your social media posts, email campaigns, and ads.
6
Ensure your shipping and fulfillment processes are ready to handle a surge in orders.
7
Start using teasers and early access promotions to build excitement for your upcoming BFCM 2024 sales.
8
Schedule marketing emails; segment lists and craft personalised emails to be sent out automatically.
11
Start collaborating with influencers to expand your BFCM campaigns’ reach.
12
Start integrating Shoppable Videos onto your website using Whatmore. Install the Whatmore app, and add your videos to the library.
13
Embed the videos in your Whatmore library onto your website. Add videos created by influencers, as well as product videos.
14
Begin pre-launch promotions. Start offering early access deals or exclusive discounts to your top customers.
18
Design urgency tactics such as countdown timers, flash sales, or limited-time offers to drive immediate conversions.
19
Use Whatmore Studio to create videos for products set to go on BFCM sale.
21
Use Whatmore to enable Video Banners promoting BFCM 2024 deals.
22
Add videos created using Whatmore Studio to your Shoppable videos.
25-26
Begin announcing upcoming deals on products to build anticipation.
27
Implement countdown timers to flash sales and or limited-time offers.
28
Complete any last minute preparations before the ultimate weekend.
29
Start analysing BFCM performance data. Review sales, conversion rates, and customer behaviour during the event.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
2
3
4
5
6
Monitor your customer support team and ensure that issues are being resolved promptly
Send follow-up emails to BFCM customers, thanking them for their purchase and offering exclusive holiday promotions
Begin planning for the holiday sales season. Build on your BFCM momentum by rolling out holiday promotions, ensuring that your customers continue shopping with you through the end of the year.
2
Monitor your customer support team and ensure that issues are being resolved promptly.
3-4
Send follow-up emails to BFCM customers, thanking them for their purchase and offering exclusive holiday promotions.
5-6
Begin planning for the holiday sales season. Build on your BFCM momentum by rolling out holiday promotions, ensuring that your customers continue shopping with you through the end of the year.

BFCM Toolkit

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BFCM Marketing Strategies

Nailing the BFCM marketing campaign is perhaps the biggest challenge for an e-commerce store during festive sales. While earlier, people would just walk into their preferred stores on a Black Friday and shop their hearts out, customers now have a huge variety of options to choose from during Cyber Week sales, and they also can shop fewer products from multiple stores more easily than ever before. Making people aware of your offers, bringing them to your platform, and then cross selling them relevant items can make or break your Black Friday & Cyber Monday sales. Here’s how you can market your online store the best.

BFCM e-commerce Marketing Tactics

  • Create a dedicated video landing page: Create a ‘Watch-and-Shop’ page where customers can view product videos and purchase directly. Drive traffic to this page using Google and Meta ads to showcase your best deals and product demos, in Instagram/TikTok style short videos. With Whatmore, you can create interactive video landing pages, allowing customers to shop while watching, boosting engagement and conversions during BFCM 2024. What’s more, with Whatmore, adding video content to your website results in ZERO page speed impact, ensuring that bounce rates don’t spike due to slow loading speeds.
  • Create Product Videos for Products in Focus: Make sure that you have product videos for your top products in focus for BFCM 2024. Using our AI-powered Whatmore Studio, you can create Reels / TikTok style videos with latest trends and music for your products using your existing product images / videos in minutes!

Using Whatmore Studio, you can create video ads for top social media platforms in minutes!

  • Offer Exclusive Product Bundles: Create exclusive product bundles specifically for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Thanksgiving. Bundling products and offering further discounts on bundles incentivizes customers to spend more, and in turn increase your Average Order Value.
  • Free Shipping with Minimum Purchase: One of the reasons for cart abandonment is high shipping costs. Offering free shipping during BFCM 2024 can help you close more orders. Choose a minimum order value for free shipping — lower than your standard value, if any — and promote this across your site, in email campaigns, and on social media, to make customers aware of the offer.
  • BFCM Flash Sales: Trigger the sense of FOMO in the visitors of your store by running flash sales throughout the BFCM weekend. Announce surprise flash deals using push notifications and social media, and use this to clear any miscalculated inventory which may end up leftover by the end of BFCM 2024. Flash Sales can also create a sense of urgency, and will ensure that website visitors on Thanksgiving and Black Friday don’t wait for Cyber Monday deals to complete their order.
  • Free Items Above Certain Order Values: ncentivise higher order values by offering free gift items above a certain amount spent on your store. For example, "Spend $100 and receive a free duffle bag."

BFCM Email Marketing Strategies

  • Segmenting Your Email List: Effective email marketing is all about personalization. Before BFCM 2024, segment your email list using factors like customer behaviour, location, purchase history, etc., and use it for targeted marketing. Offer early access deals to your ‘champion’ customers, special discounts to high-intent buyers, and discounts on relevant products on the basis of demographic.
  • Crafting Effective Subject Lines: The subject line is the first thing your email audience will see, so it’s imperative to make it stand out. Use urgency-driven language while also adding a personal touch to drive open rates. Incorporating numbers or percentages (eg. "50% off") will also grab attention and encourage clicks.
  • Pre-Scheduled Campaigns: Set up automated email campaigns before BFCM 2024 kicks off. Send teaser emails announcing your upcoming deals in advance, followed by a “doors open” email at the start of the BFCM sale, and reminder emails as Cyber Monday approaches.
  • Abandoned Cart Emails: During Cyber Week, abandoned cart rates spike as consumers tend to comparison shop, making subsequent emails all-the-more important. Make sure your abandoned cart emails include a strong CTA, product images, and maybe even a time-limited discount to encourage them to return to their carts and complete their purchases.

Social Media Marketing Strategies

  • Targeted Ads: BFCM is one of the top times for running targeted ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Use retargeting ads to reach customers who have visited your website but haven’t made a purchase yet. Combine this with lookalike audience targeting to reach new customers with similar interests to your existing ones. Use Whatmore Studio to make AI-powered video ads for your desired social media platforms in minutes!
  • Influencer Collaborations: Partnering with influencers relevant to your industry before BFCM 2024 can amplify your reach significantly. This will add a layer of social proof and authenticity to your campaigns, and will also give you video content to embed on your website in the form of shoppable videos!
  • Behind-the-Scenes Content: Humanise your brand by sharing behind-the-scenes content on social media leading up to BFCM 2024. Show your team preparing for the big sale, and also add Easter eggs about upcoming offers in the videos, subtly. Use Instagram Stories, Reels, or TikTok to keep your audience interested and build excitement for the sale.
  • UGC Campaigns: Encourage your customers to share their purchases using a brand specific hashtag and feature their content on your social media pages and website. UGC not only boosts engagement, but also acts as a social proof, encouraging others to shop with you.

Content Marketing Strategies

  • BFCM Guides and How-To Videos: Content marketing is a great way to make your store website a helpful resource. Create blogs or video guides to help your audience make the most of BFCM 2024. For example, a fashion retailer could create a “How to Style Your Winter Wardrobe” guide, with links to products that are set to go on sale during BFCM 2024. This will add value and help guide your customers to make a purchase.
  • Product Feature Videos: Creating short, engaging product feature videos that highlight key benefits and use cases for the products set to go on BFCM sale can help them stand out from the sea of other discounted products. Use social media to market these product videos, and use Whatmore Shoppable Videos to integrate them on your website to enable shopping while watching.
  • Blogging for SEO: Publish SEO-optimised blogs on your website in the weeks leading up to BFCM 2024. Focus on topics that your target audience is searching for, and include your product links within the blogs to drive traffic to your store.

What is BFCM 2024?

BFCM is one of the biggest sales events of the year, both offline and online. Falling on the weekend after Thanksgiving, BFCM is a crucial period for businesses to boost revenue, attract new customers, and kick off the holiday shopping season with a bang.

But what does BFCM actually mean? Simply put, it’s a combination of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, wherein Black Friday is when the offline retail stores generally run the biggest discounts, and Cyber Monday is its online counterpart, seeing the biggest price slashes on e-commerce stores. The five days starting from Thanksgiving going up to Cyber Monday is called Cyber Week, and while the best and biggest discounts are usually reserved for the final day, there are always great deals running all through the duration. In 2024, Black Friday will occur on November 29, and Cyber Monday will be on December 2.

While Black Friday originated in the US, over the years, BFCM has evolved into a global phenomenon. And with the rise of online shopping, BFCM has become more about e-commerce dominance, making it a golden opportunity for businesses to maximise sales. For 2024, trends indicate that mobile optimization and video marketing will play a big role besides traditional forms of marketing. And if you're in the e-commerce game, understanding how to leverage these factors during BFCM is critical to success.

Why BFCM 2024 Matters for Your Store

BFCM is more than just an opportunity to boost your sales — it’s a great time to attract new customers, and have them shopping from you throughout the shopping season and beyond. Over the years, BFCM sales have grown exponentially, creating a great landscape for you to attract brand new customers this BFCM 2024. Let’s break down why BFCM 2024 should be on your radar.

BFCM Sales Stats

According to a report by Adobe, BFCM sales continue to soar year after year, with U.S. consumers spending over $222.1 billion online during the festive season in 2023 alone, with $38 billion of that spent during Cyber Week. Black Friday and Cyber Monday lead the charts with $9.8 billion and $12.1 billion spent on the two days respectively, highlighting the massive potential BFCM holds for online retailers.

Consumers spent a staggering $32.5 billion online during BFCM 2023, and a further $5.6 billion on Thanksgiving in the U.S.

Trends for BFCM 2024

Several key trends are picking up in 2024, which are guiding e-commerce stores to capture more customers. Of these, one major trend is the continued dominance of mobile shopping. With more consumers shopping on their smartphones, ensuring that your website is mobile-optimised is super important. an attractive layout for your m-site, faster loading times, and mobile-friendly checkouts will go a long way in reducing drop-offs.

Additionally, social commerce is also on the rise, with more and more brands using platforms like Instagram and TikTok to sell directly through shoppable posts and livestreams. Engaging your audience on these platforms with real-time product demos and flash sales can drive traffic and conversions.

You can also include your TikToks / Reels right onto your website in the form of Shoppable Videos. As video content continues to play a key role in engagement, having shoppable videos built onto your website can not only help in reducing drop-offs, but also increase the discoverability of certain products on your website and, in turn, conversions! Using Whatmore, you can integrate shoppable videos right onto your website, and with a direct add-to-cart button within the product videos, and ZERO page speed impact, you can ensure that there are minimal customer drop offs in the journey.

Early Preparation = BFCM Success

When it comes to preparing for festive sales, the earlier you start, the merrier. And especially for SMEs, starting BFCM preparations beforehand is all-the-more important, since you will have multiple tasks to take care of. While the tasks at hand may feel overwhelming at first, pulling off a great BFCM campaign can make a huge difference for e-commerce businesses. Not only will the BFCM sales boost revenue for the quarter, but it can also give you loyal returning customers who will keep shopping from you throughout the festive season and beyond. By planning your marketing campaigns, optimising your website, and preparing your inventory well ahead of time, you’ll be in a much better position to handle the surge in traffic and capitalise on the sales opportunities.

Shopify BFCM Marketing Tips & Shopify Apps for BFCM

If your e-commerce store is powered by Shopify, you are already set up with a powerful tool to make the most of BFCM 2024. Here are some Shopify BFCM marketing tips to enhance your store’s performance this festive season, and Shopify Apps that will help you put things in place.

Utilizing Shopify’s Marketing Tools

  • Shopify Email: Use Shopify's Email marketing tool to schedule targeted BFCM marketing campaigns directly from your store. Schedule BFCM-specific emails in advance to avoid last minute hiccups, and improve customer engagement and conversions.
  • Shopify Discounts:Create automatic discounts and bundle offers using Shopify Discounts to streamline the shopping experience and increase conversions.

Optimising Shopify Apps for BFCM 2024

Shopify offers a wide array of apps that can enhance the functionality of your store and help you maximise your BFCM sales. Here’s how you can harness them to improve your store’s BFCM performance.

  • Shopify's built-in analytics: Leverage Shopify’s built-in analytics tools to track sales, traffic, and customer behaviour during and after BFCM 2024.
  • Page Speed & Performance Apps: One of the most critical aspects of BFCM success is ensuring your website runs smoothly, even under heavy traffic. Apps like Shopify Page Speed Optimizer and Lazy Load can help boost loading times, especially for stores with heavy visual elements. A faster site = reduced bounce rates.
  • Shoppable Video Integration Apps: Use Whatmore’s Shopify App to integrate shoppable videos on your website seamlessly, increasing product discovery and conversions, while reducing bounce rates. What’s more is that using Whatmore to integrate shoppable videos on your website will result in ZERO page speed impact, ensuring that slow load times don’t bother your customers.
  • Upselling & Cross-Selling Apps: Use apps like Bold Upsell or Frequently Bought Together to increase the average order value (AOV) of your store. These apps suggest related products at checkout or on product pages, increasing discovery and visibility of your products. Showcasing related items with a discount during BFCM can encourage shoppers to add more items to their carts, boosting your sales with minimal effort.
  • Inventory Management Apps: Managing your inventory and keeping track of your stock is essential during BFCM, in order to avoid unfulfilled orders which can hamper your brand value, especially for first-time buyers. Apps like Stocky or Inventory Planner allow you to track your store’s inventory in real-time, while also forecasting demand to help you stock up before time.
  • Customer Support Automation: Customer service is crucial during BFCM, and apps like Gorgias or Re can automate support through live chat and ticketing systems. They enable quick responses to customer inquiries, from order status updates to product questions, helping you maintain a positive shopping experience even as order volumes soar.
  • Email Marketing & Cart Recovery: Apps like Klaviyo or Privy are fantastic tools for automating your email marketing campaigns and cart recovery efforts. With these apps, you can schedule BFCM-specific emails in advance, including teaser campaigns, time-sensitive offers, and abandoned cart reminders. Use segmentation to send personalized messages to different customer groups for maximum engagement.

By making the most of Shopify’s tools and apps, you’ll be ready to handle the BFCM rush and maximize your sales potential.

BFCM E-commerce Best Practices

There are always a variety of different ways to run a successful BFCM marketing campaign. But while your e-commerce store will require its own unique way around BFCM marketing, there are some things to keep in mind. Here are some best practices for e-commerce businesses for BFCM.

Highlight BFCM deals

Discounts and offers should be the first thing customers see when they land on a product page on your website. Use bold banners and countdown timers where necessary to catch their attention.

Mobile Optimization

Ensure your website and product pages are optimised for mobile, as mobile commerce will play a huge role during BFCM 2024.

Creating High-Converting Product Descriptions

When writing a product description, highlight the unique value of each product while focusing on how it enhances a customer’s life. Use clear and concise language, and make sure the description is easily readable.

Using Video Content and UGC for Better Engagement

Product videos help shoppers visualise the product after seeing it in action. Record informative and visually appealing product videos for your website and social media, and also encourage customers to share their purchases. Feature the user-generated content (UGC) and video content on your website in the form of Shoppable videos to increase engagement and conversions.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) for BFCM

Carry out enough A/B tests to experiment with your ideas on different layouts, copy, and call-to-action buttons, to see what converts best. Ensure your checkout process is fast, easy, and secure to minimise cart abandonment.

Leveraging Urgency and Scarcity Tactics

Play with different urgency and scarcity tactics like countdown timers on offers and limited stock alerts to create a sense of urgency in shoppers.

Personalised Recommendations & Email Campaigns

Use customer data to offer personalised product recommendations based on their browsing or purchase history. Also send personalised emails with product suggestions, exclusive discounts, or BFCM reminders.

Is Your Website Ready for BFCM?

One of the most crucial aspects for outstanding BFCM sales is website optimisation. Not only does your website need to be technically ready to handle the traffic surge, but you also need to adapt it to convert the oncoming traffic into returning customers. Here’s how you can go about it.

Optimise Website Performance

To avoid visitor drop-offs and enable a seamless and positive experience for your potential customers, your website needs to be ready to handle the traffic surge that BFCM will bring with it. Start by conducting load testing to simulate high traffic scenarios and identify potential bottlenecks. This will help you understand how your website performs under pressure and where you need to make improvements.

Install apps that automate key processes like email marketing, inventory management, and customer support. This will help you stay on top of operations during the BFCM 2024 rush. Apps like Klaviyo can be used for email marketing, Stock Sync for inventory management, ShipStation for order fulfilment, and Gorgias for customer support automation. More on these in our Tools section below.

Integrate Automation Apps

Install apps that automate key processes like email marketing, inventory management, and customer support. This will help you stay on top of operations during the BFCM 2024 rush. Apps like Klaviyo can be used for email marketing, Stock Sync for inventory management, ShipStation for order fulfilment, and Gorgias for customer support automation. More on these in our Resources & Tools section below.

Increase Conversions Using Interactive Video Content

Shoppable videos can dramatically increase engagement, and in-turn drive more sales. By integrating shoppable videos directly into your product pages, you can help people visualise your products and provide an immersive shopping experience.

With Whatmore Shoppable Videos, you can showcase your products in engaging video formats without impacting page speed at all! Interactive content can help keep your customers on your site longer and encourage them to complete their purchases. E-commerce stores using Whatmore Shoppable Videos saw a 250% increase in conversion and a 4x growth in time spent on website, enabling up to 20x increase in ROI.

Additionally, also add video banners on your website to promote latest and upcoming deals in an attention-grabbing window. You can use Shopify Apps like Whatmore to integrate Video Banners onto your website seamlessly, without impacting site speed.

Resources and Tools

Having the right tools at your disposal goes a long way in executing a successful BFCM strategy. And to help you pick the right tools for your BFCM tasks, we have curated a special BFCM toolkit that includes everything you need to prepare for this festive season. Here are some apps and online tools you should be looking at.

  • Klaviyo: Klaviyo is an automated email marketing tool, which can help you create targeted email campaigns based on customer behaviour, and automate outgoing emails ahead of time. Use Klaviyo’s advanced segmentation features to send personalised emails to shoppers, and plan your campaigns ahead of time to avoid last minute tasks.
  • Whatmore Shoppable Videos: Whatmore enables you to include Instagram Reels / TikTok style videos onto your website in the form of Shoppable Videos, with direct add-to-cart button built-in. Use Whatmore Shoppable Videos to make your website more interactive and attention-grabbing, while also increasing conversion rates and having ZERO impact on your page speed. E-commerce businesses using Whatmore Shoppable Videos on their website saw a 250% increase in conversion and a 4x growth in time spent on website, enabling up to 20x increase in ROI.
  • Whatmore Studio: Whatmore Studio gives you access to an AI-powered platform that can quickly create high-quality videos that resonate with current trends. Use Whatmore Studio to create ads for your social media channels, shoppable videos for your website, video banners, and more.
  • Shopify Email: Use Shopify Email to run automated email marketing campaigns directly from your e-commerce store, enabling more traffic and conversions.
  • Shopify Discounts: Shopify Discounts enable you to run site-wide discounts on products, which can come in very handy during BFCM sales.
  • Shopify Analytics: Real-time data insights during BFCM can come in handy to make quick last-minute adjustments to your strategies. Using Shopify Analytics, you can track key metrics like traffic, conversion rates, and sales, and make those last-minute changes.
  • Shopify Page Speed Optimizer: Slow websites lead to drop-offs, and that can amplify even more during BFCM, since shoppers would want to capitalise on deals as soon as possible. Shopify Page Speed Optimizer ensures that your site runs smoothly even with high traffic, reducing bounce rates and improving the overall shopping experience.
  • Lazy Load: To go that extra-mile in improving page speed, you can use apps like Lazy Load. Lazy Load improves website performance by loading images and videos only when they are visible to the user, improving the initial load speed of the website.
  • Bold Upsell: Bold Upsell helps you offer customers relevant upsells and cross-sells at checkout, thereby helping increase average order value at the last step of a shopping journey.
  • Frequently Bought Together: Frequently Bought Together suggests products to buy based on what’s in the customer’s cart, encouraging larger order values.
  • Stocky: Use Stocky to automate inventory management, helping you forecast demand and restock products quickly during BFCM 2024.
  • Inventory Planner: Inventory Planner offers smart inventory forecasting, helping you plan for high-demand products in advance, as you gear up for BFCM 2024.
  • Gorgias: Gorgias automates customer support, allowing quick responses via live chat, email, or social media, helping in quick customer support resolution during high loads of festive sales.
  • Re: Re centralises customer support, integrating live chat, email, and social media into one dashboard, helping customer support teams deal with shopper inquiries more effectively.
  • Privy: Privy helps you grow your email list, and recover abandoned carts through popups, automated emails, et cetera, bringing customers to your platform and increasing traffic.

Conclusion

BFCM sales provide a massive opportunity for e-commerce businesses to boost revenue, attract new customers, and set the stage for an outstanding holiday season. By following the strategies outlined in this guide — from optimising your product pages and personalising your marketing efforts, to ensuring your website is fully prepared to handle traffic loads and boost conversions — you’ll be in a strong position to maximise your BFCM 2024 results.

While doing so, beginning early is key. Start acting early — whether it’s setting your sales goals, organising your marketing campaigns, or testing your website’s performance. Remember, BFCM is not just about offering great deals; it’s about providing a seamless shopping experience that keeps customers coming back even after the big weekend.

With tools like Whatmore Shoppable Videos and Whatmore Studio, you can bring your product offerings to life, creating engaging, shoppable content that drives conversions. Whether you’re looking to enhance your marketing efforts with trending video formats or enhance your website’s appearance and engagement using short-form videos, Whatmore offers the solutions you need to make BFCM 2024 your best one yet.

Case Studies and Blogs

Build the Best Black Friday Marketing Campaign with These 5 Tips (+20 Examples)

Is Your Website Ready For BFCM Marketing?

What is BFCM? How can SMEs boost BFCM sales?

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FAQs on BFCM 2024

It’s best to start planning as early as September. This allows ample time to analyze last year’s performance, set goals, optimize your website, and finalize your marketing strategy. Early preparation helps avoid last-minute stress and ensures everything runs smoothly during BFCM.

Key areas to focus on include website optimization (ensuring fast loading times and a seamless checkout process), marketing strategy (email, social media, and influencer marketing), and inventory management. Personalizing your customer’s experience and using urgency tactics can also help drive conversions.

Optimize your Shopify store by using Shopify’s built-in tools for discounts, email marketing, and analytics. Ensure your product pages are mobile-friendly, your checkout process is smooth, and consider integrating third-party apps to boost performance and automation.

Utilize email campaigns, paid social media ads, and influencer partnerships to spread the word. Content marketing, such as BFCM guides or product feature videos, can also drive organic traffic to your store. Additionally, consider using Whatmore’s Shoppable Videos to engage customers and increase conversion rates.

Use urgency tactics such as countdown timers, limited stock alerts, and flash sales. Offering exclusive discounts to your email list or creating product bundles can also encourage higher cart values. Personalized product recommendations and shoppable videos can further enhance the shopping experience and drive more sales.

Offer something unique, such as exclusive bundles, free shipping, or limited-time flash sales. Additionally, using shoppable videos and interactive content can create a more engaging and immersive shopping experience, setting you apart from the competition.

Ensure a smooth checkout process with multiple payment options and minimal form fields. Offering free shipping, providing clear shipping times, and sending cart abandonment emails with a discount code can help recover lost sales.

Focus on email marketing, social media ads, influencer partnerships, and content marketing. Personalization is key—segment your audience and create targeted messages to maximize engagement. Additionally, use video content, such as product demos and how-to videos, to captivate your audience

Whatmore’s Shoppable Videos allow you to showcase your products in an engaging, interactive format that can drive conversions without slowing down your site. Whatmore Studio enables you to quickly create high-quality, trending videos that capture attention, perfect for social media and product pages during BFCM.

The best way to prepare for high traffic is to perform load testing ahead of time. You should also consider upgrading your hosting plan or implementing a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to ensure your website remains fast and responsive under heavy traffic. Optimizing your site’s speed, especially for mobile users, is key to reducing bounce rates

Set up abandoned cart emails that trigger within an hour of a customer leaving your site. Include a direct link back to their cart, and consider offering a limited-time discount to encourage them to complete the purchase. Additionally, retargeting ads can be an effective way to remind customers of items they’ve left behind.

It depends on your business strategy. Sitewide discounts are great for attracting a large number of customers, but focusing on specific products—like best-sellers or exclusive items—can help you maintain higher margins. A balanced approach, where you offer a smaller sitewide discount but deeper discounts on select products, can be effective.

During BFCM, inboxes are flooded with promotional emails, so personalization is key. Use segmentation to target specific groups with personalized offers based on their past purchases or browsing behavior. Also, use compelling subject lines and engaging visuals in your emails to grab attention.

The most effective urgency tactics include countdown timers on product pages, limited-time flash sales, low-stock alerts, and displaying how many people are currently viewing or buying a product. These methods create FOMO (fear of missing out) and can drive faster conversions.

Focus on the value your products bring to your customers. Instead of only pushing discounts, create content that highlights how your products solve problems, improve lifestyles, or bring joy. You can also weave in user-generated content, reviews, or stories about how other customers have benefited from your products.

After BFCM, it’s crucial to follow up with new customers through personalized email campaigns, offering them exclusive deals for the holiday season. You can also create loyalty programs that reward repeat purchases or referrals. Engaging with them on social media and through targeted ads will also help keep them coming back.