Infamous for its dizzying levels of frenzy, Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is undoubtedly one of the biggest shopping events of the year.
In the run-up to the festive season, brands big and small offer generous discounts and deals for customers hoping to snag pre-Christmas bargains.
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With competition so fierce, retailers are starting to offer deals and discounts earlier and earlier in an effort to upstage Black Friday itself.
If shoppers are turning their minds towards BFCM deals earlier, it’s crucial to start fostering relationships with your existing customers in the run-up to the big event, not just once it’s arrived. Do this right and once your sales are on, customers will return to you over others.
This blog post sets out three key strategies you can implement ahead of BFCM to remind your customers why you’re such a great brand fit for them and the benefits they get from shopping with you – and not your competition – over the pre-holiday period.
Read our latest research to see the alternative incentives that drive BFCM sales just as much as discounts
1. Remind your customers they have points to spend
Last year, merchants using LoyaltyLion saw their loyalty program member orders jump by 13% meaning existing customers returned to engage.
Clearly, customers are interested in engaging with loyalty programs over the discount season. They’re demonstrating loyalty towards their favorite brands where they can earn and redeem points – even over the ease and convenience of using Amazon.
If your customers have points to redeem then let them know! Before BFCM weekend, send out a friendly email reminder to let your customers know the good news. You can even let them know about promotional offers they can take advantage of to gain more loyalty points in the run-up to the holiday season.
Lingerie and sleepwear brand, Brayola, do this brilliantly by sending reminders to their customers outlining how many available points they have on their account, and the ways they can be redeemed.
2. Make it easy for customers to earn and save points prior to BFCM
Prepare your customers and lay the groundwork for BFCM early by making points-earning easy and clear for the customer. Show new and old customers alike how to earn points in the run-up to BFCM so that when the big weekend rolls around, they’ll have earned enough to redeem against certain rewards.
A simple and easy-to-execute tip is to run on-site campaigns that tell your existing customers the additional ways they can earn points through your loyalty program. That might be through leaving a review, following you on social media or referring your brand to a friend.
Our research showed that 48% of customers are equally as likely to take the time to refer friends over BFCM weekend as on any other weekend – with an additional 28% being more likely to refer during BFCM. With stats like this, why not make referrals the center of your BFCM campaign? Your loyal customers will earn more points and you get more eyes on your website during the crucial selling period.
Skincare brand Manuka Doctor does exactly this. They put referrals front and center of their loyalty program by showing a pop-up box that tells the customer how many points they can earn by referring a friend. This encourages already loyal customers to refer others. At the same time, the referred customer will spend more as they have been recommended by someone they trust; customers acquired through referrals spend 200% more than the average customer.
3. Promote your loyalty program to new customers
The run-up to BFCM is a great time to acquire new customers and get them enrolled in your loyalty program. Make sure you clearly communicate the advantages of being a loyalty member across all customer touchpoints. For instance, share posts about the advantages of your loyalty offer on social media or launch an on-site pop-up that shows them what perks or discounts they’ll get if they join your program.
Our research showed that 41% of customers are just as likely to use the quick guest checkout when shopping over BFCM weekend. But meanwhile, last year 29% of LoyaltyLion clients saw an uplift in loyalty program sign ups.
It’s therefore important to communicate the perks of your loyalty program and get them signed up to your program before BFCM comes around. This will be beneficial to them as much as it is for you – you gain new loyalty members and they can redeem points and get discounts over the big weekend.
For example, Gymdirect runs a series of pop-ups on their site that communicate the instant rewards customers get the moment they become a member.
Get yourself prepared for BFCM this year
In the lead up to the festive season – where every retailer has something to sell – it’s crucial to get new and existing customers engaging with your loyalty program before BFCM comes around. The three key strategies to implement in order to best prepare for BFCM are:
- Reminding your customers of the points they have to spend
- Making it easy for customers to earn and save points
- Promote your loyalty program to new customers
This year, we also uncovered that 58% of consumers say that BFCM discounts impact their trust in brands. See the research to learn more about how consumers feel about the discount event this year, and what you can do to build that trust back up.
About the author
Mollie Woolnough-Rai
Mollie is a Senior Content Marketing Executive at LoyaltyLion. After graduating from UCL in 2016, she has worked both in-house and at marketing agencies providing expertise in content for both B2B and B2C clients. At LoyaltyLion, Mollie manages our content, making sure our readers get the best quality resources about customer loyalty and retention.