Last minute BFCM checklist

BFCM is the only time of year you’ll send to your full list, and this requires some serious deliverability preparation. The first thing you should do is check your deliverability score in the Deliverability hub (for both email and SMS). If your score is poor or fair two weeks out from BFCM, a full-list send is probably too big of a risk for your brand. Instead, you should probably restrict your send to those who have engaged with your emails in the past 365 days, for example.

The hub will also provide you with some ‘Action Center’ recommendations of tasks you can do to improve your score. Make sure you prioritize these tasks ahead of BFCM so you have the highest chance of hitting your customers' inboxes and phones over the biggest shopping weekend of the year.

Key steps to take:

• Check your score in the deliverability hub.
• Complete all Action Center recommendations.
• Steadily increase your sending volume over the two weeks leading up to BFCM, using the guidance provided in this course.

All of your customer-facing content should center around your core BFCM deals and calls-to-action (CTA). All content should be “on-brand,” meaning the imagery, tone of voice, and style of each item should feel part of your cohesive brand identity. Don’t over-complicate your messaging - this is a noisy time for consumers, and they will respond best to direct, simple messaging that leans into your brand values.

Key steps to take:

• Update hero images and BFCM graphics - Ensure that your website, social media accounts, and any other sales channels that drive traffic for your brand align. You can and should repurpose graphics and keep all fonts, colors, and CTAs consistent.‍
• Audit all prepared content - Ensure that BFCM discounts are the same across channels, unless otherwise specified. This includes your paid acquisition channels (e.g., Google ads) and owned marketing channels (e.g., website, emails, texts). Say you offer an exclusive BFCM deal for VIPs: they should ideally access the same deal via email as they could via an on-site form or ad on Facebook, unless you explicitly offer unique incentives for each channel.

Test your sign-up forms, including embeds, ahead of BFCM to confirm that they function properly and appear in the right spots across your website. We recommend having at least 2 sign-up forms live on your site, including an embedded form and a pop-up form with a teaser.

You may choose to collect additional information during BFCM, including content preferences or additional marketing consent. If you have the extra time, employ the following sign-up form strategies:

• Clone your primary sign-up form to create a BFCM-specific variation - perhaps with a countdown timer.
• Create a new form to collect SMS consent using SMS smart opt-in.
• Enable SMS consent at checkout on your website.

Looking for additional list growth strategies ahead of BFCM? Read 10 best practices from a Klaviyo Community Champion.

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Preview your flows to make sure they are working properly ahead of BFCM, when traffic to your site may increase substantially. We recommend cloning your existing flows, pausing them and creating ‘BFCM versions’ with updated design and copy to reflect your promotions.

The following flows are particularly important to have live, as they bring new customers into your marketing funnel and boost sales:

• Welcome series: welcome new BFCM subscribers.
• Abandoned cart and browse abandonment: recover otherwise lost sales.
• Post-purchase: build rapport and supply relevant follow-up information.
• Back in stock: if you’re worried about lost sales due to an inventory shortage.
• BONUS: Price drop: let your subscribers know that the products they’ve had their eye on have just gone on sale.

Leading up to BFCM, turn Smart Sending off for these flows and consider shortening time delays so that messages can be sent within a shorter timespan while your sales are still running.

For additional details, head to Prepare your flows for BFCM.

When establishing coupon codes for BFCM, follow best practices to create an optimal experience for customers:

• Establish an expiration date for your coupon codes to end when BFCM is over.
• Ensure that your coupon code is front-and-center within any relevant messages.
• Preview messages that contain coupon codes to confirm that they appear properly.
• If you use static coupon codes, build a code using BFCM-related terms (e.g., BF10 for 10% off).
• If you use dynamic codes, ensure that you upload enough codes for the amount of people you plan to send them to. In Klaviyo, you will see a warning if there aren't enough codes available when scheduling your campaign.
• If you have a brick-and-mortar store, create a barcode for your coupon, sent via email, that in-store shoppers can use at checkout.

Learn how to implement all of the above best practices in Getting started with coupon codes.

Klaviyo allows you to schedule campaigns well in advance of when they should be sent. Make the most of this feature leading up to BFCM, so that your content is created, scheduled, and ready to go prior to BFCM week. And don’t go quiet ahead of BFCM - consistency is key to maintaining good deliverability and staying top-of-mind.

Before scheduling your campaigns, you’ll want to make sure you have your key segments built and ready to go. If you’re short on time and still need to build your segments, access step-by-step instructions on how to build the following key segments:

• Engaged subscribers: those who actively interact with your messages.
• Window shoppers: those who recently browsed your site but have not purchased.
• VIP customers: those who shop often or spend the most on your brand.

If you have a bit more time to prep, you’ll find even more segments to build in Use winning segmentation strategies for BFCM.

In general, the main sales that many brands prioritize for BFCM occur in the following order:

• Week(s) before BFCM: Pre-sale build-up and countdowns.
• Day(s) before BFCM: Early access deals sent to VIPs.
• On Black Friday: First major sale launch, including an in-store focus (if applicable).
• Before Cyber Monday: Teasers for Cyber Monday sales.
• Cyber Monday: Second major sale launch, primarily focusing on online deals.
• Giving Tuesday: Last chance to save on BFCM discounts and/or promote giving back initiatives (e.g., 15% off today’s proceeds go to a specific charity)

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Need additional inspiration for when and what to send?

• Toggle on the BFCM content calendar directly in your Klaviyo account.
• Stay on top of your BFCM goals with our recommended BFCM content planner.

Update your billing settings ahead of BFCM to ensure that sending goes smoothly during this crucial time of growth. Perform the following steps confirm that your account is set up for success:

• Confirm the correct contact has been set to receive billing notifications:
  Navigate to your account dropdown in the lower left. Then, select Settings > Billing > Preferences. On the Preferences page, check and update your contact information as needed under Billing email. Learn more about how to update your billing information.
• Confirm that your sending will not be disrupted due to payment:
  In order to ensure that your sending is not disrupted due to payment issues during BFCM, you should take precautions now. Any credit card customers can toggle auto-upgrade on. Learn more about auto-upgrade.
• Confirm you will not be disrupted by failed payments:
  Credit card customers should confirm that your credit card information is accurate and that the card on file has not expired. If you are a manually billed customer, review your payment history to confirm that you do not have overdue invoices. Learn more about how to update your credit card information.