The ultimate BFCM preparation checklist for marketers

Buckle up, marketers — BFCM is coming! Whether you’re a seasoned BFCM pro or new to the fray, our checklist is the ultimate BFCM tool you need to thrive during the holiday rush. Ready to make this year your most successful BFCM yet? Remember to:

1. Start early: The earlier you begin your BFCM preparations, the better prepared you'll be to handle the complexities and demands of this critical sales period.

2. Stay agile: Be flexible and ready to adapt your strategies based on real-time data and customer feedback.

3. Focus on the customer experience: Prioritize providing a positive and memorable customer experience throughout the BFCM journey.

Want this checklist in spreadsheet form? You can download it now!

‍

Prep your customer data and CDP

• Ensure your Customer Data Platform (CDP) is up-to-date and properly integrated
• Clean and deduplicate customer data
• Set up custom segments based on previous BFCM behavior and year-round purchasing patterns
• Create a unified customer view by integrating data from all touchpoints
• Test data flows between CDP and other martech tools
• Refine your customer segmentation further:

‍High-value customers: Identify those who made significant purchases during previous BFCMs or throughout the year. Prepare exclusive offers and early access to reward their loyalty

Lapsed customers: Create a segment of customers who haven’t purchased in 6+ months and target them with personalized win-back offers featuring strong deals

New customers: Have a plan to nurture and convert them into repeat buyers

Prospects: Segment into engaged (opened email within last 6 months) and non-engaged (no open in 6+ months); send engaged all emails and non-engaged only the strongest

• Use predictive analytics to anticipate customer behavior during BFCM. This will enable you to address potential issues like inventory shortages or shipping delays proactively
• Ensure you have robust data backup procedures to safeguard against any unforeseen data loss during the high-traffic period

Optimize your martech stack

• Review and update integrations between all martech tools
• Ensure your email marketing platform is optimized for high-volume sends
• Set up and test SMS marketing capabilities
• Configure web and mobile push notifications
• Verify that your e-commerce platform can handle increased traffic
• Check your inbox delivery rates and sender reputation for all email domains. Come November, you want inbox providers to regard you as a trustworthy sender. This will help ensure that your emails don't get sent to spam
• Set up real-time analytics dashboards
• Conduct thorough stress testing on your entire martech stack to verify its capacity to handle the anticipated surge in BFCM traffic

Plan your marketing campaigns

• Define BFCM strategy, including key offers, products,  and goals
• Conduct an audit of your past performance to identify what worked well in the past and what didn't
• Check out your competitors' BFCM messages from last year for ideas on what to do and avoid
• Create a cohesive omnichannel campaign strategy that spans all customer touchpoints (email, SMS, social media, website, etc.). Ensure a consistent and seamless experience for customers across all channels
• Create a content calendar for pre-BFCM, BFCM, and post-BFCM periods to ensure you stay on track and don’t miss any important deadlines
• Review the calendar with Creative early and align on schedule for creative briefs  (increased volume may require earlier delivery of briefs to get ahead of launch dates)
• Develop the creative. Make sure it’s eye-catching and attention-grabbing. This includes your email templates, landing page templates, and social media graphics
• Design email templates for different campaign types (e.g., teasers, leading offers, abandoned cart)
• Wrap up any A/B testing. Now is the time to pick and confirm your winners with one last test
• Prepare SMS messages for crucial campaign moments
• Plan social media content and ad creatives
• Set up retargeting campaigns across channels
• Consider launching early bird offers or exclusive previews for loyal customers to generate excitement and capture early sales
• Develop curated gift guides to help customers navigate your product offerings and simplify their shopping experience

Ensure cross-functional alignment

• Publish calendar for all partners: engineering, customer care, inventory and warehouse planning
• Review plans with engineering to avoid conflicts with promo launches and site change black-out days
• Coordinate email, SMS and paid media campaign drops with engineering to avoid overwhelming servers
• Educate customer care team on BFCM offers, and product assortment, and work with them on anticipated BFCM-specific issues
• Prepare contingency plans for potential outages or technical glitches. Have alternative communication channels (e.g., social media, SMS) ready to reach customers in case of email disruptions
• Review offer schedule with finance to avoid last-minute concerns about margin or deeper-than-normal discounts
• Lock-down shipping dates with Warehouse and fulfillment (last date ordered to receive in time for Christmas)
• Set up communications for all internal partners, with clear point people on all teams

Segment and personalize campaigns

• Define key customer segments for targeted campaigns
• Prepare tailored offers based on customer lifetime value (richer offers and rewards for higher-value customers)
• Create personalized product recommendations based on customer data
• Ensure that browse and purchase data updates are real-time 
• Implement real-time personalization to deliver dynamic content and product recommendations based on customer behavior during their BFCM shopping journey
• Leverage customer data to identify opportunities for cross-selling and upselling complementary products or services
• Set up dynamic content blocks in email and on-site
• Configure personalized landing pages for different customer segments

Automate using AI

• Configure AI-powered product recommendations
• Implement chatbots for customer service during high-volume periods
• Set up automated social media responses for common queries
• Configure predictive analytics for inventory management
• Use social listening tools to monitor conversations and sentiments about your brand and BFCM campaigns. Address any customer concerns or issues promptly

Optimize your website and mobile app 

• Perform load testing on your website and mobile app
• Optimize site speed and mobile responsiveness
• Set up and test BFCM-specific landing pages
• Implement easy navigation to deal pages and top products
• Finalize and lock down any testing or updates to the checkout process by November 1
• Prioritize mobile optimization, as a significant portion of BFCM traffic will come from mobile devices
• Ensure your CTAs are prominent, compelling, and easy to locate
• Showcase UGC-like reviews and social media posts to build social proof and encourage purchases

Consider legal and compliance needs

• Review and update privacy policies if needed
• Ensure all marketing materials comply with relevant regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA)
• Verify that all promotional terms and conditions are transparent and legally sound
• If running any contests or sweepstakes, ensure they comply with all applicable laws and regulations
• Discuss all of the above with legal team

Manage inventory and fulfillment

• Sync inventory data with your CDP and e-commerce platform
• Set up low stock alerts and automated reordering
• Prepare warehouse and fulfillment centers for high volume
• Set up clear communication channels with logistics partners
• Maintain adequate safety stock to avoid stockouts during the BFCM rush
• To cater to different customer needs, offer various shipping and delivery options (e.g., free shipping, express delivery)
• Provide clear order tracking information to keep customers informed about the status of their purchases

Deliver excellent customer service

• Set up additional support channels (e.g., live chat, social media support)
• Create FAQ pages for BFCM-related questions
• Prepare response templates for common BFCM inquiries
• Consider offering extended customer service hours or 24/7 support during the BFCM period to accommodate increased customer inquiries
• Proactively communicate shipping delays or any other potential issues to manage customer expectations

Review analytics & dashboard metrics

• Set up real-time dashboards for key BFCM metrics
• Configure alerts for significant changes in key performance indicators
• Prepare post-BFCM analysis templates
• Set up A/B testing for key landing pages and email campaigns
• Set up robust attribution modeling to accurately measure the impact of different marketing channels on BFCM sales

Implement a post-BFCM marketing strategy

• Plan retention campaigns for new customers acquired during BFCM
• Set up post-purchase nurture sequences
• Prepare “thank you” campaigns for high-value customers
• Plan inventory clearance strategies for unsold stock
• Collect customer feedback through post-BFCM surveys to gain insights and improve future campaigns
• Leverage loyalty programs to reward repeat customers and foster long-term relationships

Align your marketing team

• Schedule regular team briefings for BFCM strategy and execution
• Assign clear roles and responsibilities for the BFCM period
• Set up a communication plan for real-time updates during BFCM
• Ensure that contact info is shared among team members for communication as necessary
• IMPORTANTLY, acknowledge and reward your team's hard work during and after the BFCM period!!!

‍