In the hustle and bustle of the BFCM season, marketers often face this common hurdle: the need to make their brand seen and heard amidst the flurry of discounts and promotions. As the competition heats up, the pressure to acquire and build relationships with customers rises.
Your existing customers make up half of your orders received during BFCM. While, the other half is made up of new customers. So it’s important that your marketing tactics cater to both of them.
Industry experts predict that BFCM 2026 will become the biggest online shopping event in US history. Brands starting their BFCM campaigns at least 90 days out consistently outperform those that begin in October. Early preparation allows you to test your messaging before the heavy holiday traffic arrives.
We’ve curated a list of tactics that can get you the most out of this year’s BFCM and stand out from other brands.
Cut your email marketing bill by 67%
No limits on contacts. Pay only for what you use.
1.Grow your list early
Growing a list takes time. And, you need a sizeable and high quality list for your email and SMS marketing to be successful this BFCM.
Nurture your contacts before BFCM, tell them why they should buy from your brand, and your brand alone, and get them primed for purchase when BFCM rolls around.
So, start growing your list as early as August. Speaking of growing your lists…
2.Set up BFCM-themed pop-ups
Switch your usual pop-ups with BFCM-themed pop-ups that lets shoppers sign up for extra BFCM incentives or guides for holiday gifts. Inform your shoppers that they’ll be receiving other relevant marketing communications.
Use social media ads, posts, and stories with links that lead prospects to a landing page and collect their contact information. Collect additional information like preferred products and other 0P-data. Segmenting your audience will help you send relevant campaigns and reconnect with them even after the holiday season comes to an end.
Top clothing brands such as Nike frequently use targeted landing pages to offer exclusive early access to their members. The extra details shoppers share during sign-up, like their preferred styles or product interests, help you send emails in 2026 that feel personal and relevant to each buyer. Most users prefer simple pop-ups that offer a clear and immediate benefit for signing up.
We’re working on a blog dedicated to growing your list for BFCM. Subscribe to get it delivered to your inbox once it’s out!
3.Pre-BFCM Campaigns
Your email and SMS campaigns during the next 3 months play a crucial role in driving revenue. Plan for these right now and get your audience warmed up for BFCM with campaigns like:
Teaser emails
Send a sneak peek email that about your upcoming offers to pique interest early. Let your audience know what to expect and get them excited when your offers roll in. Personalize this email by displaying products that the viewer has browsed before. Encourage readers to add the products to their wishlist to get notified when the sale goes live.
Contest and quizzes
Conduct contests and quizzes to engage with your audience better before BFCM. Tailor these events for specific segments to make them more personalized.
For example, if you are a skincare brand, conduct “The dry skincare challenge”, “skincare trivia” contests and use quizzes to collect 0P data.
Early access for VIP segment
The VIP segment is your most loyal audience. Make them feel special by giving them early access to the BFCM sale. Beauty brand Sephora often uses its tiered membership program to offer tiered early access days. You should focus on creating a sense of exclusivity for your repeat buyers.
4.BFCM Campaigns
Once November rolls by, your marketing focus should shift towards reminding customers about the sale and create FOMO with campaigns like:
Limited-time deals
Use a countdown timer to create a sense of urgency and encourages shoppers to buy before the sale ends. If you are sending an email, display the top deals you’re offering along with the countdown timer and add CTAs that lead to appropriate product pages.
Limited Stock
Your pre-BFCM campaigns should have given you sense of what products people like and buy. Showcase scarcity (only X items left, X units sold already, etc) to drive FOMO. You can also offer discounts only for X quantities.
Amazon takes this a step further with lightning deals with real-time stock bars to force quick purchasing decisions. A similar approach works well in email too. Dynamic widgets that display live inventory levels give your subscribers that same nudge to act before stock runs out.
5.Aim to increase average order value
Although flat discounts can attract customers, they can eat up your profit margin and affect profitability. This is especially bad when you are already running on low margins.
To tackle this:
- offer discounts, gifts, mystery items, free shipping, etc., over a certain order value.
- give incentives to promote your up-selling and cross-selling strategies.romote Your Loyalty Program
- let customers create customized bundles or choose pre-bundled products at a discounted price.
These strategies makes people spend a bit extra to avail your deals, increasing your AOV.
Bundling complementary items can boost your average order value by nearly 30% during peak holiday sales. Shoppers often find bundled offers more valuable than a simple percentage discount.
6.Go omni-channel with social media
Complement your other direct response channels with social media to to promote your BFCM sale. Collaborate with influencers to reach their audience.
Gymshark is a good example of this done right. Gymshark is a popular fitness apparel brand that built its entire BFCM reputation through massive influencer takeovers on TikTok and Instagram.
The key is to keep your brand voice and visual style the same across every platform, so shoppers recognize you no matter where they see you.
7.Promote your loyalty program
During BFCM around 48% of your revenue comes from first-time buyers. Loyalty programs help you retain them for repeat purchases. Promote your loyalty program by sending emails to first-time buyers and talk about its benefits.
At the same time, offer extra benefits to your existing members and give them early access to the BFCM sale.
Research indicates that 85% of consumers say loyalty programs play a big role in their decision to keep coming back to a brand.
Plus, loyal members spend three times more than first-time shoppers. You can offer a small point bonus for every new customer who creates an account during the sale.
8.Leverage ads early
Paid ads can become an expensive affair during BFCM. If you’re a smaller brand, you cannot outbid the bigger players with deeper pockets. So, make sure you get on early with your Facebook and Google ads.
Your acquisition costs will be significantly lower and also if your ads generate interest early, you can leverage your other channels like email and SMS, which have higher conversion rates.
Lower CPM rates in September and October provide a perfect window for building your remarketing audiences. Brands that wait until late November often pay more for the same amount of traffic. You should use this early period in 2026 to test which creative assets perform the best.
Cut your email marketing bill by 67%
No limits on contacts. Pay only for what you use.
9.Use product stickers
Product stickers and tags such as “BFCM Sale”, “Best Seller”, “Offer Ends Soon”, “Limited Stock” are simple yet effective way to draw attention towards the price reduction and helps in creating FOMO.
Some other stickers you can use are:
- Free shipping
- + Mystery item
- + Free gift
- BFCM coupon code inside
- Value for money
- Buy one get one
- No return/exchange charge
For your VIP audience, send promo codes via email and SMS. On your website, use stickers like “Unique Promo Code”, “Use VIP Code” to let them avail extra offers.
Clear visual cues help a shopper navigate a busy store page without feeling confused. You can use bright colors for stickers to make your best deals stand out against a white background.
The BFCM season is a perfect opportunity to boost profitability and grow your customer base. Implement the right marketing tactics that fits your brand and make the most out of it. Optimize your website before BFCM hits and keep tracking your marketing efforts and make necessary changes.
BFCM Post-Sale Strategy — Do Not Let the Momentum Die
Many brands stop their marketing efforts after Cyber Monday. This approach is a big mistake because you have just acquired a large group of new customers.
A simple thank-you email sequence helps build a positive first impression of your brand. You should invite these new buyers into your loyalty program while they are still excited about their purchase.
By sharing a teaser for your upcoming holiday collection, you can maintain the momentum throughout December.
Brands that follow up quickly often see a much higher second-purchase rate than those that go quiet. You should focus on proving that your brand offers value beyond a one-time discount.
Conclusion
BFCM success in 2026 belongs to brands that prepare early and think far beyond the final sale numbers. Start by building your email list and warming up your audience through teaser campaigns.
As the season gets closer, layer in scarcity tactics, loyalty rewards, and omnichannel promotions to cover every stage of the shopper journey. The right balance between acquiring new customers and retaining existing ones is what separates good BFCM campaigns from great ones.
Brands that start 90 days out have enough time to test and refine what works. If you want help putting this plan together, our team is happy to walk you through it.
FAQs
What are the best BFCM marketing tactics for ecommerce brands in 2026?
Successful brands focus on a combination of early list building, tiered VIP access, and time-sensitive SMS alerts. High conversion rates often come from using product stickers and countdown timers that build genuine urgency. You should also prioritize profit margins by using smart bundling and tiered discount structures to increase total sales.
How early should brands start their BFCM campaigns?
Planning and list-building efforts should ideally begin at least ninety days before the main event. A start date in August or September allows you to gather a high-quality audience before advertising costs become too expensive. Early action provides enough time to warm up your subscribers with engaging teaser content and exclusive sneak peeks.
How do ecommerce brands increase average order value during BFCM?
Threshold-based rewards like free shipping or mystery gifts encourage shoppers to add more items to their digital carts. Pre-packaged bundles of popular products offer a higher perceived value while moving more inventory in a single transaction. Recommendation widgets on the checkout page also serve as a reliable way to suggest relevant upsells to every customer.
What is the best way to retain customers acquired during BFCM?
Immediate onboarding into a loyalty program helps transform one-time buyers into long-term fans of your brand. Personalized follow-up emails should arrive shortly after the purchase to offer a special incentive for their next order. Useful resources such as style tips or product guides make your brand feel like a helpful partner rather than just a discount outlet.