Black Friday is fast approaching, and it’s time to set the stage for an epic sales season. But before you dive headfirst into the eCommerce frenzy, there’s a crucial weapon you need in your marketing arsenal: a robust, excited, and engaged email list. To help you prepare, we’ve put together a comprehensive BFCM Checklist filled with essential strategies to optimize your email and SMS campaigns for maximum impact.
When it comes to developing a strong email list, DIDO Agency uses several proven strategies from lead magnets to social media to work on subscriber count. These strategies don’t just help you grow your email list — they help you grow it in a meaningful way, attracting eager, targeted subscribers who are genuinely interested in you and your brand.
By following the strategies in this blog and starting implementation early, you can transform your email list into a powerhouse by the time Black Friday rolls around.
Strategy #1: Create an Attractive Lead Magnet
Imagine this: a piece of content that effortlessly draws potential customers to your brand and email list. That’s exactly what a lead magnet does. A lead magnet is a free asset — like a workbook or guide — created by you for your customers.
Lead magnets are typically available for download or delivery once an interested customer enters their email address. These incentives are meant to be a win-win for you and your customers; your customers get invaluable information, and you get invaluable contact information.
To amp up your subscriber list for Black Friday, consider creating a lead magnet resource addressing pain points or offering exclusive insights about the upcoming holiday deals.
Strategy #2: Leverage Pop-Ups for Engagement
Pop-ups – or small windows that appear when a visitor gets to your website – offer your brand the power to convert casual window shoppers into engaged subscribers.
Strategically timed (and thoughtfully designed) pop-ups can achieve a wide range of goals, from introducing an exciting new feature to highlighting a lead magnet. You can also craft an exit-intent pop-up, targeting customers one last time before they decide to exit your site. For Black Friday, for example, you can attract by offering an exclusive holiday discount for new email subscribers during a certain timeframe.
(And remember: Pop-ups should never be overbearing, overwhelming, annoying, or difficult to close!).
Strategy #3: Personalize Your Opt-in Form(s)
It has become a necessity now for businesses to dive deep into audience preferences and behaviors, tailoring different aspects of your brand to meet their needs.
The future of business lies in personalization, making generalized forms are becoming a thing of the past — and that includes email opt-in forms. Using different aspects of your audience’s information, like demographics or purchase history, you can offer opt-in forms that speak directly to each customer.
When it comes to Black Friday, leaning on geographic location can be a great way to personalize your forms. Knowing whether someone is celebrating their holiday in the sun or the snow can help you craft relatable, tailored copy and design for specific customers and audiences.
Strategy #4: Experiment With Interactive Content
Although it can seem like engagement is a one-way street — from brand to customer — that’s not entirely true! Engagement can become a two-way street when you start incorporating elements of interactivity and participation.
Interactive and participatory content can look like many different things, from quizzes and social media polls to calculators and photo galleries. This type of content still informs your customer but better prioritizes interactivity and engagement, gamifying your brand in a fun, new way.
To make this Black Friday a little more interactive, consider a simple shopping-themed quiz, showcasing your offerings and connecting customers to products they’d like.
Strategy #5: Amplify Your Social Media Presence
Your social media efforts can often seem completely siloed from your email efforts, but your social platforms offer a great opportunity to amplify your reach.
By extending your email list building to your social media followers, you’re leaning on an audience that’s already warmed up. Your followers follow you for a reason, whether they like you, your products, your mission, or all three. And, because they’re already familiar with your brand, it’s not as far of a reach for them to join your email list as it would be from a completely cold and unfamiliar audience.
Social media is a great place to tease Black Friday discounts this fall, offering sneak peeks and countdowns on Instagram stories while adding a CTA to sign up for your email list.
Strategy #6: Lean On The Power of Referrals
Our final strategy for increasing your email list for Black Friday is turning to your biggest fans for support: your existing customers.
Turning your subscribers into brand advocates with a thoughtful, well-designed referral program is a great way to spread the word about your brand (and your Black Friday deals) while increasing your email audience. The ripple effect generated by referral programs offers incredible win-win opportunities for everyone involved — the referrers get discounts and rewards, and you get your brand in front of more people.
Black Friday deals are a simple way to incentivize your current subscribers to spread the word, whether that’s with a “Refer a Friend” discount or a points-based system.
Wrap Up
Increasing your email list is more than just collecting emails until you reach the number you feel like you should. An engaged email list is about forming meaningful connections with your audience, proving to them through personalization and tailored offers that you’re here, you’re listening to what they’re asking of you, and you’re ready to deliver.
While a strong email list is important all year round, it’s an especially great opportunity to supercharge your Black Friday campaigns. So, start implementing some of our strategies now, watch your email list grow, and gear up for a Black Friday like no other.