Why BFCM Marketing Prep Should Start Now (Not in November)

Picture this: November hits, and suddenly everyone's inbox looks like a discount battlefield. Ad costs go through the roof, and customers are drowning in "FINAL SALE!" messages. If you haven't started your BFCM in marketing strategy by then, you're basically showing up to a race after everyone else has crossed the finish line.

Here's the reality check:

• People start hunting for deals way before Black Friday actually arrives—we're talking weeks, not days.
• Your customers need time to get excited about your brand again. A cold email in November? Good luck with that.
• Creating killer content takes time. You can't whip up amazing copy and visuals overnight.
• Your operations team needs to be ready. Nothing kills the holiday spirit faster than shipping disasters.
• Everyone's fighting for the same ad space, which means higher costs for everyone.

Starting early isn't just smart—it's survival.

Look Back Before Moving Forward

Before you start brainstorming this year's strategy, take a hard look at last year's results. And I don't mean just checking which email got the most opens—dig deeper.

What you should be asking:

• Which campaigns actually made you money (not just clicks)?
• What marketing channels brought in customers who actually bought stuff?
• When did people actually pull out their wallets during BFCM?
• Where did you lose potential customers—was it your landing page, checkout process, or somewhere else?

Take those insights and use them as your roadmap. Don't just copy what you did before—make it better.

Create Customer Groups That Actually Make Sense

Sending identical deals to your whole email list is like using a hammer for everything—it's lazy and ineffective. Smart BFCM marketing means talking to different groups differently.

Here's how to think about it:

• By shopping habits: Your repeat customers need different treatment than someone who bought once and disappeared.
• By how much they engage: Some people read every single message you send. Others haven't opened an email in six months.
• By what they're interested in: Use what you know about their browsing and buying history.

For example, give your best customers early access to deals, while trying to win back dormant subscribers with a "we miss you" offer. This approach from a successful SMS marketing campaign shows exactly how targeting and timing work together.

Create Offers That Actually Matter

Generic "20% off everything" deals are boring. They blend into the noise. Your BFCM marketing offers need to grab attention and hold it.

Think about:

• Can you bundle products to increase what people spend?
• What special perks can you give loyal customers?
• How can you reward early shoppers without devaluing your regular prices?

Instead of lazy discounts, try early-bird specials, buy-one-get-one deals, surprise gifts with purchase, or spending tiers with better rewards. Plan multiple offers throughout the weekend—build anticipation, deliver the main event, then create urgency with last-chance messaging.

Set Everything Up to Run on Autopilot

Trying to manually manage every single campaign during BFCM is asking for trouble. Set up your systems now so they run themselves later.

Essential automated sequences:

• Welcome messages for people who join your list during your pre-BFCM buildup.
• Cart abandonment emails and texts with holiday urgency built in.
• Countdown campaigns that build excitement before deals go live.
• Final warning messages that create real urgency.

Platforms like TopMessage make it simple to coordinate everything across multiple channels, whether you're running sms marketing campaigns or WhatsApp marketing campaigns.

Test Your Messages While It's Still Quiet

Most brands wait until the chaos starts to figure out what works. That's backwards thinking. Use September and early October as your testing ground.

What to test now:

• Different subject lines, text openers, and call-to-action buttons.
• Various visual styles and message tones.
• Different send times and which channels work best.

This quieter period is your practice space. When the busy season hits, you'll already know what gets people's attention.

Mistakes That Tank BFCM Campaigns

Even experienced marketers fall into these traps. Spot them now while you can still course-correct.

Waiting Until the Last Minute

Brands that procrastinate end up throwing campaigns together at the last second. That means weak offers, sloppy designs, and missed opportunities everywhere.

Chasing the Latest Trend

Jumping on some new platform or gimmick without testing it first is dangerous. Stick with what you know works—unless you've had time to properly test new tactics before the BFCM in marketing season kicks in.

Putting All Your Eggs in the Paid Ads Basket

Ad costs explode in Q4 (October through December). If your whole strategy depends on paid advertising, you're setting yourself up for squeezed margins and expensive customer acquisition. A solid owned media strategy (email and SMS) keeps your costs reasonable.

Ignoring Mobile Users

More than half of BFCM shopping happens on phones. If your website is terrible on mobile, you're literally throwing money away. Focus on fast loading, easy navigation, and smooth mobile checkout.

Here's something that separates the pros from the amateurs: don't wait until BFCM to use your text message list. Start sending valuable, helpful content now.

Send quick tips, fun polls, sneak peeks of new products, or behind-the-scenes content. This keeps people engaged and gets them used to opening your texts.

Real example: A skincare brand sent "winter skin care tips" to their inactive SMS subscribers in September. When their BFCM marketing preparation launched, that warmed-up list converted 40% better than their cold list.

That's the difference between good and great BFCM marketing.

BFCM isn't just a weekend sale. It's an entire campaign season that requires serious preparation. The brands that crush it understand this completely.

Here's your action plan:

• Analyze what worked and what flopped last year.
• Create meaningful customer segments.
• Develop offers that actually stand out.
• Set up your automation systems now.
• Start warming up your audience with genuine value.

This is how real BFCM marketing gets done—not with a frantic scramble the week before Thanksgiving.

Ready to put it all together? Try TopMessage for free and start executing winning strategies across every marketing campaign.