You Crushed Black Friday, Now What?

Hi Marketers!

Are we exhausted, tired, or feeling alive and thriving?

From the screenshots you all shared, it sounds like this Black Friday was a smashing success.

According to Shopify CEO Tobi, Shopify Merchants drove $4.1 billion in sales this Black Friday, up 22% from last year.

I’ve seen some insane numbers, and like the icons they are, Shopify lit up the largest sphere in the world with the “Shopify globe.”

In other wild news, the Mini Miracle Balm from Jones Road was one of the items most sold on Shopify over BFCM. Wild. 

In true iNvEsToR fashion, I bought SHOP shares when it was at the top, watched it hit the ground, and now I’m breaking even again. 🙃

As Retention and CX leaders, we play two huge parts here. We are imperative in getting all these returning customers to come back for Black Friday, and more importantly, we are the ones to ensure all these crowds of new customers come back post-Black Friday.

Instead of the generic “send email and text, make money” advice you get elsewhere, I’ll try to give you some actionable and tactical advice to keep these new customers engaged and excited to purchase again.

Pull up a chair. Let’s talk. 

This week's newsie is brought to you by the legendary Sharma Brands — The best growth marketing partner for brands doing $30M to $300M in revenue.

 Let me give you a high-level overview of what they are really good at. They are a company founded by the DTC Guy, Nik Sharma. They are based out of New York (Flatiron, to be specific), with a team of ~32 full-time people. 

Many of your favorite brands (Hexclad, Jolie, Feastables, Chamberlain Coffee, Everlane, Crocs, and more) work with Sharma Brands.

Websites: The SB team takes a new approach to building out websites. They have an 8-person design team that fully oversees your website from site strategy, customer journey, product merchandising, sitemap, wireframes, copywriting, UI design, development, and launch. 

On average, their websites convert at 4%. Check out The Skinny Confidential, Love Wellness, or Halfdays.

What’s the difference between Sharma Brands and other Shopify agencies? Their sites focus on customer education and conversion, not just looking pretty (but they do look pretty). Moreover, their scope isn’t limited. Whether you’re looking for a total redesign or new landing pages, they’ve got you covered.

Ad Creative: Usually coupled with media buying, Sharma Brand’s ad creative is second to none. Instead of just filming with “content creators” and testing 47 hooks, they ideate and design your creative from the ground up. 

Their team helps you plan brand shoots to ensure you have all the right assets. Then, they can produce statics or videos, including animation-heavy ads, remix studio-shot content, enhance customer-generated content, and optimize the creative on a weekly basis based on performance. 

 SB does it all: Sharma Brands is your self-proclaimed “full-funnel digital escalator.” They can help with not only websites and ad creative, but also handle retention marketing, media buying, conversion rate optimization, and brand launches.

If you’re interested in working with a partner that takes headaches off your plate, submit your information on this link to set up a time to chat. 

Segmentation: The Holy Retention Grail

Successful customer retention post-Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) hinges on understanding and catering to your new customer base's needs and behaviors.

Segmenting these customers allows for targeted and effective engagement strategies essential for fostering lasting relationships. (It’ll also save you a ton of money, especially on SMS, where you are charged quite a bit per message.)

Here’s a more in-depth look at how to do this:

Identify Unique Customer Segments:

Start by analyzing purchase data from BFCM. Look for product preferences, order dollar value, and purchasing frequency patterns. 

Identify unique segments like first-time buyers, high-spenders, or those who bought certain types of products. For example, if your store sells beauty products, you might identify segments such as skincare enthusiasts, makeup aficionados, or those only buying brushes or tools.

Each segment has distinct needs and preferences, which should inform your engagement strategies.

Tailor Communication for Each Segment: 

Once you've identified your customer segments, tailor your communication to suit each group's interests and behaviors. 

For instance, first-time buyers might benefit from educational content about your products or brand story. In contrast, repeat customers might appreciate a loyalty rewards program (if you have one) or information about new product launches.

Who knows, maybe even early access to new launches as an option for your VIPs?

Utilize Behavioral Data for Personalized Recommendations: 

Leverage the behavioral data gathered during BFCM to make personalized product recommendations. Analyze purchase history, quiz data (if applicable,) and their first-order AOV to see how hard you can go in suggesting new items. 😆 

For example, suggest a matching concealer or a popular setting powder for customers who purchased a foundation. For those who showed interest in skincare but have yet to make a purchase, consider sending them a curated list of your top-selling skincare items or a special offer to encourage a first-time purchase. (We did this very successfully with PostPilot direct mail at Jones Road.)

P.S. If you are sending two campaigns a week to standard customers, your folks with higher recency, frequency, and spending than the rest might be able to handle three emails a week, with a more significant push on upselling. It depends on the category and your general behavior pre-BFCM, but it is worthwhile to test.

Leaning into already-existing customer behavior is much easier than trying to change it. If you have a subscription or loyalty program, these engaged customers would be the lowest-hanging fruit (I hate that term, and I promise I’ll never say it again.) 

Create Special Offers Based on Purchase History:

Develop special offers or incentives based on a customer’s purchase history. 

For example, offer a discount on a future purchase or create a bundle deal that includes products related to their initial purchase. 

If someone bought a hair care set, consider offering a discount on complementary products like hair brushes or accessories.

Beyond the Box: How to Make Post-Purchase a Red Carpet for the Next Purchase

In the aftermath of BFCM, warehouses often face order volumes 5-10 times higher than usual, stretching operational capacities to their limits. While your team might be adept at handling this surge, it's crucial to manage customer expectations proactively.

Managing Post-BFCM Operational Realities:

Immediately after BFCM, shoot a note to your customers acknowledging the high volume of orders and providing realistic timelines for order processing and shipping. This transparency helps manage expectations and reduces anxiety and frustration.

It’s a plain-text email. It takes you ten minutes to write and send.

Do it now. I’ll wait. 

Empathetic Customer Service: 

Ensure your CX team is prepared to handle increased inquiries with empathy and efficiency.

Provide them with scripts/macros and FAQs to address common post-BFCM Qs and encourage them to maintain a friendly, understanding tone in all interactions.

Move quickly on the easy ones and leverage macros; go deep on the ones that need extra attention.

Humanizing Brand Interactions:

Beyond transactional emails, it’s essential to establish a genuine connection with your customers. This involves reaching out in a way that isn’t solely focused on sales.

Follow the example of brands like Huron that excel in sending plain-text emails from their founder, which feel more personal and less like a sales pitch.

These emails can share insights into your brand, tell a story, or simply check in with the customer. It’s about making a human connection beyond the transaction. 

Leveraging Feedback and Reviews:

Post-purchase is an excellent time to gather feedback and encourage reviews. This not only provides valuable insights but also keeps the conversation going.

Send out a survey or feedback request a few weeks after purchase (we used Retently for these.) 

Ask specific questions about their experience with the product and the overall service. It also shows that you value their opinion and are committed to continuous improvement if you messed something up badly. 

One last announcement before I go:

It’s been an exciting two weeks since joining Yotpo, and there's more to look forward to. 

Next week, Yotpo will unveil some INCREDIBLE product developments at the Retain Forward Fall event. Some of these announcements are the main reason I joined Yotpo in the first place.

One of my favorites is “Tailor,” a magical AI tool that’s like an army of analysts at your fingertips. It’s the tool I always wished I had.

It uses your existing customer data to help you easily send the right message to the right person at the right time. 👀

Register for the virtual Retain Forward event on 12/6 to be entered to win a $500 AirBnB gift card:

Register

I can’t wait to see you there. 

That’s it for this week!

Any topics you'd like to see me cover in the future?

Just shoot me a DM or an email!

Cheers, 

Eli 💛