The Ultimate Retention Prep Checklist for BFCM: How to Turn Holiday Shoppers Into Year-Round Customers
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BFCM Is the Beginning, Not the End
Black Friday / Cyber Monday is the most concentrated revenue opportunity of the year—but for retention-driven brands, it’s the starting point for a year of compounding customer lifetime value.
Every decision you make—how you segment, what offers you run, how well you execute—determines whether your BFCM buyers become one-and-done bargain hunters or long-term loyalists.
The Ultimate Retention Prep Checklist for BFCM is a step-by-step Google Sheets tool to make sure your segmentation, automations, offers, and QA are airtight before the biggest shopping weekend of the year.
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Why Retention Prep Matters More Than You Think
In our full-stack retention programs, we’ve seen brands spend months building BFCM hype but neglect the post-purchase experience. That leads to:
- High December churn as deep-discount customers disappear.
- Missed upsell/cross-sell opportunities during peak engagement.
- Loyalty programs underutilized when they should be driving retention.
A solid prep process ensures:
- Every campaign and flow is conversion-ready.
- Post-BFCM engagement plans are built before the rush.
- Offers balance margin protection with loyalty growth.
Inside the Ultimate Retention Prep Checklist
1. Segmentation & Targeting
- Define VIP tiers and early-access segments.
- Identify high-AOV and high-frequency customers for premium offers.
- Tag seasonal buyers for January reactivation flows.
How to segment for retention marketing
2. Email & SMS Flow Updates
- Update abandoned cart, browse abandonment, and post-purchase flows with BFCM offers.
- Build pre-BFCM hype sequences for VIPs.
- Add reactivation triggers for last year’s inactive BFCM buyers.
Email & SMS marketing prep guide
3. Offer Structuring
- Choose sitewide vs. category-specific discounts.
- Layer loyalty point bonuses or GWP for VIPs.
- Plan flash sales/timed drops for urgency without deep discounting.
4. Loyalty & Referral Programs
- Promote point multipliers for BFCM purchases.
- Refresh referral copy to leverage holiday buzz.
Lifecycle & loyalty marketing services
5. QA & Deliverability
- Warm up email lists ahead of high sends.
- Test automations for correct triggers/timing.
- QA mobile design—73% of BFCM orders are mobile.
BFCM Retention Prep Timeline
Follow this timeline to pace your prep work from September through post-BFCM follow-up. Assign owners and link to deliverables in your internal doc for accountability.
| Timing | Focus Area | Key Actions | Deliverables |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep Wk 1–2 | Segmentation & Offers | Define VIP tiers, early-access lists, seasonal buyer tags. Lock offer architecture & promo calendar. | Segmentation doc, offer matrix |
| Sep Wk 3 | Flows & Campaigns | Update abandoned cart, browse, post-purchase flows. Draft VIP hype campaigns. | Flow screenshots, copy doc |
| Sep Wk 4 | Deliverability | Start warm-up plan. List hygiene & seed tests. Inbox placement checks. | Warm-up calendar, hygiene report |
| Oct Wk 1–2 | Creative & Loyalty | Approve creative system, build GWP/loyalty point creative. Refresh referral assets. | Creative kit, loyalty promo pages |
| Oct Wk 3 | Merch & Margins | Set inventory guardrails, promo exclusions, and margin thresholds. | Promo P&L, exclusion list |
| Oct Wk 4 | QA | Full staging QA: links, pricing, personalization, mobile design. | QA checklist, fix log |
| Nov Wk 1 | VIP Early Access | Launch VIP access. Test send times & subject lines. | EA results, A/B test report |
| Nov Wk 2 | Final Lock | Confirm send schedules & caps. Activate live dashboards for tracking. | Send calendar, dashboards |
| BFCM Week | Execution | Daily stand-ups, flash offers where viable, VIP support. | Performance log, adjustments |
| Post-BFCM Wk 1–2 | Retention Follow-Up | Run post-purchase flows, thank-you campaigns, review requests, and loyalty/reactivation pushes. | Follow-up flow links, loyalty reports |
How to Implement This Checklist Without Overwhelm
- Start Early — At least 6 weeks before BFCM.
- Assign Ownership — Segment, flows, offers, QA.
- Run a Dry-Run Audit — Test everything in staging.
- Document Changes — For next year’s BFCM retro.
Common Mistakes This Checklist Helps You Avoid
- Last-minute offer changes causing automation errors.
- Unsegmented sends hurting engagement.
- Post-purchase silence missing upsell opportunities.
Integrating BFCM Prep Into Year-Round Retention
Use this checklist for every major promo: product launches, seasonal sales, anniversary campaigns. It ensures consistency and measurable ROI.
- BFCM retro templates for future growth.
- Post-purchase nurture sequences to extend CLV.
- Loyalty activations to deepen engagement.
Conclusion: Make BFCM the Start of a Relationship
BFCM can be a one-off spike or the foundation for 12 months of retention-driven growth. The BFCM Retention Checklist ensures every lever is primed to turn high-volume holiday sales into long-term customer loyalty.