Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are often thought of as consumer-centric events, but B2B eCommerce companies have a massive opportunity to capitalize on this peak shopping season. With buyers in every sector gearing up to make end-of-year purchases, automating email marketing for B2B can keep potential buyers engaged, drive sales, and enhance loyalty. Here’s how to effectively leverage automation to make this BFCM season one of your best yet.
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1. Segment Your Audience to Speak Their Language
In B2B eCommerce, your buyers likely have specific needs based on their industry, role, and purchasing patterns. Rather than sending out a generic BFCM email, start with smart segmentation:
- Previous Buyers: Create campaigns that build on the last purchases made. Remind them of reorder opportunities or product updates that could be useful. Cross-selling can be an extremely powerful tool for this being season.
- Leads and Prospects: Focus on why they should choose you NOW. Highlight limited-time offers, product advantages, or testimonials to incentivize first-time purchases. This time of year is unique as we have unique offers but we need to capitalize on the demand that exists as well.
- Dormant Accounts: Send re-engagement messages to accounts that have been drifting or have churned, focus on how your product or service can solve their specific industry challenges and remember, if they've already bought, it's the time to remind them why and give them an incentive.
By personalizing each campaign to match your audience’s needs, you’re speaking directly to their specific concerns and goals, making them more likely to engage.
2. Automate Multi-Stage Campaigns to Drive Consistent Engagement
Instead of relying on one or two emails, set up a multi-stage automated sequence or workflow that unfolds over the BFCM period. This could look like:
- Early Access Teasers: Send initial emails with teasers about your upcoming deals to create anticipation and ensure your top of mind. This also lets you filter your lists early on for actual interest.
- Countdown Reminders: As BFCM approaches, use countdown reminders and sneak peeks to keep interest alive. Including engaging visuals or product benefits can help these emails stand out. You can also leverage A/B experiments to determine which offers are more attractive.
- BFCM Launch Emails: When BFCM hits, your launch email series should spotlight your most popular products or services with strong CTAs, tailored recommendations, and an emphasis on urgency. Try to ensure you have a way to measure engagement and interest, so you can follow up if needed.
- Follow-Ups and Reminders: For those who haven’t purchased, send follow-up emails highlighting different benefits, new bundles, or last-chance reminders for at least a week after the event.
With these stages automated, you’ll keep buyers engaged over the entire BFCM period without having to manually schedule and send. HubSpot can be your greatest partner and, in connection with Unific and our Deep Data Sync, you can automate and personalize content at scale.
3. Leverage Dynamic Content to Keep It Relevant
Dynamic content personalization allows you to display different text, images, and CTAs based on the recipient's industry, buying behavior, or location. For instance:
- Personalized Product Suggestions: Include product recommendations based on their past purchases or related categories. Clients want you to be dynamic and their interest begins with curiosity.
- Industry-Specific Content: Highlight use cases or testimonials relevant to their sector. You know a lot about them and their context, speak to their pains, needs, problems and goals. Be specific, creating a connection means showing them you understand where they are coming from.
- Exclusive Bundles: Show customized bundle offers based on products they’ve shown interest in or ordered in the past. Customization starts here, this can depend on your product, but chances are they will re-order what they've bought in the past. Include cross selling products that can increase product value for them.
When emails look and feel personally relevant, they’re more likely to drive engagement, and dynamic content makes it easy to deliver these tailored experiences at scale.
4. Automate Follow-Ups Post-Purchase for Stronger Relationships
B2B buyers are often long-term customers, so maintaining the relationship post-BFCM is crucial. Use automated follow-ups to solidify the relationship and encourage repeat business:
- Thank-You Emails with Value Adds: A thank-you email goes a long way, especially when paired with helpful resources or support links.
- Usage Tips and Product Guides: Help them maximize the benefits of their purchase with tailored guides, case studies, or success stories relevant to their new product.
- Cross-Sell and Upsell Offers: After their initial purchase, automated emails suggesting related products or upgrades can help drive additional sales.
Automating these post-purchase touchpoints builds trust and positions your business as a partner in their long-term success.
5. Measure and Optimize in Real Time
BFCM moves fast, so keep an eye on your email metrics to see what’s resonating and what isn’t. Use insights from open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to make adjustments as the campaign unfolds. Most email automation platforms provide real-time reporting and A/B testing options, so make use of these tools to fine-tune your messaging for optimal engagement.
As a merchant you need to be dynamic during this time, don't be afraid to make changes and experiment.
6. Ensure Your Email Deliverability Is Up to Par
A successful email campaign is only as good as its deliverability rate. To ensure your BFCM emails reach your audience:
- Warm-Up Your IP: If you’re sending a large volume of emails, gradually increase your email sends to avoid getting flagged as spam.
- Maintain a Clean List: Make sure your email list is up-to-date with current addresses and remove any unengaged or invalid contacts.
- Keep Emails Simple and Valuable: Avoid excessive images, links, or complicated HTML that could trigger spam filters. A clear, valuable message and visually balanced design improve deliverability and engagement.
Conclusion
B2B buyers have specific needs and schedules, making automated and targeted email marketing essential for a successful BFCM campaign. By segmenting your audience, setting up multi-stage automations, using dynamic content, and following up post-purchase, you’ll not only capture their attention but also lay the foundation for long-term relationships that extend beyond the holiday season.
Ready to drive better B2B results this BFCM? Start planning your automated campaigns now to ensure you’re reaching the right buyers with the right message.
