Holiday Marketing Campaigns: 8 Strategies for the Best Ever BFCM Sale

Hello!

Though the holiday shopping season officially kicks off with Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November, brands need to start preparing for their holiday marketing campaigns long before the sales actually begin. As we gear up for the 2026 season, early preparation is more important than ever.

Below, we’ve put together a list of the ultimate strategies that your ecommerce business can use to make this BFCM the best one yet:

1. Start Planning Holiday Marketing Campaigns Early!

Many ecommerce brands make the mistake of waiting until November to start planning and executing their holiday marketing campaigns.

However, by this time, your competitors have already started launching campaigns and taking advantage of the opportunity to reach consumers who begin shopping early.

Though not all consumers will have the holiday shopping season on their minds quite yet, we recommend preparing for your holiday marketing campaigns in September or October. This timeline gives you enough time to build brand awareness and generate leads before the shopping season really starts to pick up. By starting early, not only can you get more people into your marketing funnel, but you can also reach the 50% of holiday shoppers who have already begun making purchases in October.

Starting early also allows you to take advantage of more affordable ad pricing and improves your search engine optimization. Holiday SEO takes time to deliver results, so you need to begin planning and publishing content well in advance if you want to rank well for relevant holiday keywords.

As you start planning for your 2026 holiday campaigns, keep the following in mind:

• What are your marketing and sales goals?
• Which KPIs will you use to measure progress?
• Which sales or promotional offers will you provide?
• Which tactics and channels will help you best reach your audience?
• What types of content do you need to produce?
• What are your holiday shipping policies?

These questions will help you prepare effectively and avoid errors or issues later on.

2. Identify Holiday Marketing Tactics That Have Worked In The Past.

To succeed in 2026, identify which tactics have worked for your brand in the past and which fell short. Was there a particular holiday campaign that resonated with your audience? Did a specific channel help you reach consumers effectively during the holiday season?

Reviewing past performance gives you a solid starting point. Look at which channels delivered the most customers or the highest-value ones. If Facebook ads or email marketing consistently performed well, prioritize those tactics again this season.

You can also analyze promotions that drove results. For example, if offering free 2-day shipping on orders of $100 or more increased average order value last year, consider testing it again or experimenting with new variations.

While you don’t have to repeat the exact same approach, past data provides valuable insights into what resonates with your audience.

3. Offer Exclusive BFCM Deals.

Consumers love shopping during Black Friday and Cyber Monday for the best deals of the season. However, with so many ecommerce brands offering similar promotions like free shipping or percentage discounts, you need to stand out.

Offer exclusive BFCM deals that feel relevant and valuable to your target buyers. Go beyond standard promotions by providing a free gift or early access to limited-edition products available only during this period.

Build anticipation with teaser content on social media and email. This keeps your brand top of mind when shoppers are ready to buy.

4. Vary Your Holiday Marketing Promotions /Sales.

To keep consumers engaged throughout the busiest shopping season, add variety to your promotions and content.

Decide in advance how many different sales or promotional events you’ll run. Some brands focus on two or three major events, while others vary offers weekly or even daily.

Here are a few ideas for promotional offers during the holiday shopping season:

• Provide early access to those on your email list.
• Offer “VIP” shopping opportunities to your most loyal customers.
• Create a sale for a different product or category each week.
• Ramp up discount percentages as the holidays approach.
• Offer free shipping on orders above a certain threshold.
• Launch new products exclusively during the holiday period.

Offering more than one promotion helps you capture a wider audience.

5. Introduce Spending Thresholds For Your Holiday Marketing.

Beyond simply driving purchases, your campaigns should encourage customers to buy more. Spending thresholds are an effective way to achieve this.

A spending threshold is the minimum amount a customer must spend to unlock a specific deal. Many brands use this for free shipping (e.g., free shipping on orders over $50), but you can also apply it to discounts or gifts—such as 10% off orders over $100, 15% off over $200, or a free gift at $350.

Remind customers of their progress toward the threshold with messages like “Spend only $50 more to receive a free gift” in the shopping cart. This often motivates them to increase their order value.

6. Add a Sense of Urgency.

To reduce cart abandonment, create urgency or scarcity. Remind shoppers of deadlines and limited inventory.

Effective ways to add urgency include:

• Add a countdown clock. Display a live timer showing hours and minutes until the sale ends.
• Show product quantities. Indicate limited stock with messages like “Only 25 left.”
• Introduce a checkout deadline. Give buyers a clear time limit to complete their purchase.
• Use urgency messaging. Send “last chance” emails the day before a promotion ends.

7. Personalize The Holiday Shopping Experience.

Consumers respond strongly to personalization. Use customer data to deliver relevant offers and recommendations that increase both initial purchases and repeat visits.

Segment your contact lists based on preferences, behaviors, and demographics. Tailor messaging and promotions to each segment—for example, sending teen gift guides to contacts with teenage children.

8. Take Advantage of Holiday Email Marketing For Lead Nurture.

Email marketing is a powerful tool for nurturing leads and keeping your brand top of mind before and during BFCM.

Email marketing helps build trust through valuable content like buyer’s guides well before the shopping rush. You can also trigger automated emails based on specific behaviors, such as sending a targeted promotion when someone views a product category.

Strategic email triggers improve relevance and encourage faster action.

Get Started with Holiday Marketing Campaigns

If you haven’t started planning your 2026 holiday marketing campaigns yet, you’re already behind. The strategies above provide a strong foundation for elevating your BFCM efforts.

The sooner you begin, the better positioned you’ll be to capitalize on holiday shopping excitement.

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