Retaining customers after the Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) and Christmas period is crucial for sustaining long-term e-commerce success. These are key periods when you’ll acquire a lot of new customers so now it’s important that you keep them. 

Here's a comprehensive plan for customer retention post-BFCM/Christmas:

  1. Post-Purchase Engagement:

Thank You Emails:

  • Send personalised thank-you emails to customers who made purchases during BFCM/Christmas.
  • Express gratitude, reiterate the value of their purchase, and provide order details.
  • Explain how best to use the product they’ve bought, or share guides related to their relationship with your brand or product.

Ask for Feedback:

  • Encourage customers to share feedback through post-purchase surveys.
  • Use their insights to improve your products, services, or the overall shopping experience.
  1. Data Analysis 

Review your BFCM/Christmas metrics for this year and last year. Note down campaigns that achieved the highest engagement - Open Rate, Click Rate, Revenue - and what products your audience were most interested in. Use these findings in your future planning.

  1. Segmentation 

Segment your customer base based on their preferences, purchase history, and demographics. Then send targeted emails with personalised recommendations and offers.

You can also build segments based around the following: Frequent buyers, first time buyers, and window shoppers, then tailor your campaigns to address each segment individually, on a more personal level, based on the stage they are at with your brand. 

This will in turn increase the effectiveness and relevance of your email and increase repeat purchases. 

  1. Content Focus 

Move from aggressive sales to more value-based messaging. Support your customer with guides, articles, videos that help them to tackle and overcome issues around your product or brand. 

Celebrate your brand mission and tell them how they are contributing to achieving it. 

Share expert knowledge relating to your product or industry. Educating your customer helps establish your brand as a thought leader and authority in your space. This is a nurturing tactic that will position you as the expert, and a friendly one at that! It will enable your customer to see you as not just a brand trying to sell things, but a brand that wants to help. 

  1. Plant the seeds for future campaigns 

Now is the time to start getting your audience excited by dropping hints on new launches, promotions, campaigns that are coming up soon. This keeps your customers engaged in your brand and keeps you top of mind, leaving them wondering what’s coming next. 

  1. Bring them over to social 

Encourage your customers to get social with you on your social media channels. Offer them opportunities to engage further with your brand in a way that they can’t on email - perhaps competitions, brand or influencer collaborations, getting involved with community initiatives or branded hashtags. 

  1. Introduce your loyalty program 

If you have a loyalty program, highlight the benefits they’ll get from joining, how it works, the rewards and how to join. Once they’re signed up, the program will work to foster repeat purchases and build further brand loyalty. 

  1. Exclusive offers

Craft special offers exclusively for new customers gained during the BFCM/Christmas period. Getting that next purchase soon is vital to foster loyalty. Get creative with what you can offer, for example, can you offer a free gift instead of a promotion? Or try to increase AOV (Average Order Value)  by including a minimum order value for the promotion you decide to run. Make these time-bound to bring a sense of urgency. 

  1. Surprise & delight:

Birthday Discounts or Gifts:

  • Collect customer birthdates and send personalised discounts or small gifts.
  • It adds a personal touch and enhances the customer's connection with your brand.

Random Acts of Kindness:

  • Occasionally surprise customers with unexpected discounts, freebies, or exclusive access.
  • This can create a positive and memorable brand experience.
  1. Encourage advocacy & referral 

According to LoyaltyLion data, 78% of people who have a good BFCM experience with a brand would go on to refer a friend or family member. Make it worth their while to spread the word by rewarding advocacy. Encourage customers to leave reviews and share their positive brand stories with others. 

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Don’t let your seasonal shoppers go cold

While many brands spend months prepping for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas, marketers recognise the importance of having a solid post-BFCM strategy to retain these new customers. Don’t let your new customers go cold, talk to our retention experts today.

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Abby Millar

Content specialist with experience in food & drink