Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring a flurry of new customers but many are bargain hunters or gift seekers who might not stick around.
Here’s how to nurture this group during the festive period to turn first-time buyers into repeat customers.
Bridging Black Friday & Christmas
These shoppers are already in a festive mindset, making Christmas campaigns the perfect follow-up.
Creating a targeted sequence that runs separately from your usual communications helps you stay relevant to both seasonal and regular shoppers.
Step 1: Launch a dedicated christmas flow
Use automation tailored to new BFCM buyers to keep them engaged:
- Welcome to Christmas
Send a friendly post-Black Friday message like, “Thanks for shopping with us! Still searching for gifts? Here are top picks.” - Personalised Recommendations
Use purchase data to suggest relevant gifts – board games prompt more family-friendly ideas, kids’ orders trigger toy suggestions. - Gift Guides & Last-Minute Picks
Mid-December, offer curated content such as “Top Gifts for Everyone” or “Last-Minute Presents That Ship Fast”. - Delivery Deadlines
Remind customers of shipping cut-offs to create urgency and prompt action.
Step 2: Run this campaign separately from business as usual flows
To avoid overwhelming or sending irrelevant content to new acquired BFCM shoppers, run this Christmas campaign on its own automation workflow.
Here’s how to make it distinct:
Unique segments
- BFCM customers only: Keep this group separate from your standard mailing list.
- Exclusion lists: Ensure regular customers aren’t accidentally added to this campaign if they’ve already received similar Christmas content.
Adjust email frequency
While your regular audience might receive BAU campaign emails, keep the frequency lower for BFCM customers to prevent fatigue.
You need time to learn their behaviour. Limit it to 2–3 Christmas-themed emails in December.
Step 3: Use seasonal momentum to fuel engagement
These new shoppers are already warm and receptive. Use their post-BFCM mindset to continue engaging them through festive content, special promotions, or loyalty incentives.
Exclusive BFCM perks
Reward these customers with access to extended discounts or limited-edition items. Position it as a thank-you for choosing your brand during BFCM.
As these new customers are more than likely to be voucher or discount driven, this will help you convert that second purchase.
Gift wrapping and personalisation
Promote any extras like gift-wrapping services or personalisation options for items bought as gifts. For example: “Make it special with our free gift-wrapping service”.
Festive content
If you run a more lifestyle/content based brand then share engaging content like recipes, decorating tips, or holiday playlists to keep your emails relevant and enjoyable.
Step 4: Retention programmes – your next play
Holiday buys are often one-offs. Turn them into loyal customers with:
Thank you email
Send a warm message on Boxing Day or in the week after Christmas: “Thank you for making us part of your holiday season. We hope your gifts brought joy!”
New Year offers
Roll into January with exclusive offers or promotions to generate that second or third purchase from your new BFCM customers.
Step 5: Enhance post-purchase communication
Use the post-purchase window to leave a great impression:
- Send order updates, delivery tracking, or quick wins via email or SMS.
- Add value with small surprises discounts, samples, or handwritten notes to build emotional bonds.
Step 6: Build trust with customer service & clear policies
Ensure your customer service is transparent and responsive. Communicate proactively about returns, delivery issues, or delays especially during “Returns Thursday” following Black Friday.
Step 7: Keep shoppers engaged via social channels
Invite shoppers to join your social media communities:
- Encourage following your brand on social platforms through post-purchase emails.
- Highlight user-generated content or festive stories to keep your brand top-of-mind.
Step 8: Learn for the future
As with BFCM, track your Christmas campaign’s performance to refine next year’s strategy.
Key metrics to monitor include:
- Open and click-through rates: Are customers engaging with festive emails?
- Conversion rates: Which emails led to purchases?
- Segmented insights: Did gift buyers behave differently from self-shoppers?
These insights will help you fine-tune not only your Christmas campaign but also the bridge between BFCM and future seasonal strategies.
Why it works
By treating BFCM buyers as a distinct segment and guiding them with festive, purposeful content, you build a bridge from peak shopping to customer retention.
Thoughtful timing, automation and loyalty-first thinking turn seasonal shoppers into fans who stick around.
The result? A more personal, impactful way to drive festive sales and create a larger segment of returning customers instead of one-off Black Friday buyers.
Black Friday Marketing Hub
No need to stress about your Black Friday campaign. We have a complete toolkit ready for you with all the help you will need. Stress less. Sell more. Start with you Black Friday campaign now!
