Happy Sunday. This week I'm coming at you with some tactical tips. It's now November, and we're all gearing up for Black Friday. I was going to do an issue 2025 planning, but I realized it's hard to think big picture when you're getting ready in the heat of the moment. And there's just a lot going on right now, so thought some last minute things that I've learned can help your Black Friday hopefully go better.
My first tip is to keep a log. Use a notebook or a shared Google Doc. Document everything that goes wrong this year. It's inevitable that things will break or not go as planned. You don't want to plan Black Friday next year from a blank page. You want to know what you could have done better. Our team does a great job of noting any issues and trying to fix them in the future. The best time to come up with these ideas is when you're frustrated, so don't miss out on that. If you're going to be in business, start planning for next year now. Just write down anything you think of, good or bad. Write it all down. It will come in handy when you're setting up your site next year, and you remember that you need to switch off an app, or do something specific with your collections pages.
Secondly, I strongly recommend a code freeze. For us, ours goes into effect November 1st for as much as we can. We won't launch any new tests, and hopefully all of ours are done. We have one trickling in that is live in just one region. Hopefully you've been able to test a ton leading up to this moment, but now is not the time to test anything new. No new apps or integrations either; the stakes are just too high and when you have high traffic is when things get pressure-tested the most.
My third tip is about the shipping cutoff timelines. Don't sleep on using the shipping cutoff times to your advantage. Figure out when yours is and how aggressive or conservative you need to be to get it there on time. You want to know your standard shipping cutoff and adjust your forecast spending accordingly. Also, be aware of your shipping cutoffs for express and expedited shipping. If you have a brick-and-mortar presence, push for timely deliveries once all of those pass. You can and definitely should see increased demand leading up to the cutoff, so plan accordingly with your spend.
My fourth tip is to not neglect Q5. In the past I've expected demand to drop off a cliff post BFCM and shipping cutoff times, but it doesn't do it for all brands . This strong sales period can last longer than we think. If you're seeing performance even past shipping cutoff times, just push into it. You can achieve strong performance and great seasonal demand even after the holiday with lower CPMs yet still strong consumer deand. I have a theory, at least for us in beauty, that people start shopping for themselves more post holidays when they realize their families did not get them what they wanted.
Number five is going to be a do not. Whatever you do, stay away from sale-extended messaging. I'm all for real urgency and real scarcity when you have it, but you risk losing trust if you abuse it. I firmly believe that we train customers how to shop with us, so the last thing we want to do is abuse their trust and have our word not be good any more. No issues starting sales earlier, but if you say they have to order by a certain date, stick to it. You might feel the urge to extend it, but long term it's safer to not.
Lastly, my sixth point is less of a tup but more of a theory. Many brands realize that the customers they acquire during this time of year are worth less to them over time; meaning they have lower LTVs and retention rates. I certainly think there is truth to that, and discount customers are often not worth as much. However, I also think that many new Q4 customers are gift-givers who may never buy. But the giftees may like your products, but if they repurchase they would show up as new customers in December, January, or February instead of repeat customer revenue. Many brands do see higher rates of new customer acquisition during those times. I don't know how I'd prove this, but I do think this is happening to a certain degree.
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Alright, this week is going to be one for the ages. Get plenty of rest, remember to breathe, and we will all get through it. I'll see you next week.
-Cody