Black Friday Cyber Monday is the biggest month of the year for most Shopify brands – and email is where much of that revenue is won or lost. For jewellery brand ToniMay, November 2023 was an A$1.03 million month, and Klaviyo drove A$458K of it – 45% of all store revenue.
Here are the seven steps we use to plan a Klaviyo Black Friday strategy, with the real numbers behind them.
1. Sort out deliverability first
The best Black Friday email in the world is worthless if it lands in spam. Before you plan a single campaign, check that your sending domain is properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Gmail and Yahoo now require this from bulk senders, and big sending spikes in November make inbox providers watch you even more closely.
If you’re still sending from Klaviyo’s shared domain, set up a dedicated sending domain now – not the week before the sale. It was one of the key recommendations from our own ToniMay Black Friday review.
2. Build an early-access list
Don’t wait until the sale starts to capture demand. Give people a reason to sign up in the weeks before – early access, first pick of stock or an exclusive offer – and build a dedicated BFCM list in Klaviyo.
For ToniMay, more than 4,800 shoppers joined the early-access list, and newsletter sign-ups rose 358% in a single month. That list became the most valuable audience of the sale.
3. Give your sign-ups their own flow
Anyone who joins your early-access list should get a short, dedicated flow: a confirmation, a reminder before doors open, and an “early access is live” email the moment the sale starts.
ToniMay’s BFCM sign-up flow generated A$32.4K on its own, with a 15% click rate – from an audience that put their hand up to hear from the brand.
4. Map out your campaign calendar
Plan every send before November starts, so you’re not writing emails at midnight during the busiest week of the year. A typical Black Friday calendar looks like this:
- Teaser – something big is coming, join the early-access list
- Early access – doors open for your VIP list first
- Launch – the sale is live for everyone
- Reminder – best sellers and most-loved products
- Last chance – the sale ends tonight
- Cyber Monday – one more reason to buy, or a final extension
Plan your hero products, offers and creative alongside the calendar so design and copy are ready to go.
5. Turn up your abandoned cart and browse flows
Black Friday traffic means more abandoned carts than any other month. Make sure your abandoned cart, abandoned checkout and browse abandonment flows are on, up to date and mention the sale.
During ToniMay’s Black Friday month, abandoned cart flow revenue jumped 212% on the month before – revenue that would have been lost without it.
6. Segment – don’t blast your whole list
It’s tempting to send every email to everyone in November. But blasting unengaged subscribers drives up unsubscribes and spam complaints, and hurts your deliverability right when it matters most.
Send your biggest campaigns to engaged segments – people who have opened or clicked recently, past purchasers and your VIPs – and treat less engaged subscribers carefully. ToniMay’s November campaigns ranked in the 95th percentile for placed order rate against similar jewellery brands on Klaviyo.
7. Plan what happens after the sale
Black Friday brings in a wave of first-time customers. The real win is turning them into repeat buyers. Make sure your welcome and post-purchase flows are ready to introduce new customers to your brand, ask for reviews and bring them back for a second order.
Your Klaviyo Black Friday checklist
- Sending domain authenticated (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
- Early-access sign-up form and BFCM list set up
- Dedicated sign-up flow built and tested
- Campaign calendar, offers and creative locked in
- Abandoned cart, checkout and browse flows updated for the sale
- Engaged segments built for your biggest sends
- Welcome and post-purchase flows ready for new customers
Need a hand with Black Friday?
We plan and run Klaviyo Black Friday campaigns for Shopify brands across Australia. If you want a second set of eyes on your account before the sale, start with a free Klaviyo audit or see our Klaviyo email marketing services.
