the ultimate black friday cyber monday checklist part 4

Black Friday is 23 days away.

If your send calendar still says "TBC," you're already behind.

Welcome to part 4, the FINAL part of our Black Friday Cyber Monday breakdowns.

Today's focus: Timing.

(If you missed parts 1 to 3, you can find them here: https://lnkd.in/p/gcX3AH9c / https://lnkd.in/p/gVg6wCM4 / LINK TBC)

Timing is the part everyone assumes will sort itself out.
You know the date for Black Friday moooooonths in advance, so why wouldn't it?

Then it's Black Friday week, and the VIP email goes out after the public ads are already live 😅

(Been there 🤦)

So before November gets any busier, get clear on these 3 things:

1️⃣ Your key dates:

Put every email, SMS, ad launch, and site change on 1 shared calendar.
Then set your blackout windows so your regular newsletter isn't competing with your biggest offer of the year.

And get your ads approved and live ASAP before the rush. 
Ad reviews will always take longer around BFCM.

2️⃣ Your Early Access dates:

You probably should have picked these by now, so if you haven't, do that now.
And make sure they come first everywhere.

Your VIPs should hear about the sale from you before they see it in an ad like everyone else.

3️⃣ Your offer start and end timing:

Lock in exactly when the offer starts, changes, and ends.

Then check the boring stuff:
↳ Do your discount codes expire when your ads stop?
↳ Is your site timer set to your customers' time zone?

Nothing kills the vibe faster than clicking an ad for a sale that ended 2 hours ago.

Get timing wrong, and everything from parts 1 to 3 goes out late, early, or not at all.

Get it right, and your whole BFCM runs like it was planned in July. 

(Because ours was 😉)

So, be honest with yourself one last time...

Where's your team at with BFCM timing right now?
Locked in, halfway there, or still asking "wait, when does the sale start again?"

💾 Save this checklist for the next 23 days.
♻️ Repost for the operator still building their BFCM calendar.
And follow me, Jacob Rokeach, for more on running BFCM like an operator.