Aug 5, 2025
Start Early, Segment Smart: Lifecycle Marketing Best Practices for BFCM 2025
Featuring insights from Klaviyo, Orita.ai, PostPilot, and Smile.io
Why Lifecycle Marketing Is Critical for BFCM Success
Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) isn’t just about flash sales and frantic promotions. It's a full-funnel opportunity to engage, convert, and retain customers for the long haul.
That was the message from lifecycle experts at a recent webinar featuring leaders from Orita.ai Klaviyo, PostPilot, and Smile.io. Below, we break down the actionable strategies they shared to help ecommerce brands win the 2025 holiday season—without burning out or over-discounting.
Orita: Prioritize Email Deliverability for Revenue Gains
Megan Blissick of Orita.ai tackled one of the most overlooked revenue killers during BFCM: poor engagement metrics.
Tips to Maximize Email Revenue
Focus on Engaged Audiences First
Improve campaign performance by pausing sends to unengaged profiles, maximizing performance without risking revenue.Run Engagement Audits Early
Orita recommends optimizing your lists by Q3 to avoid deliverability “hangover” in January. Get your free email engagement audit here!Audit Click Rates and Bounce Metrics
Low engagement often means your emails are going to spam - driving strong engagement metrics like click rate prioritizes emails landing in the inbox, which drives up email revenue.Rebuild sender reputation intelligently after BFCM
It’s great to send to a wide audience for BFCM, but be strategic to build back sender reputation fast. Lots of brands miss out on revenue later in holiday, and even into January by taking their eye off the ball after BFCM.“A cleaner, better-performing list now means higher revenue later. Don’t wait until November—start prepping your audience strategy in Q3.” – Megan Blissick, Orita.ai
Klaviyo: Build Smarter Segments and Optimize Omnichannel Flows
Dan Goldstein of Klaviyo emphasized that winning BFCM starts well before November—and that brands should treat their marketing like a marathon, not a sprint.
Key Tactics:
Start Early with Behavioral Segmentation
Segment by lifecycle stage, purchase history, or site behavior to tailor your messaging and drive higher conversions.Go Omnichannel with Email, SMS & Push
Use coordinated touchpoints to stand out—especially during peak season traffic.Personalize with Purpose
Reference loyalty tier, location, or last purchase to make offers feel one-to-one.Ramp Up Campaign Cadence in Q3
Start warming up your lists in September and October with value-driven flows.
“BFCM isn’t just about the weekend—it’s about the lead-up. Nail your strategy now, and November becomes execution, not experimentation.” – Dan Goldstein, Klaviyo
PostPilot: Direct Mail… Your Secret Weapon to Fight Back Against a Crowded Inbox
Ben Walter, Head of Partnerships at PostPilot, makes a compelling case for direct mail’s resurgence as an ROI-driven channel that breaks through digital fatigue. And when paired next to digital, brands see incremental revenue lift of 2-3x across all channels.
Strategies for Direct Mail Lifecycle Marketing:
Rethink Discounting with a Laddered Approach
Use lower incentives for recent buyers and higher ones for long-lapsed cohorts.Run Recency Cohort Reports
Analyze 30-, 90-, 180-day segments to identify the most responsive windows.Engineer the Second Purchase
Postcards in Q1 can convert one-time gifters into loyal repeat customers.Balance Cost and Consistency
Direct mail costs remain stable, unlike digital CPMs, which spike during holidays.“A well-timed postcard can surprise and delight. It’s not old-school… it’s targeted, tangible, and effective.” – Ben Walter, PostPilot
Smile.io: Turn Loyalty into a Revenue-Driving Retention Engine
Rob Domagala of Smile.io wants to remind brand operators and marketers that loyalty programs are more than just perks—they’re a strategic tool that can be used to build new customer segments, reduce deep-discounting, and boost customer lifetime value—All while delighting your customers!
Loyalty Program Best Practices:
Create Rewards That Are Easy to Earn
Let customers redeem after just 1–2 purchases and offer incremental rewards.Thread Loyalty Across Channels and the Customer Journey
Highlight points and incentives in emails, product pages, cart UI, direct mail, and social.Use Loyalty to Replace Deep Discounts
A double-points event (for example) can drive urgency without sacrificing margin.Capture New Data with Loyalty Actions
Reward user profile completion, birthdays, or receipt scans from brick & mortar stores to improve segmentation.
“Loyalty should be the linchpin of your BFCM retention strategy. Great incentives and consistent visibility make for powerful programs.” – Rob Domagala, Smile.io
Final Thoughts: Lifecycle Wins Require Year-Round Planning
Success during BFCM isn’t about a last-minute push—it’s about year-round prep. The best-performing brands in 2025 will be those that:
✅ Start building segments and flows in Q3
✅ Address deliverability before email volumes surge
✅ Combine digital and physical touchpoints
✅ Use loyalty to reduce margin erosion
Whether you’re using Klaviyo to automate flows, Orita to fix inbox health, PostPilot to reach mailboxes, or Smile.io to deepen retention, your lifecycle strategy will set the tone for sustainable growth.
