The holiday season is coming fast, and if you’re not prepared for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) yet, you’re already playing catch-up. For brands, these moments define the year. The truth is, success during BFCM isn’t just about slashing prices and hoping for sales—it’s about having the right strategy and the right tools in place to execute on a massive scale. As CEO of Hawke Media, I’ve seen countless brands fumble because they lacked the tech and insights to meet holiday demands. Don’t let that be you.
This month, I’m highlighting my must-have marketing tools that will make sure you’re not just prepared for the holidays, but you’re leading the charge. These picks are built for brands that want to cut through the noise, optimize their efforts, and dominate the busiest shopping season of the year.
Klaviyo
For Email Marketing & SMS Automation
During BFCM, email and SMS aren’t just communication channels—they’re your direct lines to revenue. Klaviyo is the best in the game when it comes to automating personalized email and SMS campaigns. It lets you tap into customer data to craft targeted messages that hit at exactly the right time, whether you’re promoting flash sales or reminding customers of their abandoned carts.
If you want to stay in front of your customers without spending all your time building emails, Klaviyo is a no-brainer. Klaviyo’s automation and segmentation features make it easy to scale without losing that personal touch. In a sea of generic holiday emails, this is how you stand out and keep your customers engaged. You want real conversions? Klaviyo delivers.
Heatmap
For User Experience Optimization
Tracking customer interactions on your website is essential for maximizing sales. Heatmap is an intuitive on-site analytics tool that shows where visitors click, scroll, and drop off, helping you identify areas for improvement.
With real-time tracking, Heatmap enables you to make quick, data-driven adjustments that enhance the user experience. In a season where every second matters, optimizing your website can be the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity.
Shopify
For E-Commerce
No surprises here—Shopify is the backbone of e-commerce for a reason. It’s a platform that scales effortlessly with your business, no matter how big or small, and is especially crucial during the holiday season when your site is handling increased traffic and sales. Shopify’s intuitive interface makes it easy to manage everything from product listings and inventory to payments and customer data.
What sets Shopify apart is its robust app ecosystem, allowing you to integrate tools for email marketing, inventory management, and more. If you want to focus on selling without worrying about the backend, Shopify has you covered.
Postscript
For SMS Marketing
Let’s face it: customers don’t always check their emails, but their phones? They’re glued to them. Postscript gives you the power to reach customers where they’re paying attention—through SMS. Postscript allows you to send personalized texts that get straight to the point, whether it’s a deal alert or a restock notification.
Its seamless integration with Shopify allows you to automate messages based on customer behavior, sending the right message at the perfect moment. If you’re not using SMS during the holidays, you’re leaving money on the table.
ShipBob
For Fulfillment & Logistics
Great products mean nothing if you can’t deliver them on time. ShipBob takes the headache out of fulfillment, especially when you’re trying to keep up with holiday orders. They handle everything: warehousing, picking, packing, and shipping, with fast, reliable delivery that keeps your customers happy. With multiple fulfillment centers, you’ll lower costs and speed up shipping times.
With ShipBob, brands can focus on their growth without getting bogged down in the logistics. Trust me, fulfillment can make or break your holiday season, and ShipBob is your insurance policy.
RangeMe
For Product Discovery
Getting your products in front of the right retail buyers can feel like a guessing game. RangeMe simplifies that by connecting brands directly with buyers who are looking for new products to stock, especially leading into the holiday season. Think of it as your product’s front door to major retailers.
For brands that want to scale beyond e-commerce and secure retail deals, RangeMe gives you the exposure you need. RangeMe is a critical tool for brands wanting to broaden their reach and ensure their products are stocked and available when consumer demand is peaking.
Superfiliate
For Affiliate Marketing
Word-of-mouth still matters—especially when it comes from people your customers trust. Superfiliate makes affiliate marketing easy by managing partnerships with influencers and brand advocates who can promote your products. During BFCM, when customers are flooded with choices, personal recommendations from a trusted source can make all the difference.
Superfiliate tracks everything—clicks, conversions, and commissions—so you know exactly what’s working and where to focus your efforts. It’s a smart way to expand your reach and build credibility, without blowing up your marketing budget.
Kickfurther
For Inventory Financing
You can’t sell what you don’t have, and running out of stock during BFCM is a nightmare. Kickfurther provides a unique way to finance your inventory without traditional loans. You get the upfront capital you need to stock up for the holiday season, and your backers get paid as your products sell.
This kind of flexibility means you can meet the holiday demand without worrying about cash flow issues. It’s a win-win for businesses looking to scale during the busiest time of the year.
Pentane
For High-Impact Profitability Optimization
When it comes to scaling profitably, data is everything. Pentane is a platform that takes your historical expense data, ad spend, and real-time metrics and turns them into actionable insights that align with one goal: profit.
It customizes your ad budgets and ROAS goals based on your net profit, meaning you’re not just running ads—you’re running ads that drive profitability. During BFCM, when every dollar counts, Pentane ensures you’re maximizing your return with precision and purpose.
GoCharlie
For AI-Driven Content Creation
Content creation at scale can be a logistical nightmare, but GoCharlie changes the game by using AI to generate high-quality content fast. From social media posts to blog articles, GoCharlie helps you pump out content at the speed the holidays demand, without sacrificing quality.
AI isn’t replacing the human touch—it’s enhancing it. With GoCharlie, you can create more content in less time, keeping your brand top of mind throughout the holiday season. It’s about working smarter, not harder, and that’s exactly what you need during BFCM.
Wrapping It Up
BFCM isn’t just another sales weekend—it’s the Super Bowl of e-commerce. The difference between crushing your holiday sales or getting crushed comes down to preparation, strategy, and, most importantly, the tools you have in your corner. These aren’t just any marketing tools—they’re the ones built to give you that competitive edge during the biggest shopping season of the year.
Whether it’s automating your marketing, optimizing your website, or scaling your fulfillment, these tools will help you dominate the rush. The brands that win are the ones that are prepared, and with this lineup, you’ll be ready to lead the charge.