Black Friday and Cyber Monday drive a huge spike in activity for mobile apps and games. Installs surge, ad spend climbs, and conversion intent is higher than almost any other moment in the year. But the real question isn’t just acquiring users, it’s keeping them.
BFCM users often come for a deal or a seasonal offer. Without a strategy to engage them afterward, many will churn. Turning this short-term spike into long-term value requires attention to retention, engagement, and personalized follow-up; and this is where retargeting efforts come in handy.
Why the Post-BFCM Window Deserves Its Own Strategy
Most apps focus on acquisition during BFCM, which makes sense. But focusing only on installs means missing the bigger opportunity: converting holiday users into long-term loyal users.
Data shows that users acquired during peak BFCM weeks can have up to 18% lower weekly retention by week 3 compared to pre-holiday users. Another analysis found that BFCM users have a ~30% lower repeat rate over six months than non-holiday users.
Large volumes of new installs can strain onboarding and engagement flows, while users expect follow-up; content, rewards, or reminders. Retargeting post-BFCM is often more efficient, allowing apps to reach new users with personalized messages that guide them from a one-time deal to ongoing engagement. CPMs often normalize after the event, making these campaigns even more cost-effective.
In short, BFCM users aren’t typical installs. A focused post-event strategy that emphasizes segmentation, follow-up, and retargeting is key to turning the holiday spike into lasting growth.
1. Understanding the Psychology of the Holiday User
BFCM users are often transactional rather than relational. They downloaded your app or game because of a deal, discount, or reward; not because of prior loyalty.
The challenge: Once the discount ends, users must perceive value in the app itself. If post-BFCM messaging focuses only on discounts, you train users to wait for the next sale. The immediate goal after the holiday weekend is to shift the user’s focus from price to value.
A successful retention strategy moves users through three phases:
- The Transaction Phase (BFCM): Users convert due to a deal.
- The Onboarding Phase (Week 1–2): Users learn how to use the app or play the game effectively.
- The Habit Phase (Month 1+): Users integrate the app into daily or weekly routines.
2. Prioritize Behavioral Segmentation
Treating your BFCM cohort as a single group is inefficient. Segment users based on actions during the holiday window to deliver relevant messaging that addresses their relationship with your app.
Four core segments:
- Installer (Zero Conversions): Downloaded but didn’t purchase or register. High intent, but friction prevented activation.
- One-Time Buyer: Purchased a single deal; at high risk of churn.
- Whale / Power User: High spenders or heavy engagers; need recognition and exclusivity, not discounts.
- Window Shopper: Browsed multiple items or levels but didn’t commit; price-sensitive and need reassurance of value.
Actionable tip: Tag users immediately so your DSP retargeting campaigns can deliver personalized ads to the right user at the right time.
3. Retarget Users to Turn Buyers into Loyal, Engaged Users
Users acquired during Black Friday and Cyber Monday often convert because of a deal, not loyalty. Many haven’t fully explored your app or game, and without follow-up, they may churn quickly once the promotion ends.
Retargeting helps move these users from one-time buyers to engaged, returning users. Programmatic retargeting platforms can deliver personalized, behavior-driven ads at scale, making it easier to highlight underused features, encourage additional purchases, and reinforce the app’s value beyond the initial transaction.
- Highlight key features: Many users don’t immediately understand the full benefits of the product. Targeted campaigns can show them what matters most.
- Encourage repeat purchases without discounts: Guide users toward complementary content or upgrades that make the initial purchase more valuable.
- Increase engagement and retention: Retargeting allows precise audience selection and frequency control, keeping users active, reducing early churn, and boosting lifetime value.
Platforms like AppSamurai DSP can simplify this process by helping marketers reach the right users with relevant, timely content; without overloading them.
In short, retargeting is not just about driving a second sale, it’s about transforming deal-driven users into loyal, habitual users.
4. Leveraging Owned Channels (Push & Email)
Owned channels protect margins and complement DSP retargeting.
Best practices:
- Personalization over frequency: Trigger messages based on behavior, not a generic schedule.
- Bad: “Check our new arrivals!” email to all users.
- Good: “The jacket you viewed is back in stock” email to users who browsed that item.
- Gift-focused messaging: Frame engagement as rewards rather than sales.
- Example: “Thanks for joining Cyber Week, here’s a 24-hour XP boost.”
- Gamified progress indicators: Show incomplete tasks (e.g., profile setup at 50%) to encourage completion.
5. The “Q5” Opportunity: Late December → January
Between late December and mid-January (Q5), ad costs drop as major retailers pull back, while consumer engagement remains high.
Strategy: Solidify BFCM users with contextual, goal-oriented messaging:
- Health apps: “Start your 2025 streak today.”
- Finance apps: “Prep your budget for January.”
- Games: “New season starts now — get ahead on the leaderboard.”
DSP campaigns can retarget BFCM users with dynamic, behavior-driven creatives aligned with these goals, increasing relevance and response rates.
6. Measuring Success: KPIs for Post-BFCM Users
Retention is the real measure of post-BFCM performance. Focus on cohort-specific KPIs rather than acquisition metrics:
Retention Metrics
- D7 and D30 Retention: Compare BFCM cohorts to pre-holiday or non-seasonal users. A drop in D7 signals onboarding issues, while a low D30 indicates that early engagement didn’t translate into habitual use.
- Churn Rate by Segment: Track each behavioral segment separately. For example, “One-Time Buyers” often have the highest early churn; DSP retargeting and owned-channel nudges can reduce this.
Revenue Metrics
- Time to Second Purchase: Measure how long it takes “One-Time Buyers” to make another purchase. Optimize retargeting timing to encourage cross-sells without cannibalizing revenue.
- LTV / CAC Ratio: Evaluate profitability over 90 days. Even if CAC is low during BFCM, low LTV indicates a need for engagement campaigns or product improvements.
- Incremental ROAS for Retargeting Campaigns: Compare DSP-driven retargeting versus non-retargeted users to quantify ROI.
Longer-Term Indicators
- Repeat Purchase / Subscription Rates: How many BFCM users continue spending or subscribe post-event?
- Behavioral Lift from DSP Retargeting: Measure how much retargeting increased engagement or purchases for each segment.
Final Thoughts
BFCM drives impressive spikes in installs and conversions, but without a deliberate post-holiday strategy, those numbers often amount to little more than vanity metrics. True ROI emerges weeks later, as you see which users remain active, engaged, and delivering real value.
To convert temporary holiday traffic into loyal, high-value users, focus on understanding your audience through behavioral segmentation, guiding them with educational and personalized DSP retargeting campaigns. Back every effort with data-driven measurement to track retention, feature adoption, and long-term value.
The acquisition window may close with the last BFCM flash sale, but the retention opportunity is just beginning.
