Creating a Black Friday marketing strategy is key to standing out in a sea of advertising.. Just before Black Friday, customers are being bombarded with deals in every store, whether it’s bricks-and-mortar or online. This is the time of the year that customers expect and are actively looking for deals, but how exactly do you make yours stand out? It’s simple- be prepared and roll out some killer tactics.
This blog is dedicated to some easy yet essential strategies to catch customers on a busy sales day and plan your Black Friday marketing strategy without getting frustrated. It’s easier than you think to stand out from the crowd, so let’s dive in.
Why Is Black Friday Important?
Over the past decade or so, It has become commonplace in the UK to hold Black Friday sales. This year, Black Friday 2022 will take place in the UK on 25th November, and most brands and retailers typically extend their sales to the week before up until the Monday after – known as Cyber Monday.
As far as Black Friday is concerned, the United Kingdom takes it very seriously. Globally, over ten percent of Black Friday searches were conducted online from the UK in 2021. During the same year, UK consumers spent 9.42 billion British pounds on Black Friday, with 61.49% of those sales taking place online. However, with tough competition from many brands, it may be a struggle to know how you can provide your customers with a captivating message.
7 marketing Strategies To Get Ahead This Black Friday
Prepare your website for eCommerce transactions
If you sell products online, your website must have robust eCommerce functionality. But, there is more to getting e-commerce functionality than clicking a button. So before you can partake in Black Friday eCommerce trends, you have to choose an eCommerce platform that works for you.
After you’ve settled on your platform, you can choose your site’s layout, eCommerce UX design, and other functionalities that will improve the user experience. If you already have an eCommerce website, make sure all of it works for a seamless customer experience. While you get your site working in tip-top condition, don’t forget about mobile user friendliness.
Another tip is to search for holiday deals using keywords which shoppers are likely to use. Do some keyword research and then float those words throughout your website on the relevant pages. Our advice here is to avoid keyword stuffing and ensure that the content reads naturally.
More Black Friday tips for eCommerce
- Put a live chat widget on your website. Automatic messages can be set up to handle additional visitors and customer inquiries.
- Showcase your Black Friday deals on the homepage. The homepage of your online store is one of the most important elements, so it’s the right place to add your deals.
- Integrate an email marketing tool with your customer database software. In fact, email marketing was initially created for time-limited offers.
- Ensure that your hosting platform is capable of handling the extra traffic. You should be fine if you are using a platform like Shopify. There is, however, a limit to the number of visitors a hosting service can host per month on basic plans.
Promote Your Sales In Advance With A Social Media Campaign
Early bird sales are attractive to some shoppers, while thrill-seekers enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Creating a dedicated social media campaign can attract both types of shoppers. Consider teasing out sales in your feed by offering ‘mystery deals’ or posting what your promotions will be.
Excite your followers by posting countdown timers, previews of exclusive deals, sneak peeks, and deal reveals. If you want to convert your followers into customers and generate sales over Black Friday weekend, use phrases that create urgency in your social media captions and inspire customers to act fast.
These could include specific deals available at specific times, social media competitions, and other engaging content, which can also drive traffic to your stores on Black Friday. Additionally, social media is an excellent tool for connecting and interacting with customers.
Use Social Media To Sell Your Products
Social media is often used for researching a brand or product. Everyone will be looking for deals and promotions on Black Friday. By selling directly on platforms like Instagram, you can put your products right in front of your target audience. Selling your products directly on the app also means it’s even easier for your consumers to convert.
First of all, choose the platform that is most suitable for your brand and audience. After you determine which social media platform is right for your business or brand, you can decide what products or services to sell which will work best on that platform.
Remember not to overtly promote your products or services. Posting useful content, answering customer inquiries, and posting links to your products when appropriate is always the correct approach overp-osting links to them constantly.
Don’t Forget Your Email Marketing Campaign
Create an email marketing campaign and watch your ROI grow. Who doesn’t love receiving discounts and deals in their inbox? Set one up a few weeks in advance of Black Friday with offers for your subscribers. Early November can be the beginning of the pre-Black Friday marketing period.
Make your audience expect more amazing deals from your business by crafting teaser emails or early-bird discount codes. Focus on your email design and make it memorable. Add advanced elements, insert countdown timers, and make your call-to-action buttons bold.
Don’t forget to use the power of automation to create personalised messages and offers tailored to your customers’ needs. When you’ve set up everything and started sending your campaigns, monitor their performance through your platform’s reporting and analytics feature.
Offer Exclusive Deals To Loyal Customers
Especially when they have a relationship with your brand; people like to be acknowledged. With Black Friday marketing, you can show your appreciation for loyal, long-term customers.
Providing exclusive deals and discounts to these customers can help build customer loyalty and drive repeat business. You can encourage your customers to keep coming back on days other than Black Friday if you show them that you value their loyalty.
You might also want to consider creating a rewards program. Your rewards program gives you the opportunity to exceed your customer’s expectations every time they interact with you. As a result, your brand community creates a sense of belonging and allows you to build emotional connections with your customers.
Cross-Sell And Up-Sell
Cross-selling and upselling disguised as time-sensitive opportunities during peak season can tempt customers through increased value perception and convenience. Your upsells can now be automated, generating data-driven offers based on the information it collects from your store. You can let your store do all the thinking for you!
Provide customers with combos that combine 3-4 complementary products at a discount by offering it as a whole package. On big sales days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when people are actively looking for package deals at a lower price, these kinds of combo promotions work very well. There’s also the opportunity to cross-sell full-priced items along with discounted products.
Make your cross-sell offer seem like a gift, so people will think of it as an additional gift. It can also be used as a gift for a loved one. Make sure your product pages are mobile-friendly to make it convenient for mobile users to purchase.
Follow Up With Customers After Black Friday
It’s great that you can sell so many products on Black Friday. Customer loyalty grows over time, however. To turn one-time buyers into loyal, lifelong customers, you need to go the extra mile, even after a busy sales period.
Send a quick thank-you email, a customer service survey, or ask for their feedback. By improving your customer’s experience, you’ll reap the benefits in the future.
The more you reach out to your customers, the more you demonstrate your brand’s commitment to providing a positive customer experience.
Get ahead With Digital Ethos
Undoubtedly, Black Friday is one of the biggest sales days of the year. It’s time to start preparing your online business for this BIG DAY if you haven’t already. Follow these strategies for Black Friday sales, and you’ll be ready. If you need help with Black Friday marketing strategies, we can help. Get in touch with one of our digital marketing experts today!