More and more people are giving up the old method of going to a physical store to do their shopping, of course, in exchange for the faster and more convenient online alternative, but also because ecommerce players offer a lot of promotions and discounts, accessible just a few clicks away.
Of all the hot periods of the year marked by generous discounts, the most awaited period remains by far the Black Friday period, when the rush for discounts takes on colossal proportions.
Black Friday is also the period with the highest level of competition between brands. That’s why the promotional race starts well in advance and it is a period marked intensely by brand awareness campaigns, loyalty schemes and database gathering sessions necessary for All-In campaigns to retarget customers during Black Friday.
And if you own an online business and want to take on the competition in the hottest sales period of the year, you need the best Black Friday promotion strategies to boost your sales in the new super sale season that is fast approaching.
Here are 7 Black Friday marketing strategies you can try this year, tried and tested promotion strategies that you can benefit from.
1 – Launch Black Friday email marketing messages
Even though social media is in full bloom, email marketing is still the most widely used tactic to generate sales and delivers great results.
So, put your new Black Friday strategy into practice by sending emails to existing and potential customers before the general influx of marketing takes off, now, when your competitors are still busy planning their own campaigns.
To be successful, use an attractive headline for your message. The headline is a vital component to the success of a campaign of this type, as it is the first thing your target audience will read. If you fail to attract attention with the headline, your email will most likely remain unopened.
Also, the timing of your emails is extremely important. It should be timed to coincide with the times known to be most likely to be opened in order to get the expected results.
Also, create different email marketing campaigns for existing customers and prospects. For existing customers you will set up a Black Friday strategy that includes a loyalty program, by offering discounts or freebies, and for prospects the tactic applied will be one of persuasion, through offers valid for a limited period, for example.
2 – Use a landing page dedicated to Black Friday promotion throughout the year
According to a Google Ads study, over 60% of shoppers start looking for Black Friday deals online well before the actual Black Friday is expected to take place.
Therefore, if you create a new Black Friday landing page promotion every year, you’ll start from scratch with the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) part, which means the likelihood of your products being listed at the top of search results will decrease.
Instead, maintain a landing page dedicated to Black Friday promotion throughout the year, whose content you’ll refresh periodically and you’ll be unstoppable at the top of annual searches for deals on the keywords “Black Friday”.
For this tactic included in your Black Friday marketing campaign to have maximum effect, make sure your landing page will look great on any type of device, be it mobile or desktop.
Almost everyone now has access to a smartphone or tablet, and computer specs vary too, so keep in mind that a slow load time for your page or mobile compatibility issues can cause a lot of frustration for users and cause them to hit the exit button faster than you imagine.
Also, if a user has landed on your Black Friday page, it means they are interested in what you have to offer. Therefore, to keep this interest alive, add a newsletter sign-up section where your potential customer can subscribe to receive commercial information about upcoming offers.
Don’t have the skills to create a landing page that’s SEO effective and has attractive content for your customers? You can always turn to a performance marketing agency.
This will save you valuable time, which you can redirect to other important things when it comes to managing your online business.
3 – Boost Black Friday sales with social media
They say… if you’re not on Facebook, you don’t exist! Thus, social media promotion has become an essential component of successful marketing campaigns.
Planning the social media component of a Black Friday marketing campaign is exciting, but also full of challenges, considering that everything happens in real time. Through social media you can find out what people want in a second and you have to act extremely fast.
Your social media posts should vary before, during and even after the Black Friday promotion period to boost sales.
In addition, promotion on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok etc. should never be neglected, as today’s customers spend more and more time browsing the newsfeed of their favourite online platforms.
Find the best time to post on social networks by scheduling your posts at peak times of social media user activity.
Don’t leave any comments unanswered, as internet users are generally extremely anxious, so it’s crucial to answer their questions quickly and address their concerns about your posts.
Always remember to provide instructions for future actions, such as “visit our website” or “learn more here”.
If you need help integrating it into your future Black Friday strategy, don’t hesitate to call on specialized performance marketing services to get the long-awaited results.
4 – Initiate a referral program during your Black Friday campaign
Referrals are the most trusted form of advertising there is. This means that most consumers rely on the opinions of others to make their purchase decision.
They can also be a driver of brand loyalty and profitability.
The question to ask yourself when designing a referral program for your Black Friday marketing campaign is how you will be able to drive a successful referral, and there are plenty of ways to create an active rewards system while maintaining profitability.
But document rigorously what triggers the interest of your target audience, otherwise your system won’t pay off in attracting customers.
5 – Include a countdown timer in your Black Friday offers to initiate quick action
Customers can often be indecisive and often prefer to compare your products with those of the competition before they launch an order.
A timer placed in the header of your Black Friday campaign landing page, revealing when the actual sale will start, will help your future customers to plan their online purchases in advance. You can also add it to your social media page to promote the event and make sure your customers remember the date.
Also, including a countdown timer in your Black Friday promotions will help them make up their mind immediately, completing the sale on the spot.
6 – Up-sell and cross-sell with Black Friday discounts
Up-sell and cross-sell techniques are great ways to make the most of a higher volume of sales to existing customers or users who are already on your site.
These types of promotions work very well on days with high sales volumes, such as Black Friday, when users are actively looking for packages at a much better price.
Create combinations of 3-4 complementary products that fit well together and offer them for sale as a bundle with a discount on the total value.
Also, use copy that gives real value to customers to persuade them to take you up on your offer and create a sense of urgency or scarcity, such as the idea of limited stock of products or the fact that the offer is only valid until midnight. When pressed for time or by certain limitations, customers will be more spontaneous in making purchases of products they like or need.
7 – Generate interest in your Black Friday campaign with a flash sale
A flash sale is a short-lived promotion, but also an interesting way to generate excitement and interest in order to boost sales before Black Friday itself. It can take place a few hours or even a day or two before the much-anticipated event.
You can let your customers know in advance about the upcoming flash by creating a sticky bar on your website, which will maintain its position as the user scrolls down the page. This way, you’ll remind them about your upcoming offers without interrupting their regular shopping flow.
Every online retailer wants to have a big Black Friday sale, but the massive influx of advertising around this major shopping event can be daunting at times.
However, by applying the promotion ideas outlined above, you will increase the chances of success of your Black Friday marketing campaign and get your business noticed.
Need help implementing these Black Friday promotion ideas? re7consulting is a performance marketing agency specialising in Google Ads and Social Media Ads advertising that prides itself on its ability to get results through data-driven decision making and creative thinking.
re7consulting provides you with a team of experienced professionals who can offer you all the support you need to achieve your sales goals. You can benefit from a variety of services such as Google Ads and Social Media Ads (Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, Linkedin Ads, Tik Tok Ads), as well as copywriting, graphic design, web design and web development.
Contact re7consulting today to learn more about how they can help you grow your business!