Marcus RichardsAs the flagship sales event of the holiday season, the Black Friday extended shopping madness time is a make-or-break event for retailers. Brands have the chance to either break out and become something bigger or vanish from existence. The competition is white-hot and cut-throat, and marketers must pull out all stops to stand out from the torrent of competitors.
We’ve compiled a condensed TL;DR marketing guide to help you focus your efforts and make your business sparkle on Black Friday. It’ll help you to strategize early and plan an effective campaign this year.
As a bonus, our guide contains inside information on how to snag some great deals for your own business. Have you been waiting to pull the trigger on a few deals? Learn how big brands leverage the extended Black Friday and Cyber Monday period – you’ll benefit both as a seller and buyer. It will help you to choose the best Black Friday VPN deal or grab a more comfy office chair from which to manage your budding online empire!
It’s a four-day shopping event, not just Black Friday
It’s not solely about Friday; it’s the whole week leading up to it, including Cyber Monday, which has become a natural extension of this annual shopping event. Retailers know that many people plan for or save up to buy big weeks in advance. Releasing Black Friday coupons weeks before the big day helps customers to “save the date.” Consumers spent $10.7 billion on Cyber Monday 2021 and $14.04 billion during the extended Black Friday 2021 online sales.
Send Out Extended Black Friday Deals Emails and SMSs
Newsletters are still a tried and tested way to drum up interest, and it works exceptionally well during the build-up to Black Friday. People anxiously watch and wait for the big deals to show up in their mailboxes and text messages, and click-through rates shoot up in the build-up period before Black Friday.
Run a Contest and Giveaway
Brainstorm with your team and use your in-depth sales data to back up decisions about promotions and contests. You can give away a product you’re selling, create an unusual experience for fans, or add a gift. A contest is great for driving engagement on your social media platforms.
Use sneak peeks at Black Friday deals
Big brands always release Black Friday sneak peeks of the products they’ll have on sale, giving their fans just a hint at what they’ll be getting. If it works for them, it’ll work for you. Leverage your social media platforms to the utmost.
Partner With Influencers
Influencer marketing can be a very effective engagement technique for Black Friday deals. If you haven’t yet used this technique, this might be a great time to try it.
Use Video and Slideshows to Explain Your Black Friday Deals
Create videos explaining the products you’ve got on sale and the deal. This way, you can include loads of products and a lot of details to help customers to make informed decisions. If you sell tech, tools, or appliances, create an “unboxing” video. Open up the product and record yourself using and talking about it. It’s the best way to show people what the products do and how they work.
Increase your ad spend
It would be impossible for a small business to keep up with the massive budgets of large brands, but if you don’t compete at all, your brand may vanish altogether during this crucial time. Try to double your spending on selected channels with a good ROI history. It needs not to be millions! If you currently spend $100 on Facebook ads, increase it to $200 – just to prevent slipping down the ranks.
Leverage Social Responsibility
There are plenty of charities that have campaigns running year-round—partner with one of them. You could give a percentage of your sales, host a contest on your website or donate some of your products. People love to know that their money serves the greater good, not just themselves.
Conclusion
Black Friday has become so big that you must compete, or you’ll lose serious ground and start the next year on the back foot. If you’re a small business, you’re up against the deep pockets of big brands. So how can you get people talking about your business? The answer is pretty simple: you must be different.
Black Friday is your big opportunity to solidify your voice and your brand. Make sure that your business showcases your unique personality and values. Do something random and fun to create buzz around your brand. Follow up with outstanding customer service to solidify your reputation. Just remember to grab a few of the best Black Friday deals for yourself!
