Are You Ready for Black Friday?
Written by Courtney Raguso, Social Media Content Creator
Black Friday is just a week away, and making sure you’re prepared for what’s coming is important. Last year, Black Friday saw $7.2 billion in digital sales in the U.S. alone. That’s up 14% over the past year. This might be known as “the most wonderful time of the year,” however, it can get pretty intense and competitive for both consumers and brands. For consumers, Black Friday is all about saving big and spending for the holidays. For brands, it’s about making sales, of course; however, it really shouldn’t be just about that. It should be about turning new customers into repeat customers. According to a recent survey, 65% of retailers say that shoppers acquired during Black Friday/Cyber Monday has a shorter customer lifetime value than those acquired at any other time of the year. It doesn’t have to be that way. With a proper strategy in place, you can get those first-time buyers to buy again.
The first thing you will need to do is make sure you’re standing out from the rest. We know it can be tough to break through all that noise, especially during the holiday season. However, by simply offering customers a blanket discount on your entire store, it will be hard keeping their interest after that first day. With other brands competing for their attention, your offer won’t seem that exciting. This is not the time to be cheap with your discounts, but offering too big of a discount can also hurt your profit margins, so you will want to go for a happy medium that’s right for you. Plus, it isn’t just about offering a discount. There are many ways you can get creative during this event. This is the time to say thanks to your customers and really show your appreciation for their support all year. It matters. Black Friday is no longer just a one-day sale, and with Cyber Monday following right after, it usually lasts the entire weekend. This year will be a little different, and with COVID-19 lockdowns starting to tighten up again, Black Friday sales are projected to last several weeks. Big crowds are not the goal this year, but that doesn’t mean you can get the same traffic online. What you will want to first do is make sure you make a good impression.
Make sure your SEO is optimized so your bestsellers should be at the forefront of your customers’ search results. These visitors are high-intent customers and are ready to buy, but you must first ask yourself why they should buy from you and what’s going to get them coming back. Provide them with an experience that is so seamless, they’ll think about you next time they are looking to spend. How you communicate with your customers and the experience you provide them is critical because this is your chance to really convince them of the value in your brand. Give them more than a discount. Customers can tell if you are putting effort into your campaign just like they can with your content. This is the time to get creative. Below we listed some ideas you can apply to your own campaign to make it more appealing to customers.
Create Urgency With a Countdown Timer: The holiday sales frenzy is the perfect time to up the ante and create a sense of urgency with your customers. You can heighten the intensity and effectiveness of this tactic by using countdown timers in your email campaigns, landing pages and social media.
Have a Secret Sale: Treat your loyal customers to something a little extra special as a thank you for their support. You can do this by hosting your online event an hour earlier for your loyal customers for a secret sale – exclusivity always gets people talking. You could also host a giveaway for a special discount for a limited number of customers.
Hold Promotions All Week: The longer you hold that sale, the more sales you will make. Now we aren’t saying hold the sale all month, but one day just isn’t enough, especially when your competitors are participating in this event all week, including Cyber Monday. You can build up excitement by promoting a different offer every day of the week leading up to your Black Friday super sale.
Use Social Media to Build Buzz: This is the place to promote your campaign and get people talking. Create some Black Friday themed content on your social channels before the big day to drum up excitement. Try including sneak peaks of some of the items on offer and other treats you’ve got planned for the event, but don’t give away too much. You want to keep people curious and hooked on what’s to come.
Create Gift Certificates: With the holidays around the corner, your customers are looking to buy gifts for their loved ones. Sometimes, you don’t always know what to get that special someone. A gift certificate can be a great incentive for customers who aren’t sure what to buy, and it’s a great way to attract new customers.
Work with Other Small Businesses: It’s easy for big brands to stand out because of their high marketing budgets. However, consumers are supporting local business more than ever, and by partnering up with other local businesses, you can benefit off of each other’s success. Try hosting a shopping event where customers can benefit from joint discounts and promotions within a local group of brands.
Package Up Your Products Together: Creating package offers can be a great way to get your customers spending more this holiday season. Offering ready-made bundles or a deal on purchasing multiple related products or services will have your customers feel like they’re getting more for their money, while you’ll walk away with a higher intake.
Now after you make that sale, remember that it’s not over. Once they make that first purchase with your brand, you will have to make sure to follow through with good communication. Remember, customer service is key. Order confirmation emails are known to have the highest open rate because once customers make that purchase, you can bet they’re looking out for that tracking code. By offering them an easy way to track their package with well managed shipping and return policies, your brand will be seen as more trustworthy. In your confirmation email, aside from providing them a clear summary of their purchase as well as a thank you, it’s the perfect time to offer similar products they might be interested in since you already have their attention. Incentives are a great way to get them coming back, and you can simply do this by offering them a small gift or free shipping as a token of your appreciation. Remember, you are investing in repeat customers, so the extra spend can be worth it. Now that you have their email, you can engage inactive customers through reactivation workflows, so they don’t forget about you. Just keep it personal and remember to inject some emotion into it. A “we miss you” email along with an incentive can really inspire a customer to purchase again.
This usually isn’t a one and done process, and will take several different forms of messaging. You should also invest in Google retargeting ads, as well as analyze visitor behavior on your site. Retargeting takes a special attention to detail, and you will have to nail it with the customer in order to convince them your product is worth their time. Lead generation, retargeting customers and user data are just a few things you will have to apply. Keep them engaged on social media even after that first purchase. Put work into getting that first sale, that’s the priority after all, but don’t forget about creating an environment that brings your new customers back. This is the time to plan early. Allow yourself time to think through ideas, make adjustments, and tackle unforeseen projects before it’s too late. If you aren’t sure where to start, you can begin by contacting us!
At MSM DesignZ, we put in the time and energy needed for success, so you can ensure you are using every dollar for maximum return. With over 20 years in the business, we have watched marketing evolve from traditional to digital. Whether you need a website refresh, more attractive email, or a quality online presence, we can do it all. When we take on a client, we put in 110% and treat every brand as if it’s our own. We will always continue to place our clients’ needs at the heart of our operations. From web development to social media management, we’ll work directly with you to build a personalized strategy to not only retain but also gain business. We are assisting in all areas for our clients. Visit our contact page at https://www.msmdesignz.com/contact/, and we’ll work with you to devise a custom plan that will keep your brand alive and well. We look forward to working with you!
Sources:
https://www.shortstack.com/blog/tips-to-boost-your-sales-this-black-friday/