Black Friday Marketing Ideas
Black Friday is upon us, so if you have a retail business and have not yet complimented it with an online store, it is time to get moving. We are entering one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year, just last year alone there was over $7 Billion spent online between Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
(Source: www.blackfriday.com)
As you can see, e-commerce is consistently trending upwards as more and more people adapt to online purchases, especially via mobile.
Of course, establishing an e-commerce store (if you don’t have one already) is only half the battle. A big factor this year for your business is going to be a successful promotion strategy, just with regard to social media alone Millennials are twice as likely to hear about a deals via social media.
So today, with just less than a week left till the big weekend, we will look at how to structure a Black Friday marketing campaign, Black Friday social media campaigns and general Black Friday deal ideas.
The big business retails brands out there will be investing heavily in marketing as Black Friday of 2015 accounted for over half of total yearly sales. The good news is, Black Friday accounts for over half the year's shopping, and we will find the best way to get your business it’s fair share of the pie.
(Source: Fundivo)
Black Friday Marketing Campaign
Marketing on Black Friday will be tough because you will be going up against much bigger competitors, which much deeper pockets who sometimes can offer much better deals. The biggest issue is in the marketing area.
Big brands will have the advantage in terms of having a larger war chest with which to invest in their Black Friday marketing campaigns. So let’s start with something these big businesses can’t take away from you. Your email list. Here are 5 tips.
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Start with the Subject Line - You won’t be the only one sending emails to your prospective Black Friday shoppers, but you can be the most attention grabbing. Think not necessarily about your “best” deal, but think of the product that is most desired by your audience and use that in the subject line. Be as specific as possible. Use numbers, dates and times. For example: “Friday, November 25th Starting at 8:30am 42” LG TV’s Will Be 65% OFF!” Sounds better than “Black Friday TV’s Will Be Much Cheaper”.
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Remind People That They’re Less Likely to Get Trampled - This one is a little less conventional, but logical no less. Even though this post is mostly about online shopping, don’t lost out on the foot traffic. Let people know they will still come home to their loved ones and likely not have to fight like a savage for the last item of their desire. It’s the little things that count.
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Let Loyal Customers Know You Notice - Create a special email just for your most loyal customers letting them know you appreciate their business and they have exclusive abilities (i.e reserving a product, Black Friday pricing to start earlier for them etc.). People like to be appreciated, and you like having loyal consumers. It’s a perfect fit. Here are some more ways you can help them know you love them.
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Make a Few Emails - Not too many to be spammy, but schedule a few email blasts that are highlighting different products so you can attract different demographics and users who engage with email at different times.
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Aid Your Social Media - Help more drive engagement with your social media channels by offering unique discounts for your audience to find on your social media pages. This will help disrupt the social media onslaught being waged by bigger enterprises.
Black Friday Social Media Campaigns
Black Friday social media campaigns are an important part of your overall Black Friday marketing strategy. However, you must understand that everyone will be competing for the attention of social media users.
Because so many people will be vying for the attention of shoppers this weekend, be sure to give something of value to offset looking like just another annoying brand. Use these 3 tips to set yourself apart.
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Contests - Even in light of the mass amounts of savings and sales, very few people will give up on free stuff. Try creating a giveaway contest for whoever gets the most shares on one of your pictures (You know what I’m talking about “First to 10K likes Gets a Free MacBook Air” or “Share this for a chance to win a pair of Jordans”).
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Remind People You’re There - Send a message to the fans of your pages reminding them that you are there to help them with the Black Friday shopping bonanza and they can message you for any assistance. No need to push a sale, just being helpful is providing ample value.
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Give Guidance for Shoppers - Pump out some content that shoppers will find useful whether shopping for themselves or that special someone. Gift ideas, where in the store to find them, complimentary products etc. Again, value oriented.
Black Friday Deal Ideas
So now that you have the blueprint for solid email and social media marketing this Black Friday, let’s look at 3 Black Friday deal ideas to set your business apart.
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Charitable Donation - Motivate shoppers to come to you by giving a percentage of your earnings to charity or making a sizeable donation if total sales surpass a certain number.
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Make a Day of it - Don’t just open the doors this Friday, make a party. Bring in snacks and drinks for shoppers to enjoy the atmosphere of Black Friday. As a small business you should have the advantage of not having hordes of people knocking each other down in your shop. So use the extra space to give the shoppers more reason to stop in and stay and generate a buzz.
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Small Business Saturdays - You may not be aware, but small business saturday is the day after Black Friday and gives you a chance to stretch the sales frenzy a little further. Offer a gift card or voucher to be used on small business saturday for purchases made on Black Friday.
There you have it, some quality Black Friday marketing ideas to get your business in on the action this Friday. The stage is set, the shoppers are ready, now it is up to you let the shoppers know you have what they are looking for!
Best of luck and let us know how your Black Friday was!
Good luck!