Black Friday falls on the last Friday in November. However, like many retail holidays, Black Friday begins many days or weeks before the main event. This opens up the opportunity to launch pre-sales, which allows retailers to lock in sales before customers land up spending more than they can afford. So now is the time to start planning. But what is the best way to market your store’s Black Friday deals? Well, here are our top ten tips to market your Black Friday specials.
Offer sneak peeks
One of the reasons Black Friday is such a success is because there is a huge amount of hype in the build-up to the day. Jump on this bandwagon by creating a gif. or video promo that flashes your sale products in an eye-catching way. Don’t forget to mention your upcoming promotion and then hammer this out on all your social media platforms. Remember that you want your customers to diarise and prioritise your sale.
Consider offering free gifts
A great marketing idea to bring joy to any buyer is the ‘free gifts’ strategy. Adding something extra to your customer’s package can increase buying intent and overall customer experience because who doesn’t like free stuff? Your gift can be simple and cost-effective, like a small sample of other popular items (especially if you’re selling cosmetics, makeup, food, and beverages.) You can also add a complimentary item to pair with your product (free accessories with clothing purchases, free socks with the purchase of shoes, etc.)
Add deals per hour
On Black Friday, you can offer one sale over the entire day, for example, 25% off everything. Or you can increase your discount on all or specific products for certain hours of the day only. After that, you can then select a different product to push for a limited period of the day. Bear in mind that while this is incredibly exciting, it also requires a lot of management on your part. This means that preparation and staffing are essential. If you do pursue this direction, then a good idea is to announce the deals on your homepage and update this as the deals shift. The messaging should also be consistent across all your online and social platforms.
Flash sales generate hype
A ‘flash sale’ is when you create a short surprise sale that opens and closes for a very limited period. Here, the time constraint adds an exciting element to an already adrenalin-pumped day. Previous flash sale testing noted a 51% growth in traffic, a 50% rise in conversion rate and a massive 236% increase in revenue. Remember that to pull off this strategy; you need to set very contained limitations and conditions when using this approach.
Discounted or free delivery
If you provide delivery services, now's the time to strike deals with your shipping partners. Offer reduced rates or, better yet, free delivery for larger purchases. Your customers will appreciate the added value.
Use the power of social media
Using social media to promote your sale is one of your businesses' most effective Black Friday or Cyber Monday ideas. With its abundance of users, paying for a professional service to execute your campaign could be incredibly effective in driving traffic to your store and website.
A social media contest can drive traffic to your website or store, generate leads, and increase brand awareness. Offer a prize your target audience will love and encourage people to participate in the contest and share it with their friends and followers. It also works as social proof.
Website design & upgrades
Although you might want to focus more on other marketing channels, don’t forget about your website. Even if you own a small business, it’s best to invest your time in making your website stand out during this time of the year. If you’re an e-commerce store, investigate whether your website can handle the potential traffic requirement. Upgrades, even temporary ones, may be required.
Make a gift guide
A gift guide is essentially a curated selection of your products, categorised in a way that makes it easy for shoppers to understand. For example, you could create a ‘For your fashionable friend’ guide that highlights unique clothing pieces you’re selling.
Gift guides help to promote specific products, drive traffic to your website or store, and generate excitement for your brand.
Re-engage with your customers
This period provides the ideal opportunity to strengthen bonds with loyal customers and to re-connect and build stronger relationships with previous customers who need a reminder of why they should purchase from you again. Try saving some of your best deals for customers who have already shopped with you; this can be a great way to secure their loyalty and prevent them from checking out your competition.
Optimise stock rotation
Use Black Friday as an opportunity to get rid of old stock. If you’re sitting with goods in your inventory that are losing value or that you can’t sell, Black Friday is your chance to move the stock. For instance, it’s a perfect moment to discount and sell IT products that will likely devalue when new models are released or perishable products that will soon reach their sell-by dates.
The bottom line
Black Friday is an important day in any retail calendar, so it’s time to start planning. While this has been a tough year, retail events like Black Friday can help make up for the year’s lower sales and allow you to serve your customers with what they need. This is a win-win situation. And while marketing may seem like a pricy undertaking, you can also reach out for quick access to a Cash Advance to help propel your exciting plans forward. With our fast 48-hour turnaround time, putting any of your big Black Friday plans on hold is unnecessary.
