Archive – Black Friday Marketing

Written as a ghostwriter for a private client. The original publication is no longer available. Raw copy is shared here for portfolio purposes only.
28 September 2021

20 Black Friday Marketing Strategies to Bring You Sales in 2021

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Small Business Saturday are excellent opportunities for retailers to maximize their profits, with small businesses able to expect a +107% revenue boost over the world-famous shopping weekend. https://www.adobe.com/content/dam/www/us/en/adi/2020/pdfs/Adobe_Holiday_Forecast_Press.pdf 

However, while Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer a chance to build brand awareness and gain those all-important holiday sales… When you’re competing against virtually every other brand and business out there, it can be challenging to stay front-of-mind during the shopping season.

Utilizing the best Black Friday marketing tactics with clear and thoughtful campaigns will ensure your brand stands out this holiday season, boosts your off-and-online sales, and attract new, loyal customers.

What does Black Friday mean? 

Black Friday is considered to be the official start of the holiday shopping season, falling on the first Friday following Thanksgiving. In 2021, this will be Friday, 26th November.

It started in the US but has become a global shopping phenomenon and was designated the biggest shopping day of the year in 2000. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/blackfriday.asp 

The history of Black Friday is a little complicated, with three “origin stories:” https://www.businessinsider.com/why-is-it-called-black-friday-2017-11. 

1. The phrase “Black Friday” was first used in 1869 to refer to the cost of gold increasing dramatically and leading to a market crash.
2. The term was later used in the 1950s in Philadelphia by the police. “Black Friday” in this context related to a day between Thanksgiving and the Army-Navy game, where Philly would be flooded with shoppers and tourists, causing police to have to work overtime.
3. By the late 1980s, “Black Friday” was used to refer to a spike in-store traffic, causing businesses to become more profitable and transform their finances from “red” to “black.”

In 2005, Cyber Monday was added to holiday shoppers’ calendars. This day was designed to supplement Black Friday by promoting online shopping with online-only discounts and deals. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cybermonday.asp

Today, Black Friday and Cyber Monday generally encompass an entire weekend of savings, boosting foot and website traffic alike. 

How to market Black Friday ideas for small businesses: 20 Top Tips

No matter how great your Black Friday sales are, nobody will know about them unless you have a solid Black Friday marketing strategy. This includes marketing Black Friday deals on social media, utilizing excellent email marketing, and letting your customers (and potential customers) know what awesome offers you’ve got going on during the holiday shopping season.

Your Black Friday advertising needs to go above and beyond your usual marketing campaigns. Remember, this is your chance to really impress customers and show them what you’ve got to offer. Get it right, and you could find yourself with a host of new, loyal customers and some impressive ROIs.

So, if you’re ready to unlock the best Black Friday strategies and promotions, read on for some inspiring and creative Black Friday ideas to let your customers know you’re ready for them!

1. Optimize your website and landing pages

If you’re an online retailer, you know how vital your website is. And being prepared for Black Friday means you need to be ready for increased traffic while maintaining quality, speedy loading times for your landing pages.

If your website doesn’t load fast enough, you’re simply asking customers to abandon your online store and shop elsewhere. If your landing page takes more than 5 seconds to load, users will start to drop off at a rate of 1% for every additional second they spend waiting. However, if your landing pages load within 1 second, you can enjoy an average conversion rate of 32%. https://www.portent.com/blog/analytics/research-site-speed-hurting-everyones-revenue.htm

This means ensuring you have plenty of bandwidth, memory, storage, and processing power to deal with increased traffic is a vital aspect of Black Friday strategies for retailers, whether or not you intend to offer your Black Friday sales online.

What’s more, it’s worth considering that, in 2020, over 56% of Black Friday sales were made via a mobile device. So, check your website is optimized for mobile viewing and navigation and that the customer journey is as streamlined as possible. https://www.namogoo.com/blog/holiday-seasonal/black-friday-marketing/?utm_adgroup=&geo=9045297&keyword=black%20friday%20promotion%20ideas&device=c&target=&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=IBP-GG-Search-Blogs-Q3Y21-Tier1&utm_term=black%20friday%20promotion%20ideas&hsa_cam=14330330829&hsa_grp=125365814879&hsa_acc=7346875468&hsa_kw=black%20friday%20promotion%20ideas&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ad=540140077147&hsa_mt=p&hsa_tgt=kwd-1406504794060&hsa_src=g&hsa_ver=3&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1ouKBhC5ARIsAHXNMI8hpED5V5ftjeKZL_4ClW02zRLSHUdW7GOG8mD5iAYhoVn4xjf0qx4aAqf-EALw_wcB 

2. Pick the right keywords

Once you’ve optimized your website for the increased traffic your online store will hopefully receive this Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s time to focus on SEO.

When it comes to SEO and building organic traffic for your online store, you should know there’s no quick fix. However, a bit of market research can help you optimize your landing pages to increase your Black Friday traffic.

Uncovering seasonal keywords and past Black Friday shopping trends will help you hit those SEO targets and help attract traffic to your store. Having some Black Friday and Cyber Monday dedicated landing pages can also maximize customer attention and boost your Google SERP ranking. https://sixads.net/blog/shopify-seo/

But getting those keywords right isn’t all about stuffing “Black Friday 2021” or “Black Friday sales” into every paragraph. You should also focus on long-tail keywords and search terms and utilize industry-relevant terms in your product descriptions and on every landing page.

3. Build your email list

Having solid email marketing campaigns is a must for any business, and this becomes especially vital during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday holiday season. Your Black Friday email campaigns should be full of interesting, relevant information designed to get customers excited about your upcoming deals and any other Black Friday promotions you’re planning.

In the lead-up to the Thanksgiving weekend, you should be putting extra effort into building your email subscriber list. Pop-ups with special offers, discounts, early access to sales, and other incentives can help encourage customers to sign up, as will having a powerful Call to Action (CTA) and fantastic graphics. https://sixads.net/blog/powerful-call-to-action-phrases/

In addition to boosting your email subscriber list, it’s also a good idea to start your Black Friday email marketing campaign early. In 2020, some email providers processed over 5.8 billion emails on Black Friday alone. Allow your brand to stand out by starting your marketing campaign before the rest with exclusive discounts and offers for subscribers. https://sendgrid.com/blog/2020s-unprecedented-holiday-email-sending-volumes/

4. Schedule pop-ups

Whether you want to let customers know about the awesome Black Friday sales you’ve got coming up, want to increase your email subscription list, reduce abandoned cart rates, or anything else… Carefully targeted and scheduled pop-ups can make or break the customer experience.

Online retailers who know how to market Black Friday know that having the right pop-ups at the right time is a fantastic way to encourage specific visitor behavior from upselling to subscribing. https://sixads.net/resources/glossary/upselling/

As well as finding the best email marketing tools, automated, targeted, and scheduled pop-ups are an essential Black Friday marketing tactic. To add urgency to your pop-ups, you could even include a live countdown to the best deals or let customers know how long your sales have left.

5. Make your subject lines stand out

Once you’ve increased your email list with scheduled pop-ups and high-quality CTAs, you need to encourage people to actually open your emails. And the only way to do this is with a great email subject line.

As we mentioned earlier, literally billions of emails are sent out over the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend. And anyone who has an email account and has ever shopped online will know how samey and boring these emails can become… Leading to a lack of interest and emails that are more likely to be binned than enjoyed.

Creating email subject lines and CTAs that stimulate curiosity and offer something different from the standard annual Black Friday experience is a great way to boost your email open rates and get customers excited to shop.

It’s also worth taking advantage of some standard email subject line tips and tricks in your Black Friday marketing. For example, simply using the recipient’s name in the subject line can increase open rates by 22.2%. Similarly, subject lines that create a sense of urgency and/or exclusivity offer a 22% higher open rate. https://www.invespcro.com/blog/email-subject-lines-statistics-and-trends/ So, give plenty of thought to your Black Friday email marketing, specifically your email subject lines, to get as many people as possible on board.

6. Utilize social selling

You shouldn’t need us to tell you that the bulk of your Black Friday marketing strategies should be centered around social media in 2021… But one aspect your social media campaigns might be missing is social selling. https://sixads.net/blog/social-selling/

One of the best Black Friday strategies for retailers this year could well be offering your products to be purchased directly via your social media channels.

According to studies, 78% of online retailers who offer social selling outperform those who just use social media for marketing purposes. https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/social-selling/the-social-selling-index-ssi#%20https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/social-selling/what-is-social-selling They also create 45% more sales opportunities, and 25% of Americans aged between 18-34 used social media to make a purchase in the last 6 months of 2020 alone. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1192455/share-of-people-who-purchased-goods-on-social-media-by-age-group/

By connecting your online store to social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, you can reduce any friction that slows down the online shopping experience and enable more customers to shop quickly and efficiently. 

7. Highlight VIP, rewards, and referral schemes

Black Friday ideas for small businesses shouldn’t just be about maximizing sales and shopping carts on a single day (or however long your Black Friday event ideas will last); it can also be a valuable opportunity for brands to gain new customers.

To really take advantage of the potential customers looking for discounts during Black Friday, it’s a good idea to allow your marketing campaigns to also highlight the benefits of your VIP, rewards, and/or referral schemes. https://sixads.net/blog/e-commerce-referral-marketing/ 

As mentioned above, carefully timed pop-ups, email marketing, and even abandoned cart reminders are excellent opportunities to transform casual shoppers into repeat customers. https://sixads.net/blog/improve-customer-loyalty-retargeting-display-ads/ 

Try offering discounts and promotions such as early bird discounts, extended sales, or free shipping to your VIP customers. You could even offer special, time-sensitive discounts to anyone who signs up for the VIP scheme or refers a friend during the Black Friday weekend. 

8. Create gift guides for givers

Approximately 27% of Black Friday shoppers use the discount-filled weekend to search for gifts for the upcoming holiday season. To help these gift-givers find the perfect products for their loved ones, it’s a great idea to create a series of gift guides highlighting your best selling, most unique, or niche-specific items. https://today.yougov.com/topics/consumer/articles-reports/2019/11/12/them-or-me-why-black-friday-sometimes-about-gifts   https://sixads.net/blog/best-selling-products-online/

Remember, when shopping for gifts, people might be investigating brands and products they’re not familiar with. This means you may need to think outside your usual target market box to attract and speak to a broader section of shoppers. 

By making your gift guides informative and helpful, instead of a simple list of products, you can really make a huge difference this holiday season and are sure to stand out in your customers’ minds.

Try breaking down your gift guides to suit a wide range of audience demographics and interests, with varying levels of specifics and a helpful table of contents that will genuinely help holiday shoppers on their mission. Send emails, and be sure to share your Black Friday sale blog on social media to let customers know every time you release a new gift guide.

To make things even further, you could reward the givers with a free gift for themselves if their shopping cart reaches a set value. According to studies, offering a mystery gift can double the chances of purchase, and nearly 90% of shoppers are “somewhat likely” to buy more from a brand they’ve received a free gift from. https://phys.org/news/2013-04-reveals-strategy-free-giveaways-maximize.html  https://retailtouchpoints.com/topics/customer-experience/90-of-consumers-say-free-gift-with-purchase-increases-brand-loyalty

If you are offering a gift with a qualifying purchase, be sure to include free shipping as part of the package deal. If you have to pay extra to receive a gift, it’s no longer free or a valuable incentive to increase order value. 

9. Experiment with paid ads

While organic traffic is the best way to rank highly on Google and other search engine results pages (SERPs), paid ads can be invaluable for eCommerce Black Friday marketing. https://sixads.net/blog/drive-traffic-to-shopify-store/#3_How_to_advertise_your_Shopify_store_and_get_results_quickly

The lead-up to the Black Friday weekend is an excellent opportunity to experiment with your PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising and take advantage of a valuable, quick boost in online traffic. Around 79% of brands that use PPC claim it’s a “huge driver” for their success, and with plenty of tailoring options, you can easily get your paid ads in front of your target audience. https://www.ppchero.com/new-research-the-state-of-ppc/  https://sixads.net/blog/ppc-management/

As part of your Black Friday marketing strategies, you should (of course) put plenty of attention into your Facebook ads. Thanks to Facebook’s high-quality custom audience targeting capabilities, this is a fantastic platform for playing around with paid ads and ensuring your brand gets in front of the people who are most likely to purchase. https://sixads.net/blog/facebook-custom-audience/

The Black Friday weekend (and the period leading up to it) is also a great chance to get started with Google ads if you’re not already using them. Do plenty of keyword research, and be sure to start running your ads well before Thanksgiving to give yourself a chance to experiment and attract a large customer base to your store before the sale begins. https://sixads.net/blog/types-of-google-ads/

You may also be able to benefit from more affordable PPC rates by starting early. As you get closer to the Black Friday weekend, the most popular eCommerce search terms will become increasingly in demand by brands, which can drive up the price. Act early to win keyword auctions at the best price.

10. Don’t forget the hashtags

In addition to paying for your Black Friday advertising on Google and social media, you can also increase traffic to your social pages and online store by taking advantage of relevant hashtags in your marketing.

In addition to the industry-relevant hashtags your eCommerce store should already be using, Black Friday brings a plethora of specialist hashtags that you can add to your social marketing campaigns to spread the word about what your brand will be doing this BF. https://sixads.net/blog/instagram-tags/ 

Use a variety of hashtags, from generic to specialist. You can include your location or niche to attract a specific market. Do your research on the hashtags other brands use to promote their Black Friday deals and experiment with different phrasings and placement to get more likes and engagement. https://sixads.net/blog/how-to-get-more-likes-on-facebook/ 

To get you started, here are some Black Friday hashtags you can use in your own marketing strategy to build brand awareness and get your customers excited for the shopping season: https://sixads.net/blog/build-brand-awareness-shopify-store/  

• #BlackFriday
• #CyberMonday
• #SmallBusinessSaturday
• #BlackFriday2021
• #BlackFridaySale
• #Sale
• #BlackFridaydeals

11. Take advantage of user-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) is an incredibly valuable marketing tactic that helps boost your social proof and makes you appear more trustworthy. According to studies, customers are 2.4x more likely to view user-generated content as authentic, and 79% claim it influences their purchase decisions. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190220005302/en/Stackla-Survey-Reveals-Disconnect-Content-Consumers-Marketers

What’s more, user-generated content is an excellent way to delegate some of your content generation… This is particularly important in the lead-up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when you’re sure to have your hands full already! If you’re running out of inspiration for creative things to post on Instagram or any of your other social channels, sharing images or words from customers can spice up your feed and keep your followers engaged… Plus, it’s free! https://sixads.net/blog/delegation-and-automation-for-shopify-store/  https://sixads.net/blog/things-to-post-on-instagram/

You could also boost your user-generated content by starting an influencer marketing strategy (if you don’t already have one). https://sixads.net/blog/influencer-marketing-strategy-in-7-easy-steps/ 89% of marketing professionals believe influencer marketing can provide a more effective ROI for brands than other marketing strategies, and it’s an excellent way to boost your social proof. https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/influencer-marketing-statistics/

If you can’t afford to pay a famous influencer, micro-influencers relevant to your industry may be willing to work with you in exchange for complimentary products and/or a discount they can share with their followers.

12. Listen to and engage with your customers before, during, and after the event

When coming up with Black Friday marketing ideas, it’s easy to get caught up in attracting a large customer base with awesome deals and discounts. Still, it’s important not to forget about the individual customer journey during Black Friday and beyond.

The best brands know that shoppers are looking for more than a discount. They want to shop with a business that genuinely cares about them and their needs. 

To get the best Black Friday ideas for small businesses, it is acceptable to simply ask your customers what they want. Do they want an exclusive discount, or would straightforward free shipping on every shopping cart be more valuable to them? Perhaps your customers aren’t interested in a sale and would prefer you commit your profits to a charity or cause that’s important to them/you instead?

Once you’ve established your Black Friday promo ideas and know what you’re offering customers, you still need to maintain communication. Black Friday often brings increased traffic and sales to an eCommerce site, and you still need to be there for customers throughout their shopping journey and beyond.

A great way to show your customers that you’re there for them is to utilize a live chat app. This will allow shoppers to ask their questions at any time and help streamline your customer service. https://sixads.net/blog/best-live-chat-apps-on-shopify/  

What’s more, Kayako reported 79% of businesses claim live chat increased customer loyalty, sales, and revenue. Goinflow noted a 3.84% increase in conversion rates and a 6% lift in revenue after implementing live chat. Forester found a 10% increase in average order value from customers who engaged with a live chat before purchasing. https://www.superoffice.com/blog/live-chat-statistics/

13. Check your aesthetics 

If you’re looking for creative Black Friday ideas, updating your site design to match the holiday season can be a fantastic way to help your store stand out and let customers know you’re participating in the Black Friday deals.

A simple way to do this is to incorporate the Black Friday colors in your site design and product pages. Seeing as we make up to 90% of our snap purchasing decisions based on product color alone, playing around with color psychology can be a great way to tap into the minds of your customers and give them what they want. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/00251740610673332/full/html  https://sixads.net/blog/color-psychology/

Traditionally, the Black Friday colors are black and red. But you don’t want to change your entire site image to such an extent that it’s no longer recognizable as your brand. Instead, use the holiday sale colors in your banners and pop-ups alongside your usual branding to pique interest. You can also utilize Black Friday aesthetics in your email marketing campaigns to get customers excited about the discount hidden within.

While you’re tweaking your site colors and design, it’s also an excellent opportunity to take a closer look at your product pages to ensure they’re as engaging and informative as possible. Check your product pages are optimized for keywords with plenty of sensory descriptors and that your images are clear and pleasing. A good tip is to aim for six to eight well-edited images from different angles. https://sixads.net/blog/product-page-designs/   https://sixads.net/blog/best-free-photo-editing-apps/

14. Sync offers and countdowns across all channels

When it comes to advertising across multiple marketing channels, it can be easy to fall behind or let outdated promotions run. But when it comes to a Black Friday promotion, it’s more important than ever to ensure that every advertisement is promoting the same discount/offer, regardless of the channel you’re communicating on. https://sixads.net/blog/marketing-channels/

Make sure all your ads look the same, with the same recognizable branding across every channel, so customers can immediately tell who you are from just a glance, and make sure you have the correct offers being promoted.

You should also be careful to ensure you’re not promoting out-of-stock items. If you’re a dropshipper, using software like Oberlo can help streamline your processes, including automated inventory updates, pricing changes, and more. This means less time manually updating every individual ad and product page, and your customers only have access to the latest information. https://sixads.net/oberlo/review/

15. OR provide different deals for different marketing channels

While it’s good practice to keep your advertising consistent across all channels – whether a Facebook ad, email campaign, or website banner – you could also take a different, creative approach to your Black Friday marketing by running channel-specific offers. https://sixads.net/blog/black-friday-facebook-ads/

For example, you could offer a discount that’s exclusive to your email subscribers or run an Instagram-based scavenger hunt. Many brands have found success with sweepstakes or lucky draw style competitions, where the prize could be a gift card for use over the Black Friday promotional period, free shipping, or a mystery bundle.

Channel-specific deals are a great way to get your audience to engage with your brand in a new and exciting way and can be a fantastic way to stir up some extra excitement about your Black Friday deals before your sale goes live.

16. Consider mobile-only deals

In 2020, over 56% of Black Friday direct sales were made on a mobile device. And this statistic is only predicted to grow over the coming years. https://www.namogoo.com/blog/holiday-seasonal/black-friday-marketing/?utm_adgroup=&geo=9045297&keyword=black%20friday%20promotion%20ideas&device=c&target=&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=IBP-GG-Search-Blogs-Q3Y21-Tier1&utm_term=black%20friday%20promotion%20ideas&hsa_cam=14330330829&hsa_grp=125365814879&hsa_acc=7346875468&hsa_kw=black%20friday%20promotion%20ideas&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ad=540140077147&hsa_mt=p&hsa_tgt=kwd-1406504794060&hsa_src=g&hsa_ver=3&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1ouKBhC5ARIsAHXNMI8hpED5V5ftjeKZL_4ClW02zRLSHUdW7GOG8mD5iAYhoVn4xjf0qx4aAqf-EALw_wcB 

To take advantage of these mobile shopping habits, why not offer mobile-only deals to your Black Friday shoppers? You could boost downloads if you have an app by offering an extra discount to users who shop on the app over the holiday season. Alternatively, you could add a bit of fun with a mobile-based scavenger hunt where customers can unlock new and exciting offers while they browse.

Further to this, you could also use mobile-first shopping trends to dictate your advertising channels. Why not try sending your customers SMS reminders of your upcoming sale? When people receive thousands of Black Friday emails, an SMS message can offer a more personal and different approach that customers are likely to remember. App reminders can also be highly beneficial for already engaged customers.

While you’re planning any mobile-only offers, take the opportunity to revisit your site and ensure it’s optimized for mobile traffic. According to Neil Patel, the number 2 reason people leave your site is because it’s hard to read on mobile. Not only is this detrimental to your conversions, but Google also prefers mobile-friendly websites, so if you’re not optimized for mobile viewing, you could be missing out on loads of traffic. https://neilpatel.com/blog/increase-time-on-site/

Check your mobile loading time, configuration, and image sizes to ensure mobile shoppers get the best possible experience. https://sixads.net/blog/shopify-product-image-sizes/

17. Keep your audience informed on stock levels

A great way to create a sense of urgency with your shoppers is to display stock levels on items when your inventory is running low. This shows customers that a particular item is popular and makes them feel like they need to buy now before stock runs out.

For dropshippers, you can easily monitor and update your inventory across multiple sales and marketing channels using software such as Oberlo or Dropified. https://sixads.net/oberlo/dropified-vs-oberlo/

Using time-sensitive language on low-stock items can enhance the urgency felt by customers, and you could even add an extra “last change” discount when you’re down to your last few items. Using color psychology can also help here, with an urgent, red font highlighting low stock.

If you run out of a product before Black Friday, try to get it back in stock for the event and make a big deal about it being back.

You should also ensure your eCommerce fulfillment service is good to go. You don’t want to let down excited shoppers with shipping delays or a bad experience (in fact, around 47% of customers are unlikely to associate with an online store following a lousy shopping experience, so you need to get this right). https://www.getconvey.com/blog-d-2021-trends-in-retail-ecommerce/  https://sixads.net/blog/e-commerce-fulfillment/

As well as highlighting stock levels to eager customers, you should never underestimate a countdown timer as part of your Black Friday marketing tactics. By clearly showing customers how long they have left to get a great deal (particularly on a low-stock item), you’ll be encouraging shoppers to act quickly to take advantage of the best offers.

18. Increase AOV with free shipping, bundles, or recommended products

In 2020, shoppers spent an average of $311.75 during the five-day Thanksgiving weekend. On Black Friday alone, $9.03 billion was spent online! https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/holiday-shoppers-take-advantage-early-thanksgiving-weekend-deals  https://www.adobe.com/special/retail-shopping-insights/

With shoppers spending all this cash, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are a fantastic opportunity for businesses to increase their shopping carts’ average order value (AOV). 

The most popular way to cross-sell customers is with a Buy More to Save More offer. 

This effectively means offering something additional to shoppers who increase their cart values to a set monetary value. Often, this will be free shipping if you spend over $X. However, you could make the experience more enjoyable by offering a different reward to customers who hit AOV targets… For example, you could throw in a free gift with qualifying carts. Make it even more exciting with a mystery gift, so shoppers don’t know what they’ve won until their shopping arrives! 

Bundles are another great way to increase AOVs. Take a look at some of your most popular items and think about complementary products that customers often buy together and create a bundle that’s cheaper than if a customer purchased everything separately. Throw in some free shipping, and you could find people immediately start spending more on even simple products. 

19. Reduce cart abandonment rates

Increasing the average order value of your carts is one thing… But if shopping carts are being abandoned, it doesn’t really matter how many products are sitting in them! As part of your Black Friday campaign, you can do well by targeting cart abandoners and reclaiming those forgotten sales.

Cart abandonment is one of the most common problems e-commerce businesses face, costing up to $260 billion worth of lost orders. https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate

But it’s not all bad news. Recovering just a few abandoned carts can make a dramatic difference to your bottom line. Plus, you’ve got the added advantage of knowing these customers are at least somewhat interested in your products to have added them to their carts in the first place.

To target cart abandoners, you need some solid abandoned cart emails, and you could even reach out via SMS if a customer has provided their cell number. https://sixads.net/blog/abandoned-cart-email-examples/

You should also look at your checkout process to ensure that it’s not causing your shoppers to abandon. Check the process is as fast and easy as possible and that you’re not asking for unnecessary information to delay customers from buying.

Multiple studies have found that extra, unexpected costs are the top reason for cart abandonment, and 60% of people will abandon their shopping because extra fees are too high. https://shanebarker.com/blog/shopping-cart-abandonment/ Combat this by ensuring all costs (including tax, shipping, and any other fees) are clearly stated in the cart. You could even inform customers of other costs on the product page for full transparency. This will help reduce abandonment and ensure you’re getting the most sales possible.

20. Try early bird or last-chance sales

Although Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the first and second busiest shopping days of the year, respectively, it’s worth maximizing the shopping frenzy with longer sales and more chances to buy. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/blackfriday.asp 

In fact, in 2020, 52% of shoppers took advantage of early bird savings, and 38% bought items in the week leading up to Thanksgiving, so it’s clear that not everyone will hold out for the Black Friday weekend. https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/holiday-shoppers-take-advantage-early-thanksgiving-weekend-deals

Many stores will start offering discounts and early-bird savings in early November, some starting as early as mid-October. This was particularly evident in 2020 when stores started their Black Friday promotions early to avoid shipping delays caused by the pandemic (which is likely to be the case for Black Friday 2021, too). https://www.namogoo.com/blog/holiday-seasonal/black-friday-marketing/?utm_adgroup=&geo=9045297&keyword=black%20friday%20promotion%20ideas&device=c&target=&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=IBP-GG-Search-Blogs-Q3Y21-Tier1&utm_term=black%20friday%20promotion%20ideas&hsa_cam=14330330829&hsa_grp=125365814879&hsa_acc=7346875468&hsa_kw=black%20friday%20promotion%20ideas&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ad=540140077147&hsa_mt=p&hsa_tgt=kwd-1406504794060&hsa_src=g&hsa_ver=3&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1ouKBhC5ARIsAHXNMI8hpED5V5ftjeKZL_4ClW02zRLSHUdW7GOG8mD5iAYhoVn4xjf0qx4aAqf-EALw_wcB#5

Daily Deals are a great way to take advantage of a longer sale period, as this encourages customers to keep returning to your site to check for new discounts on different items each day. 

Alternatively (or in addition to), you could offer a “second chance” or “last chance” sale that extends beyond Cyber Monday. A great way to market this is to surprise shoppers with an extended sale the day after Cyber Monday. This can help reduce cart abandonment and ensure that shoppers who don’t like making spur-of-the-moment purchases get a second chance to save. 

Communication is key

When it comes to creating an excellent Black Friday marketing strategy, it’s essential to consider your customers at every step. Ensuring consistent and transparent communication that gets them excited to shop with you without misleading is crucial for making the most of this holiday season.

Remember, Black Friday shoppers don’t have to be one-time customers. By providing the best shopping experience with easy communication, Black Friday can be simply the start of a long-lasting and valuable relationship with your brand.

And if you’re looking for some extra oomph to add to your Black Friday advertising ideas, why not add a famous shopping quote to your marketing? After all, “whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping.” https://sixads.net/blog/black-friday-quotes/

FAQs 

How can I increase sales on Black Friday?

Reducing abandoned carts is one of the best ways to increase sales on Black Friday, but you can employ numerous other tactics to make the most of the shopping season.

1. Reward loyal customers with exclusive offers.
2. Increase AOV by upselling relevant products or with free shipping if you spend $X
3. Create complimentary product bundles
4. Offer referral discounts
5. Provide customer-specific discounts based on user behavior
6. Add mystery gifts to qualifying carts
7. Pre-sell to previous customers

What strategies do stores use to attract customers on Black Friday?

When it comes to Black Friday sales, even the best discount in the world won’t guarantee traffic to your store. Generating traffic can only be done with an effective marketing campaign, so you need to work hard to get the word out about the incredible offers at your store.

Announce your Black Friday deals clearly on your site’s landing page with a countdown timer to get customers excited and create a sense of urgency, and use the BF colors (black and red) to provide a themed appearance. 

You should also check your branding and website design to ensure you’re ready for the increased traffic BF/CM can bring.

Marketing on multiple channels is also essential, as is building your email list before the event, so you can let as many people as possible know what you have to offer during the sale season.

When should you start marketing for Black Friday?

There’s no specific date that you should start marketing Black Friday deals, but it is good practice to start your BF advertising as early as possible. Remember, most stores (online and offline) will be providing discounts over the Thanksgiving weekend, with many starting early and ending later in the year.

Is Black Friday profitable for retailers? 

In short: yes. Black Friday was officially designated the busiest shopping day of the year in 2000, with small businesses able to expect a +107% revenue boost over the shopping season. https://www.adobe.com/content/dam/www/us/en/adi/2020/pdfs/Adobe_Holiday_Forecast_Press.pdf