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20 Black Friday Marketing Strategies to Stay Ahead of the Competition in 2023
Black Friday is coming soon. As the day approaches, businesses gear up for one of the most competitive events of the year. To stay ahead of the fierce competition, a well-prepared Black Friday marketing strategy is essential.
Black Friday, often considered as the official commencement of the holiday shopping season, presents a golden opportunity for both online and physical retailers. In 2022 alone, online Black Friday sales witnessed a 2.3% growth from the previous year, accumulating an impressive $9.12 billion. Such figures implies many business opportunities and the importance of a standout marketing strategy for Black Friday.
Understanding Black Friday marketing
So what is Black Friday marketing?
Black Friday marketing refers to how companies promote exclusive Black Friday deals and sales. This typically encompasses a blend of social media engagement, limited-time offers, and comprehensive digital marketing campaigns.
For 2023, Black Friday will fall on November 24. As a business owner, make sure you mark the date in your calendar and prepare a well-spoken marketing plan to capture the attention of eager early holiday shoppers.
Top 20 Black Friday Marketing Tactics to Elevate Sales
1. Begin Your Black Friday Campaigns Ahead of Time
Initiating your marketing endeavors well in advance ensures you're the first to capture consumer attention. It's about building anticipation, creating a buzz, and ensuring your brand remains top-of-mind as Black Friday approaches. A large number of customers tend to shop in advance to avoid delayed delivery and busy stores during the holiday season and the sales period, therefore early deals and sales can give you some advantages to target these shoppers.
Also use social media posts to tease upcoming deals. Email marketing campaigns can provide sneak peeks or early access to loyal customers. The goal is to create a sense of urgency, ensuring your audience is primed and ready.
Below is the example of 1-day early Black Friday sale from La Jolie MLN, which occurred from 3 to 4 November 2022.
2. Offer a Glimpse of Upcoming Deals
Black Friday marketing is very competitive, so offering sneak peeks can set you apart. It's about transparency, building trust, and ensuring customers know the value awaiting them.
Highlight potential discounts on sought-after items. Use email blasts and social media posts to provide glimpses of what's in store. Engage with your audience, answer queries, and use their feedback to fine-tune your offers.
3. Expand Your Black Friday Email List
Your email list is a potent tool, especially for Black Friday promotions. It's a direct line to your most engaged customers, allowing for personalised offers and updates.
Introduce a dedicated Black Friday email sign-up form on your website. Consider using pop-ups or banners to capture attention. Design a specific landing page detailing the benefits of signing up, from exclusive previews to special discounts. Using email marketing management platforms such as Klaviyo or Hubspot will help make the process easier and more manageable.
4. Showcase Black Friday Deals on Social Media
Customers spend a significant amount of their time on social media platforms, especially TikTok. It's where they engage with brands, seek recommendations, and share their experiences.
Create engaging content around your Black Friday deals and use visually appealing graphics, short videos, and interactive polls or quizzes to encourage customers’ interaction & engagement. Collaborate with influencers to tap into their follower base. Consider leveraging shoppable posts for a seamless shopping experience.
5. Consider Direct Sales through Social Platforms such as TikTok & Instagram
Many people, especially gen Z, turn to social media such as TikTok & Instagram to explore products or research a brand. Nearly half of users have mentioned discovering new brands, products, or services on platforms like Instagram.
During Black Friday, the hunt for discounts and offers intensifies. By facilitating direct sales on platforms such as Instagram, you maximise your product visibility to your target audience. Offering products directly within the app simplifies the purchase journey for your customers.
6. Spread WoM with Referral Codes & Affiliate Marketing
Referral marketing is a great way to have your existing customers promote your brand for you.
Send out referral codes to your email list and entice them with rewards like gift cards or bigger discounts. Such referrals can attract new customers while showing your appreciation and gratitude towards loyal customers.
7. Incorporate SMS Marketing
SMS marketing offers direct communication with your customers. It's personal, immediate, and has high open rates.
Segment your audience and tailor your SMS messages. Use it to share exclusive discount codes, flash sale alerts, or reminders. Ensure your messages are concise, clear, and offer value.
8. Optimise Your Website for Organic Visibility on Google
Black Friday sees a surge of eCommerce platforms competing for a position on Google's top results. To achieve this, it's crucial to tailor your website for online consumers.
Conduct a thorough keyword research to identify the search terms that consumers typically use while hunting for holiday deals. Naturally incorporate these search terms into your webpages. Avoid keyword stuffing which sounds spammy and can lead to Google’s penalty.
Furthermore, it's essential to ensure your website is optimised for mobile users, given the rising trend of individuals shopping via their smartphones.
If you are not familiar with the technical jargons of Search Engine Optimisation, consider speaking to an SEO expert for support.
9. Improve Customer Service with a Website Chatbot
An influx of shoppers during busy sales periods inevitably leads to an increase in customer queries. Shoppers will have questions about their orders, delivery details, return policies, and more, especially if there is a delay in delivery due to the large volume of orders.
By adding a chatbot to your site, you can enhance and automate your customer service operations. The chatbot can manage straightforward questions, and if a more personalised touch is required, a customer service representative can seamlessly take over the conversation. This approach reduces the workload and pressure on the customer service team, allowing them to concentrate on more complex concerns.
10. Personalise Your Black Friday Campaigns
In an age of automation, personal touches can make your brand stand out. It's about recognising the individual behind the purchase, understanding their preferences, and tailoring your approach and service.
Use data analytics to understand your customers. Segment your audience based on purchase history, preferences, or engagement levels. Tailor your email subject lines, content, and offers based on these segments.
11. Integrate QR Codes for Customer Engagement
QR codes offer a unique way to connect physical and online spaces. They're versatile, easy to use, and can significantly enhance the shopping experience.
Use QR codes in-store to guide customers to online deals or exclusive content. Online, QR codes can offer quick access to app downloads, sign-up forms, or even augmented reality experiences.
12. Introduce Free Shipping and Purchase-Based Rewards
For some customers, free shipping can be an important factor that influences their purchase decision. It's an added incentive, reducing the overall cost of purchase and enhancing the perceived value. (And everyone loves “free” stuff!)
Offer free shipping as a standard for Black Friday or provide it as a reward for reaching a certain purchase threshold. Promote this offer prominently on your website, in emails, and across social media.
13. Minimise Cart Abandonment
Cart abandonment is a challenge for online retailers. However, with the right strategies, these potential sales can be recovered.
Implement automated email reminders for abandoned carts. Offer incentives, such as additional discounts or freebies, to encourage completion. Ensure the checkout process is seamless, with multiple secure payment options and clear instructions.
14. Roll Out a Loyalty Program
Black Friday is an excellent opportunity to convert one-time shoppers into loyal customers. Offer exclusive Black Friday deals to loyalty program members. Provide points for purchases, which can be redeemed later. Introducing tiered rewards is always a popular method to retain customers and ensure long-term engagement.
15. Create a Black Friday Gift Guide
Black Friday is a good chance for customers to pre-shop gifts for the Christmas holiday season, therefore special gift guides to help simplify their shopping process and guide them to the best bargains will be likely to attract their attention.
One of the most popular tactics is to segment your products based on categories/demography like "Gifts for Him," "Gifts for Her," "Tech Enthusiasts," etc. Promote this guide through email campaigns, social media, and on your website's homepage.
16. Offer Extended Black Friday Promotions
Not everyone can shop on Black Friday. Some even try to avoid the chaos of Black Friday. Therefore, extending your promotions ensures you cater to a broader audience, including the latecomers.
Introduce "Black Friday Week" or "Cyber Week" deals. Use countdown timers on your website to promote last-chance sales and create a sense of urgency. Promote these extended deals through all marketing channels to cover all touchpoints of the customer buying journey.
17. Promote Store Credit Offers
Store credit offers can be more enticing than traditional discounts. They encourage future purchases and can enhance customer loyalty.
You can offer store credit on select purchases or as a reward for reaching certain thresholds. Ensure the terms and conditions are clear and transparent and the benefits are clearly communicated to customers.
18. Upsell Your Products/Services
Upselling techniques can significantly boost your average order value. It's about offering more value to the consumer, encouraging them to enhance their purchase.
Use similar product recommendations based on what's in the shopper's cart. Offer bundle deals or tiered discounts to encourage larger purchases.
19. Organise a Black Friday Contest
Contests and giveaways can create a buzz around your brand, driving engagement and enhancing visibility.
Design a contest that's easy to participate in. Promote it across all channels, offering attractive prizes. Encourage social sharing for additional entries to extend your reach.
20. Dare to Be Different
You're well aware of the intense marketing frenzy that Black Friday brings.
Businesses will be shouting about their unbeatable prices, crazy deals, and fast (and even free) shipping country-wide. In order to differentiate yourself from the competition, you need to capture attention in a unique way. Be brave and creative.
Deciem is an excellent example. They took the bold step of completely opting out of Black Friday. By shutting down their website and closing their physical stores, they made a statement against the impulsive buying culture associated with Black Friday. After that, they revealed a month-long sale for November.
Conclusion:
Black Friday is more than just a day of discounts. It's an opportunity to showcase your brand, engage with your audience, and drive significant sales. With the right strategies in place, you can ensure your Black Friday marketing efforts yield impressive results. Whether you're an online retailer or a brick-and-mortar store, the potential is immense. Harness it with a well-crafted, comprehensive Black Friday marketing blueprint.
SOUP is the Australia's leading independent digital marketing agency with head office based in Sydney. We have an experienced team of Social Media, Paid Ads, SEO, Content Writing, Web Design and Creative that can create a winning Black Friday marketing campaign for your brand. Get in touch today for a free audit with us!