With the holiday season comes some of the most important days of the year for your business: Black Friday and Cyber Week. That’s right, it’s time to kick it into gear and start planning for the biggest sale of the year!
You need to make your company stand out from the competition. Black Friday marketing is all about planning, persistence and creativity. What will you do to draw customers to your site on this national shopping holiday? Here are 9 Black Friday ideas for your eCommerce store.
Black Friday Ideas
Promotional Banners
User a promotional banner to remind current and potential customers about the impending sales holiday. Each time customers view your site and see the banner, it will push your products and promotions to the top of their minds. The banner can include a countdown, creative imagery or just simple text to remind them of the special deals you’re offering.
Flash Sale
Hold a flash sale before the start of Black Friday to extend the impact of the promotion. The sale can begin anywhere from a few days to hours before Black Friday. This preview promotion can excite customers and gives them a chance to see what your company offers. Be sure to set strict limitations and conditions to keep the rapid sale under control.
Evaluate Advertising Spend
Investing more in digital advertising as you near Black Friday can increase your company’s exposure and sales. We recommend beginning advertisements a few days before Black Friday to increase pre-sale awareness. Ads should include product images, specific deal promos and date information to help you customers understand context and timeliness of your offers.
Have a Countdown Timer on the Checkout Page
Add a countdown timer on the checkout page to give your customer an extra boost when they’re deciding to buy your product. Adding a countdown timer to the checkout page will increase a sense of urgency and make your customers feel more inclined to purchase. Nobody likes the fear of missing out (aka F.O.M.O.), so use this approach to your advantage to help close the deal right then and there.
Sneak-a-Peek
In your countdown to the big day, try to give your customers a sneak peek of just a few of the great deals you will be offering. Consider using a pop-up on your landing page, digital advertisements and creative social posts. This will make your customers feel included and build anticipation for the sale.
Personalized Gift Guides
Create a few pages that feature gift guides based on specific personalities. If you’re a clothing company, you can offer a list of different pieces of clothing tailored to a chic fashionista, a traveler or a minimalist. Creating these lists makes it easier for you customers to navigate the stress of gift shopping and presents them with more options. This list can also inspire them to check out more products on your site.
Take Advantage of Social Media
There are so many things you can do on your company’s social platforms. For starters, you can post a countdown to Black Friday. This plants the seed in your follower’s minds that your company is participating in Black Friday. You can feature the sneak peek we previously mentioned, as well as linking your products to your site directly from the post or your platform’s bio. Hash-tagging your images with #BlackFriday or #BlackFriday2019 can also draw attention from those who aren’t following your company’s social.
Up-Sell and Cross-Sell
Use up-sell and cross-sell tactics to encourage your customers to buy more and get more. If they’re buying an older version of a phone, include up-sell promo materials to encourage them to buy the newer and more expensive version. You can do this by offering free shipping or a free gift if they upgrade to the better product. Cross-sell your product by bundling with complementary products, like a phone with headphones, and offer it for a discounted price.
Emails, Emails and More Emails
Emails are crucial to advertising your Black Friday sales. You can start with the simple Black Friday announcement email fuel your customers’ interest. As you get closer to the big day, send out more eye-catching emails with compelling images and messages to build excitement around the holiday. When Black Friday arrives, keep your customers informed and on their toes by sending scarcity emails to encourage them to buy before it’s gone, free gift with purchase offers, giveaway emails, and more!
Conclusion
Black Friday is a time for your company to be creative with your marketing tactics. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and explore new ways to advertise and engage customers. As long as you have a strong marketing strategy and utilize some of these ideas, your company could see a great online turnout on Black Friday.
With the holiday season comes some of the most important days of the year for your business: Black Friday and Cyber Week. That’s right, it’s time to kick it into gear and start planning for the biggest sale of the year!
