Although the countdown has begun, there is still time to optimise your Black Friday eCommerce sales strategy for the entire year.
The 2021 US holiday shopping season saw the highest retail growth in over 20 years, bringing in more than $1.2 trillion—a 16.1% year-on-year increase (YoY). According to EMarketer, Cyber Monday was the heaviest online spending day, increasing 1.1% to $10.9 billion, followed by Black Friday sales, which brought in around $9 billion.
Since shoppers spent nearly $20 billion on Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year, online retailers should prioritise creating buzz and selling more during these lucrative shopping holidays.
What a Black Friday is?
After Thanksgiving in the United States comes the Black Friday day and unofficially marks the start of the holiday shopping season. On Black Friday, online and brick-and-mortar retailers offer deep discounts, with most beginning their sales around midnight on Thanksgiving evening.
Black Friday began as a one-day in-store shopping event. However, online retailers began offering Cyber Monday sales in 2005, thanks to the rise of eCommerce. Cyber Monday, like Black Friday, occurs on the Monday following Thanksgiving and focuses on online sales.
Ecommerce Tips for Black Friday Sale 2022
1. Be the first to launch
Until the last minute to launch the sale is a no-no. Instead, begin your marketing efforts earlier and familiarise customers with your brand and your services. Build excitement for your Black Friday deals even before the big day. This immediately creates a sense of urgency. Customers are also less likely to pass up your Black Friday deals.
2. Extend your email marketing list.
As mentioned in the previous point, create a customized black Friday email marketing list weeks before the sale begins. When it comes to Black Friday advertising, your email list is one of your vital assets. Utilize it to determine which customers are most likely to purchase during Black Friday sales.
You can improve your email marketing strategy by developing multiple email marketing campaigns tailored to your holiday promotions. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are also well-known for their time-sensitive discounts. Your email campaigns should create a sense of urgency by using intriguing subject lines that capture readers’ attention and encourage them to open the email.
3. Make full use of social media.
Social media marketing is the most effective method for promoting Black Friday sales. Advertise your sales on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Don’t forget to use Black Friday hashtags to reach a larger audience. Collaborate with social media influencers. Influencers have a close relationship with their followers. They may be able to assist you in reaching a larger audience with your Black Friday promotions.
Brands may share interesting, high-quality content on social media that encourages people to buy their products. It would help if you created educational content for your audience and marketing blog articles through social media.
- Use the social shopping feature.
- Create user-friendly content
- Schedule the Black Friday promotion posts ahead of time.
- Collaborate with influencers.
4. Make use of hashtags
Provide free shipping and spending incentives.
One of the most effective strategies to promote your company during Black Friday discounts is to provide free shipping for a limited time. So don’t just offer the usual Black Friday discounts; instead, entice customers with enticing perks like free shipping.
5. Use loyalty programmes to entice customers.
This is your opportunity to convert visitors into repeat customers. Engage your customers through loyalty programmes by providing exclusive discounts and gifts for every dollar spent. A loyalty programme will encourage them to continue shopping and assist you in engaging customers after the holiday sales have ended. Create a trusting relationship with your customers and provide great deals and discounts.
6. Extend the sale until Cyber Monday.
Cyber Monday was created for online shoppers in the mid-2000s. It has become a hugely popular shopping day, especially for online purchases. Two of the four days that can be used to your advantage are Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This means that there will be bargains and promotions from Black Friday to Cyber Monday.
Customers anticipate huge discounts on Black Friday, one day of a long holiday weekend. Therefore, you should plan your approach and develop a marketing strategy for each of Cyber Week’s five days, such as Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Black Friday is just one day during a long holiday weekend when customers expect deals to be plentiful.
7. Use chatbots to assist customers.
Customers have more questions than usual. Your business will suffer significantly if you respond or miss all of them. Installing a chatbot on your website is a simple solution. A good customer support system can boost conversion rates and improve retention rates.
The chatbot can answer simple FAQs; if customer support is required, they can intervene and take over the chat. This approach can reduce the repetitive tasks burdening your team, freeing them up to focus on more significant problems.
8. Continue to follow up even after the sale
It’s fantastic to sell a large number of products on Black Friday. However, the value of a customer to your brand grows over time. One-time buyers can be converted into loyal, lifelong customers. According to a Shopify survey, holidays such as Black Friday have the lowest lifetime value of customers. Customers acquired on Black Friday or Cyber Monday had a lower lifetime value than customers recruited at any other time of year, according to a staggering 64% of merchants.
Reference- https://www.shopify.com/enterprise/black-friday-ecommerce#3
