This shopping phenomenon happens in both physical and virtual stores, although there is another separate day dedicated to online shopping – Cyber Monday, falling on the 26 th of November this year. In 2017, Cyber Monday actually raked in more sales than Black Friday in the US, earning $6.6 billion and $5 billion respectively.
Closer to home, the Bank of Ireland announced a record number of transactions across payment channels on Black Friday last year, with 12.38 million transactions happening online, at point of sale and at ATMs. Cyber Monday brought in an extra 11.9 million transactions.
As a business owner based in Ireland, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are increasingly a sales opportunity not to be missed! Are you planning to take advantage of this annual shopping spree to generate leads and boost revenue?
If you haven’t started planning, now is a good time! Here are some digital marketing ideas to get you started…
Play to your strengths
As a smaller business, don’t attempt to compete with larger retailers who have the resources to offer landmark discounts on a wide range of products. Rather, focus your promotion strategy on deals that involve one or two core products in your range. Alternatively, you could put older merchandise on sale, rather than the new season’s stock.
Be strategic
Think of smart ways to charm or delight your customers. You could, for example, bundle similar products together into a creatively named hamper – and offer a discount on the entire package when bought together. This will help you to boost sales across more items and hopefully encourage regular customers to try something new. You could also offer free gifts with purchases over a certain amount – you’ll not only increase cart size but also create a more unique offer that may earn you more customers.
Service providers can participate too
You don’t need to sell goods to take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If your business provides services or subscription-based solutions rather than physical products, you can find a smart way to offer increased value to your customers during this period.
Build hype
Start creating awareness now by posting Black Friday and Cyber Monday adverts and content on your website, social media pages and in the newsletters that you send to your mailing list. You could offer “sneak peeks” and use teaser type themes in these communications, to hold your audience’s interest.
Create an oasis of calm amidst the chaos
Make sure that your user experience is totally stress-free by making all your sales items easy to find and quick to purchase. Start organising your content and refining your user experience now, as shoppers may be researching their options ahead of the mad rush.
Make the most of the online traffic
Most online retailers experienced increased traffic during this peak shopping period. Even if customers don’t end up making a purchase, you could incentivise them to sign up for your newsletter and get exclusive deals, industry insights or some other value-add delivered to their inbox. Be sure to embed a data capture form to make this process as quick and painless as possible.