5 Tips for Creating a Black Friday Marketing Strategy to Boost Sales

The discounts are starting earlier and getting more competitive each year, and 2021 has followed suit already, with Black Friday sale promotions kicking off from October. The likes of Amazon are predicted to dominate online, and to stand a chance against big household names, smaller and growing businesses must be ready with their best marketing tricks.

While the high street has welcomed back its shoppers in full force, the pandemic has had a huge impact on shopping habits and behaviors, and new statistics predict that most of the Black Friday purchases will happen online this year, rather than in-store so online retailers must be ready.

To help businesses prepare for Black Friday in time and compete with major retailers, James Boseley, Marketing Manager at TextAnywhere, has listed out the top five tips for Black Friday marketing strategies:

1. Optimize website performance

As it’s predicted that more people will do their shopping online (versus in-store) this Black Friday, website performance is key to success. The perfect loading time for websites is believed to be zero to four seconds, so the user will soon abandon their items (and the site altogether) if a page is too slow to load.

Optimizing the website will help to reduce any technical problems for Black Friday shoppers by identifying what is slowing the website speed. Evaluating its web hosting (and undergoing any necessary updates), using a website speed tester to measure the average page loading time and optimizing the images too will prepare for a surge in Black Friday traffic.

2. Have a Black Friday email list ready

Email marketing will drive Black Friday sales and can be used to tease any deals. Retailers will need to grow an email list full of shoppers who are keen to hear about their offers. This can be achieved with pop-ups that aim to target new visitors as soon as they enter the site. Typically, the best way to get an email sign-up is with an effective CTA and an incentive for signing up, for example, with a unique discount code or free delivery on their first order.

It's also worth personalizing the email content which can be done using Google Analytics. Personalization could also involve addressing the recipient by their first name in the email subject line, helping not only to spike their curiosity (and then open the email itself), but also create a more personable experience between the brand and the shopper and, ultimately, increasing the likelihood of a transaction.

Aside from securing a mailing list for Black Friday, it’s vital that the email subject line jumps out to the user. Differentiating from hundreds (if not thousands) of generic Black Friday emails is a challenge, and many businesses prioritize the promotion of their discounts, rather than gaining the attention of their subscribers.

3. Experiment with timings and communication channels

Thousands of online retailers are in fierce competition for Black Friday sales. However, shoppers are in danger of being bombarded with the same messaging for weeks, and as a result, becoming uninterested in Black Friday altogether.

Aiming to please each individual shopper is an impossible task. Instead, aim to stand out from other retailers and experiment with timing, rather than repeating the same rules that other retailers will follow too. There are a few options… businesses can aim to catch the attention of potential customers by acting early with their sale, rather than waiting for Friday 26th to come around, or, boost sales by converting latecomers - for example, by claiming to “bring Black Friday back” and offer what appears to be additional or extended offers.

Moreover, particularly during competitive periods, harnessing the power of SMS can be very effective. SMS messages are 35 times more likely to be seen than a brand’s email, and the order rate achieved with SMS is nearly x7 that of single-email campaigns.

4. Grow a strong presence on social media

Social media can influence buying decisions by 71% which makes it a powerful tool, especially for Black Friday. Social media allows a brand to communicate directly with its followers, and seek immediate feedback - so, not only can retailers communicate directly with their customers on social media, but also use it to create a sense of urgency over their Black Friday sales.

There are a number of marketing tactics for social media:

• Checking that a clear, branded profile picture is used for the account
• Ensuring keywords in the bio are relevant
• Testing any links to ensure they are working

Using the Black Friday hashtag will also help to reach more users on social media, as well as implementing the online shopping feature and being active/responding quickly to messages will help to build a strong social media presence. However, it’s important not to go overboard with the Black Friday messaging either as it can appear too sales heavy.

5. Aim to reduce the Cart Abandonment Rate

Research shows that online stores experience the highest cart abandonment rates when businesses launch their Black Friday campaigns in October and November. With so many customers adding items to their shopping carts and then leaving the site before making a purchase, ecommerce businesses are missing out on billions.

To reduce the likelihood of shoppers abandoning their items, reminders can be set up and sent via email to the user, with the aim of encouraging them to return back to the site and complete the purchase. Another tip is ensuring that any additional costs, such as delivery and tax are visible as early as possible, so the customer has already factored in these costs before they proceed to checkout. A final way to reduce the cart abandonment rate is to make the checkout process quick and simple for the user, as if there is too much information to fill out or the pages aren’t mobile-friendly, then the user will shop for other Black Friday deals instead.

By following these 5 marketing tips for Black Friday, retailers will reap the rewards by boosting their off-and-online sales and attracting new, loyal customers that will hang around long after Black Friday.