Get your FREE 30-day trial.
Please complete all fields.
This is the week. Predictions will be made, sales will be analyzed, and customers will visit stores and websites with care — in hopes that great discounts and deals will be there.
For many brands, Black Friday is the single biggest shopping day of the year. And for most retailers, it certainly kicks off the busiest shopping season.
Ready to be the Beyonce of holiday marketing? Put on some headphones and press play on your bossiest soundtrack. Get out your spreadsheets and social media log-ins. It's time to be like Bey — and sleigh your holiday marketing this Black Friday week.
And when the holiday marketing season feels too busy and like it all might be too much, just remember — you have 24 hours in a day, just like Queen Bey.
In your emails, convey urgency and remind subscribers that they face a limited time to receive these discounts and products. Countdown timers (showing one day left or only 300 units remaining) are among the most effective tools in emails during Black Friday weekend. Stay flexible and keep an eye on the data. If something isn’t converting the way you’d hoped, a link or list could be the problem, so stay in contact with your analysts.
People feel a sense of pride in snagging the trendiest holiday gifts — especially on Black Friday. Use social media to communicate which products are trending, receive the best reviews, or are about to sell out.
Everyone wants to feel like they've bought the next Furby! But don’t forget to update customers when they actually do sell out — there’s nothing worse than teasing people with something they can’t have. Make sure you’re always ready to react to customers quickly as they worry about not getting items by Christmas.
This weekend, there's no excuse. Every mobile touchpoint has to be perfect. According to comScore, consumers spent $12.7 billion via smartphones and tablets during Thanksgiving weekend 2015, up 59% from 2014. When the shopping frenzy hits on Friday, mobile is the perfect channel to remind customers that they don’t have to stand in line at a store to buy from you. Doorbusters still work for many companies, but today, e-commerce is just as important, if not more.
Engage customers on smartphones via SMS, push, and mobile email whether they’re out shopping or browsing at home. Especially test landing pages and transaction pages where customers input credit card and shipping details.
Increasingly, companies are proud to share their affiliations with philanthropic organizations in their marketing. This Black Friday, expect to see more companies begin drawing attention to these causes. If a percentage of proceeds goes to help a nonprofit or if your employees are spending part of their work hours during the holidays, let people know! Customers want to feel good about where they spend their money, today more than ever.
Update your social channels with the hours you'll be servicing them and answering questions. Giving employees the day off on Black Friday? No problem, as long as customers aren't expecting to hear from you. If you are answering every query on social, remember to listen for key product terms and your brand name — not just your handle.
By some estimates, only 3% of customer complaints and brand mentions actually tag the brand. Listen closely on social so you don't miss an important question during purchase decision-making time.
This may be the single day of the year when your customers get the most emails, social messages, SMS, display ads, and mail from brands — not to mention all the personal holiday interactions happening on Instagram, Facebook, and beyond. So lead with your strongest deals and most key messages. This is probably not the time of year for your longest marketing content to make its big reveal.
Because ads are quick to initiate and deploy, they’re a great tool to make last-minute tweaks to your Black Friday strategy. If you find that an email or product page isn’t performing with shoppers as well as you’d hoped, follow up the message with a social ad — we call that the stereo effect. Constantly check numbers with your teammates to make sure ads are reaching the right audience.
Between Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and even Cyber Week, you have a wealth of messaging options — and it doesn't end with Black Friday. Next, invite subscribers to shop limited-time deals, shop the most popular Black Friday items, and buy now for free gift wrapping and bonuses.
Other common early December messaging themes include invitations to download your mobile app, join your social channels, or share your gift guide with friends and family.
Download the free 2016 Marketing Holiday Calendar for many more best practices to help you get the gift of greater ROI during this holiday marketing season.
