As consumers prepare for Christmas and colder weather, brands are getting ready for the Black Friday & Cyber Monday online rush.
When is Black Friday 2022?
This year, Black Friday falls on 25 November 2022. It traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season, but many brands are now choosing to launch their sales a few days or even weeks before the official day.
Planning a BFCM marketing strategy is the secret to standing out in a saturated market. Think about it: practically every brand is advertising deals, so what makes your 20% discount better than your competitors?
The answer? Preparation, organisation and complete creativity!
Keep reading to reveal 10 Black Friday marketing strategies you need to try in 2022…
Promote your sales in advance
Let’s face it - Black Friday is a hectic day for everyone. Consumers are bombarded with emails, and websites are slow and social media is flooding with discount codes. If customers aren’t looking out for your sale, there’s a chance they might miss your offer!
Try to build momentum on social media in the upcoming days or even weeks. Consider posting teasers and adding countdown timers to your Instagram stories. If you make your sale sound exciting before the big day - it’s likely your customers will be rushing to your site once the sale goes live!
Stand out from the crowd
Offering a 20% discount simply isn’t enough on Black Friday. Customers want more, and we mean a lot more. Consider a higher discount, a free product with their purchase and free delivery.
You should also optimise your content to ensure any Facebook adverts or marketing emails really catch their attention. Make sure your copy reads well, and your images are super eye-catching.
Create a gift guide before Black Friday
A gift guide is a curated selection of products that are displayed in a way which makes them appealing to a particular audience. For example, as a beauty brand, you might want to create a ‘For the Lover of Self-Care’ guide that presents a selection of spa and skincare products.
Consider creating gift guides for specific customer categories in the weeks leading up to Black Friday. For example, “Gifts For Her”, “Gifts For Him”, “Gifts For Mum”, and so on. Add them to your website, social channels and even marketing emails.
Not only will this Black Friday marketing strategy make shopping easier, but it is also the perfect way to showcase your latest and greatest products.
Entice customers to buy more than one product
Minimum spend rewards are a great way to encourage customers to spend more money with your brand. There are multiple ways to do this, so it’s important that you work out which strategy is best for your business.
For example, a customer who spends £50 might get a 10% discount, while a customer who spends £100 might get a 20% discount. Alternatively, you might want to create a bundle of products that can be purchased as a package.
Offer previous customers exclusive deals
What better way to impress your loyal customers than by giving them exclusive deals? Not only will this help increase sales, but it is also a smart way to improve brand-consumer relationships. By showing your customers that you appreciate their loyalty, you will also encourage them to come back even after Black Friday.
The reward could be a free product, a higher discount or a unique code to use in the following weeks. As you know your audience best, consider what you think they would really appreciate.
Send marketing emails before Black Friday
Sending a marketing email on Black Friday certainly isn’t a unique strategy. In fact, shoppers’ inboxes will be bombarded with all types of sales emails once the big day arrives.
In the weeks leading up to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend, you should ideally send out several emails to inform your audience about what is coming. This is the best way to avoid missing out once the weekend arrives.
Create a sense of urgency
When it comes to writing copy, It’s super important to create a compelling message that conveys urgency. To get customers excited about your sale, you should encourage them to act now rather than wait.
By offering a limited-time discount or information about your most-wanted products, customers will feel compelled to take advantage of your Black Friday deals before they finish. Here are some examples of how you can create a sense of urgency across your marketing:
- The BIGGEST sale we’ve ever had!
- This code is valid for 24 hours only!
- These styles are selling out FAST!
- Grab this bestselling product before it goes!
- This product is about to sell out! Grab it NOW with 40% off!
Focus on your bestselling & new items
When it comes to the biggest shopping period of the year, customers don’t want to see last season’s stock with a huge 80% discount. Instead, they want quality products and honest discounts.
Try to focus on your latest and greatest products as consumers don’t usually receive any discount on these items. Not only will this generate more sales, but it will also create a positive image around your brand.
Jump on trends that resonate with your audience
As we mentioned before, Black Friday isn’t just a day. Brands should expect to build a loyal audience and raise brand awareness even as soon as the beginning of October.
A great way to do this is by jumping on relevant trends the weeks before your sales go live. Posting about hot topics will definitely result in higher impressions and are likely to be picked up more frequently by consumers. These trends will also ensure that you keep your audience engaged.
Give something free/BOGOF
Whether it’s a product from your brand or free money to spend, there’s no denying that everyone loves a freebie!
This is also a great opportunity to showcase a product that you would like your customers to come back and buy. For example, a beauty brand might give a free moisturiser with every order over £100. If customers like the product, there’s a chance they might come back and buy it.
Lastly, "buy one get one free" is one of the best ways to impress your audience. Even if someone is buying the product for their loved one, they now also have something to keep for themselves.
This also works well with products that can be replenished, items that complement each other, and basically, anything that can be given as a gift.
