In 2020, almost 200 million shoppers in the U.S. alone took advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend deals. This year, that number is only going up.
If you’re a retailer looking for a surge of customers over the holidays, you’re likely preparing for the Black Friday weekend. But because you’ll be competing with millions of other businesses also promising their customers exclusive Black Friday sales, you’ll need an extra edge to stand out.
Check out the following list we’ve put together that will transform your Black Friday marketing campaign into the most successful one yet.
Tantalize Customers
Keep in mind that your customers are receiving a flood of marketing messages. Every day, they see everything from Thanksgiving marketing emails to Christmas social media posts. In order to stand out, your strategy will need to involve irresistible content.
First, you’ll need to grab the attention of your customers. Send out an entertaining video in an email, team up with an influencer, or create a social media campaign that will entice viewers.
Next, you’ll want to give your customers a bit of time. Announcing the products you’ll have on sale a week in advance will get them excited. Followers will stay engaged with your content, waiting for the release of more information.
The most important thing to do, though, is to emphasize scarcity. Make it clear that items are limited. Staying up to date with emails and social media is the best way to know when sales will open.
Gamify Your Holiday Marketing
There’s nothing more appealing to customers than an engaging marketing campaign. Create a campaign that creates an exciting opportunity for customers to participate by gamifying your holiday marketing.
Gamifying is exactly what it sounds like: creating a game. This could be anything from making a digital spin-the-wheel to unlock Black Friday deals or offering a scavenger hunt around your store for exclusive items.
You can even use your Black Friday marketing as a segue into later holiday marketing.
For instance, create a game in which customers can unlock special rewards for later Christmas deals. To do so, they’ll have to complete a list of tasks.
The first could involve making a purchase on Black Friday. The second could be following your social media page, and so on.
By gamifying your Black Friday campaign, you’ve now opened up the door for a new Christmas marketing strategy.
Prioritize Cyber Monday
More and more customers have switched to making most of their holiday retail purchases online, especially after Covid-19 forced retailers to become more digitally savvy.
In fact, more customers plan to shop on Cyber Monday than they do on Black Friday. And who can blame them? It’s much more comfortable to shop cozied up under a blanket than to navigate crowded shopping malls and long lines.
If you don’t have a Cyber Monday marketing campaign yet, it’s time to create one. You could increase your holiday sales significantly just by creating a day-long campaign.
To differentiate your Cyber Monday deals from your Black Friday ones, offer certain products and sales exclusively online.
You can even encourage in-person Black Friday customers to make another purchase on Cyber Monday by giving them an exclusive retail promotion in-store. At checkout, hand them a brochure or flyer with a discount available only to Black Friday shoppers.
Use the Element of Surprise
If your business has an extensive following, you likely have a group of core customers who actively follow and engage with your content. This allows you to include a few twists in your marketing strategy, as they will share and promote any surprises you announce.
Surprise and delight your customers by dropping a new, unknown product on Black Friday.
Send out emails and post about it a few days before to generate a buzz without revealing any specifics. Then, when you’ve built up sufficient tension, release it on the holiday. Customers will jump to be the first ones to purchase your new, sought-after product.
Similarly, you can release different sales every hour, tell customers that you’ll be announcing a surprise 30% off at a random point in the day, or you’ll have an item that can only be purchased during a 30-minute window.
The key to using surprises on Black Friday is not to keep your customers totally in the dark. You’ll have to announce a few days beforehand that a surprise is coming up so the word can spread.
Make Customers Feel Appreciated
Black Friday was created as a way for businesses to stay alive for the next year by getting “in the black” for the year. But the day is really about the customers.
Without the influx of shoppers willingly preparing to spend hundreds – if not thousands – during the holiday each year, it wouldn’t still be a surefire way for businesses to make a profit.
Show your customers that you acknowledge and appreciate their choice to shop at your business.
Make sure that you staff extra workers on Black Friday to serve each customer quickly. Give customers who spend a certain amount of money a gift with purchase. After they visit your store, send shoppers a thank-you email letting them know how much their business means to you.
Not only will your customers feel more valued, but they will also be more inclined to support your business during the holiday once you’ve shown them some holiday spirit yourself.
Black Friday Marketing Success
This year, it’s time to step up your Black Friday marketing campaign with a few new features. Whether your Black Friday ideas include engaging customers by creating a fun contest or surprising them with the release of a new product, your retail marketing will put you a step above your competitors.
Learn more about marketing strategies and steps you can take to generate more leads by connecting with our team today.
