Black Friday is coming, and it's bigger than ever. In 2023, online sales hit a record $9.8 billion. That's a lot of money, and 2024 is expected to be even bigger. But here's the thing: everyone wants a piece of that pie. So how do you make sure your business stands out?
This guide will show you 10 ways to make your Black Friday marketing work better in 2024. We'll cover everything from starting early to making your mobile site awesome. These tips aren't just guesses – they're based on what worked last year and what experts think will matter this year.
Did you know that 27% of shoppers start buying gifts before November? Or that 60% of online shopping happens on phones? These facts show why it's so important to plan your Black Friday strategy carefully.
Let's get right in and see how you can make Black Friday 2024 your best sales day yet.
Smart ideas for Black Friday 2024
1. Start your sales early, but watch out!
It's a good idea to begin your Black Friday sales in October or even September. Why? Because about 27 out of every 100 shoppers start buying gifts before November even starts. If you start early, you can catch these eager shoppers.
But here's the tricky part: 2024 is an election year. This means there will be lots of political ads in October. These ads might make it hard for people to see your sales ads. So, what can you do? Maybe start some small sales in October, but save your big push for after November 5th. By then, most of the political ads will be gone, and people will be ready to think about holiday shopping.
2. Make your website phone-friendly
Did you know that 6 out of every 10 online purchases will likely happen on phones in 2024? That's a lot! So, it's super important to make sure your website works well on phones. Here's what you need to do:
- Make sure your website loads quickly on phones.
- Make buttons big enough to tap easily with a finger.
- Keep forms short and simple.
- Make sure pictures look good on small screens.
- Make it easy for people to buy things with just a few taps.
If your website is easy to use on phones, more people will likely buy from you.
3. Mix up your advertising
Don't rely on just one method to promote your sales. Use a combination of paid ads on websites and social media, regular posts on your own social media accounts, emails to past customers, and partnerships with social media influencers. This varied approach helps you reach a wider audience. Some people might see your Facebook ad, while others hear about you from their favorite YouTuber. The more ways you spread the word, the better your chances of reaching potential customers.
4. Show you care about the earth
More than half of shoppers want to buy things that are good for the planet. If you sell eco-friendly products, make sure to tell people! You could: Use green packaging, sell products made from recycled materials and donate part of your sales to environmental causes.
If you show that you care about the environment, many shoppers will feel good about buying from you.
Make the most of Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024
- Extend your sale period: Many retailers are extending their promotional activities beyond Cyber Monday, sometimes throughout all of November. This gives you more time to plan and provides multiple touchpoints to capture potential customers' attention.
- Develop an ongoing strategy: Instead of focusing solely on one weekend, create an ongoing Black Friday marketing strategy that maintains customer interest throughout the entire holiday season.
- Prepare for intense competition: Anticipate heightened rivalry among retailers for Black Friday and Cyber Week revenues. This competition will likely intensify in 2024 due to increased participation by political advertisers leading up to the November election.
- Use innovative approaches: Employ creative and well-planned approaches to capture and retain shoppers' attention amidst intense competition. Consider unique promotional tactics that set you apart from competitors.
What to look out for this Cyber Weekend 2024
- Early shopping surge: Expect consumers to start their holiday shopping earlier than usual. Prepare your marketing and inventory accordingly.
- Mobile dominance: With mobile transactions expected to make up at least 60% of eCommerce sales, prioritize mobile optimization. This includes creating mobile-responsive websites, ensuring fast page load times, and streamlining checkout processes.
- Environmental concerns: Over half of consumers favor sustainable product options. Incorporate sustainability into your promotional tactics to appeal to eco-minded buyers.
- Push notifications: Implement push notifications to stimulate purchases by keeping customers informed about ongoing deals and events.
- Flexible payment options: Offer flexible payment plans, including "buy now, pay later" services, which are gaining popularity and expected to continue trending.
- Social media influence: Leverage social media platforms, especially those popular with younger demographics, to promote your Black Friday deals and engage with potential customers.
- AI and personalization: Use AI-powered tools to personalize the shopping experience and product recommendations for individual customers.
Remember, while these trends are based on data and expert predictions, it's important to stay flexible and adapt your strategy as needed based on real-time performance and customer behavior during the Black Friday period.
Black Friday marketing strategies to consider
Here are some smart ways to make your Black Friday sales better. We'll talk about some powerful strategies to consider when planning your BFCM marketing.
1. Start telling people about your sales early
It's a good idea to start talking about your Black Friday sales before everyone else does. This way, people will know about your deals first. You can start as early as September or October.
When you start early, you can:
- Get people excited about your sales before they hear about other stores
- Reach shoppers who like to plan ahead
- Avoid getting lost in all the ads that come out right before Black Friday
But be careful about spending too much on ads in October. There will be lots of political ads then because of the election. You might want to save some of your money for ads after November 5th when there won't be as many political ads.
2. Use flash sales and hourly deals to get people excited
People love feeling like they're getting a special deal. You can create this feeling by having short, sudden sales. Here's how:
Have "flash sales" that only last for a few hours. This makes people want to buy quickly so they don't miss out. You can also change your deals every hour on Black Friday. This keeps people coming back to see what's new. Use countdown timers on your website to show when a deal will end. This makes people feel like they need to buy now.
These quick sales make shopping more exciting. It's like a game for customers, and it can make them want to buy more.
3. Make special pages just for your Black Friday deals
It's a good idea to make new pages on your website just for your Black Friday sales. This helps in a few ways:
- It's easier for customers to find all your deals in one place
- You can send people straight to these pages when you advertise
- It makes your website look organized and professional
When you make these pages, make sure they look good and work well on phones. Remember, lots of people will be shopping on their phones during Black Friday.
You can use Google Ads or Facebook Ads to send people to these special pages. This can help you get more sales from people who are ready to buy.
4. Send different emails to different customers
Not all your customers are the same, so your emails shouldn't be the same for everyone. Here's how to make your emails work better:
First, group your customers based on what they've bought before or what they seem interested in. Then, send different emails to each group. For example, if someone often buys clothes from you, send them emails about your clothing deals.
You can also offer special discounts that fit what each group likes. This makes customers feel special and can lead to more sales. People are more likely to buy when they get offers that match what they're interested in.
5. Use social media to tell people about your sales
Social media is a great way to get people excited about your Black Friday sales. Many people, especially younger shoppers, spend a lot of time on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. You can use these platforms to show off your products and tell people about your deals.
Start by posting sneak peeks of your Black Friday offers. This can make people curious and eager to see more. You could also run contests or giveaways on social media. This gets people involved and talking about your brand. For example, you could ask people to share your post for a chance to win a prize.
Working with influencers can also be very helpful. Influencers are people who have lots of followers on social media. If an influencer talks about your products, their followers might want to buy from you. This works especially well for reaching younger customers like teenagers and people in their twenties.
Remember to post regularly and respond to comments. This helps build a connection with your customers and makes them more likely to buy from you during Black Friday.
6. Make your website easy to use on phones
More than half of all online shopping happens on phones now. This means your website needs to work really well on mobile devices. If it doesn't, you might lose a lot of sales.
First, make sure your website loads quickly on phones. People don't like waiting for slow websites, especially when they're trying to shop. Next, check that all the buttons and links are easy to tap with a finger. They should be big enough and not too close together.
The checkout process is really important. Make it as simple as possible for people to buy things on their phones. Don't ask for too much information, and offer easy ways to pay, like Apple Pay or Google Pay.
You could also think about using push notifications. These are messages that pop up on people's phones. You could use them to remind people about your sales or tell them when a product they like is running out.
7. Give special deals to your best customers
Making your loyal customers feel special can be a great way to boost your Black Friday sales. One way to do this is by giving them early access to your deals. For example, you could let members of your loyalty program shop your Black Friday sale a day or two before everyone else.
You could also create special discounts just for your loyal customers. This might be an extra percentage off on top of your regular Black Friday deals. Or you could offer them free shipping, even if other customers have to pay for it.
Another idea is to give a free gift to customers who spend over a certain amount. This encourages people to buy more and makes them feel like they're getting extra value.
Remember, treating your loyal customers well doesn't just help with Black Friday sales. It also makes them more likely to keep shopping with you throughout the year.
8. Use paid Ads to reach more people
Paid advertising can help you reach a lot of people quickly during the busy Black Friday season. When we say paid advertising, we mean things like Google ads that show up when people search for products, or ads that appear in people's Facebook feeds.
One good place to advertise is on search engines like Google. Many people use Google to look for Black Friday deals, so having your ad show up can bring a lot of people to your website. Make sure your ads mention your best deals to catch people's attention.
You can also use something called "retargeting" ads. These are ads that show up for people who have visited your website before. They remind people about your products and can bring them back to finish their purchase.
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are also good places for ads. You can show your ads to people based on their interests, age, or location. This helps make sure your ads are seen by people who are most likely to be interested in your products.
Remember to make your ads look good on mobile devices. Many people will see them on their phones, so they need to be easy to read and understand on a small screen.
Paid advertising can cost a bit of money, but during Black Friday, it can be a good investment. It helps get your deals in front of more people, which can lead to more sales.
9. Keep talking to your customers after Black Friday
Just because Black Friday is over doesn't mean you should stop talking to your customers. In fact, this is a great time to build stronger relationships with them. After the sales are done, send a friendly email thanking people for shopping with you. You could even include a small discount for their next purchase to encourage them to come back soon.
Ask your customers what they thought about your Black Friday sale. Did they find good deals? Was the website easy to use? Their feedback can help you make next year's sale even better. You could do this with a simple survey or just ask them to reply to your email with their thoughts.
Don't forget about the people who looked at your products but didn't buy anything. Send them a gentle reminder about the items they were interested in. Maybe offer a special discount to help them make up their mind. This can help you get some extra sales even after Black Friday is over.
Remember, the goal is to turn one-time Black Friday shoppers into regular customers who buy from you all year round. Keeping in touch with them after the big sale day is a great way to do this.
10. Try different things to see what works best
One of the best ways to make your Black Friday sale better is to test different ideas and see what works. This is called A/B testing. It's like a little experiment where you try two different things and see which one people like more.
For example, you could test two different email subject lines. Send one subject line to half of your customers and the other subject line to the other half. Then see which email gets opened more. The one that gets opened more is probably the better one to use.
You can test lots of different things. Try different colors for the "Buy Now" button on your website. See if people click more on a red button or a green one. Test different product photos to see which ones make people want to buy more. You could even test different prices to find out what people are willing to pay.
The key is to only test one thing at a time. That way, you know exactly what made the difference. Keep track of what you learn from each test. Use this information to make your Black Friday sale a little bit better each year.
Get ready—Black Friday is almost here!
Black Friday is coming up fast. Now is the time to make sure you're ready. Go through all the ideas we've talked about in this article. Have you started planning your early sales? Is your website ready for lots of people to visit at once? Do you have a plan for sending emails to your customers?
Make a checklist of everything you need to do before Black Friday. This might include things like making sure you have enough products in stock, testing your website to make sure it works well, and training your staff if you have a physical store.
Don't forget to take care of yourself too. Black Friday can be a busy and stressful time for business owners. Make sure you're getting enough rest and have a plan to handle any problems that might come up.
Remember, being well-prepared can make a big difference. It can help your Black Friday sale run smoothly and be more successful.
Conclusion
Black Friday is a big chance for your business to do well. The ideas we talked about can help you sell more and get new customers. It's important to plan ahead and be ready to change things if needed. Think about what your customers want and try to make shopping easy for them. Black Friday can be tough, but it's also a good time to show people why your business is great. With good planning and hard work, you can make your Black Friday sale successful. Good luck with your sales!
Black Friday is coming!