You might be reading this thinking we’re a little early to the party. But we can assure you that brands are already working on their Black Friday strategy. As always, we’re on hand to help both brands and publishers. So, in our latest post, we’re covering the concept of Black Friday and hitting you with plenty of ideas that will boost traffic and sales.
What Is Black Friday?
Although Black Friday was given to the day that follows the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. It’s now become one of the biggest days in shopping all around the world. Typically, it’s an entire day of shopping deals and huge discounts that is considered to mark the start of the holiday shopping season. In 2019, Black Friday is on 29th November.
Although the most significant discounts usually run for just one day, some brands may extend their sales to last days, possibly even weeks.
How Does it Work?
As a brand, you can create time-sensitive deals for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday (the Monday that follows). These kinds of deals will create a sense of urgency that will encourage shoppers to spend.
However, to stand out from the crowds in the sea of huge discounts, you should consider your affiliate strategy now. Seriously, August is an excellent time to start booking Black Friday, and Cyber Monday placements as the demands for exposure is hugely competitive, for both CPAi and paid placements.
The Stats
Webgains report that in 2018, Black Friday week kicked off earlier, with promotions launching as early as the 19th November, with a 59% increase in tracked override year on year.
The peak hours for Black Friday sales were between the hours of 11:00 AM – 15:00 PM and 21:00 PM – 23:00 PM. Last year three transactions were tracked every single second.
The best performing sectors were technology, electronics, mobile, entertainment and of course, fashion.
Top Tips to Boost Black Friday Sales
So, if you’re ready to get on board and secure the exposure that will propel your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, it’s important that you nail the ideas too. Thankfully, we’ve got five tried and tested strategies that will do the trick.
1. Time-sensitive deals
Whether you opt to release a new deal hourly or daily, it’s a great incentive to keep shoppers returning to the website regularly throughout the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period. Some brands will reduce discount offered on the hour. Others will do the opposite and increase the discount for specific product lines or individual items. Whatever the choice, you need to create a sense of urgency.
2. Offer free gifts
If you’re already offering great discounts, the added incentive of a free gift can sweeten the deal and encourage shoppers to reach the checkout. For example, you can provide a free gift when a customer spends over a certain amount or an additional gift when they buy multiple products from one category.
3. Extend your sale
As we mentioned, these huge sales aren’t limited to just Black Friday or Cyber Monday. If you want to increase sales over the weekend, you can run your sale throughout the entire duration. For best results, you should offer increased incentives on BF and CM for that extra boost.
4. Secure some email marketing exposure
When you’re battling against the entire internet to stand out on BF and CM, it can work wonders if you bag some spots in email marketing campaigns. With the ability to share your best deals directly into shopper’s inboxes, you’ve already got the upper hand. Over the BF and CM period, you’ll likely have to pay for this kind of exposure, but it’s worth it!
5. Start the ball rolling NOW
For our final point, we must reiterate the importance of planning your campaign now. Create a calendar, map out your promotions and work to secure the exposure you’ll need to drive traffic and sales. Your graphics, links and copy must be all ready to distribute to your affiliates in advance for the best results.
To summarise, if you want to stand out against your competitors during the biggest shopping weekend of the year, you need to start mapping out your strategy now. There are plenty of promotions you can run, but if you don’t secure the exposure from your affiliates, you’re missing a trick! Shoppers are ready to spend, but are you ready for them? Thankfully, Conversion Digital is on hand to help you prepare. Get in touch today.