The holiday shopping season is here, and Black Friday remains one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Carmel Zein, Marketing Manager at B2C Furniture and a seasoned e-commerce expert, shares her tips for making this Black Friday the most successful one yet. From setting up enticing offers to maximizing your reach,
Carmel’s insights provide invaluable guidance for both major retailers and small businesses eager to thrive during the biggest shopping event of the year.
Understanding the Importance of Black Friday
Black Friday, typically the busiest shopping day, represents an opportunity for businesses to increase sales, acquire new customers, and boost brand awareness. But success requires more than just offering discounts; it’s about a well-coordinated strategy that combines planning, targeting, and effective communication.
Know Your Offer: What Will You Provide?
- Determine Your Value Proposition: Zein emphasizes testing various offers throughout the year—discounts, exclusive deals, or VIP perks—to identify what resonates most with customers.
- Analyze Competitors: Study the deals your competitors have offered in previous years. Knowing this helps to position your brand and create a more appealing offer.
- Evaluate Inventory and Margins: Ensure your inventory can support the demand for key products while still maintaining profit margins. This assessment is essential for sustainable Black Friday success.
Plan Ahead – Timing is Key for Black Frday
- Start Early: Black Friday campaigns should begin at least six weeks in advance. Early planning allows enough time for teams to finalize the offer, marketing assets, and logistics.
- Set a Clear Timeline: Zein suggests having a structured timeline that includes an initial “VIP Launch” for loyal customers, followed by public campaigns. This phased approach creates a sense of exclusivity and urgency.
- Decide Campaign Duration: Black Friday deals are no longer limited to a single day. Many businesses extend sales over a week or even the entire month of November, but a structured duration avoids discount fatigue.
Creating Effective Marketing Assets for Black Friday
- Allocate Resources for Visuals: Black Friday campaigns require high-quality, on-brand visuals to stand out. Zein recommends focusing on social media, email, in-store signage, and SMS.
- Develop Multi-Channel Content: Assets should cater to each platform’s unique requirements. For example, Instagram Stories or Reels engage mobile users, while email banners drive higher click-throughs.
- Incorporate Influencers: Collaborating with influencers can be effective. Zein suggests giving influencers custom codes or product samples so they can promote the sale authentically, reaching a broader audience.
Personalize the Customer Journey
- Early Access for VIP Customers: Offering exclusive early access to loyal customers through SMS and email builds loyalty and drives early sales.
- Use Targeted Messaging: Segment customers based on purchase history, engagement levels, or preferences, allowing you to tailor messages that feel relevant to each group.
- Add Limited-Time Offers: To keep customers engaged, Zein uses time-sensitive deals every Friday during the Black Friday month. This approach retains customer interest and drives repeat purchases.
Optimize Your Digital Presence for Black Friday
- Refresh Website Design: Banners and pop-ups should clearly communicate the offer and direct customers to the sales page.
- Fine-Tune Abandoned Cart Messages: During Black Friday, adjust automated messages like abandoned cart emails to reflect urgency with phrases such as “Items selling fast—act now!”
- Test Site Functionality: Ensure your site can handle increased traffic. Test payment processing, mobile responsiveness, and the loading speed for a seamless shopping experience.
Leverage the Power of Email and SMS Marketing
- Build Hype with Emails: Begin sending Black Friday announcements early in November. Highlight your brand’s unique offerings and remind customers of what’s to come.
- Use SMS for Immediate Impact: Zein shares that SMS marketing works exceptionally well for limited-time offers, as SMS open rates are significantly higher than email.
- Schedule Updates Carefully: Consider peak shopping hours and release offers accordingly. For example, Zein suggests Friday or Sunday evenings, when customers may be unwinding and checking their devices.
Keep Customers Engaged Throughout the Season
- Create Informative Content: Not every communication needs to focus on discounts. Content such as “Top Picks for Black Friday” or “Gift Guide” emails provide added value.
- Highlight Product Benefits: Showcase product highlights, unique features, or customer testimonials that add value beyond the price point.
- Use Social Proof: Share stories, ratings, or testimonials from previous Black Friday shoppers to build credibility and excitement.
Analyze Data and Adjust Strategies in Real-Time
- Track Key Metrics: Metrics like sales revenue, conversion rates, and click-through rates can give insight into campaign performance.
- Be Ready to Pivot: If sales are underperforming, consider offering additional incentives like free shipping or limited-time discounts.
- Optimize Marketing Efficiency Ratio (MER): Track your overall marketing spend versus revenue generated to maintain a healthy return on ad spend.
Post-Event Analysis and Follow-Up for Black Friday
- Gather Feedback: Post-campaign surveys can help gather insights on what worked and areas for improvement. This is crucial for planning future campaigns.
- Thank Your Customers: Post-purchase emails or SMS thanking customers can increase brand loyalty and encourage repeat purchases.
- Measure Return on Investment (ROI): Analyze the revenue generated versus the total cost of running the campaign. This data will help optimize future Black Friday efforts.
Prepare for Future Campaigns
- Document Successes and Lessons Learned: Keeping a record of what went well and what could be improved will streamline planning for future Black Friday or other major campaigns.
- Plan Early for Next Year: Given that customer behavior can shift, Zein advises businesses to test new strategies, technologies, or offers throughout the year so they can be ready for the next Black Friday season.
Black Friday Preparation Checklist
Want to make sure you’re ready for the busiest shopping days? Download our Black Friday Preparation Checklist for a quick, organized overview to keep your campaign on track!
Conclusion
Carmel Zein’s approach to Black Friday campaigns highlights the importance of planning, personalization, and dynamic customer engagement. Implementing these strategies can transform Black Friday from a one-day sale into a robust, month-long engagement that builds customer loyalty, boosts sales, and strengthens brand value.
FAQS
Start at least six weeks before Black Friday to allow ample time for testing offers, preparing marketing assets, and coordinating logistics.
Not necessarily. Focus on popular items and strategically selected categories to maximize sales while managing inventory and profit margins.
Absolutely! Email marketing builds hype, sends reminders, and can offer exclusive early access to loyal customers.
Implement limited-time offers and mix up the content with engaging product highlights or gift guides to keep the audience interested.
Monitor metrics closely. If necessary, add last-minute deals, free shipping, or additional marketing pushes to boost performance.
BIO
Kelly Slessor, is an Ecommerce Coach and a digital marketing expert. Passionate about retail, hospitality and retail service providers. As the founder and CEO of Shop You, an AI powered personalised virtual shopping mall she has spent 20 years building retail technology that responds to customer needs, drives conversions and increases revenue. Over the past year she has worked with over 1000 retailers and hospitality providers. If you want discover more about digital growth and optimisation, work with me.
