Get Black Friday Ready with Parua
Black Friday falls on the 24th of November this year, but here in the UK it isn't quite the same Big Event as it is in the country of origin, the USA. While we're used to seeing scenes of shoppers fighting over cut-price TVs and other consumer goods on a single day of sales from across the pond, over here it's much more of an online event that sees promotions run for a week.
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, so it's a bit like the Boxing Day sales in terms of cultural relevance. The Monday following is known as Cyber Monday because it's the day when online spending peaks ahead of the festive season. Consumers are actively looking for good deals in the last week of November, whether it's for Christmas gifts or themselves; if you haven't got a promotional plan in place yet, there's no time like the present!
Create a Black Friday hub page
Create a landing page for your Black Friday deals that can be used as the destination for paid ads and email campaigns. Ensure that you include the right keywords on this page to help improve the page rank. We can create the page now, using some holding copy that uses these keywords, then we'll update it with the real deals when the time comes.
Plan email campaigns
Your existing customers in your email marketing database will be expecting to receive promotions at this time, so don't shy away from sending a teaser email with an early-bird discount to your most loyal customers, then another to your whole database showcasing your best offers.
Personalise the offerings based on what your customers have purchased in the last 2 years – a customer who has the habit of buying a new printer every year will likely buy one this year.You can convince them to spend more with you on consumables like paper and ink with a special discount on these, or other related products.
Post-purchase, thank customers by email and offer another discount they can use from December to February to help drive revenue into the next year. If you intend to do this, use it as a selling point to incentivise sales on Black Friday.
Get social
Social media platforms are ideal places to run advertising for your Black Friday deals. The Thursday evening prior to launch (or the weekend prior to launch if you're running promotions for the whole week) are the best time to schedule social media ads to reach people who will be aware of the event, and who will already be thinking about what they want to buy.
While Meta may have removed some of the targeting options like geographic location, and interest in certain causes and topics that could be seen as sensitive, there are still options you can choose to ensure the best possible potential customers see your content. Posting in groups you run, or in groups where you are an active member (as long as this does not contravene group rules) is a great way of reaching the right people.
The use of hashtags for #BlackFriday won't be much help in terms of getting customers, as it'll be so over-used on the day.Instead, use hashtags that represent the products or services you're offering, or which communicate your promotions more effectively. Try using tags that include a postcode or town, or which appeal to a certain demographic from your customer base.
With us on your side you'll be ready to catch customers eager to grab a bargain in the sales ahead of the present-giving season, and those looking for a great deal on items they need. Businesses who sell to businesses can get in on the Black Friday action too; it's not just for consumer buyers.
