Maximize your Black Friday success with key marketing tactics. Learn how to plan, optimize, and execute an effective campaign across online and in-store channels.
Optimize your website for conversions
Create exciting social media content
Maximize the in-store experience
Track and analyze your performance
What was once a singular day of sales following Thanksgiving has evolved to an entire season. In 2023, a record 200.4 million people shopped over the five-day holiday weekend, from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, spending an average of $321.41 on holiday-related purchases. Brands often spend an entire year planning their Black Friday marketing strategy, figuring out ways to offer valuable promotions to consumers while making sustainable profit. With many companies rolling out early sales extending Black Friday, it’s essential to have a strategy that stands strong against competitors.
Successful Black Friday campaigns require year-round planning and an omnichannel approach. But if you haven’t started already, now is the second best time to start planning. Use these key tactics to create a marketing plan that reaches and engages consumers.
Know your audience
To create an effective Black Friday campaign (and any marketing campaign), it’s essential to know your audience. Analyze your customer base based on their shopping behaviors. Which customers are most likely to shop online, and which can you expect to browse in person?
Take a look at your existing buyer personas and contact database to identify pain points, preferences, and purchasing patterns. You can even create Black Friday-specific buyer personas to hone in on your strategy and reach the exact audiences you’re looking to connect with.
Optimize your website for conversions
In 2023, online Black Friday shoppers totaled 134.2 million, surpassing the 121.4 million who shopped in stores. That’s why it’s essential to make users’ online shopping experience as smooth as possible. Analyze your website and optimize for mobile to boost conversions.
Start with your overall user experience— fix any potential bugs or glitches that could get in the way of the customer journey. Streamline the checkout process to reduce barriers to the final purchase. Incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to improve users’ discovery of your website and Black Friday deals.
Create exciting social media content
Social media is a great way to stir excitement about your Black Friday deals. Share gift guides, countdown posts, and teasers leading up to the holiday to remind users and keep them engaged. Offer loyal followers early access to deals or special promotions— for example, if they come from Instagram, maybe they will receive a special gift at checkout. This is also a great time to try influencer partnerships. Find influencers who align with your brand.
When it comes to social media, focus on keeping it fun and lighthearted. Your competitors, retailers, and many other businesses will also be creating content— find ways to make yours stand out.
Craft irresistible promotions
Find the balance between crafting valuable promotions for your customers and making profit. Leverage emotional triggers and create a sense of urgency to inspire customers to buy your products or services while they’re at a reduced price. For last-minute promotion ideas, try early bird specials, bundle deals, and flash sales.
Leverage email marketing
Email marketing is a powerful way to reach your existing customer base. Share special promotions and allow them to be the first to know about your Black Friday deals. We recommend segmenting your email list for personalization, crafting attention-grabbing subject lines, and designing mobile-friendly templates to best engage your audience.
Using email automations and sequences allow you to schedule and plan your campaigns while giving users the ideal customer experience. Set up specific triggers based on the actions an individual takes— for example, if someone adds items to their bag and doesn’t check out, send them a reminder email so they have a second chance to get Black Friday deals.
Maximize the in-store experience
On Black Friday, there will likely be more people in and out of your store than on a typical day. Adjust the physical store layout and displays for ideal navigation and inspiration, and consider how you can change the space to fit more customers. With these extra customers, you’ll also want more employees. Add additional training for staff and plan to have extra people in-store and on call if needed.
Prepare your customer service
A positive customer experience leads to customer retention, increased loyalty, favorable brand reputation, and more. Consider how you can improve the experience both online and in brick-and-mortar stores to have a positive impact on consumers. We recommend trying these customer service enhancements:
- Create an FAQ page for common Black Friday questions.
- Train staff on handling high-volume periods.
- Set up a chatbot for instant responses.
Track and analyze your performance
Once Black Friday ends, it’s time to start next year’s strategy! Set goals, objectives, and key performance indicators to learn from your experience and understand why things did or didn’t work. Choose SMART goals and set up tracking techniques to easily digest data and make new goals and adjustments for future campaigns.
Black Friday has transformed from a single day of deals into a season-long retail event that requires careful planning and strategic execution. By implementing these key tactics, you can create a Black Friday campaign that stands out in a crowded marketplace. Remember, success isn’t just about offering the best discount, it’s about creating a seamless, engaging shopping experience across all channels.