Cast your mind back to last December. Did you enjoy the Holiday period by drinking hot chocolates, cozying up by the fire, and enjoying all the other fun winter activities? And, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, the sunshine? Or did you have that creeping feeling in the back of your mind that you still have to get all your shopping done?
I know that while I wanted to be the first, I definitely left my holiday shopping to the last minute, traversing different stores while the snow fell and temperatures plummeted.
Black Friday has long been associated with unbeatable deals, significant discounts, and shopping frenzies and has now become a marker for the beginning of the Holiday shopping season.
With Black Friday just one month before the key Holiday dates, this is a perfect opportunity for shoppers to plan ahead and complete their holiday shopping. And with so many offers and bargains, what’s not to like?
This is also a great way for you to increase your own conversion rates during the Black Friday period. So why not encourage your customer base to do their holiday shopping during this period?
Related: Why you should prepare your webstore early for Black Friday.
Why should you encourage your customers to shop for the Holidays during the Black Friday sales?
1. The savings for your customers!
We might as well start with the obvious, and that is one of the most compelling reasons for you to promote Christmas shopping during Black Friday is the savings it offers to your customers. These discounts can be so substantial that customers often save a significant portion of their holiday shopping budget, which taps into their desire to save while boosting your own sales.
Not only that, but this will also encourage customers to purchase more products, as they can now place more products in their basket, increasing your average basket size in the process.
2. Increased sales and revenue for your business
While your customers will be saving money, Black Friday also presents an opportunity to boost your own sales and revenue.
With the larger influx of potential customers looking for great deals, you can expect a much more significant uptick in your web traffic and conversions. With all the deals, offers, and promotions, you can quickly capitalize on this demand.
3. An expanded customer base
Black Friday is the perfect time for you to expand your customer base! By promoting your promotions and creating buzz around the deals, you can attract new customers who may not have been previously aware of your store.
If you attract these customers during Black Friday and the succeeding Holiday season, you can build up a customer base who may then turn into loyal and frequent shoppers throughout the rest of the year.
4. Customers who trust you as a partner
While it’s great to expand your customer base, it’s also vital to retain your current customers: because these are the customers who really matter. Loyal customers are much more valuable to you than new customers.
So that’s why it’s vital to not only look at the short-term picture but also the long-term by building long-lasting relationships with these customers.
Through exceptional customer service in this period and an easy shopping experience, whilst delivering on your promise of quality, you should have no issues in turning these customers into loyal and repeat shoppers.
Due to their satisfaction with your store during the busy holiday season, they will trust you for their future shopping needs, thus enhancing customer loyalty.
5. Increased brand awareness
This is also the perfect time for you to increase your brand awareness! With Black Friday, you can show off your marketing efforts with buzzy campaigns that create excitement while also being more active on social media by engaging with customers and sending out targeted emails.
Leverage this excitement to increase awareness of your brand and products while increasing engagement with your customers.
6. A real competitive advantage
Finally, this is the perfect time to stay ahead of your competition.
If you actively promote Black Friday as the ideal time for Christmas shopping through your offers and deals while providing a seamless shopping experience, you are more likely to outperform your competitors and stand out for your customers.
And, if they know you function well and deliver on what’s promised during this period, they will be much more likely to come back if they need to buy more before Christmas.
How can you get your customers prepared for Black Friday shopping?
So we’ve gone through the benefits and what you’ll get out of this, but how can you actually do so?
The following few points will show you how!
1. Inform your customers with newsletters and emails
- Send out Black Friday teaser emails well in advance to build anticipation and excitement.
- Make sure you create a dedicated Black Friday email campaign with attractive subject lines and visuals that clearly highlight your offers.
- Consider offering special and exclusive discounts just for email subscribers.
- Remember: Make sure to mention the benefits of starting their holiday shopping early, such as avoiding a last-minute rush to the stores, as well as timely product availability and delivery.
2. Create buzz on your social media
- Increase your output on your chosen social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. and promote your Black Friday deals.
- Create engaging posts with eye-catching visuals, relevant hashtags, and countdowns to create a sense of urgency.
- You could even share sneak peeks of products on sale and behind-the-scenes content to build excitement.
3. Use pop-ups and banners on your website
- Ensure you place Black Friday-related banners on your website’s homepage and product pages
- Within the pop-up, you could even include a space for email sign-ups, especially if you offer special email-only offers like those mentioned in point one! And this helps to increase your email list! Nothing like killing two birds with one stone.
4. Relevant blog posts
- Write blog posts or articles about Black Friday shopping tips, gift ideas, and holiday trends to inform your customers while improving your SEO and site authority.
- Share this information on social media to position your brand as an authority in holiday shopping.
- Make sure to include CTAs (Call-to-Actions) in your content to lead readers to your Black Friday deals. You could even consider creating a dedicated Black Friday landing page.
5. Retargeting Ads:
- This is the perfect time to try and recapture lost customers or those who have visited your website but didn’t make a purchase.
- Retarget your ads to both inform and remind them of your Black Friday deals. Who knows, this could just be the push they need to purchase!
6. Mobile app notifications and SMS marketing:
- The world is becoming increasingly mobile, and many shoppers, especially Gen Z and Millenials, will shop on their phones. So why not use this to your advantage?
- If you have a mobile app, send out push notifications to alert users to your Black Friday deals.
- You could even offer app-exclusive discounts to incentivize downloads and use.
- If you have an SMS list, send texts to your customers about your Black Friday promotions. Ensure the messages are clear, concise, and have a call-to-action.
7. Great Customer support
- Now for a practical tip during the actual event! Make sure you have excellent customer service throughout the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period.
- Reply to email concerns on time and consider implementing a live chat on your website to provide real-time assistance to shoppers.
8. Post-purchase engagement and customer service
- After customers make a Black Friday purchase, follow up with personalized recommendations for additional holiday gifts.
- Send order confirmation emails with shipping deadlines to reassure customers about timely delivery.
Conclusion
Incorporating Black Friday into your store's holiday marketing strategy can significantly impact your sales, conversion rates, basket sizes, and customer base, leading to longer-term success.
The incredible savings, early shopping advantage, and increased offers make Black Friday an ideal time for customers to tackle their Christmas shopping.
By encouraging your customers to take advantage of this shopping extravaganza, your store can really reap the rewards and make the holiday season brighter for both shoppers and your business.
And if they can trust you during the Holiday season, they will trust you throughout the entire year. Say hello to happy customers.
