In the UK, 51% of adults are planning to spend this Black Friday, which has risen from 39% in 2022. With demand increasing year on year, competitors will also be upping their game (and budgets). Planning ahead is the key to stand out in the huge crowd of companies advertising this Black Friday. Some shoppers start looking for deals super early, so the sooner they know about your offers, the better positioned they’ll be to take advantage of them. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy, but we’ve gathered our tried and tested marketing methods for communicating Black Friday deals and driving sales.
1. Raise awareness via organic social
Social media can be used to drive awareness of the Black Friday deals. There is no need to explicitly state the offer at this stage, just tease the possibility of deals coming up for Black Friday. Communicating this across social media will inform your audience in a more casual and personal way, leading to greater engagement. You can provide your audience with an option to sign up to be notified when the deal is available, on an app or by email. You can use copy like ‘make sure you don’t miss out’ to create a sense of urgency; closer to the date you can provide more information in posts and use call-to-action links to drive traffic to your website.
2. Engage existing customers with email marketing
Email marketing can be used in a similar way, initially a few weeks in advance to generate interest and then closer to the time to communicate the offer and drive traffic to the website. You can send an early email to your customer lists before all other Black Friday communications to make them feel prioritised, using copy like ‘we wanted you to be the first to know!’, and giving them the option to sign up to be notified. You could even offer your customers exclusive deals as a way to not only drive purchases but also build customer loyalty.
3. Drive traffic with paid social
Social ads can be used in advance and on the day, but the majority of focus should be placed on driving traffic when the Black Friday offer is live. For example, we saw great results for a previous social sales campaign by allocating 25% of the budget to teasing the offer over a 6 day period, and the remaining 75% of budget to advertising when the offer was live. Keep the ad fairly similar to what works for you and make sure to incorporate the Black Friday offer and link. You may see that impressions and reach are lower than usual due to increased competition around Black Friday, but there should be a higher click-through-rate.
4. Reach potential customers with paid search
Search ads can ensure your website is reaching the top of the page for those Black Friday searches. The campaign should be planned in advance but it does not need to go live until a few days before Black Friday. You can use Google Trends to find out when Black Friday searches relevant to your industry picked up last year and plan to allocate your budget accordingly. For example, we can see searches for ‘Black Friday Hotel deals’ last year started to grow around mid-October, rising more in the week running up to Black Friday and then peaking on the day. Similarly to social ads, you can keep your strategy fairly similar to what works for you, and incorporate headlines relevant to Black Friday into the ad copy. Use the Google Keyword Planner to find the most appropriate keywords and make sure to monitor performance of them throughout and make any changes if needed.
5. Leverage earned media coverage to raise awareness
Leveraging earned media coverage is a pivotal strategy for businesses aiming to capitalise on Black Friday and boost sales. With a well-planned PR approach, brands can seize the opportunity presented by this retail frenzy.
In the lead-up to Black Friday, numerous newspapers and magazines run roundup articles, spotlighting the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. To enhance your chances of securing valuable PR coverage, it’s advantageous to offer substantial discounts and feature sought-after products that have generated considerable consumer interest.
Moreover, the digital landscape is evolving, and many online publications are participating in affiliate marketing schemes. They often incorporate affiliate links into their articles, enabling them to earn commissions on purchases made through their recommended links. To tap into this trend, including links to all the relevant retailers in your pitch is of utmost importance.
By strategically positioning your brand and products with effective PR efforts, you can harness the full potential of Black Friday and drive sales, while maximising media coverage opportunities.
Whatever tactics you choose to deploy, make sure to take a holistic approach. Consider all levels of the marketing funnel to ensure you get the most out of the Black Friday demand and compete against rivals. If you are looking for some help driving Black Friday sales or considering trialling something new, get in touch with us today for some advice.