Is your business Black Friday ready? Planning in advance will be the key to standing out in a lot of noise over the next few weeks. Although the annual event is called black friday, the fun and games begin long before that.
Not only that but following the global outbreak, more and more people have now turned to online shopping. So making sure your website can handle the traffic should be a top priority.
But let’s get into it. We all know what Black Friday is about and every business is competing to have the best deals, but you know us, we’re known for our honesty and we’re going to tell you how it is. The real question is how can you stand out in a sea of offers while also staying true to the core of your brand.
1. Leverage social media to be your greatest tool
Social media is what is says in the name, social. One thing we will always encourage people to do is to be social on their platforms, that’s what they are there for. Find out what your customers want from you, analyse what content they engage with and what content isn’t working right now.
It’s always easy to forget that followers are not just a number but they are a customer or a loyal follower of your brand. Leverage this when it comes to your Black Friday deals because those are the people that are routing for your brand. Following you was a conscious choice!
2. Don’t bullsh*t Your customers
We don’t want to name and shame, but there have been many marketing disasters this year that have seen brands being unathletic or jumping on trends that don’t relate to them. Don’t be that brand. Your customers see right through it.
Customers know when it’s a good deal and when it’s not. Equality if Black Friday is not for you, don’t force it. Last year we saw Deciem close all their stores as a stand against Black Friday and this year they are doing a month long anti black friday sale. Do what feels right for your brand.
3. Reward customer loyalty
- Increasing customer retention by 5% can increase profits from 25-95%.
- The success rate of selling to a customer you already have is 60-70%, while the success rate of selling to a new customer is 5-20%.
- Research found that existing customers are 50% more likely to try new products and spend 31% more, on average, compared to new customers.
Do we need to hit you with any more facts?
Your loyal customers are what is going to spark and sky rocket your growth. Of course we want to acquire new customers, but when it comes to big events remember to nurture the customer you already have and reward loyalty. Offer these customers exclusive VIP deals and discounts to further increase their loyalty and drive repeat sales.
4. Utilise other marketing channels
We are aware by now that the power in social media is colossal, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still value in other marketing channels. If we had to pick one other channel that you should be using it would be email marketing.
This channel has an ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. To put it simply, email is not dead. Not only will this increase your customer retention but it should be helping you make your Black Friday KPIs. Offer discounts and give your subscribers the VIP treatment, make them feel like they’re your number 1 priority, which they should be as they are the reason your brand is loved and followed.
5. Prepare, prepare, prepare
You can never be over prepared but you also never anticipate what is going to happen. Do some careful listening coming up to Black Friday to see what other brands will be doing but also what customers are interested in. Many people prepare their Black Friday shopping lists long before the event.
If you are anticipating a huge spike in sales or traffic to your website make sure your website is prepared and can handle and increase traffic load.
Not only that but make sure your website looks the part. If you are having Black Friday sale, discount or deal make sure visitors to your site or social media channels are aware of it.
Even if you don’t have the capacity to provide customers with the largest discounts and offers, there are many ways in which you can drive traffic to your website. Black Friday can be extremely beneficial to a business but not without a great product or excellent services. If you can invest in anything, ensure what you are offering is the best it can be at that time and ultimately that will lead you to finding your customers and getting a loyal customer base.