With Peak Season nearly here, your Black Friday preparation should be underway. As your trusty SME sidekick, we’ve put together 10 marketing strategies to help your e-commerce business deliver an impactful Black Friday campaign that stands out from competitors. Read on and get planning!
What is Black Friday?
Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the US that traditionally marks the start of the holiday shopping season. This year, that date is November 29. Retailers offer huge discounts and promotional deals, and some extend their opening hours.
The event has become a global phenomenon, attracting staggering numbers of consumers looking for bargains. 2023’s Black Friday statistics reveal the extent of the shopping bonanza: a record US$9.8 billion was spent online last year, up 7.5% on the previous year1.
Black Friday sales: SMEs’ golden opportunity
The sheer scale of the event means there are plenty of sales to go round – for businesses of all sizes. It’s a great opportunity to shift any excess inventory you may have with some enticing Black Friday discounts.
80% of consumers typically discover a new online store on Black Friday2, which means there’s a good chance your business will have some new customers through its online doors on the day. And new customers can be converted to repeat customers – providing you deliver a winning Black Friday campaign.
Planning for your Black Friday marketing campaign
You’re running a Black Friday sale? Great! Now you just need to let all your customers know. It’s never too early to start – many Black Friday bargain hunters will be browsing social media on the days before to plan their purchases. In response, some retailers offer “Black Friday Daily Deals” to nab some extra sales.
1. Tease the sale
Begin promoting your Black Friday sale a few weeks in advance to build excitement. Use social media posts, email newsletters, and your website to create anticipation.
2. Leverage social media
It’s a relatively cheap way for small businesses to reach an audience of millions. Keep content fun and engaging, and encourage your followers to share the posts by offering incentives like additional discounts or giveaways. Use popular hashtags like #BlackFriday to increase your visibility.
3. Create a Black Friday landing page
Visitors to your website should know immediately that you’re running a Black Friday campaign. Put your best deals front and center of your homepage, use bold headlines, high-res photos, and strong calls to actions. A countdown timer is a great way to add a sense of urgency to your deals.
Keep new customers happy…
Attracting new customers through your online stores this Black Friday is key, but so is ensuring they come back again and again. Criteo asked consumers: “What would make you return to a brand or retailer that you discovered on Black Friday?” The leading answers? Beyond the obvious “great deals”, free and fast shipping scored highly2. Consider if you can absorb the cost of free shipping elsewhere in your business – it’ll be worth it if it secures you extra sales. As for fast shipping, DHL Express has you covered!
5. Ensure your deals are competitive
Look at what price points your competitors are selling their products at – can you price match? Or, even better, go lower? Create special bundles or exclusive product sets available only on Black Friday. Perhaps you can throw in some freebies or samples with every order, too – anything that will give your business a competitive edge.
Create a Black Friday gift guide
You can tap into AI to build unique and personalized gift guides for your customers based on their previous browsing and buying history. Email these out to them a few days before Black Friday so you’re on their radar.
7. Email marketing: think personalization
Segment your email subscriber list and send personalized deals based on customer preferences or past purchase behavior. An extra tip: use the phrase “Black Friday” in the subject line – emails containing this phrase have a +64% Click Through Rate3.
Ship internationally
Of the world's 195 countries, it’s estimated that approximately 50-60% celebrate Black Friday in some form or another4. That makes it the ideal time for you to think about shipping internationally – if you don’t already do so. DHL Express can help your business sell cross-border, taking care of all the hassle around customs regulations, duties and taxes, so that your customers receive their orders without delay – wherever they are.
9. Consider free shipping
In a survey by the National Retail Federation, 49% of (US) survey respondents cited “free shipping” as the biggest incentive to shop on Black Friday4. Consider if you can absorb the cost of free shipping elsewhere in your business – it’ll be worth it if it secures you extra sales.
10. Remember the after-sales opportunity
Your post-sales engagement with your customers will influence whether they come back to your online store again. Send a thank-you email to customers who made a purchase, along with a discount code for their next purchase. Encourage them to leave reviews or share their purchase on social media with a specific hashtag.
Did you know that at least 129 countries observe Black Friday in some form or another?5 With a DHL Express Business Account, you can ship to customers across the world, seamlessly.
