The most wonderful time of the year is upon us. Family gatherings filled with food and cheer. And shopping. Lots of shopping, both in-store and increasingly, online. 2018’s Black Friday brought in $6.2 BILLION in sales, and continues to grow year over year.
This year, Black Friday may look a bit different. The majority of sales will be taking place online, which is like every other day of the year. Keyboard shopping warriors have been training for this day. They have their fingers in position, just waiting until those virtual doors are thrown open to display the most popular fashions, electronics, toys, and anything on this holiday season’s shopping list. Many retailers have rose to the occasion and have already rolled out their Black Friday deals ahead of the actual day.
The Big Day
What should a brand do in order to be best prepared for Black Friday and Cyber Monday? All those is should be dotted, and ts should be crossed to ensure a seamless flow of customers. Don’t wait until the day before to get your team’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday strategy in place. Following is a list of items that need to be checked twice, no matter if you’re naughty or nice. Because Santa Claus is on his way to town, whether your brand is ready or not.
Don’t be frustrated, this year’s sales are predicted to be down. Many retailers have already announced they won’t be open. And, quite honestly, things are tough for a huge amount of families, job and finance insecurity may prevent the type of sales seen in the past.
But, there will still be searches for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Your team will need to be ready to go.
The Black Friday Team
Chances are, it’s going to be all hands on deck leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Everyone will need to be armed with the details for what’s expected of them. Things can go wrong, and they very well may. Your dev team, PPC, social media, design, and marketing should have an emergency plan in place, and ready to act if something should occur.
Tip: A good idea is to know all the information around those sale items your team will be promoting
The Budget
Know your paid media budget prior to initiating those Facebook, Instagram, and Google ads. Know that costs are going to be higher during this time, and set aside a bit extra.
Tip: A good idea to start those Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns across platforms well in advance because consumers start their research before the actual sales.
The Messaging
Nail down the Holiday messaging for the brand, and work together for consistency across all text. Unroll those social posts when your target audience is most likely to be online. The key is to make your audience aware of what’s coming, and to get them excited while keeping the buyer’s journey in mind. Don’t forget a strong call-to-action.
Tip: A good idea is to have a spreadsheet of messaging with corresponding images edited and ready to go a few weeks before Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The Target Audience
Who are you going to be talking to? What are their Holiday pain points or needs, and how can your brand help them? Everything you do online needs to first, be about your target audience, and second, how you’re going to make their life better.
Tip: A good idea is to keep in mind your consumers won’t behave typically. They aren’t buying just for themselves right now, they are stocking up on gifts for others.
Strategy during Black Friday and Cyber Monday should be formatted for both mobile and desktop starting weeks before those actual dates. Many people will be doing their shopping from work (shhh, don’t tell their manager),and wherever else they may be. Your job is to make the shopping experience easy and seamless. And, for you and your team, too.
Happy Holidays!