So Black Friday is approaching and you're thinking about offering a blanket discount code like most other online stores. No big strategy, nothing too crazy.
We get it, sometimes it can be really tough strategizing year around when you’re the owner/marketing/customer service and every other department of your small business.
That being said, seasonal promotions are important. Black Friday sales are very much expected by consumers, making it an excellent opportunity to increase your sales before the end of the year. In fact just last year, Black Friday became the highest U.S. ecommerce sales day in history with $7.9 billion in revenue.
But here’s the thing: almost EVERY business has the same strategy, or lack thereof. A blanket discount code, free shipping, BOGO sale, really any type of sale that doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to brainstorm.
This year, we’re sharing our unique Black Friday strategies that will make your business rise above the noise.
Don’t worry! Just like a standard sale, these promotions are easy to set up and are guaranteed to increase sales before the year ends.
Did you know that the Tuesday following Thanksgiving is known as “Giving Tuesday?” In fact, millions around the world participate in collective action to give back to others.
If you’re a socially responsible brand whose mission is to give back to a charity or a good cause, then we wholeheartedly suggest using Giving Tuesday as your seasonal strategy.
If you donate a percentage of sales, think about increasing that number by 2-3% for the day. You can even offer it throughout the long weekend.
On a weekend that is so purely commercialized (and nuts to say the least), allowing your consumers to give back to a worthy cause is a great incentivization that could pay off for your sales AND brand reputation.
If you’re a small business, then using Amex’s strategy of “Small Business Saturday” is a great opportunity to increase sales throughout the busy weekend.
Small Business Saturday is exactly what it sounds like. It encourages consumers to support small (even local) businesses throughout one of the craziest weekends of the year.
For this strategy, we suggest sharing your story with a promotion. It can be a coupon, free shipping, a free gift with purchase, but the idea is to make it personal as to why they should purchase from YOU.
This is where an "About Us" page is extremely important. If you haven’t already focused on telling your brand’s story, then we suggest taking a moment to write it. Storytelling is very important to selling products, as it’s what makes your product unique. You could be selling brushes or mugs like 4000 other businesses, but if there’s a story behind the brand, your business will become more relatable. Need help writing your brand’s story? Check out our marketing services here.
Next, you’ll want to communicate this offer with your existing customer base. Developing a broadcast email that shares your brand story and conveys why your customers should choose to buy from small businesses over large can be a great start! You can even write a blog post on your story and share it not only through Black Friday, but throughout the year!
Another great idea: Collaborate with other small businesses in a social media giveaway or a promotional offer!
Note: This strategy works best for small to medium sized businesses who have been selling for at least 2 years and have an active, loyal customer base.
So another business is offering coupons to every Joe and Sally that visits their store, so that means you have to do the same right? No!
Anyone can make a single sale, but building a loyal consumer base? That’s where the magic really happens.
This Black Friday, why not give the coupon code or free shipping to your loyal customers exclusively? You can even have them share with friends and family. Let them know they’re special and make sure to say thank you! After all, it’s the season of gratitude right?
Are you just starting your business and can’t afford to give discounts on your products, but want to participate in Black Friday? That’s fine!
See here’s the thing, although many businesses might be offering discounts on everything, many of them lack finesse in one of the most important departments: Customer Service.
As businesses, we take customer service for granted, but it is truly one of the most important components to any sustainable business.
With many consumers turning towards social media to complain or callout brands, a great customer service strategy and team can be built to avoid these issues. According to a Sprout Social study in 2017, 46% of U.S. customers report that they’ve used social media specifically to call out brands for poor service.
So like any other time throughout the year, make sure your customer service is spot on! Activate a popular chat system like Tidio or Olark and remember to keep your Facebook Messenger active throughout the weekend.
You might have to reply to one or two messages over your Thanksgiving dinner, but trust us, it will be worth it.
Like with any other strategy, you'll want to set up some key metrics for your campaigns to evaluate their success post-Thanksgiving. Instead of considering all key performance indicators (KPI), choose 3-5 metrics that measure success for your business.
Reviewing this data will give you the opportunity to grow and improve your strategy for the following year.
And lastly - Happy Thanksgiving!
References
https://www.practicalecommerce.com/sales-report-2018-thanksgiving-black-friday-cyber-monday
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