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The Ultimate Guide to Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Strategies for Marketers and Copywriters
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are more than just bargain days; They have grown into a global phenomenon that profoundly influences consumer behavior, branding, and online marketing. For business owners, these days offer huge opportunities to increase conversions, build brand loyalty, and break sales records. But how do you make the most of these days without drowning in the crowd? In this article, you will get concrete tips, psychological insights and strategies to make this holiday season a success.
The Origin and Meaning of Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Not everyone knows Black Friday and Cyber Monday come from. We probably know that it comes from America. But not everyone knows history. And to develop effective campaigns, it can be helpful to understand the history of these days and not just do it because your competitors are doing it too.
Black Friday
The day after Thanksgiving, a holiday in the US, marks the beginning of the Christmas season in America. In the ’60s, the term “Black Friday” began to refer to the day when retailers came “in black.” The term “black” and the term “red” referred to the financial status of the retailers. When they were “in the red”, it meant that they suffered a loss and a profit was made when they were “in the black”.
Because the day after Thanksgiving is usually a day off, so retailers used this to offer big discounts on this day. They tried to lure the people who were already shopping for the holidays into the store.
Cyber Monday
And in 2005, Cyber Monday emerged. It was first called out in the world by Ellen Davis and Scott Silverman of the National Retail Federation (NRF), an American trade association for retailers. They noted that there was a significant increase in online purchases after Black Friday, especially on the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Why Black Friday is so Popular: Psychology of Consumer Behavior
Marketers can engage consumers more effectively by understanding the psychological drivers behind the success of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
The Fear of Missing Out is in effect around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This is due to the offers and exclusive deals that are short-lived, which plays into consumers’ fear of missing out. This leads to impulsive purchases.
Live sales statistics can reinforce this, especially in a physical store. When people physically see that a store offers something that is left of little because people buy this deal, there is a good chance that they will buy it too. For an online webshop for physical products, this could also work well by indicating the stock of a product on the website and changing it when it has been resold.
Social Proof
Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a time when a lot is bought by consumers. When others buy en masse, the perception arises that a deal is valuable.
Customer reviews can also convince people to purchase a product. Especially when they talk about how good the deal is in that review, this can serve as an extra push for them.
Price Sensitivity and Savings Mentality
Consumers justify buying during Black Friday because they “save money,” especially when they see a deal that has a high discount.
Products can be sold separately, but also bundled together. When a bundle of several products is sold, the price is often higher, with a high discount. Consumers see the high discount and think they have saved money. But it may be that they don’t even need some products, wouldn’t buy them themselves and won’t even use them, but because it is offered in that bundle anyway, they buy it anyway because of the great “savings” they have made according to themselves.
To sell even more, you can make the discount visually appealing. You can do this in different ways. Testing what works for your niche and customers is essential here. You can:
- Naming the original price (crossed out) with the new price next to it: ”not $750, but $500!”
- Naming the percentage of discount: “that’s a discount of 65%!”
- Naming the discount in the difference of the amounts: ”that’s a 300 dollar discount!”
How to Create a Successful Black Friday Campaign?
To put together a successful Black Friday Campaign, a number of things are in place:
Plan and Segment Your Audience
Analyze the customer data you already have and target campaigns specifically to different segments. The two largest groups that Black Friday campaigns are focused on are selling to customers who have already bought from you and getting new leads (potential customers). Use email marketing and retargeting to send the right message to them.
Unique Offers
Be creative in your discounts. Think of:
- Bundle discounts: “Buy 1, get 2 free”
- Time-limited deals: “Sale from 12:00 to 14:00”
- Exclusive pre-Black Friday deals for existing customers
To be ahead of the competition, you naturally want the highest possible discount and a deal that stands out. You can make it even more unique than you read above, but you shouldn’t make it more complicated than it is. Then you won’t attract customers.
Update your Website
During Black Friday, your website is the basis for your deals. It is something that lures new customers and tells existing customers that there is a discount. It’s important that you make a few small adjustments to your website during Black Friday and Cyber Monday:
- Hero Section (section at the top of your website): Make sure you have a new banner for Black Friday, indicating that you have deals with high discounts. Something like the one below:
- Product Pages: remind consumers of the Black Friday sale and have a clear price comparison of the old price and new price, so that the discount is visual to consumers.
- Sales Pages: make sure to adjust your sales pages for the Black Friday sale, such as in the price. Make sure you emphasize the scarcity and urgency. And tell them that the deal is time-bound.
- Pop-ups: These can certainly be useful for attracting new customers to your website and indicating that existing customers are interested in the deals. After this, emails will be sent to these people for your Black Friday campaign.
- Speed of your Website: make sure your hosting can handle your Black Friday traffic.
How to Increase Your Conversion Rate?
Here’s how to agree that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great opportunities to get more conversions:
Emphasizing Urgency and Scarcity
Use countdown timers on product pages, sales pages, and in emails to increase urgency. If there is only a certain number of a product available, show this on the product pages and also tell this in your emails to increase scarcity and urgency.
Social Media and Influencers
Partner with influencers to promote your Black Friday deals. Authenticity attracts more attention than standard advertisements. And this can also serve as social proof for your product.
Ads
Despite authenticity attracting more attention than standard ads, ads are still useful. Ads that are shown on social media can be set up exactly so that it is shown to the audience you want to show it to. So also to the audience of your competitors, your loyal customers, potential customers who might find a deal attractive based on their interests, etc.
Easy Check Out
Minimize the steps in your checkout process. Make sure you don’t have too much text on your check out page. And offer multiple, and popular, payment options.
Upselling and Cross-selling
- Show related products during checkout.
- Offer discounts for bundle products to increase average order values.
- After checkout, you offer an ”extra” deal, related to the purchased product.
Increase Customer Loyalty During Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer you an excellent opportunity to increase customer loyalty. You do this by:
Exclusive Discounts for Existing Customers
Create VIP offers just for your existing customers. Use words that will make them feel special when you announce your VIP offer. You don’t say it’s an offer that is “for all my 300,000 people on my email list”. You say it’s “special to you, because you’re on my email list. In the first example, you are just one of so many on your list, the other makes you feel more special than that.
Aftercare and Service
Ensure smooth delivery and good customer service that can answer all the questions of the consumers. This ensures repeat purchases and positive reviews (which you can also use as social proof).
Tips for Copywriting and Contentcreation For Black Friday Campaigns
Copywriting Tips
- Keywords such as “Now or never” and “Up to 70% off” immediately attract attention.
- Emphasize urgency: ”GONE = GONE”.
- Emphasize scarcity: “Until stocks last.”
- Add actionable words: “Shop now”, “Take advantage today”.
- Add words that hint at the holidays: “Bring the holidays into your home.”
- Give consumers permission to buy something for themselves: “You deserve it”.
- Give the VIP treatment and exclusivity: ”Your exclusive deals are waiting for you”.
Video and Visual Content
- Make short videos showing the deals.
- Use eye-catching banners and visuals with the right colors (black, red, and yellow are often associated with discounts).
- Make sure the discount is in the picture, in price or percentage or another means by which you make it visual.
Checklist: Optimize your Campaign for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
- Early Announcement: Start teasers weeks in advance.
- Email Marketing: Use clear call-to-actions and segmentation.
- SEO and SEA: Make sure you are found with the right keywords.
- Retargeting: Reach customers who have previously visited your website and shown interest.
- Analyze and Improve: Track metrics and adjust your campaign.
Conclusion
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are not just any bargain days; They are an opportunity to strengthen your brand, increase customer loyalty, and increase your sales. By combining smart strategies with a keen understanding of consumer behavior, you can stand out in the crowded online market. Plan well, be creative and focus on both conversions and a strong customer relationship.
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