GET YOUR MARKETING READY FOR THE CYBER WEEKEND…
Did you know that 20% of all Black Friday shoppers actually start their Christmas shopping in September? We all know Black Friday, along with the Cyber Weekend, is fast approaching and if you haven’t already thought about how to capitalise on this then now is the time. Marketing is a huge factor in this game, so we are here to tell you how to get your marketing ready for the busiest time of year.
— Website
Your website is your shop window to the world, it’s an essential element to your marketing so why aren’t you making the most of it on the busiest weekend of the year?
First things first, you need to look the part. Is your website mobile friendly? Many sales from websites are made from mobile devices (around 59%), so it’s worth investing in a website that looks the bees knees and it easy to use across all platforms to maximse profits.
If you already have a web shop set up, then you may want to consider setting up discounts and coupon codes for selected products/services/delivery options. This may push any potential customers who are um’ing and ah’ing about purchasing something over the threshold as they think they are making a saving & being savvy. They may even come back to your website if you gave a good service, and now you’ve got yourself returning customers.
You should also certainly have an SSL certificate installed on your website. Google recently changed their algorithm to frown on websites that don’t have one, showing up a big “this website is not secure” message. This can be devastating for your sales, as the people turning up to look at your website will instantly have a mis-trust of your company, and may not want to make tansactions with you.
Finally, you should promote any offers that you have available on your website, and make them easy to find/access from an end-user point of view. Use lots of imagery and short, snappy call to action’s to grab attention, and make it clear what exactly it is that you’re offering.
— Social Media
Social media can be a god send over the cyber weekend period, as it gets information to people quickly. It’s important to look the part though so that when people research you after seeing an advert, you look trustworthy. You can do this by updating your images, banners, bios & links to all look the same across the platforms. Lots of businesses have now taken to adding a banner or a “story” to their profiles that feature their special offer/s so that visitors can immediately see that there is a sale on.
Using dedicated hashtags in your posts can help your content to be found faster too. Most companies go with the likes of #cybermonday or #blackfriday in their posts, but what you might find gets a better response examples such as #christmasgifts or #giftsforher. These ones are more likely to be searched for.
We would also suggest keeping your posts very visual and text to a minimum as platforms such as Facebook tend to bench posts that have too many words on. Instead try using a bold image to show what you are selling and including all the details and (most importantly) a link to where they can buy in the caption. If you have to use words, use buzz words like “big sale” or “while stocks last” to entice your audience.
It’s also important to think about how you are scheduling your posts. By creating them all at the same time you can be sure that your brand stays consistent, and using a platform such as Buffer or Hootsuite can help you get your posts scheduled day at a time and at a time when you think your audience will react most.
— Email Marketing
GDPR laws may have changed the way that you go about email marketing, but that doesn’t mean that you should completely stop doing it. There are several ways that you can incorporate email campaigns into your Cyber Weekend marketing.
You can send out an “email exclusive” offer to an email database with a coupon code that is only available for those who have signed up to your email list. This is not only a good way to drive more sales, it’s also a nice touch for your existing contacts for being loyal to your brand.
A good way to grow your email list is to offer an optional sign-up list on your website. Using an incentive like a discount code will encourage website visitors to be a part of your email list – just so they can get that special offer. This is good for your business as you’ll have a wider audience viewing your future emails. Just be sure that you give them an option to unsubscribe!
Using a countdown in your emails can also create a sense of urgency. Timers counting down for next day delivery can be just as effective. You know the ones. Order in the next 2hrs 13m (and counting) to get this stuff tomorrow. Same goes with last order date for Christmas deliveries. Or stock countdown (Only 1 remaining!), which creates scarcity. People are more likely to react to this and act quickly.
Print has a place amongst all of the Black Friday madness. This is mainly useful for those who do not sell online, but instead have a shopfront or service to offer. Physical print products tend to feel much more personal than online marketing, and can have longer lifespan than an email.
Leaflets are ideal for promoting any special offers or deals that you will make available on the sale day. These are ideal to hand out to customers you have come in store, or event to hand out on the street to passers by. After all these are the people who are more likely to be within vicinity of your business for sale weekend. You can get 5000 leaflets printed with us from just £99 + VAT.
Cards & bookmarks can be a nice touch to send out to your clients to thank them for their order with you. This adds an element of personality, especially if it has come from a small company who rely on the business of the high street shopper. It shows that you value the customers’ purchase, making them feel looked after and appreciated thus leaving them wanting to return to shop with you.
But what can you do to entice people into your shop? Making use of bold imagery & buzz words on producsts like pavement signs, flags and PVC banners can have a massive impact if you place them outside your shop for people to see.
— Need a hand?
Not sure where to start with getting your marketing ready for Black Friday? Talk to us. Get in touch – 01562 747411
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