By Bethan Harper on Small Business UK - Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
Over the last 10 years, Black Friday shopping has gained exceptional popularity amongst UK consumers, with almost all businesses offering some type of Black Friday discount or deal. This year Black Friday will fall on the 29th of November, 2024 and it’s expected to be the most lucrative one yet.
In fact, Black Friday spending is expected to increase by £800 million in 2024, which is up 27% since 2023 (Finder, 2024). And, what’s more, 3 in 5 UK adults (59%) plan to spend during the upcoming Black Friday weekend (which equates to around 31.6 million people).
So, it’s unsurprising that business owners want to take advantage of the huge shopping event.
But what are the best tactics to ensure your business makes the most of Black Friday and how should you be running your marketing campaign?
In this article, we’ll offer up some tips, tricks and suggestions to help you run your most successful Black Friday campaign to date.
The early bird catches the worm
Since Black Friday has become such an important event in the calendar, businesses up and down the country are sure to be taking part, meaning potential customers will be inundated with marketing materials in the days and weeks leading up to November 29th.
As a result, you might find even your most loyal of customers overlook your emails and marketing attempts if you leave it all to the last minute.
To avoid getting lost amongst the noise, consider starting your campaign earlier than your competitors, that way, you’re more likely to stick in people’s minds.
And, you don’t have to limit your deals to Black Friday weekend. You could even go as far as to start your deals early – perhaps the week before.
Advertise what’s included
What’s the best way to create excitement around a deal or marketing campaign? Showing people what they’re missing out on if they don’t get involved.
Do you have a particularly popular product or service that your customers are always raving about? If so, they’re bound to be excited when they find out you’re offering it for a discounted price to mark Black Friday.
Knowing what products and services are included in your Black Friday deals can really motivate your customers to make a purchase. Perhaps you’re offering a discount on an item some of your clients haven’t previously been able to afford, or they can get their favourite beauty treatment at a cheaper price than usual. Either way, it’s understandable why this information might drive purchasing decisions.
Try influencer marketing
As business owners should now all know, social media marketing offers a powerful way to boost awareness of your business, and as a result, your Black Friday deals too.
However, one social media tool you might now have considered using is social media influencers. Influencers have cultivated loyal communities with their following and by teaming up with these influencers, you can tap into their engaged audiences, driving greater visibility and credibility for your products or services.
And you don’t have to partner with famous social media personalities, even local influencers with a few thousand followers can add a great deal of credibility to your Black Friday promotions.
In addition, social media can also be a driver of online sales. With features like Instagram Shopping and Facebook Shops, customers can now make purchases directly through these platforms. Influencers can share your shop links through their pages and bring you direct custom.
Target abandoned carts
If someone has visited your site, searched through your products and gone as far as to place an item in their cart, you can more or less guarantee that they’re interested in making a purchase. And, while you can’t recover every abandoned cart, you’ve got a good chance with the right tactics.
One way to do this is to offer a special Black Friday ‘come back’ bonus discount to encourage them to return and complete their purchase.
And while targeting abandoned carts is important on Black Friday is essential, this tip can be applied to your year-round marketing strategy.
Gamify your deals
Try standing out from the crowd by adding a fun gaming aspect to your Black Friday offers.
One-way companies do this is by creating a spinning wheel game, which offers customers a variety of discounts or deals, depending on where the wheel stops. For example, you could offer 10%, 20% or even 50% discounts as well as free gifts or coupons.
The idea of gamifying your Black Friday deals is to making things fun and enticing for your customers and adding in that ‘winning’ element can achieve that.
Offer additional discounts for members
Something that can be overlooked during the Black Friday rush is the value in collecting customer data and driving newsletter sign-ups.
Sure, getting as many Black Friday sales as possible is the main goal, but don’t pass up the opportunity to collect new customer data by encouraging them to sign up for a newsletter or VIP membership in return for even bigger discounts.
Running a successful Black Friday marketing campaign requires strategic and early planning to stand out in a crowded market. By starting your campaign early, showcasing attractive deals, leveraging influencer marketing, targeting abandoned carts and adding gamified elements, you can maximise your customer engagement. Additionally, offering exclusive discounts for members can help drive both immediate sales and long-term customer loyalty. With the right tactics, your business can make the most of this lucrative shopping event and set the stage for future growth.
The post How to run your Black Friday marketing campaign appeared first on Small Business UK.
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Bethan Harper, Khareem Sudlow
