Black Friday brand boost
Black Friday has become quite the phenomenon in the UK in the past five years. Originally an American craze to mark the day after Thanksgiving, UK retailers – and customers – have rapidly caught on and now it cannot be avoid from early November until the big day.
Thought to be named Black Friday because it’s the last day that bank balances are in the black before the Christmas shopping begins, the name actually originates from the traffic congestion when Americans hit the sales whilst recovering from their Thanksgiving turkey the previous day.
But gone are the days of traffic and shopping in physical stores. PwC is predicting that 77% of all Black Friday shopping this year will be done online, with sales estimated to increase 38% on last year to reach £2.9 billion.
It is also predicted that 27% of the UK adult population is set to partake, which provides huge opportunities for brand exposure. So what can you do to make the most of Black Friday for your brand? Here are our top tips!
1. Get social!
Social media is the best way to spread the word amount the details of your Black Friday deals. Have a strategic plan with targeted content all based around your deals. Consider digital advertising to reach your exact demographic; utilise hashtags; pin promotions to the top of your pages; stress deadlines and “limited time offers” so people know to act quickly; and make sure everything is visually appealing too so have graphics and video to bring the page to life. You could even have exclusive discounts that are just for your social media followers, and the fluid nature of social media allows you to have hourly deals too! Seeking back links and referrals from other accounts is a great way to spread the word.
2. Stand out
PR opportunities and chances to be newsworthy are limited on Black Friday with everyone having something to shout about. So be creative to stand out, create a sense of intrigue to get people talking! Working with influencers and utilising strategic partnerships are great ways to generate brand endorsement on a day where people don’t know who to trust.
3. Use email for direct communication
Email newsletters are a great way of letting your database know what deals you’ve got going on. Inboxes are always busy on Black Friday so be succinct. Make the subject line stand out, and communicate exactly what you are offering. Then the email body needs to be to the point with simple links to your website so it’s easy for customers to make a purchase
4. Be mobile friendly
39% of Black Friday shopping in 2017 was on mobile devices so make sure all your content is mobile friendly, easy to use and working properly! Shoppers will be in a rush to hunt down the best bargains so won’t want to wait whilst pages load, baskets freeze and links fail.
5. Finally, don’t get carried away
Stay true to your marketing plan – Remember the “who, where, what” mantra. Keep your audience and target customer in mind constantly, there’s a lot of active people to reach on Black Friday but not all of them might be right for your brand.
· Who are you trying to reach?
· Where are you able to reach them?
· What do you want to say?
If you’d like help with your Black Friday strategy, and how to make the most of the opportunities that it brings, get in touch!
