We know what you might be thinking after clicking on this article. It’s too early to be planning for Black Friday? Think again!
Black Friday, or Black November as we had started to see from some brands last year, takes place on Friday 27th November this year. Now is the time to review your campaigns and content from last year and look to get the basics updated on-line to capture any early organic traffic.
From analysing Google Trends data we can see searches for Black Friday start to increase towards the end of October and show a strong first peak on the Friday before Black Friday and builds up to the big day.
With people pre-planning for Christmas now (yes, really! Christmas decorations are in stores and chocolate boxes piled high in supermarkets), and possibly even more so this year as disposable income is reduced for many households, Black Friday is still one of the key dates in the retail calendar.
To get you started we’ve detailed below some considerations, ideas and suggestions.
Planning Considerations
- Promote as a week long event, dial up communication from the 20th November
- Ensure your Black Friday presence is visible on your website at the beginning of October
- Encourage social and offline customers to sign up to your email database – use this as a driver for exclusive content
- Be authentic – customers will have lots of offers and choice, ensure your messaging is true to your brand values
- Reply to all messages and plan for an uptake in customer enquiries across your social media channels. There will be a greater need to manage customer expectations and brand reputation throughout Black Friday week
- If you have a physical store location, continuing to promote a safe shopping environment is paramount to generate footfall and to counterbalance any fears of crowded spaces
Acts of Kindness
We all know the saying ‘A little kindness goes a long way’. A few small gestures can make a big impact.
- Complimentary hot drinks when queuing for the early bird shoppers
- Umbrellas for outside queues
- Parking marshalls, directing people to free spaces
- Dedicated meet and greet and promotional staff
- Offering face coverings for those customers that have forgot their own
- Giveaways including bags for life, face coverings, hand sanitiser
Digital Marketing
Make use of digital marketing channels to reach new audiences and connect with your existing customers.
- Utilise free resources within your Google Business Listing (make sure your contact details and opening times are correct too)
- Consider advertising spend for paid social media ads – lead generation ads (data collection) could generate more email sign-ups ahead of Black Friday. Create urgency by adding in countdown clocks or ‘days to go until’ timers in your PPC ads (using Google’s countdown widget in your search ads)
- Showcase offers in real-time with photography taken on your phone, rather than relying on POS led creative (too many Black Friday graphics with percentage signs will start to blur into one)
- Plan your email marketing – how many emails will you be sending this year?
Here’s to a successful Golden Quarter – with strong footfall and sales to lead into the Christmas season.
If you’d like more information on how ICG can support your Black Friday campaigns please call or email Amy Young on 01772 679383.
