Black Friday is the best time to stand out from the crowd of advertising. It’s simple. Every store, eCommerce or brick and mortar, is an advertisement deal. Customers are actively looking for them. How can you grab their attention?

You can be prepared and use some great tactics.

Don’t let the planning of your Black Friday marketing strategy fail you. It’s easy to stand out in a crowded sales day.

Here are 19 proven marketing strategies for Black Friday.

Bonus: Get our Social Commerce 101 guide to learn how to sell more products through social media. You can delight your customers and increase conversion rates.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is the Friday after American Thanksgiving. It is known for its low prices in eCommerce and brick-and mortar stores, which causes a surge in consumer spending.

Black Friday is the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. You may have heard of the chaos brick-and-mortar shops face.

In the 1950s, Philadelphia was the first city to coin the term “Black Friday”. It was used by police officers to describe the large, disruptive crowds that would descend on the city the day following Thanksgiving. Tourists and shoppers from the suburbs would flock to the city just before the famous Army-Navy football match.

Later, retailers adopted Black Friday. They relied on holiday sales to get them “back into the black” before the fiscal years ended. Back in the black means to make profit, not lose money or be in the red.

Black Friday has moved from brick-and mortar stores to online sales. eCommerce stores are jumping on the holiday. It has also extended its timeline. Black Friday is more than a day. It’s a weekend of sales that takes place between Cyber Monday and Black Friday.

Online sales are proving to be a huge success for eCommerce stores, even in a volatile market where global buying habits have changed. Shopify store owners made $6.3 billion USD in global sales between Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2021, which is 23% more than 2020.

This period saw 47 million unique Shopify shoppers make a purchase. These weren’t your classic bargain bin deals either. The average cart price was over $100 US!

These are opportunities your business can take advantage of. To stand out from the rest, all you need is a solid marketing strategy.

19 Black Friday marketing strategies that are foolproof

Black Friday marketing strategies are not universally applicable. You know your customers well and will know what works best for them. There are tried-and-true strategies that can help you with your Black Friday marketing strategy.

These 19 proven Black Friday marketing strategies are foolproof

1. Social media marketing can be used to promote your sales in advance

Some shoppers love the excitement of hunting, while others prefer to plan ahead and take advantage early bird sales. Social media can be used to appeal to both types of shoppers. You can use social media to tease sales by posting’mystery offers’ or revealing exactly what your promotions are.

Businesses can increase anticipation and drive traffic to stores on Black Friday by sharing previews of special deals, countdown timesrs and other engaging content. Social media is a great way for businesses to connect with customers and answer their questions about Black Friday sales.

2. Instill a sense of urgency

Write copy that conveys urgency to get customers excited about your sale products. Customers will be motivated to act by creating a sense of urgency and scarcity in Black Friday marketing.

It is important to create a sense of urgency. This helps you grab attention. An email that stands out in a busy inbox and creates a sense o urgency is more likely than one that doesn’t.

Customers will be more likely to act immediately than to wait. Customers will be compelled to act now by offering a limited-time discount and exclusive access to sales items.

3. Email marketing campaign

Start an email marketing campaign to increase your ROI. Email has a ROI of $36 per dollar when you add it all up. This is higher than any other channel.

Who doesn’t like to receive discounts and deals every day in their email? You can set one up a few months in advance of Black Friday to offer your subscribers special offers.

4. Optimize your website to appeal to Google-searching customers

Black Friday is swollen with eCommerce sites vying to be on Google’s first page. Optimize your website for online shoppers to rank.

This can be done by using keywords that holiday shoppers are most likely to use to search for holiday deals. Do keyword research and then use those words to create your website. You should sound natural and not keyword stuffing.

You should also ensure that your website is mobile-friendly as more people use their smartphones to shop for holiday gifts.

5. To make customer support more efficient, you can install a chatbot to your website

More customers mean more customer support requests. You can’t avoid it. Consumers will be asking for FAQs about shipping, returns, and orders. You name it.

Installing a chatbot on your site will streamline and automate customer support. The chatbot can answer simple questions and can also be used to assist customer service reps when they are needed. This can help your team to get rid of repetitive work and allow them to concentrate on more important issues.

6. You can also install a chatbot to your Shopify site

Customers should be able to convert as quickly as possible. Installing a chatbot on an eCommerce site such as Shopify is a good idea.

Shopify chatbots can pull data directly from your store to automate tasks. These include customer communication, checking store inventory and performing returns.

It’s crucial to provide support to your customers during rush hours like Black Friday. Chatbots can help you do this.

7. Chatbots can be used to help shoppers find products quicker

Heyday, an AI chatbot that automates customer service inquiries, can also assist with sales. A chatbot can help shoppers find the products they are looking for quickly and easily if they are found the right one.

This is possible if your chatbot asks shoppers a series questions. They can then narrow down their search to just a few items. The product can then be purchased online or in-store.

SourceHeyday

Chatbots can also make personalized recommendations based upon previous purchases. During the chaos of Black Friday, you will need all the help you can get.

Get a free Heyday demo

8. Offer long-time customers exclusive deals

People love to be acknowledged, especially if they have a relationship. Black Friday is a great opportunity to show appreciation for long-standing customers.

This smart marketing strategy can help build customer loyalty and drive repeat sales. You’ll show your customers you value their loyalty and encourage them to return on days when aren’tBlack Friday.

9. You can sell directly on social media

Social media is often used by people to search for a product or find out more about a brand. Nearly 1 in 2 people have reported using Instagram to search for new brands, products, or services.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Instagram for Business (@instagramforbusiness)

Black Friday is a time when everyone searches for deals and offers. Selling directly on platforms such as Instagram allows you to reach your target audience. Your customers will convert even more easily if you sell your products directly through the app.

You can reach a worldwide audience via social media. People who use Instagram expect to be marketed. 90% of people follow brands.

This post is on Instagram

A post shared by Instagram for Business (@instagramforbusiness)


Hootsuite allows you to schedule your Instagram shoppable posts well in advance, so you can concentrate on other great Black Friday marketing ideas. Set up your shop properly first.

10. Use hashtags to reach new people

Black Friday is a great opportunity to reach new people on social media. Use hashtags to connect with people interested in Black Friday deals, and help them find your products or services.

You can use the hashtags #blackfridayshopping and #blackfridaydeals if you are a retailer to reach people looking for bargains.

This post is on Instagram. It was shared by Tiki The Quaker (@tikithequaker).

11. After Black Friday, follow up with customers

It’s amazing that you can sell tons of products on Black Friday. However, your customer’s value to you brand grows over time. You want to make those once-in-a-lifetime customers loyal and long-lasting.

Shopify found that Black Friday holidays have the lowest customer lifetime value. This study showed that shoppers who were acquired on Cyber Monday or Black Friday had a lower lifetime value than those who were acquired at other times of the year, 64% of which was from Shopify.

You can follow up by sending a thank-you email, asking for feedback, or even a survey to your customers. Your customers’ experience will improve, which could pay dividends in the future.

You show your brand values customers by taking the time to get in touch with them.

Bonus: Get our Social Commerce 101 guide to learn how to sell more products through social media. You can delight your customers and increase conversion rates.

Get the guide now!

12. Referral codes

Referral marketing can do wonders for your business. Referral marketing is also very effective in promoting Black Friday sales.

Send your email subscribers referral codes. As incentives, you can give them gift cards or deeper discounts. Referring customers to you can bring in new customers.

13. Reward points for minimum spend

You can offer minimum spend rewards for certain amounts. Customers could get free shipping if they check out with $100 carts.

You can increase conversion rates and encourage customers spend more money with your business by offering minimum spend rewards. Tiered rewards can make it even more effective. A customer who spends $50 might receive a 10% discount, while someone who spends $100 might receive a 20% discount.

14. Get a free gift when you purchase

People love feeling rewarded.

Your customers will be more likely to buy if they get a free gift. They also create a sense o goodwill that can keep customers coming back.

You want to ensure that you are giving something your customers will love. When choosing what to gift, it is important to consider your customer base.

This post was shared by @freestufffinder on Instagram

15. Concentrate on abandoned cart rates

Did you ever go online to shop and abandon your cart only to be interrupted by a popup? Pop-ups that offer a discount code or ask for information about your shopping habits can be annoying.

Pop-ups are designed to grab your attention and decrease abandoned cart rates. Shoppers will have the opportunity to express their opinions or receive an incentive to make their purchase. This will likely reduce abandonment rates.

Make sure you get the pop-up to let everyone know about your Black Friday-only offer.

16. Make a gift list

We love Black Friday gift guides.

A gift guide is basically a carefully curated selection of your products that has been categorized in a way that is easy for shoppers. You could, for example, create a “For your fashionable friend” guide that highlights the unique pieces of clothing you sell.

Gift guides are a great way to promote products, drive traffic to your store or website, and create excitement for your brand.

This post is on Instagram. It was shared by The Strategist (@thestrategist).

17. Have a social media contest

A social media contest can drive traffic and leads to your store or website, increase brand awareness, and increase brand awareness.

Give your audience a prize they want and encourage them to participate in the contest. It’s social proof.

Trusting a brand that is recommended by a friend is a sign you are more likely to trust it. Encourage your friends to tag their friends and repost your content on your story to earn entries.

Hootsuite allows you to schedule your contests and posts in advance so that you are prepared for the big day.

18. Get wild with it

You already know how murky and muddy the marketing swamp will be on Black Friday.

Retailers will be shouting about their low prices and hot deals. You have to grab people’s attention if you want to stand out. Try something new.

Deciem, for instance, cancelled Black Friday completely. As a protest against the impulsive selling Black Friday is well-known for, Deciem shut down their website and closed all of their stores. They announced that they would be extending their sale until November.

Source: Deciem

19. Take a stand

How can your company stand against Black Friday sales? Independent retailers all over the globe have taken a stand against Black Friday and its excessive consumption. They donate profits, close down websites, and close stores.

Pantee, a UK-based sustainable underwear company, closes its website to the public on Black Friday and allows only those who are on its mailing list access to its website. This is done to combat the unsustainable impulse buying that is fueled by Black Friday promotions. They don’t sell and they don’t encourage impulse buying.

Their message is to think before you buy.

This post is on Instagram. It was shared by PANTEE(r), @pantee


Heyday, our chatbot for social commerce sellers, allows you to engage with shoppers on social media. It turns customer conversations into sales by turning them into sales. At scale, deliver 5-star customer experiences

Get a free Heyday Demo

Turn customer service conversations to sales with Heyday Increase response times and sell more products It’s possible to see it in action.

Free Demo

The post 19 Black Friday Marketing Strategies to Use in 2022 appeared first at Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard.