Sales, promotions, special offers, oh my! We know preparing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) is overwhelming. So let’s crack into it.
Black Friday is all about the rush of waking up at 3 a.m. to get a spot at the front of the line to your favorite store and waiting anxiously for the doors to open to grab all the best deals. This level of excitement is what your brand should strive to create, not just for in-store shoppers but for online ones too.
For eCommerce, the secret ingredient to BFCM is featuring exclusive sales and special offers that generate excitement, anticipation, and a sense of urgency amongst your shoppers. If a promotion is successful, it will boost sales by bringing in new and repeat customers and encourage customer engagement (with social media and ad campaigns). Your BFCM sale campaigns should also introduce and feature new products, improve brand awareness, and engage user interest – which will ultimately drive traffic to your site.
With this guide to sales and promos, mastering the recipe for Black Friday and Cyber Monday success will be as easy as pie!
Promo Codes
Using promotional codes is a great way to engage potential customers through your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and deals. For example, you can send promo codes via email campaigns to shoppers that have subscribed to your mailing list. Within this campaign, encourage customers to shop your BFCM sales, and use the promo code at checkout for a designated percent off.
Get creative with your promotional codes; they can be branded or holiday-themed. The more fun your promo codes are, the more engaged shoppers will be!
Deals & Special Offers
Slashing prices and offering discounts aren’t the only way to boost sales during BFCM. As an alternative, consider exclusive deals and special offers instead. One thing to keep in mind: However you choose to promote your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, make sure each promotion features something different. You want customers to feel like they’re getting a new exclusive offer with each email or ad campaign, so keep them fresh!
The Sweet Sound of “Free”
One way to get consumers excited about your brand’s BFCM sales is with a free gift or service. Offering something “free” with a purchase is a clever way to drive traffic to your site and entice customers to buy! Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Free shipping when you spend $50
- Free gift wrap with purchase
- Free gift with $50 purchase
- Free samples with order
- Free shipping or returns
- Buy one get one free
Something Sweet for Returning Shoppers
When it comes to returning customers, offering these shoppers a special BFCM offer for their loyalty will have your products selling like hotcakes! For VIP customers who have made an account, joined a mailing list, or belong to a rewards program, make them a special offer they can’t refuse. Some ideas include offering these shoppers an additional X dollars or X percent off their Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchase.
Giveaways: The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
For customers who are in tune with your brand’s social media, featuring a special BFCM giveaway is a sticky-sweet way to excite and re-engage users. Running anything like contests, “enter to wins,” or sweepstakes will have your customers going nuts for your brand’s giveaway! The great thing about these is they not only reward customer engagement but get returning buyers re-interested in your brand while helping to build customer-to-business loyalty.
Turn Up the Heat with Flash Sales
BFCM flash sales are another way to drive user traffic to your site and encourage purchases (at super-slashed prices). Featuring a one or two-hour super sale during BFCM will generate a large influx of visitors to your site and drive sales within this window. Offer 50% off (or more) on everything or special collections.
The best way to generate excitement and anticipation about your BFCM flash sale is to promote it. Use your social media channels or blast an email to your mailing list to inform your customers about the details. You can even put up a live countdown to your flash sale on your site’s homepage and your social media channels to get potential customers excited about your exclusive deal.
Allow Customers to Taste-Test Your Products
A BFCM “try before you buy” special is another way to cook up excitement about your brand amongst shoppers. Offering an exclusive deal like this gives customers more incentive to purchase your products.
Essentially, this special offer just requires buyers to pay the cost of shipping for a product. Then, they are given a trial period (days, weeks, or months) to test your product. If they are satisfied with it, they keep it and will be charged after the trial period. If not, they simply return the item and will not be charged for it.
“Try before you buy” gets customers interested in your products while also allowing them to experience and test them before committing to a purchase. This is a unique deal to offer during BFCM and is sure to boost your sales and customer satisfaction.
Bundling
Offering bundle-purchasing during Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a creative way to boost sales by encouraging consumers to buy in bulk. Try grouping together related products and offer an additional discount to shoppers who bundle their purchases. This is a great way to get customers interested in a variety of products, enticing them to make more than one purchase.
A Smart Cookie Would Choose CakeCommerce!
CAKE is the baker’s choice! Our team of eCommerce specialists is experienced in all things marketing to make your holiday prep a breeze. Contact CakeCommerce today to learn more about our services.
