Black Friday And Cyber Monday: 7 Point Checklist To Success
Black Friday and Cyber Monday is slowly but surely becoming a hit with South Africans. In 2022, FNB customers alone spent a massive R3-billion during this period. Whether your business decides to join in or not, the potential for a successful campaign is there. In this article we share a checklist to help you dot the i’s and cross the t’s.
Table of Contents
Tick off the following when planning your Black Friday and Cyber Monday specials:
Checklist 1: Is Black Friday and Cyber Monday for your business?
Black Friday 2023 falls on 24th November with Cyber Monday following on the 27th. While many businesses might opt to run their deals throughout the weekend or even before the weekend arrives, it is important to decide whether your business will benefit from doing so, if at all.
If you have physical products to sell, or you can do with moving some old stock, or wanting to attract new customers, then this is for you.
However, if you do not have the appetite, manpower, stock, or time – then just sit this one out. Focus your attention on your Christmas campaign or 2024 strategy instead.
Checklist 2: Put together “sticky” Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals.
People will be shopping with three things in mind.
- Bargains on everyday things;
- Christmas gifts at reduced prices; and
- Spoils at discounted rates.
The key for a successful deal is always the price tag. Customers want to feel that they really are getting a savings.
Choose products that fit the bill and make their prices irresistible, alternatively, bundle products together, or run ‘2 for 1’ deals. You can even consider running ‘Deals of the Day.’
Checklist 3: Decide which platforms you will use for marketing.
Which platforms will you use to market your deals? Be as visible as possible because the competition will be everywhere.
- Social Media – Use this as a quick and effective way to get the word out to your current following. Remember to include relevant hashtags and engaging visuals to capture your audience’s attention. Boost your posts to help them gain more traction.
- Email, SMS, or WhatsApp Marketing – If you have a database of email addresses and telephone numbers, use it! These channels offer a direct and cost-effective way to reach your existing customers.
- Pay Per Click – Use this avenue to target potential customers that are actively searching for Black Friday deals using specific keywords. Set a budget and monitor your campaigns closely.
Checklist 4: Create eye catching marketing material.
Make sure your deals stand out. Create colourful, eye-catching banners, reels, and videos.
Create content that helps to “dress” your deals as perfect gifts for different target audiences and sell the “experience” when it comes to luxuries or me-to-me gifts.
For example:
- Make videos of different people wearing the must-have dress you have on sale (in all its available colours).
Do not wait too long before advertising your deals. Create anticipation by running teasers early in the week.
Checklist 5: Create a publishing schedule.
Create a publishing schedule for the various platforms you will be using, taking care not to become a nuisance.
Example:
- One social media post per day in the week leading up to Black Friday, upping these to three per day on the day itself.
- One teaser email leading up to Black Friday, and a newsletter promoting the deals on the day.
Checklist 6: Get ready for Black Friday 2023
Are you ready for retail’s most exciting weekend? Make sure your website and store look the part!
For your website: Create a landing page and group your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals together. Ensure your website’s hosting will be ready to deal with the influx of traffic. Offer coupons or free delivery to new customers in exchange for signing up to your newsletter. Get all hands-on deck to help with packing and shipping of products so that your customers do not experience a delay with delivery.
For your store: Print banners and dress your windows so that it attracts passing traffic. Group complimentary deals together and print gift ideas. Do not forget to place items near the till too. Plan to have enough staff available to help customers and place someone at the door to obtain newsletter signups from shoppers in exchange for a freebie.
Checklist 7: Track your success.
Once your promotions end, and the experience is still fresh in your mind: Take stock.
Ask yourself:
- What worked?
- What did not work?
- What should you have done differently?
- What did another company do that worked well?
Use all the answers to the above to help you craft a 2024 campaign that will be even more successful.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Black Friday and Cyber Monday will not work for every business but if you can run promotions, do it!
- The key to successful Black Friday specials is price. Make it worthwhile.
- Decide in advance which platforms you will use for your marketing efforts and create attention grabbing content for it.
- Pre-plan a publishing schedule for your Black Friday deals. Include teasers to create anticipation.
- Make sure your website and your store are ready for retail’s busiest weekend.
- Learn from the highs and lows of Black Friday 2023.
Chantél Venter is a creative writer, strategic thinker, and a serious gesticulator. She’s passionate about storytelling, small businesses and bringing color to the world – be it through her words or wardrobe.
She holds a four-year degree in Business and Mass Media Communication and Journalism. She’s been a copywriter and editor for the technology, insurance and architecture industries since 2007 and believes anybody can run a small business successfully. She therefore enjoys finding and sharing the best and most practical tips for this purpose.