Digital marketing best practices for Black Friday

Get ready for Black Friday 2023 with our guide to digital marketing best practices! 

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2022 were a revelation in the world of e-commerce, exceeding all expectations and leaving retailers pleasantly surprised. Despite concerns about inflation and its potential impact on purchasing behavior, these promotional days were a resounding success.

Contrary to pessimistic forecasts suggesting more conservative shopping behavior, the figures told a very different story. According to a Forbes article published in December 2022, online sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday increased by 2. 3% on the previous year, reaching an impressive total of $9.12 billion. 

These record figures clearly show that the enthusiasm and craze for special offers and attractive discounts is not waning, even in times of economic uncertainty. Black Friday 2022 demonstrated that the appetite for online shopping remains strong, offering businesses a golden opportunity to make remarkable profits.

These trends underline the continuing influence of Black Friday and Cyber Monday on shopping behavior, and we can expect anequally strong craze for the 2023 edition.

In this blog, we'll explore best practices for maximizing your success on these crucial days, and how Planning Media can support you on your journey. Stay tuned!

Prepare your Black Friday strategy in advance

Of course. Advance preparation for major commercial events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day is essential for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Why is this? Quite simply, it requires a well thought-out marketing strategy. Coordinating all the elements of a Black Friday marketing strategy takes time! 

Especially for e-commerce companies! They need to make sure they have enough inventory to meet increased demand. An inventory shortage can lead to lost sales and customers. 

Having everything prepared in advance also offers greater flexibility for last-minute adjustments. 

When should you start planning your Black Friday?

Some will tell you it's already too late! In terms of timing, it's advisable to start inventory planning 3 to 4 months in advance. Two months before the event, companies should develop their marketing strategy and create content for campaigns. One month before, it's time to test the website and logistics systems, and start advertising upcoming events. Finally, 2-3 weeks before the event, marketing campaigns should be launched.

Let's not forget Boxing Day, which comes just after Black Friday. SMEs should also have a strategy in place for this period. In short, careful and timely preparation can make all the difference between success and failure during these key trading periods.

Prepare your website for Black Friday

Preparing your website for Black Friday is crucial to maximizing sales and delivering an optimal user experience. Here are a few key points:

Site loading speed

A slow site can lead to a loss of visitors and sales. Google indicates thata site that takes more than 3 seconds to load can lose half its visitors.

Tools: use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Think My Site to evaluate and improve your site's speed.

Hosting: Contact your hosting provider to make sure your site can handle a large number of simultaneous visitors. Some providers offer options to temporarily boost performance.

Mobile optimization

More and more people are shopping via mobile. A site that isn't optimized for mobile can lose you a large part of that audience.

Requirements: Text must be legible (at least 16 pixels), buttons must be large and easy to click, and navigation must be quick and easy.

Installing the Facebook Pixel

The Facebook pixel allows you to track the actions of visitors to your site, which is crucial for remarketing. You can target users who have visited your site but not made a purchase, showing them specific ads to encourage them to complete their purchase.

In summary, preparing your website for Black Friday involves technical optimization (speed, hosting), a fluid user experience (especially on mobile), and the installation of tracking tools for effective advertising campaigns.

Prepare advertising campaigns and newsletters

Preparing your advertising campaigns and newsletters is crucial to the success of your Black Friday. Let's start with your campaign visuals. It's essential to create eye-catching visuals that effectively communicate your message. Remember to prepare several variations of these visuals to adapt to the specifics of each platform, whether Facebook, Instagram or even your emails.

When it comes to advertising on social networks, Black Friday is not the time to target an audience that doesn't know you. Advertising costs are rising due to increased competition, especially from large retailers. Instead, opt for personalized audiences that include visitors to your website, subscribers to your newsletter and those who interact with your social network accounts. Also emphasize the exclusivity of your offers and their limited duration to create a sense of urgency.

Let's move on toemail marketing, often the channel offering the best return on investment. Prepare your emails in advance and pay attention to timing. An email sent on the morning of Black Friday and another a few hours before the end of promotions can be very effective. Don't forget to personalize your emails, and even consider special offers for your VIP customers.

In short, careful preparation of visuals, strategic targeting and effective communication are the keys to maximizing engagement and sales during Black Friday.

Creating excitement

Creating buzz around your Black Friday offers is essential to maximize the impact of your campaign. Social networks are particularly effective tools for this. Here are a few strategies for using these platforms to your advantage:

Teasers and countdown

Start teasing your Black Friday special offers a few weeks in advance. Use countdown timers to create a sense of urgency and anticipation. Instagram stories and ephemeral Facebook posts are perfect for this.

Exclusive content

Offer exclusive content to your subscribers on social networks. This could be a preview of products on promotion, interviews with team members about what customers can expect, or even exclusive promo codes.

Engage the community

Encourage interaction by asking questions and launching surveys. For example, ask your subscribers which products they'd like to see on special offer. You can also organize contests with prizes linked to Black Friday to increase engagement.

Real-time updates

On Black Friday, keep your audience informed in real time. Post updates on products that are selling fast, new offers that are being launched, and even the time remaining to take advantage of promotions.

Testimonials and reviews

Share testimonials from satisfied customers or reviews of products on promotion. This adds a layer of trust and encourages more people to buy.

In summary, social networks are a powerful tool for creating excitement around your Black Friday campaign. A well-thought-out strategy that includes anticipation, exclusivity, community engagement and visibility can dramatically increase the impact of your marketing efforts.

Black Friday at Planning Media

Black Friday is a crucial time for businesses, and at Planning Media, we're here to help you maximize your impact during this promotional season. Our team of experts offers a full range of services to meet all your digital marketing needs:

Programmatic media buying: Optimize your reach and ROI with targeted media buying.

LinkedIn automation: Expand your professional network and reach potential customers efficiently.

E-commerce: Enhance your online store for an optimal user experience.

Website creation: Design of high-performance websites tailored to your needs.

Social Media Marketing (SMM): Create buzz and engage your online community.

Search engine optimization (SEO): Increase your visibility on search engines.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Effective online advertising campaigns to increase traffic and conversions.

Content strategy: Develop a coherent and engaging content strategy.

Strategy, data and consulting: Strategic advice based on data analysis to guide your decisions.

Social Media Marketing (SMM): Create buzz and engage your online community.

If you need help planning and executing your Black Friday campaign, don't hesitate to contact us. We're here to support you every step of the way, from planning to execution, to ensure the success of your Black Friday.

Contact us today to discuss your needs and start preparing for a successful Black Friday!