With Black Friday just under a month away there is still plenty of time to plan and schedule your marketing campaigns for 2021. In this short guide we’re going to outline; 5 Black Friday marketing campaign ideas, how to promote your Black Friday offers as well as explain why it’s called Black Friday…
When is Black Friday 2021?
Black Friday 2021 is on Friday 26th November and Cyber Monday is Monday 29th November.
Why is it called Black Friday?
The earliest evidence of the phrase ‘Black Friday’ originated back in Philadelphia, in 1961. It was used by police to describe longer shifts they’d work due to the heavy traffic that would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the retail connotation of Black Friday arose. Linked to the red-to-black profit narrative, Black Friday is called such due to being the biggest shopping day in the US and hence an extremely profitable day.
5 Black Friday Marketing Campaign Ideas:
Rather than the standard 20% off with the code ‘BLACKFRIDAY20’, here are 5 alternative campaign ideas to try this Black Friday…
01. Include a free product/trial/gift
Rather than a discount, offer an additional free item or gift. Or, if you run a Software based company, like we do here at Unaro, why not offer an extended free trial? Rather than just a discount on the cost, provide extras for free.
02. Create unique product or software bundles
Combine multiple products or services and sell them as a package to your customers. Analyse your most popular purchases, put them together and create a bespoke discount for a one-off Black Friday bundle.
03. Offer a hidden discount
Instead of advertising your discount on your homepage or on a banner, hide a discount code somewhere on your website and encourage your customers to look for it. Whether you hide it on a specific product page (perhaps one you’re looking to promote) or within your reviews, encouraging people to look over your website is likely to lead to higher purchase value.
04. Donate the equivalent saving to charity
With lots going on in the world, why not donate a proportion of all Black Friday sales to charity? People like doing good, particularly when it comes at no extra cost to them. So, how about donating a portion of each sale to a charity that aligns with your business’ values. Whilst some people are motivated by discounts, others will be motivated by charity!
05. Team up with other small businesses
Getting your campaign out there amongst all of the other Black Friday noise is no easy task. So, why not join forces with other small businesses and extend your reach. Providing a joint offering means you can not only broaden your audience but your offering too. Collaborate on a new product, service or simply offer both business’ products and services at one combined price.
How to promote your Black Friday offers:
Regardless of the offers or promotions you have decided to run, an effective marketing campaign is crucial to get the word out there. Here are 3 impactful ways to get your Black Friday marketing seen:
– Schedule Regular Email Blasts
In the lead up to Black Friday, contact your mailing list with sneak previews and let them know when they can expect your Black Friday offers to begin and how to access them. Create branded emails and send them to your customers in the lead up to Black Friday. With your customers’ inboxes likely to be full of promotional emails, writing eye-catching subject lines is quite possibly the most important part of any email campaign.
– Send SMS Messages
On Black Friday itself, SMS marketing is a rapid communication channel perfect for time-sensitive messages such as Black Friday offers. Include a link to your website and send your message straight to the palm of your receiver’s hand.
– Publish Social Posts
Whilst social media is likely to already be full of Black Friday posts, posting yours too is never a bad idea. If your customers are checking social media for updates (rather than their email inboxes, for example) they might assume you’re not running any Black Friday campaigns if you don’t post. That said, it’s important not to go overboard and bombard your followers with countless promotional posts…
Whether you’re a local brick and mortar business, an ecommerce store or a software company, there are many ways your brand can utilise Black Friday in its marketing campaigns. Here at Unaro, our cost-effective marketing tools are a great addition to any business’ toolkit and even come complete with many free-to-use templates. Enter your details below to hear more about how our WiFi, Email and SMS marketing tools can help you promote your business this Black Friday…
