Boost Your Brand This Black Friday: 10 Tips for Small & Medium Businesses
Black Friday 2024 is coming! Let us build an Ecommerce strategy for you
Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Whether you're looking to boost your sales, grow your customer base or increase your online visibility, here are some practical tips to help you prepare.
- Choose the right offers and discounts
Choosing the right promotions for Black Friday can feel daunting, especially for small businesses. One approach is to focus on offers that appeal to your customer base and align with your business goals. Percentage-based discounts are always popular, but bundling products together can help increase the average spend per customer. Black Friday can also be a great time to clear out old stock that’s taking up space or to trial new products. Flash sales are another great way to create urgency, while offering referral discounts can encourage word-of-mouth marketing.
Our tip: Choose offers that make sense for your business and customers. If you’re unsure where to start, we can help you create tailored promotions that work for you.
- Optimise your website for speed and mobile use
With 79% of Australians planning to shop online this Black Friday, your website needs to perform at its best. If your site is slow to load or isn’t optimised for mobile devices, you risk losing customers. Streamlining your checkout process is also essential, as a complicated or slow checkout can cause shoppers to abandon their carts.
Our tip: Ensure your website is easy to navigate, fast to load, and simple to use. If you need help, we can audit your site, provide recommendations, or help build a new, high-performing website from scratch. We can also assess your site’s performance and page speed data, to identify areas for improvement.
- Leverage Google Ads for immediate results
Google Ads is a powerful way to reach customers who are actively searching for Black Friday deals. To get the most out of your Google Ads campaign, focus on keyword research. Keywords are the search terms your customers are likely to use when looking for your products or services. Researching and selecting the right keywords ensures that your ads reach the right audience. It also helps you get more out of your advertising budget, as you're targeting people more likely to convert.
Our tip: Keyword research is essential for effective ads. If you’re not sure where to start, we can help optimise your website and ads for Black Friday success.
- Engage with organic social media
Organic social media marketing is an affordable way to promote your Black Friday deals. Using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, you can reach a large audience without spending on ads. LinkedIn is a valuable tool for B2B businesses looking to engage other professionals, whereas Facebook & Instagram are essential B2C platforms. Share sneak peeks of upcoming deals, behind-the-scenes content, and countdowns to build excitement around your Black Friday offers.
Our tip: Engage your audience by sharing content regularly. If you find it difficult to stay consistent, we can manage your social media channels and help you create engaging content that resonates with your customers.
- Harness social media advertising
Social media ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to target your audience with precision. You can promote your Black Friday offers to specific demographics, interests, and behaviours. Ads with eye-catching visuals and strong calls to action tend to perform well, so keep your message simple but impactful. You can also use retargeting to reach customers who have visited your website but didn’t complete a purchase.
Our tip: Create visually appealing ads that convey urgency. If you’re unsure how to set up or manage your ads, or how to reach customers who didn’t complete a purchase, we can take care of it for you.
- Ramp up your email marketing
Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to drive sales during Black Friday. Segment your audience based on their preferences and previous behaviour and send targeted messages with personalised offers. Automation tools can be used to send out emails in the lead-up to Black Friday, as well as post-sale campaigns to encourage repeat purchases. Time-sensitive emails, such as early bird or last chance offers can create a sense of urgency and drive more conversions.
Our tip: Automation is key to running a successful email campaign, especially when time and budget is tight. We can help you set up personalised email automations that will keep your audience engaged without adding to your workload.
- Make use of CRM and marketing automation
Your CRM holds valuable customer data that can inform your marketing strategies. Use it to segment your audience and send personalised offers based on their purchase history. Marketing automations such as triggered emails or SMS messages can run in the background, allowing you to engage customers with minimal effort. Once set up, automations free up your time and keep your Black Friday and other campaigns running smoothly.
Our tip: Let your CRM work for you by automating your marketing activities. We can help set up and manage your CRM so that your Black Friday promotions reach the right customers at the right time, without taking up your valuable time.
- Measure your sales performance
Black Friday is a great opportunity to collect data and measure your performance. Tracking key metrics like total sales, conversion rates, and how people came to your website can provide valuable insights into what worked and what didn’t. Use this information to refine your strategy for future campaigns and sales events. Analysing performance not only helps you improve but also allows you to make informed decisions about where to focus your efforts.
Our tip: Keep track of your sales data to build stronger future campaigns. If you’re unsure how to measure success, we can help you set up the right tools and analyse the results.
- Optimise your product listings for search
Ensuring your product listings are optimised for search can significantly impact visibility during Black Friday. Use relevant keywords in your product titles, descriptions, and meta tags to improve search engine rankings. Well-optimised listings help potential customers find your deals more easily when they’re searching for Black Friday bargains.
Our tip: Conduct keyword research to identify the terms your customers are likely to use and incorporate them into your product listings. If you need help with SEO for your product pages, we can provide strategies and support to enhance your visibility and drive traffic.
- Showcase your customer service
Providing exceptional customer service during Black Friday can set your business apart from competitors. Ensure your team is prepared to handle an increase in enquiries, whether through phone, email, or live chat. Offering clear, prompt responses to customer queries can enhance the shopping experience, set the scene for new customers and encourage repeat business.
Our tip: Prepare your customer service team for the Black Friday rush by providing the information they need to give great service. Test your website shopping cart, promo codes and campaign emails thoroughly before you go live. If you need assistance, we can help.
Don’t miss out—Black Friday is still within reach!
Black Friday offers an incredible opportunity to boost your brand and grow your sales. Even if you’re feeling unprepared, it’s not too late to act. If you're under-resourced, overwhelmed or simply need a helping hand, we’re here to support you. Let us take care of your marketing so you can focus on running your business and making the most of this Black Friday. Contact us today.