The period between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is when eCommerce companies strive to achieve their highest sales and acquire new loyal customers.
During the last decade of November, businesses have had to prepare for a significant spike in traffic, orders, and support requests, thus making the holiday season one of the most stressful times of the year.
According to statistics, eCommerce companies witness a 10-fold increase in traffic, and by carefully planning their ‘holiday season’, they can significantly boost sales and revenue.
Black Friday statistics
If you think you know what Black Friday is all about, think again. Here are a few numbers that will impress you.
- In 2023, Black Friday global online sales hit US$70.9 billion, registering a year-over-year increase of 8%, according to Salesforce.
- In the United States alone sales hit US$16.4 billion with a YoY increase of 9%.
- In 2023, around 68% of Gen Z consumers in the U.S. planned to benefit from Black Friday sales.
- Shopping in-store on holidays increased by 1.1%, which is much lower compared to online shopping, which has shown an increase of 8.5%, according to Mastercard.
- US$298 billion in sales was registered on Cyber Monday in 2023, which represents a 6% YoY increase.
Figuring out Black Friday marketing strategies
On Black Friday, companies attempt to devise effective strategies to increase sales. Most often these strategies include a mix of strong digital marketing campaigns, time-limited deals, and social media interaction.
Let’s look at some of the strategies and examples related to specific companies
Building excitement
When preparing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, companies attempt to trigger excitement and captivate potential customers early on.
To increase sales during the holiday, it’s therefore important to build anticipation, spark curiosity, and ensure the brand is at the forefront of the mind as the season approaches.
Adidas Australia case
The brand’s Australian website has prepared special offers for Black Friday that attempt to cause a sense of anticipation. It also lists several categories and details of specific discounts.
In addition, it promotes its app by informing users that only adiClub Members will benefit from notifications on the daily drops.
https://www.adidas.com.au/black_friday
Creating a sense of urgency
A brand needs to be among the first to grab potential customers’ attention.
Generate buzz, increase anticipation, and make sure your brand stays at the forefront of consumers’ minds.
Early discounts and sales can help to reach potential clients because many people prefer to shop ahead of time to avoid packed shops (in the case of in-store shopping) and delayed deliveries (in the case of eCommerce).
FootAsylum example
On its ‘Black Friday’ page, the FootAsylum brand offers deals for men, women, and children. The banner creates a sense of urgency by using the phrase ‘Last Chance’ and highlighting the level of discount.
https://www.footasylum.com/black-friday/black-friday-sales/
Creating a sense of nostalgia
Gen Zs today carefully plan their budgets and want to know beforehand how much they will be spending and on what. By knowing more about clients, companies can create effective ad campaigns that can connect products to feelings of joy, eagerness, and connection.
The feelings of nostalgia can serve as the binding agent that draws customers to alluring Black Friday offers.
Walmart example
The hypermarket decided to reunite some of the cast of the movie “Mean Girls” for its Black Friday ad, which recreates some of the film’s iconic scenes. The ad was intended to create a sense of nostalgia among Gen Zs.
Oh they added MORE to the Mean Girls reunion commercials???? pic.twitter.com/1SDFJ0OPrf
— Meech (@MediumSizeMeech) November 8, 2023
Launching limited-time offers
The triple components of shortage, urgency, and exclusivity promote short-term sales. Black Friday is one of those occasions when supply constraints (i.e., ‘limited quantities’) and time limits (i.e., ‘Today only!’) are important because of the massive number of sales that take place on a single day.
UNIQLO example
The online shop of this Japanese casual wear retailer is already letting its users know about its limited offers and urging them to check out the latest promotions. It also informs about “early Black Friday” and Cyber Monday sales.
https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/spl/black-friday-cyber-monday
Offering product recommendations
Offering product suggestions derived from visitors’ browsing behavior is a successful Black Friday marketing tactic. This can be even more effective if the user can access those recommendations from any page on the website.
OddBalls example
When you surf the OddBalls website and visit pages with specific products, even if you don’t buy anything, you will receive a notification in the upper right corner about all the items you have viewed. This allows you to return to any of them with just one click. The list is generated by an AI Wishlist tool.
https://www.myoddballs.com/
Launch a Black Friday contest
Center your Black Friday strategy around community engagement by organizing a local contest. To maintain interest and improve the impact of your Black Friday campaign by incorporating prize giveaways.
AppSumo example
In 2024, the AppSumo platform for purchasing and selling digital goods not only posted a countdown clock but also launched a competition for its customers.
https://appsumo.com/blackfriday/
What else can your company do to increase sales?
Cyber Monday deals don’t have to mark the end of the Black Friday weekend.
- Remember to target latecomers
- Use last-minute deals to instill a sense of urgency
- Expand Black Friday sales to wow your clientele
- Make sure a variety of marketing platforms are used to advertise your late Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
Why are Black Friday and Cyber Monday essential for business growth?
Several reasons can explain why it’s so important to have a strategy that will boost your sales through this weekend. First of all, it’s a great time to clear out the company’s warehouse, but you should also bear in mind:
- It’s a perfect opportunity to attract new clients, not just one-time buyers but loyal customers.
- Limited-time offers and a sense of urgency are the main drivers of high conversion rates.
- It’s an ideal time to increase your social media followers, app users, and registered website users.
- It significantly improves your website’s traffic and SEO rankings.
Final word
To maximize Black Friday and Cyber Monday success, eCommerce companies must adopt well-planned strategies that can boost sales, customer engagement, and brand visibility. Tactics like early discounts, creating a sense of urgency, nostalgia-driven marketing, and personalized recommendations can effectively attract new customers, bolster brand loyalty, and capitalize on this high-traffic, high-revenue period.
Suggested reading:
Personalized customer experience in retail: statistics and trends
Luxurious brands are going digital. Fast. Here is why.
The Role of Expert Networks in Navigating the Real Estate Industry
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