Black Friday Marketing Strategy 2023

The day after Thanksgiving is infamous for being the start of the holiday shopping season. Black Friday came into play when the retailers had gone through so much red ink when recording the sales on this particular day that they started using black ink instead. Typically all stores like to participate in wild sales, early bird specials, early releases, etc.  People stand in line for hours waiting for a store to open, so they are the first to grab bargains and deals of the year. These deals used to be announced when visiting the store or via magazines sent out to the list of subscribers, but that has changed now as the world has too decided to turn digital. In the recent ten years, Black Friday sales have increased their online presence, hence why Black Friday Email Marketing strategies are now such a factor. Coming up with Black Friday email campaigns can be overwhelming, not only do you have to ensure that the deals are fitting together but you have to make sure to start marketing at the correct time. Once customers know what to expect on BlackFriday then you can use your email techniques to create fun and limited time offers.

Emails Campaigns that will Increase Sales

  1. Keeping it simple with a sale reminder
    1. How it works: This is a fun and brand way to deliver the news of a black Friday sale; typically, more classy businesses will like to keep the informational sale email simple. All the information on the Shopper'sShopper's side is directly in front of them, such as how much is needed to spend to unlock the sale, what is required for free shipping, etc. This can be implemented by using a simple approach for the Black Friday Email Campaign - having a clear subject line or sale/discount included. It also incorporates call-to-action buttons that bring the customer to the discounted landing page. 
  2. Imagery! Keep it Bold
    1. How it works: Using fun illustrations can stand out from generic sale announcements flooding customers' inboxes during the holiday season. Keeping the text portion of the email limited and simply letting the picture do most of the talking. This will save the image as the focal point of the email. This can be implemented by choosing illustrations or creative and unique imagery to incorporate into your Black Friday email. What seals the deal is if the imagery can stay on point and match your brand's visual identity. 
  3. Gift email! 
    1. How it works: Offering a gift to costumes when they order or purchase something on black Friday is a very enticing deal. This is successful because customers are intrigued to buy something at your store due to the promise of a gift. This also allows you to showcase other products your brand has to offer. This email is simple but very effective, using the sale and the imagery to do most of the work. This can be implemented by giving a gift of your choice. Frequently if a brand can not financially afford to lower prices or offer a bulging discount, the ability to throw in something for free is just as good. This type of Black Friday sale is a reason to reach out to your customers; send out an email but always remember that less is more. 
  4. Black Friday VIP exclusive sales!
    1. How it works: Invite your customers to take advantage and shop now! Offering sales that if they shop now, an additional discount could be added, etc. This method shows excellent results because it is how to attract new customers and create brand awareness, taking the opportunity to treat customers and show them how much they mean to you. It is also fun to offer loyal customers they are seen and valued. This will significantly add to customer retention and satisfaction levels. Kicks are starting the sales off with positive and money-hungry encouragement. It can be implemented by creating a Black Friday Campaign solely for existing customers and inciting them to participate in your brand's Black Friday campaign. Give them exclusive pre-sale deals and discounts for a limited time. 
  5. Black Friday Humor Keep it funny!
    1. How it works: Adding humor to sales is an excellent way to keep the conversation light-hearted and add some personality to the campaign. It may look different than a typical Black Friday Sale email which is completely fine! The subject line should immediately spark humor and get your recipients' attention. That is when the ball starts rolling, comedy-wise. The email may not have substantial flashing sales printed across the screen; in this case, they may be more subtle as the humor is what is genuinely getting portrayed here. This is a great way to create a relationship with customers and show that the brand wants to connect instead of constantly pushing sales. Implementing this into your marketing campaign can be fun - if it is suited to your brand, you can use it for unique subject lines that can be humorous and throw in some relatable images to add to the content. 
  6. Create a sense of urgency, as in buying this Right now!  
    1. How this works: Creating FOMO is a great way to entice people to spend money. Evoking urgency with an email that reminds customers to buy now, or they won't get to participate in the deal! With a sense of urgency through the email, it can be quickly done by phrases such as "Tomorrow is too late," "While it lasts," "Ends in a few hours," "Limited time," etc. Throwing phrases like this in the subject line will create a sense of urgency, so the recipient will be sure to click on it. This can be implemented by learning how to develop a sense of urgency and scarcity in your brand's email marketing, typically around large sales, black Friday, or cyber Monday—creating urgency and using emails to constantly remind customers that the deal is ending soon and that products are going to sell fast!
  7. Swim upStream! 
    1. How this works: Swimming upstream essentially means going against the grain of the Black Friday emails. A brand that does this well is REI, informing users to get outside and smell the fresh air instead of spending money in front of their computers. This works well because most email subject lines in this particular holiday season contain a deal in the subject line or a sense of urgency, as mentioned above - but in this case, use the subject line to be different, encouraging another behavior besides shopping. REI took the chance to include switching things up and going outside! This approach reinforces the REI brand and uses a unique suggestion method to push that the brand allows you to get out and live a healthier lifestyle. This can be implemented by considering other forms of black Friday emails. If your brand is tired of sales and running similar campaigns, or it simply can not afford to offer such a significant discount, offer your customers a way to better themselves. It allows giving back and create a positive image of your brand as you are seen as more than just a Black Friday Sale. 
  8. Make it as personalized as possible.
    1. How this works: Personalization plays a significant role in the success of an email campaign. There are great ways to add a touch of personalization based on the goal of the email campaign. If you incorporate a general sense of personalization, you can price-drop some best-selling items. By doing this, you will catch the attention of a large group of people interested in your company's best sellers. To make it personal by individualization, when you send the email out, ensure that the images and products displayed are either something the customer has interacted with or purchased in the past for better results. Today Shoppers are addicted to personalization and avoid trying to promote the sellers or random products but instead announce discounts that will be of interest to the customer. If a deal is really into a product they loved in the past, they are more likely to purchase it. Typically brands use the scattergun approach during Black Friday and Cyber Monday to get a discount out to their customers. They are suggesting somewhat relevant products per each Shopper. There is the approach of digging deeper and trying to connect with the customers by offering them unique discounts based on the products they love. You can implement this by using email segmentation to find the data of the products that customers have previously purchased or shown interest in. Create a campaign that reminds Shoppers of what was in their car, what they have looked at, but left at the checkout, etc., showing that you were genuinely trying to engage with their interest. Your Black Friday discount will also incentivize them.
  9. Offers should be simple, and shipping dates should be prominent.
    1. How this works: The most vigorous holiday campaigns will likely be the easiest to understand. Looking at last Black Friday, more than 116.5 Million emails were sent out; if your message is not getting to the point, then your subscribers will be quick to move on to the next deal and send your email to the trash. They want to ensure that your offer can be digested with a brief Glimpse and guarantee that customers will be intrigued to click through and begin shopping. You will likely succeed if you add a gift Guide to the email. They organized the products by Persona and category work price point to make it easiest for the customers of what they desire. Be sure to communicate the product's availability; the availability of the order will make a difference in the purchase. One of the worst things a company can do is overpromise and underdeliver regarding gifts during the holiday season. Set reasonable deadlines and create transparent communication; customers will appreciate it if their package arrives before the designated shipped time. 
  10. Offers and Enticement
    1. How this works: Customers are constantly on the lookout for good deals, ensuring the value you offer is comparable to others. The odds that the recipients purchase from your email campaign are higher if you have competitive sales. Competitiveness for profitability must remain the same. Moving on to enticement, Black Friday is the holiday of sales, correct? So why not market to those who like to give gifts and find deals? Consumers want deals during the holiday, but that should not come at the post of poor quality. Creating a balance between increasing order volume and maintaining profit takes time and effort. Truthfully anything under 20% is a small discount - keep in mind that any time during the year, customers can get a simple 10 - 15% discount just by handing over their email address. At the same time, if the deal is too steep, then it will undercut the profit margin. When it comes to Black Friday Email marketing, keep it simple and keep the discounts practical.

Conclusion

Behind the scenes of a Black Friday, email is a critical process to ensure success. That said, Mailsoftly would love to help make this process easier for you. Using the steps mentioned above, it is ideal to devise a campaign approach, whether swimming upstream, offering a VIP-style discount, or simply throwing in a gift. There are many ways to make this the most profitable time of the year. Email Marketing must be a large part of the growth strategy; take the time to learn why Mailsoftly is the Email tool for your company! With the right amount of engagement and the perfect email, your business is ensured to do well! Once there is a game plan it is time to double check the Call to action buttons and see if they lead to either a product page or the website homepage. Also double checking to make sure that the email is mobile friendly. Ater reading your email the customers should know exactly what to do next. Other than that happy Black Friday shopping!