We’re sure you’ve already received at least 5-6 emails this month with Black Friday (week?), Singles Day, Cyber โโMonday offersโฆ
Almost like a template, they all sound the same: Incredible action/offer/price, huge/unprecedented discounts, buy only today and tomorrow, don’t miss out, pressure, rush, scarcity, it’s urgentโฆto end up getting the same (or very similar) offer as 1 week ago.
Just like messages and actions, in recent years they have been repeating themselves: numerous companies increase and then decrease prices – the audience discovers them – shares them on social networks – they don’t react, learn nothing from it and continue the same way again. Interest is decreasing, discounts are decreasing, terms like Black Friday and Cyber โโMonday probably only have value as content ideas for the content calendars of most companies.
Why (or why not) Black Friday?
The first Black Friday campaign was organized in the 80s in the United States, as an incentive for companies that were โin the redโ at the end of the year to emerge positive by the end of the year. The events are named after the financial crisis of 1869, in which numerous companies went bankruptโฆ The approach is clear. Companies clear out what they can, in order to profit in the โ5 to 12โ period, while the audience fills their homes and empties their accounts. As harsh as it sounds, this arrangement makes sense.
But there is no need to organize these campaigns at all if they do not make sense in your business. If you do not want or cannot have a real discount, do not do it. Communicate a winter or holiday offer, or do not refer to the timing at all and continue with standard communication. Just because something is โtrendingโ does not necessarily mean that it is valuable or mandatory for your brand. You can even lose more if you do a bad promotion just to join the trendโฆ
How to improve results?
If you have already decided to organize a Black Friday/Cyber โโMonday promotion, try to stand out from the numerous competitors online with your approach. Keep in mind that hundreds of businesses are trying to sell to the audience in the same way and that it will not be enough to just create an interesting creative on which the old price will be written in large letters, then crossed out and above it the new price with a large Black Friday logo.
Give your audience what they need. Before starting the promotion, open a discussion, ask them what the discount will mean to them, which products or services they want to get discounted and if you have the opportunity, include them in your offer. If you can’t, no one will blame you, but if you listen to them first and then give them a promotion according to their wishes, it will be a real gift for them.
Don’t try to lie. Nowadays, with just a few clicks you can discover the โbefore and afterโ of both offers and prices. If the audienceโs reactions donโt make a difference to you (although they should), think about what your direct competitors could do if they had evidence that you are โplayingโ with prices.
Use different formats. The most commonly used formats for these actions are email newsletters from which you can go directly to the website for ordering or Facebook/Instagram albums with photos of the products that are on sale. Use them, but try to add something else โ a video in which you will present the offers in an interesting way, a dedicated landing page on the website, an offline activation that will inform the audienceโฆ Stand out from the crowd both online and offline.
Finallyโฆ
Think about other ways to promote during the chaotic holiday season. Many companies around the world are currently practicing and promoting “Slowvember” – an approach to sales that encourages conscious and calm shopping during November to avoid the big crowds in December. Others save their main promotions for January when the holiday noise is quieter and it’s much easier to stand out in front of the audienceโฆ
There are many possibilities, write to us and we can look into them together ๐
Check out our other blog posts
