It’s that time of year again when Black Friday and Cyber Monday are rapidly approaching. There are plenty of bargains and shoppers out there, but getting more sales requires marketing magic. We’ll look at what marketing strategies work.

1.For Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021, here’s how to attract and retain new customers.

Consumers are building their Christmas shopping lists, double-checking them, and preparing for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021 sales right now.

Shopping over Thanksgiving weekend is a tradition for many consumers, whether it’s getting up before dawn to line up outside a retailer for a reduced TV, hitting someone in the face for a 10% off iPad, or checking into a brand’s website to obtain the greatest online offers. It’s the formal start of the holiday shopping season, and it’s also the busiest time of year for retailers.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics, approximately 187 million people shopped in-store and online over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend last year. During the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, online purchasing was highly popular. For the first time, the number of Black Friday internet consumers reached 100 million. In addition, 44% more people shopped online over the holiday weekend in 2019 than in 2018.

Although many customers will continue to buy online this year, 77% believe they will return to in-store shopping for Black Friday 2021, especially if the company is open and an offer isn’t available online. In addition, shoppers expect to spend 15% more this year, on average $885.76 versus $766 in 2020.

2.Respond to customer queries and reviews.

Customers value genuine interactions with brands and retailers, and they are most connected to brands that they believe are aware of their requirements. When customers sense a connection with a brand, 57% are willing to spend more with that company, and 76% will continue to buy from that brand.

Listening to consumer feedback and responding, whether by private messaging or public comment, is one of the finest methods to develop and deepen connections. When they leave a review, about 33% of shoppers expect a public reaction, whether it’s positive or negative. If you haven’t already, responding to customer queries and feedback (both positive and negative) should be a crucial element of your Cyber Monday and Black Friday plan. Your response will help you maintain existing customer relationships while also converting new customers into loyal ones. It’s also beneficial to business: answering inquiries boosts conversions by 98%.

3.For increased exposure, invest in paid search and display ads.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing often cost twice as much as the rest of the year. As a result, customers are inundated with messages and products. Fresh content on product sites, such as reviews and visual user-generated content (UGC), improves search rankings and directs people to your products.

Invest in paid search and display advertising to promote your products and brand ahead of the main shopping days. This strategy allows you to promote directly to customers looking for your products and deals, increasing the likelihood that they will buy. Customers are expected to spend more on Black Friday; therefore, the additional advertising budget will almost certainly pay off.

Examine purchasing data from previous holiday seasons and the current year so far for insight into how consumers discover products and what they’re buying for Black Friday and Cyber Monday advertising ideas. This information should be used to determine where and when adverts should be placed to increase traffic.

It’s best to start the efforts as soon as possible, although catching holiday-shopping procrastinators can also be effective. According to RetailMeNot, 22% of customers expect to start their Christmas shopping in October, while 17% plan to shop on Black Friday or later.

4.Email marketing can be used to personalize experiences.

This time of year, our inboxes are flooded with holiday messages. Why? Because email marketing allows businesses to interact with customers on a one-on-one basis. More crucially, the strategy has the potential to generate a return on investment of over 100%. Because you may reach customers multiple times in their buying journey, this helps with customer retention and acquisition.

Use email marketing to tease holiday sales and urge customers to sign up for your newsletter to get a sneak peek or special pre-sale bargain, such as free shipping or 20% off, to make your Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaign a success. Then, based on their purchasing habits, purchase history, and other criteria, give them relevant material.

Send follow-up emails as the days get closer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as well as communications on an actual day. Include user-generated content (UGC) in your email campaigns to increase authenticity and establish a connection with customers.

But don’t stop there; use out-of-stock emails to turn a bad shopping experience into a good one. Inventory difficulties are a serious problem right now, thanks to supply chain issues caused by the pandemic. Stocks are at all-time lows around the world. To entice those disgruntled consumers back, send them an out-of-stock email.

Send a post-interaction email to customers after they’ve purchased a product, asking them to submit a review. According to our research, these emails can enhance review content by up to 9x and review volume by 50%.

5.Make sure your e-commerce site can keep up with the demand from customers.

Online customers expect to locate what they’re looking for and be able to check out quickly on brand and merchant websites. Because of the massive surge in traffic on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, brands must be able to keep up with the demand and deliver excellent customer service. Slow websites and convoluted checkout processes turn off shoppers, and they are unlikely to return.

According to Retail Systems Research, more than half of buyers say slow retail sites irritate them, and 90% have abandoned a site that takes too long to load. When a retailer’s website is excessively slow, 57% switch to another similar business, and 41% go to Amazon. Another 21% will never shop at a retailer with a slow website.

Also, make sure your website is search engine optimized so that customers can find it. Most people start their buying adventure and look for gift ideas on Google and other search engines. Consumers haven’t decided which brand or retailer’s website to shop from at that point, so it’s a good time to get in front of them and persuade them to visit your e-commerce site.

6.Lead generation can help you increase the number of people who join your loyalty program.

Investing in lead generation during Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a fantastic idea. Everyone is in a festive mood, feeling generous, and looking forward to giving and receiving gifts. Set up a pop-up on your website to encourage customers to subscribe to your emails in exchange for a special holiday discount. Perhaps even a gift or free shipping. Growing your email list will allow you to segment your consumers based on their purchasing behavior and preferred products, allowing you to engage with them more deeply.

After all, retaining existing customers is significantly less expensive than recruiting new ones. Loyalty programsLoyalty programs provide brands with access to a wealth of client data, allowing them to better understand their customers and provide relevant and tailored experiences. You may safely assume that 99minds gift card loyalty programs will take care of the rest. Brands can also utilize the programs to collect customer reviews and user-generated content (UGC) and use the information to enhance their products and services.

Bringing This to a Conclusion…

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have grown in importance. Following the surge in demand from last year, now is a perfect moment to build your gift card loyalty program.

We’d love to hear from you if you have any questions about how to set up your gift card loyalty programs! For additional information, don’t hesitate to get in touch with 99minds.