5 Tips for Black Friday 2024

by Ace Reunis
HeapsGood Blog Black Friday Cyber Monday Tips
November and December is the merriest time for retailers! 
Whether you're gearing up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday or steering clear of the frenzy, there's no denying the influence these events have on the market.  Captivating deals can usher in new faces, amplifying your brand's reach and if their experience is memorable, convert them into regulars. 
But hey, even if you're not on the Black Friday bandwagon, many of these tips are golden year-round. As we edge closer to the shopping bonanza, here's your cheat sheet to stand tall amidst the chaos.

Start Early

Make sure to start your offers and promotions earlier in November. Don't wait until Black Friday weekend!

Wallet share will be a big factor in 2024, due to consumers having less disposable cash in the current economic environment.

You could start running offers at the beginning of the month, and then drop your best deals during the week of Black Friday weekend. That could be as soon as Monday (it sounds ridiculously early, but trust us), although Wednesday or Thursday can work great too.

Email is King

Hit up your customers more via email in November and December to shout about your offers. Tell them before and during Black Friday weekend, spruik pre-Christmas delivery cutoffs, offer gift cards after the cutoff, and send any other timely info.

Send more emails

How frequently should you be emailing, you ask? We reckon you can send campaigns anywhere from 2-3 times per week. This is if you use segmentation, and also depends on your store and niche! 

For example, we like to email once per week because we’re more of a B2B brand. But typically brands in fashion, cosmetics and other industries can email way more frequently.

Speaking of segmentation...

Segment your list

Make sure you have an engaged segment (90 days or 120 days) so you’re only sending to people who like engaging with your emails. 

You can also use other creative segments like:

  • People with 'Abandon Checkouts';
  • Close to purchasing; or
  • Viewed recently but haven’t purchased.

Flash sales for specific products or collections can also work - but only send these to customers that would be keen beans.

Consider SMS

An omnichannel approach can help to increase your reach, and sales are a great time to incentivise SMS subscribers to shop exclusive or time-sensitive offers.

SMS subscribers are generally loyal to your brand, so treat them as VIPs. As a rule of thumb, use SMS to send exclusive deals and time-sensitive alerts. For non-time-sensitive content, use email.

How to Discount

Work out what your offer is going to be

Make it appealing. Consider options like a percentage discount, buy one get one, or free shipping. 
With up to 17% of carts abandoned because shipping rates were too high, this is a great place to start. You’ll also need to decide if these discounts will be sitewide or simply apply to certain products or categories. 
'Buy One, Get One' or 'Spend and Save' offers help to increase that sweet average order value and are particularly effective in early-mid November. Having said that, sitewide 'Percentage Off' discounts usually drive the highest conversion rate.
If you're using discount codes, make them super simple and fun to add! For example, instead of CHRISTMAS40, use XMAS40. For Black Friday, use BF and the value of the discount.
You may not win any prizes for creative writing, but your customers will enjoy them more.

Make your offers really obvious

Promote your offer on all your major channels including email, organic social, paid social, search ads and anywhere else important! Leave no social media stone un-Tweeted. 

On your website, update your home hero, announcement bar, product pages, and even add a banner to the top of your collection pages.

Oprah discount

Do what feels right for your brand

When it comes to Black Friday, only discount what makes sense for your brand and profitability. Don't feel pressured by what the market expects you to do.

For example, epic 40% sitewide sales can work for certain niches like fashion, where margins are high and retailers are trying to clear seasonal stock to improve cash flow. But that kind of sale might not work for your specific biz.

Keep in mind, discounts aren't the only way to capture your audiences attention during this period. Consider options that may be more aligned to your businesses values, such as a Gift With Purchase, or donating a percentage of your profits to a charity that you partner with. 

Check your site

Squash any bugs

If you haven't already, now is the time to double down and check that everything on your site is working as it should be. Go through your checkout process, navigate your site, look over your pop-ups and make sure all your stock is adjusted accordingly. 
A problematic website or checkout experience is a surefire way to lose customers on the busiest shopping day of the year. Eek!

Bugs web site broken 404

Ticked off all of the above? Awesome. 
This will leave you stress-free and able to focus on the good stuff when those sales start rolling in. 

Forecast Your Inventory

You've got to be smart here. On one hand, it feels like there's nothing worse than running out of inventory and having to shut off ads.
But there is. And that is over-ordering, not meeting demand, and then having to discount in the future and hit gross margin. Or worse: putting yourself in a very dangerous cash position if you miss targets.
It's probably best to be slightly conservative - especially if you're feeling iffy about the economy.
You can easily recover from selling out, but it's not as easy to recover from running out of cash.

Zuckerberg zoom

That’s all folks!

More emails, connecting with your existing community via retargeting, auditing your on-site experience, setting the right discounts, and planning your inventory are just a few ways to maximise your Q4 BFCM sales this year.
Oh, and don't forget to order your packaging well in advance so you don't run out! Unless you buy your packaging from HeapsGood. We're all about that same-day dispatch, so you can leave that one to the last minute 😉
Have fun and push hard for the next few of months to grow your business!
Cheers,
Ace and Adam

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