Black Friday can be great for business, even if your business had a tough year.
You’ve probably already seen larger companies marketing for Black Friday, which is the day after Thanksgiving and is the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season. But how can you make Black Friday work for your own business?
Check out five powerful ways the weekend after Thanksgiving can help you and your customers.
1. Look at larger businesses’ marketing for Black Friday.
Maybe you don’t like most commercials and ads, even though you’re trying to promote your own business. It’s still a good idea to pay attention to ads and other promotions from larger companies such as Walmart or Amazon, as well as larger businesses in your specific industry.
Take notes about what you like and what you don’t like about these promos. Also, pay attention to how other people (family members, friends, etc.) react to ads, especially people who are similar to your current customers.
2. Plan your business’ marketing for Black Friday.
Think about which of your products and/or services should get the most attention and promotion during Black Friday. For example, do you have certain products or services that your customers can easily buy as gifts for their friends or families?
If so, you could create a gift-giving guide promoting these items or services, as part of your marketing for Black Friday.
You could also consider offering holiday discounts for certain products. Then, post your gift guide and/or holiday discount offers on your website and on your business’ social media accounts.
3. Help your customers treat themselves.
It’s the season of giving. But it’s okay for your customers to pick up something nice for themselves, too.
Sometimes waiting for family or friends to buy the perfect item for you doesn’t end well. So why not help your customers pick out their own great gift with a shopping guide?
Or you could offer a BOGO (buy one, get one) deal on some of your products and services.
4. Don’t forget about Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday began more than 10 years ago. The idea is to encourage customers to spend the Saturday after Thanksgiving shopping at small businesses in their local communities.
Do a Google search for local groups and businesses in your area. You can also search for any Small Business Saturday events that might be planned in your community. Partnering with a local group or another business as well as joining a local Small Business Saturday event are great ways to promote your own business.
There are also free tools available that entrepreneurs and business owners can use for Small Business Saturday. For example, the credit card company American Express has a list of free tools you can download for Small Business Saturday, including signs, marketing email templates, posters, and other promotional items.
5. Consider online shopping.
Cyber Monday began as a way for customers to use the faster internet links they had at the office to do online shopping; that hasn’t been necessary since the use of broadband at home became more widespread.
Online shopping was already a growing trend, even before the pandemic. The recent global COVID-19 pandemic made even more customers prefer buying items and services from smartphone apps and websites compared to visiting physical stores.
There are some steps you can take to prepare for a successful holiday season of online shopping, even if you already run most of your business online. Update your business website, especially the home page, to announce that some of your products and/or services will be on sale. And there’s no reason you can’t use Cyber Monday as a special sales day, despite its obsolescence.
You can also create social media posts to promote these discounts.
Final Thoughts on Marketing for Black Friday
Remember these tips while getting your business ready for the upcoming post-Thanksgiving weekend.
- Look at bigger business’ holiday promotions for possible marketing ideas and inspiration.
- Make your own marketing plans to promote your business’ products and services.
- Help your customers see certain products or services that you offer as a great gift for themselves as well as for friends and relatives.
- offering promotions and/or discounts during Small Business Saturday.
- Promote your business online, especially during Cyber Monday.
Helping your customers have a great start for the holiday shopping season can bring your business success and profits, just in time for the end of the year.
