15 Best Black Friday Marketing Strategies [2023 Winning Tips]

Undoubtedly, Black Friday is the ultimate shopping extravaganza, where retailers pull out all the stops to attract customers with irresistible deals and discounts. To make the most of this shopping frenzy, businesses need to have a well-thought-out Black Friday marketing strategy in place. 

In order to start Black Friday planning, online merchants are putting in extra effort to tailor their brand marketing campaigns to the preferences of their target audience. But hey! It’s best to work smartly rather than hard!

That’s why, in this article, we will explore the most effective and proven Black Friday marketing strategies that can help your business stand out from the competition and maximize your sales.

Pro Tip: The last one is the best!

Ready? Let’s dive in!

What is Black Friday Marketing

A marketing term, “Black Friday” refers to the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States. Many stores begin their holiday sales the day following Thanksgiving, making it the largest shopping day of the year.

Black Friday sale ideas are typically offered both in stores and online. Similarly frequent is the Monday after Thanksgiving, known as “Cyber Monday,” when online retailers offer huge discounts. It’s also the time when many retailers (including your rivals) release a slew of price cuts and other promotions.

Your business needs a marketing plan to increase sales and satisfy customers in order to survive in today’s market.

Black Friday Marketing Statistics: Why This Marketing Event Matters

Let’s evaluate the significance of this holiday. According to the statistics:

• Black Friday sales crossed $9.12 billion in 2022.
• E-commerce stores managed to convert 50% of their customers in 2022.
• Over 40% of Gen Z shoppers plan their Black Friday 14 days prior to the event.
• Interestingly enough, 77% of men (including businessmen) plan to shop on Black Friday campaigns, while only 71% of women shop on Black Friday.
• Buyers are 71% more likely to purchase when they see positive feedback and reviews on a product/service. Therefore, brands are more positive about implementing influencer marketing in their Black Friday marketing strategies.

Top 15 Black Friday Marketing Strategies to Use This Year

Now that you’re well aware of how important Black Friday is for retailers or businesses of all sizes, it’s about time we delved into some of the most effective Black Marketing ideas to help you make the most of your campaign. 

1. Plan Your Black Friday Campaign in Advance

The first and perhaps most important step of any successful Black Friday Marketing strategy is starting early. This way, businesses can ensure they have ample time to brainstorm creative ideas, develop compelling offers, and execute their campaigns flawlessly. 

This approach allows you to stand out from the competition and capture the attention of potential customers who are bombarded with numerous deals during this highly competitive shopping season.

Moreover, planning in advance enables businesses to effectively allocate their resources and budget for their Black Friday campaigns. They can identify the most effective marketing channels to reach their target audience, such as social media platforms, email marketing, or influencer partnerships. 

2. Honor Your Most Devoted Customers.

Customers appreciate being thanked, especially if they feel a connection to your brand. Black Friday is an excellent time to reward your most devoted consumers.

Providing these clients with special promotions and pricing is a great way to encourage brand loyalty and repeat purchases. Your clients will return on days other than Black Friday if they feel their loyalty is appreciated.

Here’s an example of such an email from PRESS Foods.

3. Create Referral Codes

In your experience, word-of-mouth promotion may do wonders for a company’s bottom line. Black Friday online promotion is also aided by this.

Distribute referral codes to your email list. As an incentive, you might give them gift cards or lower prices. You can increase your consumer base through word-of-mouth advertising from your existing clientele by merely rewarding their loyalty with special treatment.

Here is how Feelunique makes its referral program unique for each user.

4. Bonuses for even the Smallest Purchases

Give out bonuses for spending at least a particular amount. If a customer spends $100 or more during checkout, for instance, they may be offered free delivery.

Reward programs with a minimum purchase requirement can boost conversion rates and raise average order value. Tiered incentives can make the system even more effective. If a customer spends $100, the discount might be 10%, but if they spend $200, the discount might be 20%.

An example to focus on is Mud pie, giving an extra percentage based on the amount their customers have bought.

5. Provide a Free Bonus Item with Every Buy

I mean, who doesn’t appreciate free stuff? People are more likely to buy your stuff on Black Friday if you offer freebies with each purchase. Giving away freebies with a value of less than $5 is a frequent Black Friday marketing strategy for small businesses.

Showcase the freebie on the front page of your website to get the word out. The result is enhanced exposure. For example, you could stipulate that customers must spend $75 or more before they are eligible to receive the freebie. It’s also possible to just include a free bonus with every transaction if your margins are large.

Check out this example offered by Vitamin World. 

6. Create Brand Curiosity Before the Sale

If you are in need of a Black Friday sale idea or how can you get your customers excited about and interested in participating in your Black Friday marketing ideas, The timer next to the product is a great approach to increase sales since it encourages customers to make a quick decision and buy the item without second-guessing themselves.

Customers are more likely to start thinking about what they want to buy in advance of the sale.

An example provided by Apple

7. Pre-Order to Avoid Long Lines & Stock Issues

In order to entice customers to pre-order and make purchases before Black Friday campaigns, the focus this year has been on social distance and digital solutions rather than offline shopping. That means you’ll need to start thinking about the Black Friday ad ideas right now and start rolling out deals early. Stock can be better managed, and customers can avoid waiting in huge queues outside of establishments, both of which contribute to increased security.

This technique is used by Skechers:

8. Synergy Between Brand Platforms

Although you may need to tailor certain promotions to fit particular media, your Black Friday marketing strategy for advertising efforts as a whole should still feel cohesive. Synergized efforts will also provide maximum visibility and minimum group investments, which is important so that consumers aren’t confused when they’re looking for a store while browsing your brand’s platforms.

9. In-Store Contactless Shopping

It’s a key tactic this year because of the worldwide need for people to keep their distance in public places and keep things clean. As a result, as a company, you should prioritize streamlining and simplifying the parts of the in-store purchasing process that don’t involve touching anything. Things like contactless payments, hands-free product testing, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and so on are included.

10. Give Free Shipping

Another Black Friday marketing idea to think about is when you add in free shipping, you’ve pretty much won over your customers for good. Offering free delivery is a subtle way to persuade people to make a purchase from you since 90% of consumers claim it is one of the top reasons they shop online. 

In addition to being useful year-round, this marketing strategy can be really effective on Black Friday, when consumers are already feeling the pressure to make a purchase. During these times, standing out might be as simple as providing free shipping.

Oliviers & Co used as an example.

11. Set Up a Black Friday Email Campaign

Supposedly this Black Friday marketing strategy is another great item on the list in order to put your digital marketing strategies to action, and one of those strategies is to launch an email marketing campaign. Why? According to several reports, the return on investment for email marketing efforts is $36 for every dollar invested in those campaigns (ROI).

12. Don’t Forget to Use Hashtags on Black Friday

If you want your content to be discovered organically on social media, hashtags are a great tool, which makes it one of the most popular Black Friday marketing strategies. Using the proper hashtags, users of social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook may easily locate the content they’re seeking. 

At present, the Black Friday hashtag on TikTok has more than 4B views. By including relevant hashtags in your social media postings about Black Friday online promotion, you increase the likelihood that they will be seen and read by interested parties.

13. Provide a Refund Policy with Some Flexibility

Having happy customers is essential to running a successful company. Offering customers the choice to return an item is an effective way to maintain their satisfaction, as seen by the annual $640 billion in merchandise returns.

There can be a number of reasons for a customer to request a product return. If you choose to provide a returns policy, make sure it’s easy to understand so that customers can quickly determine if they qualify. Include this promotion in your Black Friday marketing strategy to encourage more sales. In addition, this can be used to make coupons or gift certificates.

14. Offer Limited-Time Deals

Another highly effective Black Friday marketing strategy is offering deals for a limited time. By creating a sense of urgency and exclusivity, limited-time offers can drive customer engagement and increase sales during this busy shopping season. 

Moreover, these time-limited deals create a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) among customers, encouraging them to make quick purchasing decisions. You can use countdowns, reminders, etc. to enhance the effect. 

15. Use Influencer Marketing 

One strategy that has been gaining immense popularity in recent years is influencer marketing. And let me tell you, it’s like adding a turbo boost to your Black Friday sales!

Influencer marketing involves collaborating with social media influencers who have a dedicated following of engaged fans. These influencers have the power to sway their audience’s purchasing decisions, making them an ideal partner for your Black Friday promotions.

Why is influencer marketing such a game-changer for Black Friday? Well, imagine this: you’re scrolling through your Instagram feed, and suddenly your favorite fashion influencer pops up wearing a stunning outfit from a brand you love. They rave about how amazing the deals are for Black Friday and share a unique discount code just for their followers. You can’t help but feel excited and compelled to check out those deals yourself!

How to Use Influencers for Black Friday Marketing?

67% of marketers take advantage of influencer marketing to up their marketing strategies. Instagram influencer partnerships are by far the best-performing platform for brands to reach new audiences quickly, with an average 3.21% engagement rate compared to 1.5% across all social networks. 

Because of this, influencer marketing can help you a big time.

1. Reviews and Feedback on the Product

As the holiday shopping season heats up, consumers are on the lookout for reliable brands offering affordable prices. Prior to making a final decision to buy, the consideration process is an important one. Trust and reassurance about the quality of products are especially vital for eCommerce firms to convey to new clients as they pursue their offerings online.

In this context, the influence of key opinion leaders can be crucial in winning over new clients. People go to them for guidance and advice since they are seen as experts in their industry.

Collaborating with influencers on product review videos or curated gift wish lists is a wonderful Black Friday marketing approach. Social proof, such as an endorsement from a well-known figure in the sector, is essential for winning over wary new clients.. If they want to know what cool new things are out there that would make great presents, they’ll consult their favorite influencers. 

For instance, Olivia covers posts and Stories about beauty, cosmetics and personal care. She sometimes shares reviews and feedback on the products she has used.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 🌻Olivia (@skintrovertt)

2. Unboxing

Influencers capitalize on the joy of giving by filming their unwrapping of gifts and sharing their reaction with their audience in “unboxing” campaigns. It’s a fun way to introduce a sense of suspense as the influencer and their followers learn more about the product. Customers can get a better idea of the product’s quality, functionality, and packaging by watching an unboxing video.

This tactic is ideal for companies launching seasonal collections, as influencers can drum up interest in the products before of release and interest in particular Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. 

It’s also a viable option for startups without the capital to launch a full-scale influencer marketing campaign. After all, the greatest Black Friday marketing strategy to use in order to increase interest in your product is to get it into the hands of the influencers who will be talking about them.

For instance, iJustine is a popular YouTuber because of her devotion to technology and the fact that she occasionally posts unboxing videos.

3. Use Promo Codes to Advertise Cyber Weekend Sales

On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, everyone is searching for the best possible offer. During Cyber Monday, brands and influencers can work together to spread the word about special discounts. It’s a win-win situation, as the influencer can increase their following and engagement by offering their followers a special discount, while the brand may increase its sales over Black Friday. 

By issuing individual discount codes to each influencer, companies can track and attribute sales in real time, allowing them to assess the return on investment (ROI) and identify the most effective advocates for their products.

4. Get Started with an Affiliate Marketing Initiative

Affiliate partnerships with your influencers can be quite fruitful because they already love your business, are familiar with your items, and have a sizable social media following. By coordinating an affiliate campaign, you can assist them in improving the conversion rate of their already-interesting material on products by having them include a call to action and an affiliate link.

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, every piece of content should be actively driving purchases with as little resistance as possible. Keep your products in the minds of your influencer’s audience and provide a fast path to the checkout by adding an affiliate link to their Instagram Story Swipe Up, Story Sticker, YouTube video description, or Twitch conversation.

You can quickly evaluate the effectiveness of any influencer in your affiliate program by viewing the number of sales they have created when you use monitored affiliate links. Launch successful affiliate marketing campaigns using Ainfluencer’s affiliate marketing ultimate guide to increase Black Friday online promotions.

Brand Mondo’s video description includes clickable links not only to the product he is testing but also to his other offerings, saving viewers time and making it more likely that they will buy something from his store.

Now only one question remains! How can you find the right influencer for your Black Friday Marketing efforts?

Ainfluencer: The Best Influencer Marketplace for Black Friday Marketing

Ainfluencer is the only end-to-end, DIY influencer marketplace where brands can identify the ideal influencer with whom to collaborate in time for the holiday shopping season, giving businesses a significant boost to sales during the busiest shopping period of the year.

Using Ainfluencer’s AI-driven engine, brands can find influencers based on their niche, language, country, gender, etc., negotiate the terms, and close deals. 

What really makes Ainfluencer different from other similar platforms is the fact that you don’t need to pay any fees to be able to sign up and use its services. Moreover, Ainfluencer offers a built-in chat through which you can negotiate the terms of your agreement to make sure everything is exactly the way you wish. 

Ainfluencer’s Values for Brands

When it comes to your Black Friday marketing, Ainfluencer offers a treasure trove of advantages that can’t be ignored:

1. Endless Opportunities: Break free from limitations. Run countless Black Friday campaigns without worrying about additional expenses. Our campaign-and-go approach ensures influencers come to you, streamlining the process.

2. Effortless Connections: While you’re out enjoying a game of basketball or whipping up a delicious meal, Ainfluencer is hard at work, connecting you with authentic influencers who fit your brand. No more chasing influencers – they come to you with enticing proposals.

3. In-Depth Insights: With Ainfluencer, you can dive deep into influencer niches, audience demographics, reviews, and past collaborations. Make data-driven decisions that boost your Black Friday success.

4. Simplified Management: Using our platform, you may negotiate, pay, and review influencers, all within your chat inbox, and say goodbye to unnecessary complications.

5. Financial Peace of Mind: Ainfluencer uses an escrow system to manage the payments; meaning that the agreed upon money will be kept in Ainfluencer’s account until the influencer runs your promotion. This way, you can rest assured that the promotions are high in quality.

6. Scalable Partnerships: You can increase your Black Friday promotions by collaborating with influencers at scale, increasing your product’s visibility and brand awareness.

7. User-Friendly: Ainfluencer is designed with you in mind. Our user-friendly platform empowers you to take charge of your influencer marketing strategy.

8. Precision Targeting: Reach your ideal audience with pinpoint accuracy, ensuring your Black Friday campaigns resonate with your target demographic.

9. Performance Tracking: Keep a vigilant eye on your campaigns and effortlessly monitor influencer performance. Stay in control every step of the way.

10. Expert Support: Benefit from unlimited walkthrough sessions with our dedicated support team. We’re here to guide you to Black Friday success.

Special Offer: Ainfluencer has an exquisite offer for brands of all sizes this Black Friday! You can see the details in the video below:

So what are you waiting for? Sign up on Ainfluencer right now to maximize your Black Friday marketing efforts!

Conclusion 

Every business needs to take advantage of the once-a-year window presented by Black Friday. In all likelihood, the majority of your annual sales will occur on or around Black Friday and the subsequent Cyber Monday.

Now that you have access to some of the most innovative marketing strategies available, you can use them to generate buzz and increase sales, and with the help of Ainfluencer, you can now find your ideal influencer in order to do business.