Before stores could pack up their left over Halloween costumes, new holiday displays were built in malls, and advertisements for holiday sales started appearing in newspapers, on television and on the web. Now, stores are stocking their shelves with all their stockpiled inventory from the year for one of their favorite retail extravaganzas – Black Friday.
But, not everyone enjoys camping out at electronic stores for a $200 laptop or waking up at 2 a.m. to get in line for the “doorbuster sales.” Those who appreciate a calmer shopping experience turn to e-commerce, and this year’s Black Friday will be a lot more tech-savvy. According to Accenture, 59 percent of people plan on shopping directly from the internet this sales holiday. Of the shoppers brave enough to enter the physical shopping realm, 54 percent will use their smart phones to compare prices and redeem digital deals as they go.
As a marketer or a small business owner, it is more important than ever to maintain that digital relationship with your customers and create deals that will bring in the shoppers without bankrupting your client or company. Here are a few tips to help you thrive on Black Friday:
1) Get Festive!
Shoppers love the holidays – and so should you! Update your logo, store displays and social media with holiday themes. The change will get your audiences’ attention and get them in the mood for holiday shopping. This doesn’t have to stop at company logos – you can incorporate the theme into any part of your brand. Take a look at these Facebook photostrips for inspiration.
2) Create a Digital Holiday Headquarters
If you want to direct you audience to your holiday specials and sales, creating a micro-site is a great way to start! A micro-site acts as an online hub for all your marketing efforts during the holiday season. Your site doesn’t have to just function as a giant advertisement — use it as a space for conversation! Develop a Holiday Solution Center like Lowes. You can poll fans about their concerns and traditions, or link to your social media accounts. The holidays aren’t just about shopping for most people. Find a way to reach them on a sentimental level and incorporate your brand into their traditions. You’ll find yourself gaining loyal customers instead of seasonal shoppers.
3) Integrate Your Efforts
Digital marketing is more successful when you integrate the campaign throughout your entire brand. Offer digital versions of your print advertisements online. Create a YouTube channel to share your holiday TV commercials with your social media followers, and let them share theirs with you. Try something unique like the Diesel Facebook Cam that allows visitors to photograph themselves outside the dressing room and share the pictures with their friends right from the store:
4) Offer value for interacting with your company
Everyone loves to feel special, so give your followers something special to tell their friends about. You can broadcast time-sensitive deals to your followers or give them exclusive sales codes. Your fans and followers should feel there is added value in liking your page, especially around the holiday season. They will be more likely to come back and to share the page with friends.
5)Use contests
A contest is a great way to generate engagement online or in person. Create a holiday-related contest that connects your brand to your audience, and they will think of you first for their holiday needs. For example, the Air New Zealand Ugly Sweater contest asks their Facebook fans to vote for their favorite ugly Christmas sweaters by “liking” the photos. Contests like these are a great way to drive people to your website and social media pages. They help attract new individuals to your brand and develop a connection between your brand and their holiday traditions.
How will you reach your audience this holiday season?