There’s only five weeks to go until the biggest retail period of the entire year - Black Friday. With so many shoppers preparing to descend upon the retail space, both in person and digitally, it’s crucial for businesses to make sure that their Black Friday marketing can stand out among the sea of competition. Maximising your promotions during this period can give your business a serious boost - for reference, this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday are expected to bring in a colossal £4.47bn of online spending alone. With that in mind and five weeks to go, we’ve compiled a list of five ways you can maximise your Black Friday promotions to get the most impact possible.
Ensuring your Website is Secure With so much shopping on Black Friday done online, it’s imperative that your store is obviously cyber secure in order to compete. Cyber-attacks account for a massive 36% of crime against all retailers, and just last Black Friday alone, more than 50 million attacks took place worldwide. Some attacks can be incredibly malicious, such as data breaches which put your customers at risk, whereas others, such as DDoS attacks are designed to make your website inaccessible, thereby losing your business. Making sure your website is completely secure, including having encryption for sensitive data, helps put your customers at ease when using your website, encouraging repeat conversions.
Plan in Advance with Excellent Emails Emails play a crucial role in successful Black Friday trading. 25% of online transactions were reported through email marketing , so get those messages out there! As Black Friday shoppers move to the digital space, it’s up to you to ensure your email campaigns are compelling. Luckily, when it comes to email campaigns, time is on your side. You’re able to create and schedule emails way ahead of time, as well as create a campaign that can run throughout the busy period, meaning you no longer have to worry about your messaging.

Prepare your Social Media Email campaigns are part of a two-pronged attack however. Online is dominated by social media and it’s the perfect place for seasonal messaging. Update your social media pages to showcase your Black Friday offers front and centre - you can spread your messaging across numerous platforms and channels. Make sure however that your social media promotions remain in line with your brand. Like emails, social media can be scheduled, so you can have a constant stream of content.
Get Creative with Rewards and Strategies Shoppers love brand loyalty. It may not seem like much sometimes, but netting a small amount of points by purchasing something from a store can really add up in customers’ eyes. Black Friday presents a great opportunity to reward loyal customers with promotions and offers that they might not otherwise have gotten. Get creative and have fun with the ideas - if it’s clear you’re enjoying the promotions, so will your customers.
Target your Advertising Targeted advertising is the cornerstone of online shopping. You’re able to reach a small, but passionate consumer base tailored to what you’re offering. Dedicate a piece of your advertising budget to tailoring adverts on social media. Take your email list for instance and create targeted ads through Facebook. Ads can also be placed on Google, if your budget can stretch to it. Targeted ads can dramatically improve your response rate as you’re appealing directly to the people that want to listen.
Black Friday provides a fantastic opportunity for retailers to make the most of their online presence and turn it into real sales. By adhering to these five tips, you can make the most out of your promotions and compete this Black Friday. If you need further help with your online presence, get in touch with our experienced team on 01189 100 012 and we can make those promotions count for more.