From the days of soap operas promoting Ivory Soap and print ads filling the pages of newspapers, advertising has evolved alongside the modern world. The tools and techniques for achieving optimum traffic to websites and appeal for products has shifted dramatically to the digital sphere.
Black Friday, one of the most important dates on the calendar for online retailers, is a prime opportunity for ecommerce and other tech-savvy companies to revamp their seasonal advertisements. Data indicates that Black Friday spending has increased year on year since 2013, reaching $7.4bn in the US alone in 2019. Such an enormous market spanning four days, up until Cyber Monday, requires advertising that truly stands out from all the rest.
Tools
Creating an effective advertising strategy for Black Friday requires you to implement all the tools you have available to notify consumers about your products or services. Foremost among these is social media, the modern era’s most frequented gathering place.
Establishing a presence on the big players like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and knowing how to tailor your advertisements for each of these sites can pay dividends. With so many ads glaring at customers on a daily basis, you need to make sure your content catches the eye. Schedule your posts ahead of time, create new graphics, blogs and banners specific to your audience and get creative with your promotions. Add a few new products or announce a Deal of the Hour to increase sales.
As well as keeping your social ads fresh and engaging, its vital to ensure that your primary source of income and info can handle the increased engagement. Now that so much attention has shifted to mobile devices, take the time to ensure that your website is optimised for mobile traffic. SMS Messaging is a cheap and effective advertising method for your existing customer base, and launching a Black Friday email campaign can both solidify and expand your earning potential.
Techniques
Data-driven advertising has taken over the online sector, with mass pop ups appearing on almost every webpage and big tech companies like Amazon tracking each customers every move. Consumers are now resorting to installing programmes such as AdBlock and Disconnect to prevent tracking and aggressive advertising, with businesses responding by upping the ante and placing blocks on users unless they are ‘whitelisted’ by removing adblocking software.
Set yourself apart from the multitude of other advertisers who will seek to aggressively push Black Friday on existing and prospective customers no matter the cost. Placing an emphasis on problems rather than products is an alternative, identify the problems of consumers and seek to remedy them in your advertising materials. Niche down your products and services, develop your unique selling point (USP) and publish ads that strike a chord in your clients.
Teamwork
Co-ordinating your team and investing time and resources into a creative and effective advertising strategy can be a daunting prospect, especially in the face of the Covid 19 pandemic.
There are still plenty of opportunities this Black Friday weekend to boost your sales and traffic through the roof. Get in touch with By the Scruff to discover just how our advertising expertise can do just that.