Top 10 tactics to boost your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales results

The busiest sales event of the year is almost upon us – are you ready to make the most of it? eCommerce expert and SearchSpring Head of APAC, Kate Massey, reveals the top tactics for retailers and brands to boost conversions and deliver the best shopping experience this Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Last year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) sales shattered records. NAB estimates that Aussies spent a whopping $8 billion over the four sale days in 2021. The Australian Bureau of Statistics recorded a 5.8 per cent rise in November 2021 spending compared with 2020, while online retailing turnover saw a whopping 22.8 per cent increase.

Additional economic factors come into play this year, though, with interest rate rises and cost of living increases creating uncertainty for retailers. As the year’s biggest sales event approaches on November 25 and 28, many are asking themselves whether shoppers will be more reserved this year, or more eager than ever to snap up bargains?

10 tips to boost your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales

Retailers will need every advantage to stand out this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. So, here are the top ten tactics to knock sales results out of the ballpark this year.

1. Use authentic content to attract attention

BFCM brings a tidal wave of promotional content, ad campaigns and marketing messages. If you’re not leveraging video and UGC (user generated content), your message might get lost at sea.

Data from VidMob shows that video ads can produce a 48 per cent increase in sales rate over static ads. UGC also converts higher than overly-produced sales campaigns. In a Yotpo survey of 1,000 eCommerce shoppers, 77 per cent said that authentic photos from customers affect their purchase decisions more than professional photos from stores do.

This BFCM use UGC, including pictures, ratings, reviews, Q&A, and video content like Instagram Reels, video ads, and anything with moving images to attract more attention.

2. Stay front-of-mind at sale time

Amongst the flurry of ads, emails and marketing messages announcing Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers, shoppers will browse multiple stores and sale offers.

Stay front-of-mind by building SMS and email campaigns with several different sale reminders. Target anyone who’s abandoned their cart to recapture their attention, and have flows in place for ‘last chance’ emails in the final hours of your sale.

3. Don’t be afraid to leverage FOMO

Countdown timers can be a perfect trigger to remind shoppers that time is running out. Add countdowns across your website, social channels and email campaigns to further drive FOMO (fear of missing out).

‘Low in Stock’, ‘Last Chance’, or ‘Sale Ending Soon’ badges and inline banners displayed on product results pages can also drive that sense of urgency to quickly turn browsers into buyers.

4. Keep it simple, stupid

KISS is a principle commonly attributed to Kelly Johnson, lead aircraft engineer at the Lockheed Skunk Works (creators of spy planes and US aircraft). Kelly told Lockhead designers that whatever they produced had to be simple and easily repaired in the field with basic training and tools.

On the battlefield of attention-grabbing Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers, make sure your promotion is:

• Simple to understand.
• Easy to execute on your website.
• Creating a seamless path to purchase for shoppers.

Keep your offer straightforward, and your customers will thank you (with their orders)!

5. Make your sale about more than deep discounting

When relying on discount strategies to boost sales, online retailers can run the risk of shoppers waiting for future events before buying.

Consider how you can build a long-term approach to maximise customer lifetime value, including:

• Offering free gifted products with purchases.
• VIP membership programs with additional offers, events, or pre-release notices.
• Segmenting your sale-conscious customers who only buy with discounts in place vs. your loyal, repeat-purchase customers.
• Promoting upsell, cross-sell and bundle opportunities to grow the AOV (average order value) this peak season.

6. Use your Insights to uncover intentions

Start with hard data to understand your online shoppers’ behaviour, conversion and drop-off points, and purchase intentions.

Then, in the lead-up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, A/B test your assumptions about shoppers. Which types of messaging appeal to your buyer segments more? Do some prefer free or faster shipping options to seal the deal?

Use search queries within Google Analytics to ensure your pages, products and promos align with the terms shoppers are using – and gain a better idea of their purchase intent. For example, ‘red shoes’ is a broad term browsers might use at the start of their buyer journey. ‘Red Nike Air Zoom running shoes’, however, suggests they’ve done their research and are ready to buy.

7. Bring hyper-personalised experiences to hyper-aware shoppers

When shoppers arrive at your site, help them feel instantly special. By offering tailored search results based on previous behaviour, you can put the right products in front of the right shoppers. Personalised product recommendations serve suggestions that customers will actually like, and can even turn your ‘zero results’ pages into 100 per cent new sales opportunities.

Take the experience even further by using personalised email recommendations. These hyper-personalised email blocks place products in front of shoppers that they’re sure to love – based on the interests, intent and behaviours they display when browsing your online store.

8. You got the sale, now seal the deal

What happens post-sale can directly influence whether your shoppers will be single-sale, once-a-year, or loyal repeat customers.

Create an immediate connection by welcoming new shoppers to your brand. Online shoppers make emotional purchases and buy from brands they admire or respect. Use welcome emails to tell your brand story, promote your sustainable practices, and showcase AI-driven, personalised product recommendations based on website browsing and shopper behaviour.

9. Brace for an unpredictable BFCM

Have all hands on deck to support the influx of enquiries that will undoubtedly come your way after the sale ends, with live chat and call centres fully manned.

And lastly, make sure appropriate shipping notifications are set up to keep customers informed at each step on the road to order receipt.

Be there for your customers, and they’ll be back next time.

10. Hold your shoppers’ interest post-sale period

After the hive of BFCM shopping activity, the post-sale period can bring a lull in activity. It’s an ideal time, however, to drive conversions from those who didn’t stock up in the sales, or customers looking for the perfect presents leading into Christmas.

So, keep the excitement going with personalised promotions that cater to recent browsing and shopping behaviours.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday dates for 2022:

• Black Friday: 25 November 2022
• Cyber Monday: 28 November 2022

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