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Black Friday eCommerce: 5 Advertising Strategies for Success

Written by Shrutty Sharma | Dec 11, 2023 3:10:42 PM

When it comes to online shopping, Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. Every year, people are drawn in by the deals and sales that are available. This day gets a lot of attention across a wide range of product categories, from technology to fashion and more. As the day gets closer, shoppers' intentions are at all-time highs, making it a great time for smart advertising.

 

This year, e-commerce soared with a 23% increase in sales during the 2023 Black Friday weekend, signaling immense potential. Even though the recent Black Friday has passed, worry not! The upcoming sale on November 29, 2024, awaits your strategic moves. 

 

Now, the burning question is, how can you seize this golden opportunity and outshine your competitors? This article covers 5 simple and successful Black Friday eCommerce advertising strategies to help your business succeed during this busy shopping weekend.

 

Adyogi Helps Popular Fashion Footwear Brand Win Big on Black Friday

A popular Fashion Footwear Brand, well-known for its designer items, achieved great success during Black Friday. Founded by five dedicated promoters, the brand reported a stellar performance in the fiscal year 2022-23, with an impressive revenue of $ 26 million and a commendable 15% EBITDA margin.

During the Black Friday sales, the company strategically leveraged effective marketing and sales tactics, resulting in a substantial boost in sales. During Black Friday, it made a whopping $230K in revenue. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that it surpasses the combined revenue they generated in the past 4 months.

But, how did they do it? Well, it turns out that its success is a result of careful planning, smart strategies, and the help of Adyogi automations. They utilized tools like Hourly ABO, Stop Loss, and more to streamline their operations and maximize their gains.

 

5 Black Friday eCommerce Strategies that Always Work

As lots of different-sized businesses join in on the Black Friday fun, it's crucial to make a strong plan to attract customers and stand out from the competition. So, let's talk about 5 great ideas for your Black Friday ecommerce strategy to give you a boost.

 

1. Run Teaser Video ads a Week Before the Event

To make the most of Black Friday online sales, here's a simple strategy: share teaser video Ads a week before the big day. 

This strategy involves creating short teaser video ads about upcoming Black Friday deals and showing them a week before the actual event. Importantly, the Ads should be set up to exclude people who have already interacted with the brand's website or products (existing pixel audiences). 

This benefits brands by building anticipation and curiosity among potential customers who haven't engaged with them before. Excluding existing audiences ensures that the teaser is seen mainly by new prospects. 

This approach can generate excitement, attract fresh customers, and increase the chances of drawing in a broader audience for the Black Friday sale.

 

Now, let's talk about making these teaser videos engaging. 

  • First off, keep them short and snappy. People don't have a lot of time, so grab their attention quickly. 
  • Show off your products in action, maybe with some cool music or a voiceover that gets people excited.
  • Use captions or text in your video, too. Not everyone can turn on the sound, so having words on the screen helps everyone understand what's going on. 
  • Finally, add a countdown timer in your video. This creates a sense of urgency, making people feel like they need to be ready for your Black Friday deals.

Remember, the goal is to make people curious and eager to see what you're offering on Black Friday. So, tease a bit, create some excitement, and get ready for a successful online sales event.

 

2. Set Up Google Search Campaigns

Another strategy is using Google Search Campaigns, which involves creating targeted ads that appear when people search for related products or deals on Google. Brands bid on keywords to display their ads prominently in search results, attracting potential customers. 

This strategy benefits brands by increasing visibility during the busy shopping season, driving website traffic, and boosting sales. With the surge in online searches and shopping during Black Friday, Google

Search Campaigns help brands reach a larger audience, promote special offers, and capitalize on the heightened consumer interest. 

It's a cost-effective way to connect with shoppers actively seeking deals, maximizing brand exposure and revenue during this critical sales period.

To leverage the Black Friday eCommerce marketing strategy with Google Search Campaigns:

  • Update Ads: Mention "Black Friday Sale" in your existing ads to catch people's attention and let them know about your special deals.
  • Add Useful Links: Put extra clickable links (Sitelink Extensions) below your ads that lead to specific pages, like "Black Friday Deals," making it easier for people to find what they want.
  • Show Off Promotions: Use special discounts and deals in your ads through Google Ads and Merchant Center. This way, people can see your Black Friday offers and are more likely to click on your ads.

These steps help your ads stand out and attract more customers during the busy Black Friday shopping season.

 

3. Leverage The Power Of Performance Max Campaigns

Performance Max (PMax) is a smart eCommerce marketing strategy, especially effective on Black Friday. PMax is a goal-based campaign type in Google Ads. It uses Google's machine learning to increase conversions across Google's advertising channels.

Brands use PMax to maximize their online sales by showing ads across various Google platforms. It optimizes ad placement, considering user behavior and preferences.

This strategy benefits brands by increasing visibility on platforms like Google Search, YouTube, and Display Network, ensuring ads reach potential customers at the right moment. PMax enhances the chances of converting clicks into sales, boosting revenue during the Black Friday sales frenzy.

To make the most of Performance Max (PMax) for Black Friday:

  • Change the images and text in your Ads to match the Black Friday sale.
  • If you usually show your products in Ads, think about making a new PMax campaign with only images and text. If you can't spend a lot of money, just add these new assets to your existing PMax campaign.
  • If you can, spend more on PMax. If your budget is tight, at least temporarily scale up the PMax campaign budget or adjust Target Return on Ad Spend (TROAS) downwards until Sunday to allow the campaign to spend more without being limited by budget constraints.
  • Make a special group of people who are interested in Black Friday. This helps PMax show your ads to the right people.
  • Use relevant keywords related to Black Friday that people might type when looking for Black Friday deals. For example, use popular search terms like 'Black Friday' (90,500 Monthly searches), 'Black Friday sale' (74,000 searches), and 'Black Friday sale India' (18,100 searches).

By following these steps, you can make the most out of the PMax strategy and take full advantage of the increased online shopping activity during Black Friday. 

PMax has proven to be a successful Black Friday eCommerce strategy for various industries. One of Adyogi’s clients- a legacy footwear brand, increased their advertising spending by 72% and saw a 78% boost in revenue from Ads during the Black Friday sale. So, basically this strategy helped them turn more clicks into actual sales and make more money.

 

4. Experiment With Demand Gen / Youtube Campaigns

Black Friday eCommerce marketing can leverage Demand Gen (Demand Generation) campaigns on platforms like YouTube. These AI-powered tools aim to reach new audiences by using visually engaging content on Google's entertaining platforms. 

Unlike traditional Discovery Ads, Demand Gen campaigns within YouTube Ads offer unique features tailored for today's social marketers. By focusing on videos and images in Google's vibrant ecosystem, these campaigns generate interest and attract potential customers. 

This strategy benefits brands by maximizing visibility, capturing attention, and ultimately driving sales during the Black Friday shopping frenzy.

To make your Black Friday online sales pop, follow these steps:

  • Create Eye-Catching Ads: Make compelling single images and carousels with Black Friday themes to grab attention.
  • Go Video: Invest in engaging videos, allocate budgets to promote them for wider reach and better connection with your audience.
  • Activate Product Feed: Enable the product feed in ongoing campaigns to showcase your Black Friday deals and products effectively. This helps customers easily discover and shop for discounted items.

Demand Gen is an effective black Friday advertising strategy. Companies like Patagonia and VivoBarefoot have successfully used Demand Gen/YouTube campaigns for Black Friday. 

For instance, Patagonia encouraged customers to "Buy Less, Demand More" in their 2020 campaign, while VivoBarefoot promoted their ReVivo platform in the 2021 Black Friday sale. 

These strategies can help your eCommerce brand grab attention and increase sales during the holiday rush.

 

5. Get Coupon Code Applied Automatically

Finally,  it's crucial to make using promo codes simple and stress-free for customers. Offering discounts with promo codes adds excitement and urgency, motivating shoppers to grab the deals.

To enhance user experience, automate the coupon code application process. This means customers won't need to manually enter codes during checkout. Instead, discounts are applied automatically when they meet the criteria.

Streamlining this process prevents frustration and reduces the likelihood of abandoned carts. Customers appreciate the ease of getting their discounts without extra steps. Clearly communicate the automatic application of promo codes on your website. This ensures transparency about the savings they'll enjoy.

Implementing this method improves the shopping experience and increases customer conversion. So, basically to optimize Black Friday Cyber Monday sales, keep excitement high and checkout simple.

 

Final Words

To do well in Black Friday online sales, businesses need to be smart and creative. Looking ahead to November'24, businesses can leverage the above 5 proven Black Friday eCommerce advertising strategies, including teaser video ads, Google Search Campaigns, Performance Max Campaigns, Demand Gen/YouTube Campaigns, and streamlined coupon code application. These strategies, exemplified by success stories like the international designer brand's $230K revenue, present a blueprint for outshining competitors, maximizing revenue, and creating a memorable shopping experience.

As businesses gear up for future Black Friday events, implementing these strategies can be the key to surpassing sales targets and ensuring sustained success in the competitive e-commerce landscape.