If you're preparing for Black Friday sales, it's time to get started on your plan. There are several Black Friday small business ideas that can help boost your sales and attract new customers.
According to Adobe Analytics, Black Friday 2022 saw online revenue reach a staggering $9.12 billion, marking a 2.3% increase from the previous year—the highest amount ever recorded for Black Friday. Additionally, Cyber Monday witnessed consumers spending a record total of $11.3 billion. Therefore, for small businesses, Cyber Monday is equally, if not more, crucial than Black Friday.
To ensure you're ready for these shopping events, prioritise essential steps and create a well-thought-out plan. This article outlines simple ideas to help you prepare for the most profitable time of the year.
Getting your Small Business Black Friday-Ready
Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be challenging for small businesses. The pressure to offer discounts can lead to unsatisfactory profits. To navigate this, work out a model that fits your business and estimate the potential extra sales and profitability. Analyse the impact of offering discounts and consider additional expenses like free shipping, which can be a powerful motivator but must be managed cost-effectively.
Review Your Website and SEO
Start with seasonal keyword research, as it forms the foundation of your marketing activity. Utilise tools like Ubersuggest, Semrush and Google Trends to find relevant keywords. In the competitive landscape, small businesses should focus on using less competitive words and long-tailed search terms (phrases with multiple words).
Prioritise website optimisation ahead of Black Friday. Google Pagespeed Insights to check site speed, a crucial factor for user experience and SEO. Address any errors on your website, such as broken links, pages lacking sufficient content, and redirect errors. Semrush can assist in identifying and fixing these issues.
Ensure your Black Friday and Cyber Monday keywords are integrated into your copy, meta titles, meta descriptions, and image alt tags. This optimisation will increase your chances of ranking for those keywords.
Create Engaging Landing Pages
Landing pages play a crucial role in launching targeted marketing campaigns. Optimise your Black Friday and Cyber Monday pages with keyword-rich content, including meta content and image alt tags.
Link directly to these landing pages from your marketing content, such as social media posts, paid ads, or links from other websites. Direct linking aids helps SEO and makes navigation easy. Create your landing pages ahead of time with "coming soon" information to generate anticipation. Additionally, incorporate reviews at crucial points. Reviews are a powerful tool for small businesses to drive Black Friday sales, especially during busy shopping times when customers are making comparisons.
Ramp Up Your Content
Use your chosen keywords to craft great content, including keyword-rich blogs, product descriptions, and engaging visuals.
Beyond website and social media content, consider creating special items like gift guides to share with journalists and outlets. This promotion can lead to valuable links to your website. Investing in your content early on will work in your favour.
Social Media and Email
Start planning your social media and email content well in advance. Use a content planner to ensure maximum promotional impact come Black Friday. Winging it is not an option during the busiest time of the year. Schedule social media using tools such as Later.
Ensure potential customers are informed about your offers ahead of time, so they have you in mind when the sales begin. Research and use relevant hashtags and curate content for your social channels.
Email marketing will help you engage with customers already familiar with your business. Promote your sale well in advance and continue to keep customers updated on available products. According to email giants, Mailerlite, brands that run both Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales can continue their email campaign into the following week.
Consider your email strategy beyond the sales season. After attracting new customers through your sales, nurture them with excellent content and exceptional experiences.
Make Black Friday Work for You
Preparation is key to making the most of Black Friday and Cyber Monday for your small business. Conduct seasonal keyword research, optimise your website and SEO, and create engaging landing pages. Ramp up your content creation and strategically use social media and email marketing to effectively promote your sales and engage with your audience.
However, it's crucial to approach Black Friday and Cyber Monday with a well-thought-out strategy to ensure profitability. Carefully analyse your numbers, consider the impact of discounts and free shipping, and make informed decisions to avoid potential losses.
With careful planning and execution, small businesses can position themselves for success during these high-impact shopping days.
By providing value to customers through enticing offers and exceptional experiences, small businesses can capitalise on the momentum of Black Friday and Cyber Monday to foster growth and long-term success.
Good luck!