Five tips to make Black Friday a success

November 26 is the day: Black Friday. This promotional period, which was brought over from the United States and runs from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, is increasingly becoming part of the DNA of Dutch retailers. Have you already made plans to make Black Friday a success? De Nieuwe Zaak helps you on your way with some practical tips.

This article previously appeared on: www.retailtrends.nl | image: stock photo.

Tip 1. Get your SEO in order

During a time when you are good at attracting new customers, SEO is incredibly important. SEO ensures that you are relevant to your target audience at the moment your target audience is looking for something: in this case, Black Friday deals. The monthly average search volumes on "Black Friday" from September through November increased significantly in 2020 compared to 2019.

The terms most searched for are: - [black friday] with a search volume of 233,500 (+15% over 2019) - [black friday deals] with a search volume of 150,000 (+22% vs. 2019) - black friday nederland] with a search volume of 31,000 (+12% vs. 2019) - when is black friday] with a search volume of 8900 (+40% vs. 2019)

So include these terms in your SEO texts and in your SEA campaigns. Just make sure you are not the only one working with these terms. This can make it difficult to build authority around these search terms. So, in addition to these generic terms, make sure you research carefully exactly what terms your target audience is searching for during this period.

Tip 2. Make Google Ads effective

As we mentioned above, SEO is important for attracting new customers. But don't forget your SEA here as well. So make sure your Google ads are optimized for Black Friday. Some ways to do that are:

- Create urgency through Countdown Ads. - Using promotional extensions. - Optimize automatic bidding strategies (set them correctly for the peak period). - Ensure a high quality feed for your (smart) Shopping campaigns.

Tip 3. Advertise in the orientation phase

Not only consumers go wild during Black Friday. Advertising budgets also shoot through the roof. So it's crucial to properly deploy your (increased) budget during this promotional period. But also remember to advertise well before November 26; in your customer's orientation phase.

This way you will be on top of mind with consumers when Black Friday really starts. Play smartly on this with retargeting and social media ads. Also create different scenarios when it comes to budgets and results. This way, you can move quickly when changes occur and you won't encounter any surprises.

Tip 4. Go for big

Our experience has shown that you should either go big on Black Friday or not participate in it. There is no middle ground. With so many companies having Black Friday promotions, chances are that your efforts will be snowed under if you approach it too small. Purchases during Black Friday are still increasing every year, but what is noticeable is that companies are spreading the promotions beyond just Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This could be an interesting strategy for your business for you as well.

Tip 5. Focus on email marketing

This is the time to make your e-mail marketing pop. But make sure you have a strong campaign plan. What do you want to achieve besides selling more products? Examples of goals include generating leads, increasing engagement with loyal customers or getting more information about your subscribers.

Black Friday, as we touched on earlier in this blog, is not suitable for generic messages. Leverage all the information you have about your opt-ins and create an engaging, personalized message.

And if you really want to get the most out of email, keep a/b testing during this period as well. For example, test for urgency (with a countdown banner or in the subject line of the email), scarcity (possibly in combination with an abandoned-cart campaign) or removing uncertainties (for example, test whether it makes sense to name USPs such as 'free returns').