Are you ready for Black Friday?

It is hard to believe that the beginning of the Christmas shopping season is only a few weeks away. On Friday, November 24, holiday shoppers will be searching for the best bargains around. With this in mind, now is the time to iron out your marketing strategy. Whether large or small, your company needs a clear, concise strategy for this critical promotional period. In the case of Amazon, the behemoth is cutting prices of some of its seller products by up to 9% on goods offered by independent merchants on its site, which in turn is ratcheting up a price war with other retail giants, and potentially damaging its relationship with some sellers. While some giants may implement bold and risky strategies, here are some tips for you to ensure you are in a good position ahead of the hectic sales period – regardless of the size of your business.

Revisit last year’s data

First and foremost, analyze what worked and what didn’t last year. Look into what types of content, keywords, promotions, etc., were successful at boosting traffic. Secondly, identify the type of visitors you attracted last year. In other words, where did they come from and what was their behavior like? Use Google Analytics to uncover behavior data and more.

Remember the value of visual

The digital era is upon us, with more and more consumers choosing to watch videos online. Consider that 65% of people are visual learners, so ensure you are weaving visual content into your campaigns. Video content is hugely successful in promoting business ahead of the holiday season. Tease your audience on social media channels, create sneak peak snippets of your Black Friday deals and get creative with your content.

Don’t forget your employees

This isn’t something that’s hugely thought about on the run up to Black Friday, but they need to be equipped and happy before the mayhem sets in. Your employees need to feel motivated and appreciated, as they are the ones who are the face of your business. In addition, set an incentive when goals are reached. For example, consider offering a ‘day off credit,’ or one of these other fun ways to reward your employees. It is important you give thanks for all the work that they do, so monitor their progress and make sure you give feedback and recognition.

Be transparent

Ensure your branding is relevant and your website is reflective of your holiday promotions (e.g., opening times, shipping times and costs and any other important information that a potential customer doesn’t want to have to fish around for). Not only do you need to be transparent externally, but also internally. In order to be best prepared, your team and everyone in your organization needs to be aware of the strategy in place ahead of the holidays. This will mean the operations should run a lot smoother and processes are understood.

There are a lot of elements to consider when establishing plans and campaigns for the Christmas period, but if you do your research, monitor results and stay on top of your team, then you’ll ensure a jolly time for both employees and customers alike this season!