Black Friday: Ecommerce Marketing for D2C

With holiday sales well underway, this year direct-to-consumer brands are seeking effective Black Friday eCommerce marketing strategies to win the customers.

The idea of going into a direct-to-consumer model of business is to allow the brands to create better and stronger relationships with their customers. This concept should be the backbone of all the marketing strategies that a direct-to-consumer business considers.

Direct-to-Customer businesses should be able to gather and use both direct feedback and valuable behavioral data to progressively move forward with their offerings and services. At the same time, they engage with the individual customer throughout the entire process–from discovery through shopping and delivery, to the post-purchase experience.

Black Friday 2021 Ecommerce Statistics

Here are a few Black Friday trends that you can add to your retail survival kit. Direct-to-Customer businesses should look out for:

A recent study by Redseer research foretold that during Black Friday 2021:

$1 out of $5 in annual online sales to come from the Black Friday period
Online sales in Middle East and Asia region to cross $4bn during Black Friday
Categories such as skincare, casual fashion, and mobile phones to be most popular this year

Insightful statistics from other sources as given below:

‌Many Black Friday shoppers look for deals on their phones as 58% of traffic came to online retailers through mobile devices. (Source: Finances Online)
‌One perceived motivator that drives Cyber Monday sales is the fear of missing out, boosting sales in the waning hours of the day. (Source: Adobe)
In 2021 average cart abandonment rates per device are – mobile (71%), tablets (62%), PC (61%). (Source: namogoo)

Black Friday eCommerce Marketing channels for D2C businesses

It is also observed by YotPo polls that SMS could be the most engaging Black Friday Marketing channel. It shows an average open rate of 98%. While 90% of messages are read within three minutes, it stands well-suitable to spread limited-time offers. It also provides a unique opportunity to leverage data to create personalized messages and flows to boost conversion.

Tips to best leverage eCommerce marketing channels on Black Friday/Cyber Monday

Social: Try to be uber creative this time. Try creating limited-time initiatives such as TikTok and Instagram Stories. Transient content is proven to be more effective in creating urgency and engagement.
Loyalty: Your loyal customers should be given the offer of accessing the Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotions early and urge them to grab the opportunity during the busy season.
Email: Use email effectively to promote offers, first by teasing them, then announcing them, followed by one last chance email.

Black Friday eCommerce marketing campaign ideas to increase engagement and sales

Here are some Black Friday eCommerce marketing campaign ideas to increase engagement and sales. These pointers are sure to add efficiency to your black Friday prepper deals:

Acknowledge your loyal customers and improve Customer Lifetime Value

To guarantee that the customers, regardless of their shopping method, will want to return to your online store to check out your festival deals, you need to ensure a personalized experience that goes beyond just design.

Timely and appropriate communications

It is beneficial if you reach out to recent buyers and offer them targeted and personalized offers your brand will be fresh in their minds. This exercise will be lucrative for sure.

Follow-up with former customers

Contact old customers with special sales offer such as a VIP discount code that offers them even more savings when they buy. Since they’ve already made a purchase from you there is more chance that they check out your offer and buy again.

Use coupons codes

Remunerate your customers with unique or one-time-use coupon codes that drive repeat business and support ongoing brand loyalty.

Add New Product offerings and/or unique Bundles based on buyer behavior

You can use this shopper and customer behavior data to understand their digital footprint and what that means for your Brand and selling strategy, especially around the holiday season.

Relook at your cart abandonment rate strategy

Reduce lost sales with a proven approach to cart abandonment such as emailers or friendly reminders. also, send time-based prompts to make sure no sale is left behind.

Make your store mobile responsive and create an App

Direct-to-customers need to also consider creating an iOS or Android turn Shopify store into mobile app or convert WooCommerce to mobile app so that it becomes more engaging and convenient for the customer to make purchases this festive season.

Check out Black Friday Survival Kit for more insights.