The Impact of Black Friday and Cyber Monday

It’s the most important shopping weekend of the year—a chance for businesses to start their holiday season off right and to ensure accountants are using their black pens. This year, holiday shoppers are projected to spend $1638 each, so it’s important for your company to be prepared and maximize its potential revenue during Black Friday / Cyber Monday.

To help you raise the ceiling on this opportunity, C Squared Social has concocted a 5-step process to ensure your company is ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We call it our “Preparedness Toolkit”; follow these steps to capitalize on the coming rainstorm of consumer spending—before the inevitable January drought.

Step 1: Optimize Your Website

A fast, mobile-friendly website is critical to keeping shoppers engaged and converting visits into sales.

• Speed matters: 40% of customers will leave a site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load.
• Mobile optimization: With 71% of customers preferring mobile-friendly sites, ensure your website is responsive across devices.
• Clear CTAs: Display your BFCM deals and calls-to-action prominently.
• Performance boost: Optimize your site’s speed to handle increased traffic and ensure security for safe shopping.

Your website is your digital storefront—make sure it’s ready for the rush!

Step 2: Prepare Your Email List

Email marketing is one of your most effective tools for BFCM. Here’s how to get your list ready:

• Clean & segment: Target high-value customers with personalized offers.
• Automate campaigns: Save time and drive efficiency with automated emails.
• Create engaging content: Grab attention with emails that entice customers to act.
• Optimize timing: Time your campaigns to hit inboxes when people are most likely to shop.

Email marketing boasts an ROI of 4400%, and segmented campaigns can boost conversions by 208%. Get your campaign going now to maximize BFCM impact!

Step 3: Plan Your Discounts and Offers

Plan your promotions to drive sales while supporting your business goals.

• Segmented offers: Target specific customers (like loyalty members) with exclusive deals.
• Tiered discounts: Encourage higher spending by offering more for larger orders.
• Limited-time offers: Create urgency with flash sales to boost conversions.
• Bundle & save: Increase average order value by offering bundled products.

60% of shoppers say discounts are key in their buying decisions. Make that major slice of the pie happy by planning your deals accordingly.

Step 4: Develop a Campaign Strategy

A well-rounded campaign will drive traffic from multiple sources.

• Set goals: Know whether you’re aiming for new customers, repeat buyers, or higher order values.
• Target your audience: Who are your customers? Tailor your messaging to their preferences.
• Go multi-channel: Use email, social media, influencer collaborations, and ads to promote your deals.
• Leverage social proof: Include user-generated content (UGC) and testimonials to build trust.

Remember, 60% of BFCM shoppers research products before making a purchase, so make sure your messaging is strong across all platforms.

Step 5: Prepare for Increased Competition and Ad Costs

BFCM sees a spike in competition, and ad costs can increase by as much as 20% YoY. To stay ahead:

• Scale with demand: Use data and analytics to scale your campaigns as demand increases.
• Diversify ad channels: Spread your budget across different platforms to avoid over-reliance on one.
• Monitor performance: Focus ad spend on high-performing campaigns for maximum ROI.

Ad competition is fierce, but with the right strategy, you can still win big.

A BFCM Partner

Black Friday and Cyber Monday present massive sales opportunities, but success comes from preparation. By following C Squared’s 5-step process—optimizing your website, preparing your email list, planning discounts, developing a campaign strategy, and preparing for increased competition—you can ensure your business is ready to take advantage of this high-demand shopping period.

Your business can be in the black this holiday season. Contact C Squared Social to get started on a tailored BFCM strategy.