Golden Quarter Nuggets #7: Black Friday round up – The good, the bad and the ugly

Black Friday can bring out the best in some brands, and the worst in others. I’ve collated the good, the bad, and the ugly tactics I’ve spotted.

The Good: let’s start with a round up of the best Black Friday strategies in action:

• Flash sales-these are limited time offers that change daily, encouraging customers to buy during a small promotional window. This promotion usually launches after a “pre-launch” email letting customers know that “something big is coming” and to prepare their wish lists. It creates excitement and urgency among customers, who may be encouraged to buy an item they had their eye on already.
• Loyalty offers– sending discount codes to loyal customers is a great way to show you appreciate them. Throw in a small gift with the order and you will be sure to delight.
• Targeted marketing– emails that contain items the customer has previously searched for or added to their wish list, that are also addressed to them directly, are proven to increase open-rates, click-throughs and sales because they show you are thinking about customers as individuals
• Easy returns– returns should be easy if you want to make sales in the first place. Customers can (and do) vent their frustrations if the return period is too short, or if an expensive courier delivery to an international address is required.
• Genuine savings– some retailers only discount a couple of times a year, and this is a great way for customers to know that what they buy will not go down in price immediately after they purchase; they can also be sure that you will offer them genuine savings during any promotional periods you do run.
• Easy-to-understand offers– flat discounts, % off or gift with purchase are simple to understand. Brands that don’t make their offers clear (particularly at this hectic time of year) will lose customer attention and sales.

The Bad: try and avoid these tactics if you want to build a loyal customer base that raves about your business:

• Pushy sales tactics– sending follow up emails for abandoned carts is fine, but do not harass customers for days at a time.
• Email overload– sending one email a day is sufficient; any more and customers will feel like they are sifting through spam. Keep your emails fun, informative and of high quality, especially during promotional periods.
• Confusing pricing– pricing should be clear and consistent, so don’t make your customers pull out a calculator to work out what their savings could be.
• Drip pricing– if a customer has decided to buy from you, make sure they know the all-in cost before they go to the checkout; adding on “extras” after they have finalised their cart feels misleading.

The Ugly: customers are smart, so don’t underestimate how fast they will abandon cart if you adopt these tactics:

• Old products dressed up as new– if a customer has been shopping with you for a while, or has been browsing your range prior to sales periods, they will know what you already had, so passing off old items as new and discounted will fall flat and damage your brand image.
• Cheaply made sale-only items– there are some retailers who buy cheap stock specifically for sales. Customers can pick these out because they won’t match the overall quality of the products, so don’t get tempted to try this. Focus instead on quality products and exceptional customer service, both of which hold more long-term value for your business than discounting for the sake of discounting.

I hope you found this useful. I will be rounding up the best emails and offers from Black Friday 2023 in early January, so keep an eye out for that; it might just help inspire your promotions for 2024.