There are few bigger days of the year for small businesses than Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Shoppers enter a sales-driven frenzy on these 2 days following Thanksgiving (not to mention Small Business Saturday), making them prime opportunities for brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce businesses.
While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are right around the corner, it’s not too late to get ready. We’ve rounded up a few quick tips that’ll encourage your success.
1. Showcase your best stuff on a landing page.
In order for people to buy your stuff, they have to find it—landing pages can help. When you build a landing page in Mailchimp, you can showcase your best products or promote your Black Friday sale. Our flexible templates and intuitive designer make it easy create a beautiful page that matches your brand. The best part? It’s totally free.
2. Target the right people with segmentation.
Smart marketing is targeted marketing—use segmentation to send people messages that matter. Tell people about a Black Friday or Cyber Monday event you’re hosting in their city, send a special promo to your best customers, or let new subscribers know what to expect from you this holiday season.
3. Let automations do the work for you.
Everyone could use a shorter to-do list during the holidays. With automations like abandoned cart, order notifications, product recommendations, and welcome messaging, you can cut back on recurring tasks and outreach, while still making your customers feel connected and valued.
4. Create a buzz on social.
Make sure people know about all the great things you’re offering so that your hard work pays off. Announce sales and highlight your best sellers with email, social posts, and ads. And if you’ve already built a landing page, you can use these channels to drive traffic to it.
5. Check your work, then check it again.
When you’re competing for shoppers’ attention, it’s important to make sure everything is just right. Double and triple check your website, emails, ads, and landing pages before they’re live to make sure all of your links and promo codes work, and that your tracking links and pixels are in place.
6. Make sure everything looks great on mobile.
Approximately 57% of people online are using their phone or a tablet. With so many people viewing on mobile, it’s important to optimize for smaller screens. Luckily, all our channels are automatically mobile-optimized, which leaves you with one less thing to do.
7. Get your team in place.
As you prepare for above-average volume, make sure you increase your staff to handle the inflated traffic—whether that’s in-person or online. Then, set up multi-user accounts to make sure your whole team can pitch in.
8. Make a backup plan—just in case.
Even with all this prep, it’s good to know what to do if something goes awry. Designate who will be on-hand to help online or in your store in the case of a mishap. Communicate responsibilities clearly, and be prepared to respond to issues kindly—’tis the season, after all.