Cracking the Code to Cyber Five: Strategies to Engage Customers?

As the 2024 holiday season approaches, anticipation is rising, with shoppers eager to dive into the festivities and the excitement of holiday deals! And with this Cyber 5—covering Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Sunday, and Cyber Monday— will turn into a bustling marketplace filled with consumers ready to shop. ????

This enthusiasm is highlighted by the projected 5.6% annual growth in U.S. retail e-commerce sales, which will reach $41.5 billion. This year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday will remain the leading online shopping days. It is estimated that Cyber Monday e-commerce sales will increase by 7.8% YOY to $13.93 billion, while Black Friday sales are expected to rise by 5.5%, reaching $10.76 billion.???

Although the Cyber Five shopping period saw a significant dip from 2020 to 2021 due to pandemic-related shopping hesitancy, it has since experienced substantial year-over-year growth.?

Moreover, holiday shoppers are anticipated to prioritize essential purchases along with modest indulgences. Small-ticket categories are expected to outpace the growth of larger-ticket items, indicating a shift in consumer spending preferences.

Food and beverage are set to be the strongest category, driven by the rising costs of dining out, which have pushed more consumers toward at-home options. Followed closely by health, personal care, apparel, footwear, and accessories.

With these numbers on the run, it becomes significant for advertisers to understand their customers and foster engagement driving them to purchase.???

Here are essential marketing strategies you can implement right away to drive success:??

1. Understanding the Customer??? ?

In today’s digital age, the customer journey is anything but multifaceted and ever evolving.? With users interacting with brands through various platforms and touch-points, recognizing user intent is critical to understand customer behaviour and bridge the gap from intent to purchase.???

The three commonly known user intents are:?

• Informational Intent: This intent represents users who are looking to learn or gather information. They may not be ready to buy yet, but they are in the research phase. Around 50–80% of searches done across all the search platforms fall into the "informational" category.
• Navigational Intent: Users with navigational intent are seeking to find a specific website, brand, or page. These individuals may know what they are looking for but need assistance finding the exact destination. 43% of retail customers head directly to the search bar on a website.
• Transactional Intent: This type of intent indicates that the user is ready to make a purchase and is looking for the best bargain. As 33% of the world’s population? shops online, the hunt for deals, discounts, coupons, and price comparisons is gaining momentum.???

Considering that 36% of consumers in the U.S. plan to shop on Black Friday and 34% on Cyber Monday, brands must ensure seamless purchasing processes.?

2. Stay Ahead of the Game?????

With consumers on the hunt for great deals, launching early promotions can create excitement and set you apart from the competition. A well-thought-out game plan that aligns your marketing efforts with key shopping events will not only help you connect with your audience but also boost your sales. Here’s what marketers must do:???

• Prep early: Shoppers are on the lookout for great deals, so launching early promotions can stir up excitement and grab their attention before the competition does.??
• Plan like a pro: Brands need a game plan! Aligning your campaigns with these shopping extravaganzas will help you shine and boost those sales.??
• Know your audience: Customers have different shopping vibes—some are ready to buy, some are browsing, and others just want info. Use these insights to know what your consumer needs the most.???
• Optimize like crazy: Arm yourself with compelling SEO content, stay updated on the latest trends, and develop a marketing strategy that connects with users across multiple touch-points.??

For a winning strategy this holiday season, take a cue from expert Karishma Parmar, Director of Advertiser Partnerships at SitePlug:??

"As the holiday season approaches, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and dive headfirst into Cyber Five—which is undoubtedly the most exhilarating shopping season of the year!????

The key to crushing this holiday season is quite simple: meet your customers where they're at. And how can you do that? Well, you need to be ready to hit the ground running, armed with killer targeted content, a pulse on the latest trends, and a laser focus on top-selling products".

3. Leverage AdTech to Drive Sales??

Ad tech plays a vital role in helping businesses connect with their target audiences and achieve their advertising goals. By showing ads to users who are likely to engage with the messaging, implementing ad tech solution into marketing strategies can help advertisers to significantly enhance conversion rates and sales. It also optimizes ad spend by reducing wasted impressions on irrelevant audiences.?

Karishma Parmar also stated, “An ad-tech solution is as important to marketers as fuel is to a car—it keeps campaigns running smoothly. SitePlug, a powerful ad-tech solution that drives high-quality traffic and turns clicks into sales by making sure your brand is in front of the right audience at the right time. It’s like having a digital concierge guiding customers to the right products. With the perfect mix of strategy, ad-tech tools, and smart budget management, you’ll unlock a new level of performance in the affiliate space. Trust me, the results are transformative!”??

Now's the time to act! Don't let these insights go to waste—implement these strategies and watch your sales skyrocket.

We're here to support your success during the Cyber Five. Stay updated and inspired by following our LinkedIn newsletter, where our community shares exclusive insights.?

For a personalized strategy, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].