Your Ecommerce Black Friday Strategy 2023 (& Some Brick and Mortar Store Ideas, Too!)

Hi, my name is Ivy and I've been in Digital Marketing for 7 years (mainly in Ecommerce Email Marketing). Over the years, I have executed on email strategies that were purchased by companies, have come up with my own from scratch, pivoted mid-strategy, and followed the trends of many product niches. I can spare you the most in-depth details of what I have experienced and learned and instead, provide you a foundation that any ecommerce store can personalize and use (along with some messaging samples and explanations that help you understand why these strategies are effective).?

If you're not currently using Klaviyo to email your ecommerce customers and subscribers, WHAT?! It is is THE BEST and MY ONLY recommendation for a made-for-ecomm ESP. Get your account today here --->?https://www.klaviyo.com/partner/signup?utm_source=0010V00002Q2kXZQAZ&utm_medium=partner

You're only going to need to create these 5 'Email Templates'.?

Let's get started.?

Email Template #1 – Early Bird & V.I.P. Opt-In

Measure your list's interest in being sent special Black Friday offers by sending them an invitation to place themselves into a 'Black Friday High Engagement Expected' segment. You can send this out November 1st or along with your Happy Halloween on October 31st. Simply include just one button that says 'I want all the exclusive Black Friday – Cyber Monday offers'.?

Your messaging should sound something like...

Hi {{ First_name }},?

Thank you for trusting us with your [ product ] needs! We're fast-approaching our best prices of the year during our Black Friday to Cyber Monday offers and we want to make sure you WANT all the deets, so that we don't over-email you.

If you want all the exclusive offers, please smash the like button below to let us know!?

[LIKE BUTTON]?

P.S. If you KNOW you are subscribed to a lot of retailers, hit the LIKE button above AND add our email address to your contacts/safe sender list in???settings or drag this email to the primary tab, if in Gmail.

(Link the button to your Facebook Page or another social media profile related to your business. Maybe you'll get more social media subscribers! But the point here is to make the button lead somewhere after clicked, so that the click is tracked in Klaviyo).?

After the campaign is deployed, you can create a segment of those who clicked and email these subscribers MORE during Black Friday – Cyber Monday because they raised their hands, and you will likely maintain high click rates vs. sending your entire list too many emails and jeopardizing your stats.?

Email Template #2 – Digital Doorbusters

Here's where my strategy differs from previous years. Everyone knows due to inflation that companies are not really offering the deals they used to. For this reason, I'm encouraging all e-comm store owners to stock their stores specifically for this season. Purchase products you might not normally carry but are low-cost to you, high profit margin, and/or are a draw for your target.

You can source multiple products to make your strategy seem like a bigger 'savings event' amongst your less-discounted items or at least, purchase 100 'Digital Doorbusters' to give to the 1st 100 purchasers when you launch your Black Friday Campaigns. This creates a sense of urgency and exclusivity, encouraging customers to make a purchase quickly.

Email Template #3 – Category Sales + Product Highlight + Extra 10% OFF Coupon For Email Subscribers Only

Every Black Friday, the name of the game is emailing MORE because so many retailers are emailing your customers at the same time, you will drown beneath theirs in the inboxes. To email more with your bandwidth, you need a smart strategy that allows you to make interesting emails/offers without spending a ton of time doing it.?

The easiest way to achieve attractive emails with interesting offers consistently for days is to put everything on-site on sale. If possible, do this by category and then choose one product you can discount significantly more than usual, and then at the bottom of each email, include an EXTRA 10% OFF visual coupon with a code?For Subscribers Only.?

When creating the code, I would suggest setting the expiration date for the Sunday before Cyber Monday at Midnight and allowing customers to use the code multiple times (in case they are tempted to purchase from more emails. It DOES happen!). You can email all your subscribers the category sale emails and EXCLUDE those who purchased in the last 7 days, but why? A significant amount of your annual revenue is made during this time of year. Secure that bag!

Email Template #4 – Cyber Monday

'LIMITED TIME' and 'TODAY ONLY' offers work really well throughout the year, so capitalize on this on Cyber Monday. Significantly reduce the pricing on 'Best Sellers' if your profit margin will allow it and if not, almost 50% of consumers surveyed said that they were converted by FREE SHIPPING offers, so you can offer FREE SHIPPING instead.?

Email Template #5 – Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is a global movement that takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It's a day dedicated to giving back to the community and supporting charitable causes (and often includes NOT promoting your products or services to make sales).?

I know from email marketing for years that people will surprise you purchasing from emails that aren't promotional anyway. I love taking the opportunity to select a charity of choice and emailing my client's lists the opportunity to 'Click The Big Red Button' and we'll donate .10 cents to the charity just for clicking. We explain the organization's mission and give them a link to donate more if they like.?

Later, I sometimes will segment those who clicked and send them a 'Thank You' email and reward them with a coupon code!?

If you're a brick and mortar business (with a physical location), I have NEW strategies for you as well...

67% of consumers still plan on shopping in-store on Black Friday, so here is what you can do to pursuade them to visit YOU instead of your competitors.?

Experience Marketing?

Gone are the days of compelling doorbusters and deals that have customers lined up around the block at 4AM, ready to trample one another to get inside. Let's re-vamp the Black Friday retail experience. My idea is to make it the complete opposite of what I remember Black Friday being in the 90s and early 2000s. Let's make it a luxury experience only offered once a year!

Sell Tickets

Open an hour or two earlier for a limited number of V.I.P.s who purchase tickets to shop not only without being trampled by public purchasers but sip champagne while shopping! You can enter them into a raffle for a grand prize or gift certificate or offer them all 'swag bags' for a truly special experience. Feel free to invest in this boutique approach to marketing.. because your VIPs will blab about it to anyone who will listen and post what fun they had on social media. Provide them an 'Instagrammable' spot in your store and encourage pictures. You can even hire P.R. or invite the media to cover your exclusive event.

If you need a consultation, strategy, or managed services, please reach out to me at [email protected]!