Black Friday – cute tradition that kick-starts Christmas or frenzied festival of capitalism? Well, kinda both. The good news is it’s the biggest online shopping event of the year, and it’s coming down the tracks fast.
When Did It Start?
The origin story isn’t exactly a fun one. Back in the 50s, police in Philadelphia began using the term ‘Black Friday’ to describe the chaos that ensued in the city the day after Thanksgiving, when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city to watch the annual Army vs Navy football game.
The Philly cops had to work extra-long shifts to police the traffic and crowds for the game, meaning retailers had no protection from shoplifters and the enormous flocks of people. It was always such a rough day for police that the name stuck.
In an attempt to give the term a more positive spin, retailers in the 80s claimed the name ‘Black Friday’ was because it was the day store owners went from operating as a loss (red) to a profit (black) due to consumer spending.
Cyber Monday came into existence in 2005, when online retailers wanted to get in on the act.
What Do The Numbers Say?
$9.8 Billion: The online sales in the U.S. in 2023, marking a 7.5% increase from the previous year.
90.6 Million: The number of consumers that shopped online on Black Friday in 2023, up from 87.2 million in 2022.
2010: The year Cyber Monday overtook Black Friday in total sales. And it has done so every year since.
$12.4 Billion: Cyber Monday sales in 2023.
2,460%: The percentage of increase in total sales on Cyber Monday between 2005 and 2023.
4.3%: Shopify data reveals that the average conversion rate for online stores during Black Friday is 4.3%, significantly higher than the annual average of 2.5%.
Need To Know Info
Be Mobile Ready
Mobile devices accounted for 54% of online revenue during Black Friday 2022. Make sure your campaigns and funnels are optimized for both mobile and desktop.
Themed Creatives
Ensure your creatives are Black Friday or Cyber Monday focused, in both text and design. Not only does it let the user know there you are offering some great, heavily discounted deals, it has another more subtle effect.
Adding these touches will reassure users that your banner or landing page is fresh, timely, and, therefore, more trustworthy. It isn’t just an old, recycled, bogus offer. Instead it’s new and relevant. It gives the impression of a well-maintained brand or offer.
Triple-Check Everything
It sounds obvious, but trust us. Take a few minutes out to go through the whole sales funnel yourself and check all the links and pages.
This is the biggest shopping event of the year. Slow loading times, links not working properly, these are the kinds of things that could cost you big time, and you won’t find out till it’s too late.
Real-Time Monitoring
Follow your campaigns in real time over the weekend to squeeze the most you can out of it. Be ready to jump in and adjust your strategy based on what you’re seeing.
You Gotta Spend Money To Make Money
One downside of Black Friday is that traffic becomes more expensive. As everyone is jostling for ad space, the cost goes up.
Firstly, make sure you save some budget for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You’re gonna need it.
Secondly, make sure you spend the budget you save. Have a number in mind beforehand, and let it rip. If there’s one weekend of the year to go all out, it’s this weekend.
Short-Term Retargeting
Set up retargeting ads for users who visited your site but didn’t convert. With time-sensitive deals, consumers are more likely to return and make a purchase if they’re reminded. People are browsing through deals like crazy on Black Friday and are ready to spend. Your little reminder could be the nudge they need to complete the purchase.
Social Proof
Social proof is always key in getting conversions, but even more so on Black Friday. Each year, people are becoming more literate when it comes to online shopping. They will look for customer reviews and product comparisons before committing to a purchase.
Make sure your campaigns are backed up with impressive but realistic reviews. Product comparison pages are still proving a very effective tool for affiliates.
There’s A Storm Coming…
… a traffic storm, and you better get ready! Now’s the time to start getting your campaigns in order. Luckily for you, we have dedicated account managers across multiple verticals that can get you set up and ready to crush Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
We specialize in Dating, with in-house offers in over 25 GEOs, and are the experts in Antivirus and CPL. Earlier this year we started running the Finance, Legal and Home Improvements verticals, the last of which can be a particular money maker on Black Friday.
Sign up here and one of our dedicated account managers will be in touch in no time. Make this the year you actually take care of business on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.