As an ecommerce brand, you know Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. Then Cyber Monday was established for shoppers to find deals on digital brands. But when the pandemic hit, every brand became an online brand. Now, experts are saying that direct-to-consumer (DTC) is really a channel, not just a business model.
Big brands like Nike that started in brick-and-mortar shops now have a DTC strategy on their website. And online shops that launched as DTC brands are developing wholesale relationships – like Season Three, which expanded into Nordstrom’s retail stores.
So if everyone is selling multi-channel — and more consumers have continued to shop online than before the pandemic — does Cyber Monday even matter anymore? The answer is: Yes. And it’s not just an extension of Black Friday, but its own high-revenue shopping day in its own right.
In 2021, shoppers spent $10.7 billion on online purchases on Cyber Monday — that’s 20% more than they did when shopping online on Black Friday. So on the day you have the potential to make the most revenue you’ll make all year, you need a solid Cyber Monday marketing strategy to stand out from the crowd.
Try these nine Cyber Monday marketing ideas to drive more sales this Black Friday weekend.
1. Differentiate your Cyber Monday deals from Black Friday
Offer exclusive deals on Cyber Monday that you didn't offer on Black Friday or at any other point in the holiday season. That way, you could incentivize repeat purchases from folks who already purchased from you.
So if Friday's deals are focused on deep discounts on last season's merchandise, maybe on Monday, you offer deals on bundles and new products. Get creative with how you differentiate your sales throughout the Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend to keep customers coming back.
2. Reach customers with SMS
SMS marketing is not only popular but also incredibly effective. It has a 3.8x higher open rate than email, so your text subscribers are more likely to see your message and shop your sale.
And their email inbox is going to be crowded. So, since only 55% of brands use SMS, you'll have less competition on Cyber Monday by promoting your sales via text.
SMS also allows you to reach shoppers immediately. Around 95% of people open text messages within three minutes of receiving them. So you can reach them even if they're not on their computer.
It's ideal for time-sensitive marketing messages you'll send your audience on Cyber Monday, like reminders about flash sales, limited-stock items, and last-minute deals.
3. Segment your marketing messages
Segmenting your audience allows you to personalize and tailor your marketing messages, making them more relevant for each customer. According to a survey by Econsultancy, at least 88% of brands across channels reported a lift in conversion rates when they use personalization.
So look at your data about customers' past purchases, behavior, interests, demographics, and more. Then divide them into groups based on commonalities to target them with the right Cyber Monday marketing campaign.
4. Boost visibility with your highest-performing affiliate partners
Partnering with affiliates and influencers is a great way to reach your target audience and drive more online sales. Yet, when it comes to BFCM, many brands focus on direct communications with their audience through their website, SMS, email, and social media profiles without considering looping in partners to spread the word.
So for Cyber Monday promotions, consider working closely with your highest-performing affiliates and influencers to boost visibility for the big shopping day. This could involve offering exclusive deals or discounts to their audience or running a marketing campaign for holiday-exclusive products.
5. Increase cart values with better deals on bundles
Bundles are a great way to increase average order values, especially during the holiday shopping season when customers are more willing to spend. Plus, if you're already discounting your products, boosting cart values can also decrease profit loss.
So consider offering deals on bundles for Cyber Monday instead of just discounts on individual products. This could be bundles of popular items or complementary products that pair well together. Or you could offer better deals the more a shopper spends with you.
For example, if you sell underwear, you might offer a 15% discount when a customer buys three pairs and 30% off when they buy seven pairs.
6. Prioritize retention instead of acquisition
It's harder to convince a new customer to buy from you than to re-convert an existing customer. You've got to introduce new customers to your brand, build trust, and teach them about the value of your products. But you've done all that work with your current customer base already. Plus, when customers buy from you more than once, they tend to have higher average order values.
So for this holiday shopping season, focus on retargeting and re-engaging your most loyal customers.
The key here is to offer something new that you didn't promote on Black Friday or any other time of the year. Don't offer your new subscriber discount. They've already used that. Don't try to sell them on your existing bundles. They likely already have those or weren't interested. And don't offer the same deals as you did on other sales throughout the year.
Your customers expect the best deals they can find this weekend, whether that's a deeper discount, new products or bundles, or early sale access.
7. Offer special deals other than discounts
Discounts are a go-to for holiday promotions, but they're not the only option -- especially if you're feeling the pangs of inflation. Consider offering special deals or incentives that still build excitement but don't eat into your margins as much.
For example, offer free shipping or gift wrapping, give away additional products with purchases over a certain amount, host a giveaway with an exciting prize, or offer exclusive holiday products like a limited-edition color of your bestsellers.
8. Add a "buy now, pay later" plan
Between inflation and holiday gifting expenses piling up, shoppers may be hesitant to spend a lot on purchases this year. But with a "buy now, pay later" plan in place, you can still attract those customers and increase sales by offering them the option to spread out payments over time without interest or fees.
Consider partnering with a payment plan provider like Klarna or Afterpay to offer this option on Cyber Monday and throughout the holiday season.
9. Extend your return policy
Depending on when customers give gifts, it could be up to a month after they've purchased from you that they gift your products to their friends and family.
That reality allows doubt to creep in, and shoppers may hesitate to buy something they won't be able to return. This is especially true for apparel that might not fit.
So consider extending your return policy for Cyber Monday (and throughout the holiday season) to early January to give customers peace of mind when making gift purchases from your store.
Enhance your success this holiday season with SMS
SMS marketing can be used in various ways to boost your Cyber Monday sales. Consider sending out flash sales or special deals to your subscribers, reminding them about abandoned carts, and using text marketing to drive last-minute purchases on Cyber Monday.
You can even connect your SMS program to your customer support platform to provide a seamless customer experience.
When used well, SMS can be a cornerstone of your holiday marketing strategy and drive engagement and sales in Q4 and beyond.
Learn more about how to maximize holiday sales this year with SMS.