We’ve all heard the tale.
Black Friday — that day of post-Thanksgiving frenzied shopping where droves of thrifty buyers fill the aisles and cram into dressing rooms across the nation in a cacophonic symphony of organized chaos to seek out those treasured deals and discounts — was christened with its now-fabled moniker. Black Friday signaled the annual event when businesses were finally able to turn a profit, marking the transition taking them out of the red and into the black of their accounting ledgers.
That comic-book-worthy origin story is, of course, a myth.
The true history of Black Friday may be lost to time and varying interpretations. Yet, what is fact about Black Friday is that it only serves as the starting gate in that harried horserace of holiday shopping leading up to the Saturday before Christmas — commonly known as Super Saturday or, perhaps more appropriately for those last-minute shoppers, Panic Saturday.
Yes, Black Friday truly is an important annual event for small businesses because it is the sign of the start of the holiday shopping season. Yes, shoppers are at a fevered pitch looking to score savings while simultaneously securing the perfect presents to place under the tree. And, yes, the importance of holiday marketing cannot be understated to help your business stand out in the crowd of midway barkers all trying to sway more people to enter their tent to take a gander at their latest and greatest sideshow marvels of holiday craftsmanship. Let’s take a look at some of the basics:
Man the battle stations
First and foremost, you need to be prepared to provide and maintain the ultimate shopping experience in the face of a sudden glut of customers. That means having team members who are knowledgeable and able to adapt to rapidly changing situations. As noted by BigCommerce, “It goes beyond digital and content preparations. Consider amendments to your customer service, shipping, fulfillment and operations teams to handle the extra visitors and orders.”
Take your showroom online
As if online shopping needed a shot in the arm, the social restrictions everyone has experienced for well over a year dragged even the most stubborn in-person-shopping holdouts into the virtual world. Online shopping has become the most natural way to make purchases for anyone looking to combine safety and convenience, but you can still give your internet buyers the in-person experience through the magic of a webroom. Like a showroom, a webroom allows customers to explore products in detail and from every angle, helping to give them the peace of mind needed to pull the trigger on a purchasing decision.
If it’s free, then it’s for me
In our fast-paced and high-tech world, sometimes going a bit old school is frowned upon as being old fashioned and out of touch. Humbug and fiddlesticks to that! There’s good reason to revisit a throwback concept: Its time-tested, tried-and-true efficiency works. It’s no secret why giveaways have always worked and always will — people love free stuff. Digital marketing agency WebFX observed that people not only like to buy gifts for others during the holidays, they also don’t mind picking up a little something for themselves. Whether it’s an incentive offer that provides a free product when you spend X dollars or a bonus service such as free shipping, people are prone to spend a little more if they feel like they’re getting a bargain on the purchase.
Try a little gratitude
Your shoppers are putting food on your table and keeping a roof over your head. You probably already know who your repeat and loyal customers are. The holidays are a great time to show them some love and remind them about how much they mean to you. That could be done through special rewards or discounts, or you could even go for a more personal touch with a holiday card. The marketing automation platform Mailchimp highlighted that 73% of U.S. consumers prefer to be contacted by brands through direct mail because they can look through it at their convenience. Sending out a simple automated “thank you” is a fast and inexpensive way to let them know your appreciation.
With shopping at the top of everyone’s seasonal to-do list, the holidays are an ideal time to reach a new audience and solidify the relationships you have established with your current buyer base. But they don’t have to be stressful. SaveOn can take the headache out of the holidays with marketing solutions designed for any business that would even put a smile on ol’ Scrooge’s face.
Contact us today to find out how we can lift your yuletide spirits.
