The Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) shopping season is an excellent time for businesses to boost sales, attract new customers, and strengthen brand loyalty. However, competition during this period is at an all-time high. Countless brands vying for consumers’ attention. To achieve BFCM success, businesses must combine early preparation, effective execution, and thorough post-campaign analysis.
In 2024, unique challenges like rising ad costs and increased competition due to the U.S. election season are shaping the holiday marketing landscape. These obstacles highlight the need for a well-structured approach to ensure your campaigns cut through the noise.
Start Early with a Data-Driven Approach
Success during BFCM begins months before the first sale. Early preparation allows businesses to refine their strategies, allocate budgets effectively, and gain a competitive edge. Brands should analyze historical data from previous holiday campaigns. This allows them to identify which ad formats, creatives, and offers performed best. Additionally, these insights are invaluable in crafting campaigns tailored to audience preferences.
Budget planning is another essential component of early preparation. Ad costs on platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok are expected to rise significantly – CPMs potentially spike by over 45%. Allocating additional funds for this period and setting realistic spending goals is recommended to avoid surprises. Segment your audience into groups like loyal customers, cart abandoners, and new prospects. This enables targeted campaigns that maximize engagement and conversions.
Crafting Irresistible Offers
During BFCM, your offers must stand out to capture consumer attention. Generic discounts no longer suffice; shoppers expect compelling deals that add value. Tiered promotions are an effective way to encourage higher spending. For example, offering escalating discounts based on cart value incentivizes larger purchases. Similarly, product bundles and free gifts can increase average order value while helping move less popular inventory.
An often-overlooked strategy is launching early bird promotions before the main BFCM event. These smaller discounts or exclusive offers engage customers early. It fills your email and SMS lists with leads that can be retargeted during the peak shopping period. Additionally, focusing your largest discounts on excess inventory can drive sales while clearing out stagnant stock.
Optimizing Campaigns Across Platforms
A multi-channel approach is necessary for reaching your audience during BFCM. Each platform offers unique advantages that can amplify your campaigns. Meta ads, for example, benefit from reusing top-performing creatives and updating them with holiday themes. On Google, it’s critical to adjust existing campaigns rather than creating new ones. Performance max campaigns require weeks of learning to optimize effectively.
Short-form video platforms like TikTok also present immense potential for top-of-funnel awareness. Engaging video content showcasing product use, testimonials, or founder stories can drive traffic and build anticipation for upcoming sales. Combining platform-specific strategies ensures your campaigns reach the right audience with the right message.
Cutting Through the Noise with Creative Excellence
During BFCM, consumers are flooded with advertisements. To stand out, your creatives must be clear, compelling, and visually engaging. Emphasizing urgency through countdowns, limited-time offers, and shipping cutoffs can drive immediate action. User-generated content, including testimonials and how-to videos, fosters trust and authenticity. They are effective for top-of-funnel campaigns.
A/B testing is another useful tool for optimizing performance. Testing different landing pages, creative formats, and messaging allows you to identify what resonates most with your audience. Running these tests before November ensures your campaigns are well-calibrated by the time BFCM begins.
Measuring Key Metrics for Success
Tracking the right metrics is essential to evaluate your BFCM campaign’s performance. Return on ad spend (ROAS) is a critical indicator of campaign efficiency. Customer acquisition costs (CAC) reveal how effectively you’re gaining new buyers. Monitoring conversion rates can also provide insights into the effectiveness of your landing pages and overall user experience.
“Give your campaigns some breathing room. Higher target ROAS settings are not the key to better performance.”
Zach Everett (Senior PPC Analyst & Ecommerce Team Lead at SmartSites)
Secondary metrics like click-through rates (CTR) and CPMs are useful for gauging ad engagement and cost efficiency. These metrics, while not as definitive as ROAS or CAC, can help you fine-tune individual campaigns and creatives for maximum impact.
Post-BFCM Analysis and Strategy
The work doesn’t end when the BFCM weekend is over. Post-campaign analysis helps determine what worked, what didn’t, and how you can improve in the future. Create detailed reports that break down performance by advertising channel, product category, and creative type. This analysis will serve as a blueprint for future campaigns, helping you replicate successes and address areas for improvement.
Reducing budgets after the holiday rush is equally important to prevent overspending during slower periods. Use the time after BFCM to nurture relationships with new customers through personalized email and SMS campaigns. These follow-up strategies can turn one-time buyers into loyal customers. They ensure your holiday success translates into long-term growth.
Achieving BFCM success requires a combination of strategic planning, creative execution, and careful analysis. Starting early, crafting compelling offers, and leveraging the unique strengths of each advertising platform can help your brand rise above the competition.
If you are interested in watching the webinar, check it out here: Convert & Conquer: Expert Tactics for BFCM Success.
