It’s no secret that 2020 is going to be a big year for online shopping. This is especially true for Black Friday sales. After all, nobody wants to be fighting through hoards of shoppers in person, while wearing a mask and worrying about getting sick, when the alternative is shopping in pajamas from home.
Retailers get it. This expected increase in online shopping has prompted a lot of big brands to begin their Black Friday sales now and continue them throughout November to account for both shipping and other supply chain delays due to Covid-19. Not sure how to compete? We have five ideas to help promote your brand’s end-of-year sales and to drive customers through your (virtual) doors.
Host a Win your Wishlist contest to show off your goods
Contests are more than just fun, they also help you to get the word out about your brand and what it offers. During the holidays, we know that folks are not only shopping for their friends and family, but they are also shopping for themselves. Win your Wishlist contests are especially effective during this time of the year.
ShortStack’s Win Your Wishlist template
With Win your Wishlist contests, your entrants choose items from a selection of products and services you provide, then they enter to win the items they selected. These contests not only allow you to collect valuable leads, but they help you to show off your most crave-worthy products and services. This gives your customers gift ideas for both themselves as well as their friends and family. Plus, folks can share their wishlists with their loved ones who might need a hint or two.
Distribute coupon codes to drive traffic
Open your email on any given day and you’re sure to see at least one coupon code offered. Why? Because they work! Leverage your mailing list and distribute coupon codes that can be redeemed in your online shop. Be sure to include images of some of your most exciting holiday must-haves and deals in your email to stoke your customers’ interest. To create urgency, make sure you limit the amount of time folks have to use the codes.
ShortStack’s Unique Coupon Code template
Remember, when sending out coupon codes you have two options:
Unique codes: Unique coupon codes are unique to each person on your list. Generally, you should distribute these types of codes if you only want them to be used one time, or if you want to make sure discounts are exclusive to people on your list.
Generic codes: Generic codes are the same for everyone. They can easily be shared between people and used multiple times. You should consider these types of codes if you plan on advertising the discount more broadly (think posting the code in a banner on your website or to social media), and for a shorter period of time.
Reward customers with mystery discounts on upcoming purchases
Want to appeal to repeat shoppers? Get them back to your website with a mystery offer. Send out a code to your customer list that they must enter before they see the size of their discount. Make various discounts available, so folks make frequent visits and purchases.
For example, say you send out 100 codes. List the potential prizes to entice your audience:
75% off – Only one lucky person gets this major discount
50% off – 14 customers will see this discount
20% off – 35 customers receive this discount
10% off, plus Free Shipping – 50 people will get this prize
Then, encourage them to visit your site to see what their code reveals! Make sure the landing page on your website features popular gifts and products your customers can easily add to their shopping carts after receiving their discount code.
Spread the word with a branded hashtag
Social media is a powerful tool for driving sales of consumer goods. Encourage your customers to show off their holiday hauls using your own branded hashtag. For example, you could encourage people to post to Instagram with the hashtag #holidayhaul2020 #blackfridaydeals and tag your brand @YOUR_BRAND_NAME with products they purchased or are eyeing from your website. You could create a gallery of these posts to feature on your website, and perhaps even incentivize folks to post by giving away gift cards or discounts.
Build your list with a giveaway
Need a little boost for your email list? Try a giveaway. This giveaway could simply be a form that people fill out one time for a chance to win a prize (e.g. a prize pack of your top holiday gifts or a gift card for your store). If you want to try something more complex, offer a giveaway calendar where people return each day to enter to win a new prize. Regardless of the type and complexity of giveaway, the intended outcome is the same — raising awareness of your brand and products while collecting emails for your list.
ShortStack’s Giveaway Calendar template
It’s not too late to create a fun and festive Black Friday online shopping experience for your customers. In fact, all of the ideas above can easily be created with ShortStack. Not sure where to get started? Get in touch with our sales team or shoot us an email at theteam@shortstacklab.com.
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