While some believe that Thanksgiving may not receive the attention it deserves, we can now officially start talking about Christmas without making those turkey-loving, thankful friends and family upset about neglecting an important holiday. It’s not even Dec. 1 and plenty of us already have our Christmas trees lit and decorations up – and some of us even have shopping complete, all thanks to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Whether you love to join the crowds at retail stores before the sun comes up or you prefer shopping from the comfort of your own couch at a normal hour, both of these days offer crazy good deals that some simply can’t pass up.
But there’s a strategy behind it all. It’s not just as easy as offering the deal – businesses come up with effective plans for getting people to pay attention to their sales and shop.
Content marketers can learn a thing or two from businesses on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Understanding how to connect with readers in a fun and timely manner can fuel a successful marketing strategy in the future. In this week’s Content Marketing Weekly, we’ll take a look at how these shopping holidays can directly correlate to the world of content.
6 Modern Examples of Cyber Monday Emails
If you woke up Monday morning to more emails than usual, you’re not alone. Businesses are smart to take advantage of the opportunity to advertise deals to email subscribers. According to Adobe Insights, shoppers spent a record $6.59 billion on Cyber Monday in 2017, with email driving 24.9 percent of sales. So what kinds of strategies are these companies using, and how can content marketers do the same?
Embracing the theme of Cyber Monday is one marketing tactic to consider, using tech-themed graphics and retro web icons in the copy. Puns are also effective. “Cybear Monday” was used by Tunnelbear, a virtual private network company. Even something as simple as “Unwrap the content of Christmas” can resonate with your readers.
Other smart email strategies inspired by Cyber Monday that Campaign Monitor suggested included paying homage to online culture, catering to the late crowd and using a countdown clock to engage subscribers.
Read the article by Campaign Monitor here.
3 Black Friday Content Marketing Tactics You Still Have Time to Implement
Just because Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, doesn’t mean companies can’t continue catering to customers who are still looking for crazy sales before Christmas. Content marketers can directly learn something from all of the tactics that businesses used during the hectic shopper holidays. Here’s how:
Similar to the Campaign Monitor blog post, counting down in real time is a widely popular trend that can be used in email and on the website at any time. This is a smart strategy to use when catering to busy readers – reminding them that they only have a limited time to score a deal – or drive conversions in another way – is a simple way to keep your brand at the top of readers’ minds.
Utilizing a queueing system is also smart for retailers who want to control traffic flow to the site. While customers are waiting in line for access to the site or to grab a popular product, companies should take advantage of this time for a sales opportunity.
“While they are waiting, present information to them that will not only pass the time, but also provide valuable information based on their personal preferences, popular items others are buying, new product lines, or stock updates to further entice or avoid disappointment,” Relevance contributor Mike Austin wrote.
Read the article by Relevance here.
Black Friday & Cyber Monday Social Media and Content Marketing Strategy
In this article by Search Insights, we learned a lot about the smart tactics for tackling a social media strategy for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Some of the tips for engaging with holiday shoppers and encouraging them to make purchases included:
- Updating your social media profiles.
- Hyping up your deals.
- Using hashtags.
- Scheduling posts.
- Keeping ads short and concise.
- Targeting properly.
- Being as creative as can be.
Yes, these are all smart moves for holiday shoppers – as this is the time of year you know they’ll be spending money – but they’re tips you should keep in mind year round. Your social media strategy should always be trendy and relevant to drive engagement to your website.
Read the article by Search Insights here.
Whether you’re an online retailer or a small business coming down from the highs of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, take a breather … then keep implementing these digital content strategies to maximize your brand’s potential throughout the year.
Check back next week for more top content marketing news and updates.
