This is great news for retailers- on Black Friday in 2017, sales from online shops in the USA alone reached a massive 2.36 billion dollars, up from 1.97 billion the previous year. That’s why Black Friday has become the busiest shopping day of the year in recent history. And with the Black Friday craze now beginning to take hold in the UK, there’s no better time than the present to get started on your Black Friday email campaigns. Some retailers, such as jewellers, make up to 40% of their annual income through the Black Friday to Christmas period. So as soon as the hype of summer is over, you should turn your focus to your Black Friday campaigns.
As the day approaches, customers expect a barrage of tempting emails containing discounts and promotions from their favourite retailers and brands. This article will show you how to successfully create an email strategy, help you come up with the best headlines to tempt your customers, and create the perfect email layout using interactive or even witty elements.
Timing Your Black Friday Emails
There is no golden rule that can be applied to every business when it comes to the ‘perfect’ time to schedule your Black Friday emails. This will largely depend on your niche and your target audience. However, on Black Friday itself, it might help to ensure that two emails reach your audiences inbox. One in the morning to announce the sale, and one in the evening to remind your audience that the sale concludes at midnight. At the same time, you have to consider whether your subscriber base might get annoyed at more than one email; it very much depends on who you’re working with.
As Cyber Monday has become almost as important as Black Friday, you’ll want to ensure that you keep your communications flowing throughout the weekend before sending two more emails on Monday. Trend analysis has found that the best time to allow your email to reach your customers inbox is between 6am and 8am, and 5pm – 6pm for the evening email.
Here Are Our Top Tips for a Successful Black Friday Email Campaign:
- Create a Good-Looking, Responsive Layout
No matter how attractive your promotions are, if your sale campaign doesn’t adequately show off your products due to a sub-standard design, your potential customers will quickly lose interest. Ensure to create an even balance of text, links and images in your email. Make your calls to action (CTAs) pop by ensuring the point of your communication is evident at first glance. Keep the colour scheme simple. To avoid design disaster, structure your email with simple columns which feature aligned font and styles. Consider displaying CTA buttons in a contrasting colour to ensure they stand out.
- Keep Your Text Concise But Useful
It’s one thing to ensure that your email campaigns are aesthetically pleasing; however, if they don’t include all of the necessary information, don’t assume that the reader will automatically be drawn to your website to find out. The minimalist trend may be tempting, but think before you follow the crowd. On the other hand, if you’re launching an exciting new campaign for a mystery product and you’re wanting to build the hype to tease loyal customers, minimalist communications may be the perfect way to build suspense or surprise for your consumers when it comes to Black Friday offers. Try and be both concise and informative!
- Include a signature or Logo
Make your email easily distinguishable to your brand or company with a ‘dedicated email voice’ which your audience can use to easily identify you in their inbox. The importance of making your brand easily recognisable is even higher when it comes to Black Friday. Almost all of your competitors will be using the same opportunity to draw in customers, often using the same kind of communications, wording, discounts and offers. They may also be using similar templates and designs for their emails. Ensure to make your communications reflective of your brand’s aesthetic whilst incorporating the theme of the event. Capture your audience’s attention with your brand identity; this can involve clever use of style, images, voice and subject lines.
- Create an Interactive Email
As we’ve previously touched upon, you’ll want to stand out in your contacts’ inbox, but once the email has been opened the next step will be ensuring that the reader stays engaged. This can be done in numerous ways including playing around with features such as gifs, videos, shopping within the email and interactive accordions and carousels. Appeal to the reader’s curiosity with buttons that reveal offers when clicked, to create excitement for the reveal. Clever use of interactive accordions has previously included getting the reader to ‘pull’ a Christmas cracker by clicking a call to action. At this time of year, the more festive the better.
- Perfect Your Subject Line Skills
Is everything on sale? Great! Tell your potential and existing customers about it. Keep your subject lines relevant to the content to avoid disgruntled readers stumbling into a deceptive email. Always create a sense of urgency about your email by including details of limited time periods or product runs.
- Keep Your Emails Witty
Black Friday is your perfect opportunity to show your audience that you’re not just another faceless corporation, show a little festive humanity by drafting emails and campaigns that have the ability to break the internet and go viral. Loosen up with your subscribers and have a little fun!
- Respond to Your Customers
Keep a watchful eye of your customers’ behaviour over the festive period by using a method called attention automation. Follow up on browsing and cart abandonment with emails reminding your potential customers of abandoned carts.
If you follow these simple tips, you won’t go wrong. And Black Friday is the perfect time to ‘not go wrong’, because the slice of pie you could earn is big, and only getting bigger. So start now, build on your successes next year, and enjoy running a profitable business the easy way!