As the crisp air rolls in, holiday excitement builds; companies plan their swinging parties, parents threaten their kids with Santa’s ever-watching eye, and if you listen closely, you’ll hear the first cracklings of Mariah Carey defrosting in her yuletide tomb. That can only mean one thing: Black Friday is upon us.
Black Friday is on November 29, 2024 this year. But with more consumers shopping online than ever, competition for attention is like a WWE match. Black Friday has evolved from a single day into a four-day weekend — or even month-long — event, with some brands kicking off deals as early as October to get their slice of the online shopping pie. (We’re looking at you, Bezos. Prime Day is just a little too early.) Staying ahead of the game means rethinking your strategy and embracing the latest marketing trends to slash through the crushing noise.
So how do you construct a campaign that gets those online cash registers ringing? We’ve got five cutting-edge marketing hacks — but also throw timeless strategies and new trends in a blender — to help businesses, creators, and digital marketers create a cocktail that crushes Black Friday.
How to DRASTICALLY Improve Your Black Friday Campaigns in 5 Hacks
⚡ 1. Use Irresistible Offers with Data-Driven Precision
These days a blanket 5%-off discount just ain’t enough.
You need offers that are irresistible — and deeply aligned with what your audience actually wants. (We wanted to say “sexy” but that would be weird, right?)
Use data to identify trends:
- Analyze purchase behavior from previous Black Friday events or seasonal sales.
- Use tools like Google Analytics or social media polls to identify your in-demand products.
- Personalize your offers — consider bundling complementary products or curating “bestseller kits.”
Pro Tip: Offer tiered discounts (e.g., 10% off $50, 20% off $100) to encourage higher cart values and create a sense of progression for customers. Gamify the offer with “spend more, save more” incentives to keep them engaged throughout checkout.
🕹 2. Gamify the Experience and Watch Engagement Go Bananas 🎮🍌
Gamification turns passive browsers into excited participants. By incorporating interactive elements into your Black Friday campaigns, you’ll pump up engagement and create memorable moments for customers. And now, you’re more powerful than Sonic and Mario combined, thanks to the power of gamification. 🦔 ➕ 🍄 🟰 💸 💪
Here’s how to gamify your campaign:
- Spin-the-Wheel promotions with prizes, discounts, or gift cards.
- Create exclusive Black Friday quizzes where participants unlock coupon codes at the end.
- Introduce social media challenges where customers post photos or videos of their purchases to win additional perks.
Why it works: Gamified campaigns encourage repeat visits and social shares, expanding your reach and adding excitement to the shopping experience — which keeps customers coming back for more.
🧠 3. Use AIDA (With a Twist 🍋): Attention, Interest, Desire… and Urgency
The AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) is a cornerstone of effective marketing — but now, the stakes are higher. With customers overwhelmed by limited-time offers from multiple brands, creating urgency makes people move.
Best practices to nail the AIDA process:
- Grab attention: Use bold, scroll-stopping visuals — think eye-catching banners, GIFs, or videos that stand out in cluttered feeds.
- Build interest: Highlight what makes your product special with compelling product descriptions or behind-the-scenes videos.
- Spark desire: Feature customer reviews, unboxing videos, and influencer testimonials to create FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
- Drive urgency: Use countdown timers, limited-time bonuses, or low-stock notifications to propel customers toward instant action.
Send Real-Time Updates with Personalization & Automation
Deals change by the hour. Customers expect instant updates, so timely communication will make or break your campaign. Customers want reminders, updates, and personalized offers — so meeting them at the right time (and on the right platform) is crucial to close a sale.
How to stay top of mind with automation:
- Set up automated email sequences reminding customers of flash sales or cart items left behind.
- Use Manychat’s automated flows to send real-time updates via Instagram DM, WhatsApp, or Messenger — channels where customers are already spending time.
- Leverage personalized SMS messages to alert VIP customers of early access to deals.
Pro Tip: Combine in-the-moment updates with segmentation — send different messages to high-intent shoppers vs. casual browsers. Bonus points if your emails or DMs feature countdowns or dynamic content that updates based on availability. The countdown clock is a classic, but it works.
🐙 5. Leverage Manychat’s Free Black Friday Templates
Tap into Multi-Channel Funnels Using Free Templates
Omnichannel marketing is a must. Customers interact with brands across a ton of touchpoints — Instagram, email, Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, and beyond — before making a purchase. To thrive, your campaigns gotta flow seamlessly across platforms. 🌊 🚢
Why use Manychat templates?
We’ve created pre-built Black Friday templates for Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger to help you launch multi-channel funnels quickly. These templates allow you to capture leads, drive conversions, and nurture customer relationships — without the headache of building workflows from scratch.
How to implement:
- Instagram Stories + DM Flows: Use Manychat templates to send automated responses to Story mentions and DMs.
- WhatsApp Broadcasts: Create personalized alerts for your most engaged audience.
- Messenger Cart Recovery: Set up abandoned cart sequences to re-engage shoppers and drive them back to checkout. Everyone needs a gentle nudge now and again.
Integrate these templates with your eCommerce store to provide a killer customer experience. Whether you’re running product drops, countdown sales, or exclusive can’t-miss offers, multi-channel funnels keep the conversation thriving no matter where customers interact with your brand.
Key Trends for Black Friday: Keep These in Mind
- Mobile Shopping Dominates: Ensure your campaigns are optimized for mobile-first browsing — most purchases will happen via smartphone.
- AI-Powered Personalization: Use AI tools to customize product recommendations and content based on user behavior in real time.
- Eco-Friendly Messaging Matters: Shoppers are increasingly conscious of sustainability — highlight eco-friendly packaging or ethical sourcing if it applies to your brand.
- Social Commerce Is Growing: Many shoppers are skipping websites altogether and buying directly through Instagram or WhatsApp. Make sure your product catalog is linked to these platforms.
- Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL): Flexible payment options like BNPL will drive higher conversion rates — mention these perks upfront.
Make This Black Friday Count
Whether you’re a small business, a social media creator, or a digital marketer, these hacks will help you stand out from the noise and maximize success. Black Friday is your moment to get some customers clicking and those products out of the door. (Cue dramatic music.)
Focus on using irresistible offers, gamifying your campaigns, staying agile with automation, and utilizing multi-channel funnels. And don’t forget — Manychat’s free templates are here to make your life easier, so you can focus on what matters: delivering awesome experiences that drive sales.So get those campaigns rolling, keep those reminders flowing, and make Black Friday 2024 your most successful yet. Mariah is coming, y’all.
