With Black Friday and Cyber Monday fast approaching, companies are doubling down on their efforts to make an impression as early as possible.

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Given the current global situation, online shopping will likely be the norm this Black Friday. That is why planning ahead is crucial to boost sales and avoid any setbacks.

We have prepared a checklist to guide you before, during, and after the Black Friday period. It is divided into three sections and addresses your various business objectives.

It will help you make the most of the upcoming season and stand out from your competitors.

What to Expect from Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced businesses to pivot to the digital world. Social distancing and restricted opening hours have become the norm, as have new shopping habits.

Mobile Marketing

Studies predict greater losses for traditional brick-and-mortar stores and an increase in mobile shopping, which currently accounts for 72% of the market share.

The categories most affected by this growth are electronics, household goods, beauty, and wellness.

Excellent Logistics Will Be Imperative

This year, just like in 2020 during the global lockdown, when the French placed 32% more online orders than the previous year, the growth of e-commerce and online shopping will slow down the supply chain for many retailers.

If your business is part of this industry, start preparing shipments for slow-moving items and be aware that shipping costs (or the lack thereof) will become a deciding factor for customers at the point of purchase.

The End of Third-Party Cookies

In January 2020, Google announced that Chrome would phase out third-party cookies from its browser. This initiative was widely contested by certain industries, such as AdTech, and the final decision imposed a two-year delay to gradually eliminate third-party cookies by the end of 2023.

However, some initiatives have already been implemented, such as Google’s consent mode, which allows the end user to decide whether or not to consent to statistical and marketing cookies.

iOS 15 Protection Against Third-Party Tracking Tools

Apple has introduced the “Hide My Email” feature. End users can use a random email address to fill out forms or subscribe to a mailing list. This can affect how merchants measure the success of their email campaigns.

The iOS 15 update also includes new Mail Privacy Protection, which removes invisible pixels, masks IP addresses, and limits third-party tracking tools.

As a result, it is becoming essential for businesses to adapt to these changes as quickly as possible. Our current methods of selling and analyzing will soon be obsolete.

How to Prepare for Black Friday?

Have you noticed that as soon as supermarkets take down their Halloween decorations, they replace them with Christmas ones? Timing is everything when it comes to capturing customer attention. Some customers are interested in Christmas as early as the beginning of November.

This is why you need to start planning your Black Friday promotions in advance. Waiting until the last minute will prevent your promotions from being noticed due to the usual frenzy of the season.

Plan Black Friday in Advance with Acquisition as Your Goal

1. Gather as much information as possible about your customers, their behaviors, and their needs

• Identify your brand ambassadors—those who shop with you most frequently and have their own loyal communities.
• Find your best-selling products, specifically those that are most often purchased together.
• Look for the different themes that resonate with your audience.

2. Hire a specialist

Competition is fierce during this period, so it is a good idea to hire a specialist to manage your ad spend.

3. Optimize your website for mobile phones

Expect 70% of your sales to be made via mobile, so you must provide your visitors with a pleasant user experience. This means adapting your website with features such as:

• easy-to-close pop-ups;
• large buttons for easy tapping;
• images that are easy to view on a small screen;
• fast loading speed.

4. Build anticipation

• Four or five days before the big day, announce a discount or price drop that will only be available on Black Friday.
• Let your audience know what to expect from each of your communication channels during Black Friday.
• Offer early-bird sales.

5. Segment your audience

Start preparing landing pages for your most relevant segments and create product bundles for each of them.

6. Review GDPR or relevant data protection regulations

Are your promotions and website GDPR compliant? If not, make the necessary changes to properly obtain customer consent.

If you have any doubts, we have prepared a short guide on the dos and don'ts regarding GDPR compliance.

7. Prepare multiple communication channels

Communicating with customers has become the standard. When a customer has a question and cannot find a way to contact you, they may get frustrated and look for what they need elsewhere.

Customers appreciate brands that maintain a connection with them even more, as it provides a sense of familiarity and builds greater trust in you.

• Add a “click-to-text” button;
• automated email responses;
• a welcome chatbot that offers a reward when the user consents to receive your SMS;
• call-to-action buttons;
• shortcode responses.

Plan Your Black Friday in Advance with Engagement as Your Goal

1. Run as many A/B tests as possible

Create different offers and discounts, and see which ones yield the best ROI and the lowest CPA.

2. Avoid last-minute issues

• Take stock of the products on sale;
• assume your website will encounter server issues or bugs;
• make your checkout process as seamless as possible;
• prepare a customer service contingency plan in case of logistical problems.

3. Launch your Black Friday promotions early to test them

You can look at similar promotions offered in the past, when the period was less competitive, to understand what went well and what didn't.

• Evaluate your ability to grab attention and the overall customer response.
• Find the right frequency for sending marketing emails and SMS notifications before and during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

4. Define your KPIs

With new data protection standards, it is crucial to change how you track the success of your campaigns. Keep in mind that third-party cookies and open rates will no longer be reliable data points.

That said, this is no reason to stop using UTM parameters, especially for Black Friday.

However, you should focus on analyzing behaviors such as:

• user behavior on each webpage;
• CTR (click-through rate);
• the completion rate of submitted forms;
• loyalty program sign-ups or website registrations.

Plan Your Black Friday in Advance with Retention as Your Goal

1. Create a loyalty program for your existing customers

• Invite your customers to join your loyalty program. Show them you value them by giving them access to early offers and discounts.
• Offer exclusive deals and VIP experiences to customers already subscribed to your SMS list.

Marketing Strategy During Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Black Friday with Acquisition as Your Goal

1. Define your brand messaging by platform and channel

• Keep various factors in mind, such as the social network and the type of customer: you will need to adapt to different needs and interests.
• Your customers should know what to expect from every touchpoint with you.
• If your customers are looking for a specific offer or reward, don't make them search all your channels to find it.

2. Don't focus on acquiring potential customers

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, customers are more interested in discounts and rewards to make purchases; you don't need to offer them gifts or ask them to join your newsletter.

• Instead, keep an eye on visit frequency across your various channels and optimize your campaigns accordingly.
• Keep your usual signup form and don't try anything new.

3. Avoid any last-minute changes to your website

However, monitor your website's status constantly in case an issue arises.

Black Friday with Engagement as Your Goal

1. Avoid overwhelming your customers

During this period, your customers will be flooded with offers and promotions.

• Do not send more than two SMS messages per week before Black Friday.
• Analyze the best times to send your ads.
• Avoid sending emails, as they will get lost in your customers' inboxes.

2. Use multichannel strategies

• Offer a reward via a chatbot to visitors who agree to receive your SMS messages.
• Use behavioral tracking tools and prepare larger rewards for visitors who abandon their carts.
• Reuse your most profitable promotion from the previous year and prepare a small bonus for your most loyal customers.

Black Friday with Retention as the Goal

1. Your Black Friday visitors are potential long-term customers

Don't focus solely on immediate sales and gains; instead, view Black Friday and Cyber Monday as opportunities to increase your area of interest (AOI) and your average order value (AOV).

• Instead of offering a site-wide discount, highlight specific collections and products that will appeal to certain customers.
• Provide added value to your rewards and encourage your customers to return in the long run.

Marketing Strategy After Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Post-Black Friday Action Plan with Acquisition as the Goal

1. Create a report

• Review what went well during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
• You can build brand awareness by sharing your statistics on social media.

2. Sort through the reviews left by customers on your store during Black Friday

• Feature the most detailed reviews on your product pages.
• Hide one-word comments that are generally not useful.
• Respond to negative reviews.

Post-Black Friday Action Plan Focused on Engagement

1. Thank your customers for their purchases

• Create an automated workflow to send an SMS a day or two after the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
• You can reach out to customers later to suggest similar or complementary products based on what they have already purchased.

Post-Black Friday Action Plan Focused on Retention

1. Stay top-of-mind with your customers

• Prepare a survey about your customers' post-purchase experience.
• Contact your customers to remind them to redeem the points, bonuses, and discounts they accumulated in their accounts during Black Friday.

Every business is different. Your needs may vary from those of an online store on the other side of the world. Just keep in mind that all the items in this checklist are general recommendations to help you plan ahead and make the most of this Black Friday.