Cyber Season Social Media Marketing
approx 5 minute read
It’s coming
The cyber holiday shopping season has become an undeniable part of our commerce calendar.
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and beyond. Whether a tech giant or a budding boutique business, customers expect a deal.
And there’ll be plenty of bargain-hungry customers hunting for sales.
In fact, UK consumers spent £9.42 billion over Black Friday weekend in 2021. Online sales accounted for over 61%.
For this post, we’re gonna assume you know all about Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
But if you do fancy diving into the detail, you can!
Check key dates, get marketing tips, and explore a little history, on our Cyber Sensation post.
But why use social media?
- It’s ‘free’ (if you aren’t paying for ads)
- It can be affordable and very targeted (if you are paying)
- It’s instant
- Potential reach is massive
- You can plan ahead
- It’s effective…
In fact, more than 50% of revenue across 14 major industries is generated by social sales.
But everyone knows this. You won’t be alone in your efforts to be heard.
So how can your brand command attention during the most sales-frenzied time of year?
Here are 10 top social media examples to inspire you this season.
Plus 7 tips to help sharpen your strategy.
Let’s get started.
Get cute
Want to boost engagement rates on social? Post pictures of cute cats and dogs.
You can snigger but that’s the cold hard truth.
As it happens, it’s not unusual to see brands get up to 295% more comments on posts that feature pets.
“Here boy!”
Competitions
Asos used a very basic competition here to encourage user engagement. They also used a brand-heavy image which would’ve received an incredible amount of impressions.
Missguided keeps the momentum and energy high with a winner every 30 minutes.
It’s not about the money
We just wanna make the world dance. Forget about the price tag. Alright Jessie J, we hear ya.
Turns out some brands use holiday sales to do good deeds.
Whilst garnering a whole heap of positive PR of course!
Not that we’re being cynical, it’s no doubt all about the love.
Make the product the hero
You can’t beat well-styled professional product photography. It’s not terribly innovative, but it is effective. And there is still plenty of room for creativity.
I like to move it, move it
Use illustration or video to stand out. Especially if it’s not something you frequently do. The graphics don’t even have to be out of this world. Raw kinetic energy is what’s required in the sale season.
Easily influenced
You can’t talk about social media marketing without mentioning influencers. Combine reach and the power to affect purchasing decisions in a 2-for1 deal. Sure, not everyone can afford Kylie Jenner but they don’t need to be superstars. Find someone with similar brand values, and a following that matches your target market.
Build it up, buttercup
Brands that extend the sales holiday get the best results. Start by building anticipation for the big event. Maybe leaking spoilers or even the odd pre-sale flash sale. Better still, encourage newsletter signups by offering early access to deals for people who sign up for your mailing list.
8 Tips to sharpen your social media strategy
If those examples weren’t enough to get you going, here are 8 tips to help you plan your Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns.
#1 Pinned post
Most social media platforms allow you to pin a post to the top of your profile. Make sure you use this to your advantage come Black Friday, to prioritise deal-related info.
#2 Encourage engagement
Posts with more user activity are more likely to be shown to other users. You can use competitions, questions, and polls in the build-up to the season to encourage engagement.
#3 More than money
How about mixing up your Black Friday deals a little, with value-added extras? Delivery and return specials, free wrapping, or exclusive availability. Or doing something to support a good cause.
#4 Service on standby
Your customer service team needs to be on point – It promises a busy time and there could be lots of questions. Get your team up to speed and ready to respond to all the extra requests, mentions, and comments that you’ll need to acknowledge.
#5 Be prepared
Schedule in advance. You’ll hopefully be swamped in customer engagement come showtime. And so it makes sense to plan and organise as much scheduled content as possible, ahead of time.
#6 Can I write?
Websites typically see spikes in traffic as well as sales. Try to make the most of these opportunities by capturing data for emails or remarketing. Encourage people to sign up for your mailing list. Offer early access to deals, or delivery perks, for people who sign up.
#7 Hashtag party
Yes, yes, it’s an obvious one. But vitally important. People use them to search. Not just #blackfriday and #cybermonday but also any product or campaign names. It will help your stuff get found.
Here to help
It can be a frantic time of year for online traders. But we’re here to help.
Do you need a hand with building your website or help to get it found?
How about fresh new content for your landing pages or social media?
Need to create a buzz with a creative combination of traditional and digital marketing?
Let’s get a date in the diary.