This economy has crippled many businesses, but Black Friday is still an excellent opportunity for small businesses to increase their revenue. You don’t have to be a big box store to take advantage of the rush. Your small business can get in on the action as well with some helpful deal ideas for Black Friday.
However, just jumping in and offering any old deal isn’t going to cut it. You must be strategic about Black Friday deals to attract customers and get them excited about shopping with your small business. The competition is steep, and everyone is fighting for a share of the pie, so you must make sure your deals are worth checking out.
Before we get into some deal ideas, we’ll answer some of our most frequent questions.
Does Black Friday help small businesses?
Absolutely! While most media will focus on big box stores and their Black Friday deals, small businesses can use this time to increase awareness and drive traffic to their store or website. We’ll give you some ideas to try out for your small business this Black Friday.
When should I start promoting Black Friday?
Based on the businesses we’ve worked with, we recommend starting to promote your Black Friday deals at least 2-4 weeks in advance. This way, you have time to create any necessary graphics and start building up some excitement. Don’t forget the social media posts and the PPC ads to generate buzz.
If you promote it too early, people might get excited but forget by the time Black Friday comes around. If you wait too long, people might already have their shopping plans and budgets set, and your business won’t be top of mind.
With that in mind, what types of Black Friday deal ideas should your small business do?
Deal ideas for your small business to try on Black Friday.
There are a few things to consider when deciding what types of deals to offer on Black Friday. You’ll want to consider what kind of products or services you offer, your target market, and what will appeal to them. Not every type of offer is suitable for all businesses.
With those factors in mind, here are some black Friday deal ideas for inspiration for your small business—
Offer a percentage off all purchases made on Black Friday.
Ol’ faithful. Percentage discounts are a great way to encourage customers to shop early and get the best selection. Plus, it’s a deal that everyone can take advantage of. Perhaps you can offer 10% off all purchases or 20% off if the customer spends over a certain amount.
Remember, even if your margins are small, giving a significant discount will still result in more revenue than if the customer doesn’t purchase anything. We’re going for volume here!
Give a gift with a purchase.
This is a great way to upsell customers on items they may not have originally planned on buying. Free gifts can also be used as an incentive for customers to spend more money in your store.
This works because customers receive a gift for every amount they spend.
For example, if they spend $50, they get a free tote bag; if they spend $100, they get a free scarf, and so on. You can also offer a tiered system where the more someone pays, the better the gift. This is an excellent way to increase the average order value of each customer.
The greater your value in the free gift, the more buzz it’ll generate for the big day.
Hold a contest or doorbuster sale.
This is a great way to get people in the door and generate excitement around your store. Remember, on Black Friday, you’re competing with other businesses that may or may not be in your industry. You need to find a way to stand out and get people talking.
Contests and doorbuster sales are a great way to do this.
Come up with a contest or sweepstakes that will result in a significant prize. Require your customers to make a purchase to be entered, as many people will enter anything for something free. Make sure to advertise the contest or sale in advance, so people know to come by your store on Black Friday.
Delayed coupon for a Black Friday in July.
Of course, you want to get people in the door on Black Friday, but what about the rest of the year? Surely you’ve heard of Christmas in July, but what about Black Friday in July? This is a great way to get people thinking about your store long before Black Friday comes around.
How this works is you have customers enter their email addresses with any purchase during Black Friday. Tell them they’ll receive a personalized coupon code on your website that will only be active for July. Don’t forget to remind them via email before the sale, so they’re ready for it.
Delayed coupons are a great way to bring people back later in the year when they otherwise might not have.
Here are a few final tips to make your Black Friday a success.
While the deals will go a long way in bringing people into your store, there are a few other things you should keep in mind to make sure the day is a success.
- Don’t compete with the big box retailers. Their budget is too big. You won’t be able to beat them. However, you can make your small business stand out by promoting what makes you unique.
- Do promote your black Friday deals in advance. This will help build buzz and get people excited about your offer. Use social media, email marketing, and traditional methods like flyers and posters.
- Don’t rely on a single marketing platform. You’ll want to get your deals in front of as many people as possible. The more touchpoints you have, the better. Schedule advertisements on Google and Facebook, create social media posts and send email blasts. You can even put black Friday deals on your website if you want a head start.
- Be prepared for the rush. Have enough staff on hand to handle the increased customer traffic. Make sure your POS system can handle the increased sales volume. The last thing you want is a line of people waiting to check out because your system is slow.
Get started crafting your deal and marketing for Black Friday.
Black Friday is an excellent time for consumers to score amazing deals, and small businesses should strive to get their share of the pie. You can bring people into your store and increase sales by creating special deals and promotions.
Think about what you can do to stand out from the crowd and get people talking. With a bit of planning and creativity, perhaps some deal ideas, your Black Friday will be a success for your business.