A world-famous holiday shopping weekend is upon us. Starting with Black Friday and continuing into Cyber Monday, eager shoppers on and offline are busy scouring stores for special deals and promotions.
Black Friday has historically shown a boost in sales for retailers since it’s modern iteration, but over the past 7 years, Cyber Monday has grown explosively into the biggest online spending day of the year. This day, more than any other, is the day online shoppers flock to the internet to find special deals and try new products.
Here’s how sales volume on Cyber Monday has increased since 2008:
Black Friday & Cyber Monday: A Short Holiday Shopping Guide
So should you consider running promotions for your subscription box this weekend? You bet.
At Cratejoy, we suggest the following a few basic steps for making the most of the days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The goal: capture as much revenue as possible from shoppers over these few days!
- Step 1: Brainstorm special promotions: Cyber Monday operates on the same principle as Black Friday – extraordinary deals! Remember how swamped your local stores get, with shoppers all but sword fighting for the last cheap flatscreen? Your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals should inspire that same behavior. Here are some offers you might consider, should they apply to your subscription:
- First Month Free: Offer a 3 month subscription with 30% off, or marketed as “First Month Free”
- 50% off Past Boxes: Any left over boxes around? Flash sell them this weekend at 50% off.
- 40% off + Bonus Gift: Looking to fill up your shipments for December? Consider a deep introductory discount + a special gift (just source an extra product for December!) to convert customers on the edge.
Make sure to add a Black Friday/Cyber Monday special to your Marketplace listing. We’re launching a special Holiday Shopping Guide where shoppers can filter for the subscriptions that are offering promos!
- Step 2: Create/Schedule Email Campaigns: Coming up with great deals isn’t enough – you need to market them. One of the easiest ways to do this is with email marketing:
- Open Mailchimp
- Click ‘Campaigns’
- Choose ‘Create a Campaign’
- Walk through the steps of creating a campaign. You’ll want to create 3 campaigns: 1) Notification of deals, 2) Black Friday Notice, and 3) Cyber Monday Last Chance
- Craft great subject lines:
- Email #1: Don’t miss this weekend of savings!
- Email #2: Black Friday Deals are Here!
- Email #3: Last Chance! Don’t miss these amazing deals
- Choose high quality photos for use and a large call to action for shopping, like the use of a large button with the phrase “SHOP NOW”
- Schedule your emails in advanceL
- Schedule an email for Wednesday. Suggested time: Morning (7am)
- Schedule an email for this Friday. Suggested time: Morning (7am)
- Schedule an email for next Monday. Suggested time: Early Morning (5am)
Here’s a look at Mailchimp’s send data around the holidays. Notice the spikes on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
- Step 3: Create/Schedule Social Media Posts: Another simple way to promote your deals is via social media. Here, the task is easy: simply create a nice advertisement/promotion and share it on your social media channels. Profile your box, the discount, and be sure to stress the limited time customers have to purchase. Here are some examples:
(Bluehost previewed its upcoming weekend of sales for Black Friday/Cyber Monday this week)
(Here’s an example from Prospurly for a Cyber Monday Special).
Make the Most of the Holiday Shopping Weekend!
Beyond the normal promotions, consider boosting Facebook posts or even running Facebook ads. You can also encourage social influencers and brand partners to share your coupons or special deals on these days as a special value-add for their newsletter subscribers and follows.
For more information, consider downloading our Holiday Marketing Guide.
