As the holiday season approaches, Black Friday stands out as the most anticipated shopping event of the year. For businesses, it’s the golden opportunity to connect with eager shoppers, boost sales, and build brand loyalty. But with so much competition, how do you ensure your ads cut through the noise?

Let’s dive into the best tactics to prepare your business for Black Friday success. Need a more in-depth guide to scheduling your Black Friday promotion in Google Ads? We’ve got you covered. Check it out here: Scheduling Google Promotions – Black Friday 2024. 

Now, let’s dive in!

Shopping Behavior

The shopping landscape has shifted in recent years, with holiday sales starting earlier. In 2024, consumers are more discount-focused than ever, and many are likely to hold off on major purchases until BFCM. Although consumer spending may be soft in September and October, this period is crucial for filling your funnel and educating consumers on why your product is the perfect choice for their holiday spending. 

To capture attention early, we recommend running flash sales from October through Thanksgiving. From BFCM until mid-December, strong sales occur, but drop sharply after shipping cutoffs. Q5 is ideal to push New Year or end-of-season sales.

We often see softness leading up to November and December. October and sometimes September can be weaker than you would expect given high summer momentum. Spending during this time is crucial, particularly on social, because you’re building a funnel full of consumers ready to come back when they start their holiday shopping. Use these months to build momentum and “educate” them on why your product is the best product for them to use their hard-earned dollars on this year

Spend Allocation

Effectively allocating your ad spend is crucial in the lead-up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. To make the most of this period, you need to strategically shift your budget to capture demand at every stage of the buying journey. Starting from now through December, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step breakdown of where and when to focus your advertising efforts.

September – October

Shift your spend towards social channels to begin filling your funnel. Use this time to educate consumers and build excitement for your product. We see UGC focused on the “best of the year” is typically a winner during this time. During this time, strive for 90% prospecting spend and you’ll reap the benefits later in November and December.

Remember, consumers are searching less for your best non-brand terms or your brand during this time period because they’re already thinking about BFCM.

November

Starting in September, you’ll want to switch how you’re budgeting your ad spend. You’ve likely built a funnel already, so you’ll keep building that through social channels through the first half of the month. As you get closer to BFCM, slowly devote more and more to paid search.

The week before BFCM, start ramping up your spend altogether – and continue shifting from  paid social to paid search. During BFCM, demand will be highest for your brand and non-branded terms that it has been in months and CPMs on social will be the highest.

NOTE: Instead of the 90% prospecting spend on paid social, you’ll shift to 70% prospecting during BFCM to allow retargeting to harvest that demand!

December

December is very unlike November – you have around 15 days before demand cools off entirely. Which means in terms of budget allocation, do the opposite of November. Devote around 60-70% of your monthly budget into the time period before your shipping cut-off for Christmas gifts. Once you hit the shipping cut off, decrease your spend day by day. During the week of Christmas, there is practically zero demand, so spend the bare minimum.

Ad Copy Best Practices

Tailoring your ad copy becomes essential for standing out in a competitive market. October through December, your messaging should evolve to match shifting shopping behavior. 

In October, keep things simple by making subtle tweaks. As November hits, shift your focus to deal-centric headlines. During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, clarity is key—make sure your discounts are front and center. As December nears, add urgency with messages around shipping cutoffs and “last chance” deals. 

Promotion Details & Strategies

The right promotion can make or break your holiday success. In 2024, consumers are more discount-driven than ever, so keeping your offers clear, significant, and easy to understand is key. Bundling best-selling products into exclusive holiday sets is a powerful strategy to boost average order value. Building out gift guides can help shoppers easily find the perfect gift. 

Create Clear Discounts

There is nothing a shopper hates more than a confusing sale or a misleading sale. Keep your promotions simple and significant, so you can cut through the noise. If you regularly offer 20% off, increase BFCM discounts to 30-40% to stand out. 

Don’t wait until the week before a sale to have all the details ironed out. We recommend using September and the early part of October to finalize all your sales details for the rest of the year.

Promote THOSE Bundles

One of the biggest hits brands face during BFCM is to AOV. We recommend bundling a few of your best sellers together for an exclusive holiday bundle to increase AOV. Use this opportunity to think about the best way to position your brand during the holiday season.

If you have something like a starter kit or best sellers package, promote it during this time period. Most people are going to get introduced to your brand this year – what bundle is going to give them the best impression of your brand so they’ll come back time and time again?

Build Gift Guides

Tis’ the season of gift-giving – and we all know it. Make it easy for someone who has never been to your site to know the best gifts for their family and friends. 

Create multiple gift guide landing pages for:

• Specific price points like “Under $25, Under $100, etc.”
• Buyer personas with examples like: for the hiker, the runner, etc.
• The ideal gift recipient. For example, gifts for mom/her, gifts for him/dad, or stocking stuffers.

Black Friday 2024 is a tremendous opportunity for your business to capture consumer attention and drive significant sales. By staying ahead of holiday shopping trends and implementing a well-timed strategy, you can engage your audience and stand out in a competitive market. Now is the time to fine-tune your approach, set clear goals, and execute. Wishing you the most successful Black Friday yet!