How To Navigate Black Friday As A Small Business

As a small business, it can feel conflicting as to whether Black Friday will help or hinder you. A highly commercialised event that began in the US for just one day of the year has turned into a week-long event that every business seems to take part in. This can be overwhelming and you may feel like it goes against your brand values to run a big flashy sale but you also don’t want to miss out on the sales potential of this event.

If you’re able to, running Black Friday sales for your small business can be a great way to bring traction, attract new customers and boost sales. It doesn’t have to be over the top or offer huge discounts, and there may be customers that have had their eye on your brand but are waiting until they can get it a little cheaper. 

Here’s a few ways you can navigate this time of year so you don’t get too overwhelmed, your customers are happy and you run a successful sale…

Types of discounts

There are numerous types of discounts or deals you can run during Black Friday. 

Percentage based discounts are always quite straightforward as they can usually be applied site wide or to selected collections. However, there’s also the option of buy one get one free, bundles and free gifts.

If you can’t afford huge discounts, offering a small free gift or discount on a second purchased item can offer incentives without the risk of losing out on loads of profit. 

Be prepared

We’re sure you’ve already decided whether you’re going to participate in Black Friday sales this year but if you haven’t already announced this or started putting a plan in place – do it now!

Even if you haven’t quite finalised your discounts and campaign yet, let your customers and prospective customers know that you’ll be taking part so they’re aware.

Many consumers will research ahead of time and make a note of where they want to shop and take advantage of the discounts – especially if they’ve had their eye on something.

Make sure your online store is easy to navigate

A good customer experience and a website that is easy to navigate is essential. The process of viewing products, adding to cart and checking out needs to be streamlined – especially in the Black Friday rush. 

Ensure your customer service is excellent too. Events like Black Friday can bring an influx of new customers, so be prepared to answer any questions they may have or help out if there’s an issue.

The discount or deal you’re offering needs to be clear. If the price is already reduced, highlight this in a bold colour. Or, if a code needs to be added at checkout, make sure it’s clear and visible what the code is and where to enter it.

Optimise your website

If you’re running a Black Friday sale, it should be immediately clear when landing on your website. You can highlight this using banners, pop ups, bold colours or moving parts. You could also write a blog post to support this or add FAQs to ensure no question is left unanswered and you don’t lose a sale.

Ensure you have enough stock

The last thing you want is to receive an influx of orders that you can’t fulfil. Consider the amounts of orders you’re likely to receive and make sure you have the right amount of stock. 

If you’ve run Black Friday sales before, you’ll have an idea of the level of stock you’ll need, especially for your most popular items. You don’t want to overcompensate though as this could make you lose profit and leave you with unwanted inventory so finding a comfortable balance is key. 

Be prepared for stock to run out mid sale too, ensure out of stock notifications will be clear and no one can order something that you don’t have.

Plan your social media campaign

Black Friday can be overwhelming for consumers, as well as businesses. You’ll need to advertise that you will be taking part in the sales so it’s clear to new and existing customers.

Organic social media is essential for nurturing existing customers and showcasing your business to new, potential customers. Ensure your social media pages are active, in line with your brand message and showcase your best products or services.  

Then, you’ll want to share that you’ll be running a Black Friday sale in advance so people can prepare if they’re wanting to purchase something. If your exact discounts aren’t finalised yet, you can announce this early then share more detail later on. 

Paid ads are a great way to reach new customers during Black Friday. If your budget is low, boosting your posts will help them reach a little further to potential new customers. 

If you’re able, running a longer ad with more precise targeting in the lead up to Black Friday will create awareness for your business, attract new customers and help increase sales.

It’s also a great way to target people that have browsed your website before but not purchased, cart abandoners and people similar to your existing customers with lookalike audiences.

Email marketing

Utilise your existing customer list this Black Friday. Targeted email campaigns to previous purchasers can remind them of your brand and encourage another purchase. You can personalise emails with similar products they’ve purchased before or suggested new items to give them a tailored shopping experience.

Black Friday this year is on Friday 29th November, with many businesses offering discounts in the lead up to this date and until the Monday (known as Cyber Monday). If you’re struggling to manage events such as Black Friday, outsourcing your marketing to an agency is a great way to gain support and external expertise, especially as a small business.