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Black Week marks the start of the holiday shopping season and is a golden opportunity to boost sales and attract new customers with the right communication strategy. By optimizing your Black Week campaigns, you can not only increase sales but also enhance brand visibility, drive traffic, and build customer loyalty. This guide provides tips to craft impactful campaigns and prepare your customer service for the year's most popular shopping event.
Statistics and trends from previous Black Weeks in the UK
Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become essential fixtures in the shopping calendar. In 2023, 43% of UK consumers planned to shop during Black Week, with over 70% in the 18–45 age group. Total spending exceeded £770 million during Black Week 2023, with digital and mobile shopping channels continuing to dominate. Understanding these trends is crucial for planning successful campaigns that align with customer behavior and expectations.
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It's not only retail and e-commerce that are impacted by the increase in consumption; the logistics and transportation industries also experience added pressure. Therefore, it's essential to ensure that the entire order flow and communication are optimised to meet end-consumers' demands.
5 Tips for Black week Campaign Success in 2024
To stand out from the crowd and achieve your goals during Black Week, the right strategy and tools are essential. LINK Mobility provides mobile communication tools to help you effectively reach and engage your customers. Below are 5 tips on how to optimize your Black Week campaigns for the best results.
1. Analyse Previous Performance
Evaluate past Black Friday and time-sensitive campaigns. Which channels performed best? What content engaged customers most? Tailor your Black Week strategy based on these insights and remain flexible to adjust in real time based on customer responses.
2. Plan Unique Offers
Your deals should not only be appealing but also stand out. Use FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) tactics with time-limited discounts or exclusive VIP offers for loyal customers. Analyze trends and adapt your offers to customer buying habits and product preferences.
3. Communicate at the right time and in the right channel
With increased consumer expectations, being available across preferred customer channels is key. Combine various communication methods like email and SMS and start early to maximize reach.
Black Week brings high demand, making it challenging to stand out among all the offers and campaigns. This is why it's crucial to use the right channels and tools to successfully break through the noise.
4. Warm customers up early
Build anticipation by sending teasers via SMS or email in the lead-up to Black Week. Encourage newsletter or SMS subscriptions with exclusive previews or discounts to increase engagement when the campaigns go live.
5. Think beyond Black Friday
Black Week encompasses more than Black Friday; Cyber Monday is a critical part of the mix. Spread your offers throughout the week and plan follow-up campaigns in December to maximize customer lifetime value. Key Dates for Black Week 2024 in the UK
25 November – Black Week Begins
29 November – Black Friday
2 December – Cyber Monday
Spread your campaigns across the week and give customers timely nudges through emails, SMS, or RCS messages for better engagement.
Choosing the Right Channel for Black Week Campaigns
Selecting the correct communication channel is essential for effective customer engagement:
Use SMS for concise, time-sensitive messages.
Use email for detailed and visually appealing presentations.
Combine these with customer data insights for maximum impact.
Read more below on how to choose the right channel at the right time.
Email Marketing - When you want to visualise and inspire
Email marketing is an effective tool for building interest and anticipation ahead of Black Week. Use emails to showcase your offers with images, videos, and engaging text. Create a dedicated landing page to present your deals and include countdown timers to create a sense of urgency. Generate buzz by giving your customers incentives to choose your brand for their shopping.
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SMS - When you want to reach out quickly and effectively
When campaigns are live, SMS is an efficient way to quickly reach your customers. With high open rates and immediate impact, SMS marketing is perfect for reminding customers about time-sensitive offers and driving instant purchases. By teasing your campaigns via email and your website earlier, you can now keep your message short and concise – all you need is a great offer and a clear call-to-action.
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RCS - For an interactive mobile shopping experience
RCS takes SMS to the next level by enabling multimedia messages directly in the customer’s SMS inbox. Use RCS to send visually appealing offers with images, videos, and interactive elements like call-to-action buttons and QR codes. It's perfect for creating a more engaging shopping experience and capturing attention during Black Week. Stand out with unparalleled customer experiences, offering shopping assistance, real-time customer support, or creating conversational flows that simplify the customer journey.
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Marketing Automation - To retain and build customer relationships
With Marketing Automation, you can stay connected with your customers even after Black Week. Create automated flows triggered by customer behavior, such as reminders about abandoned carts or follow-ups on previous purchases. You can also suggest related products or provide other relevant information to maintain engagement.
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Combine SMS and email to create a cohesive communication strategy that guides customers throughout the entire purchasing journey. Remember, SMS works best for time-sensitive messages, while email is ideal for visualizing offers and conveying longer, more detailed content.
Prepare your customer service for Black Week
Having attractive offers and communicating effectively with your customers is a great start, but to fully capitalise on Black Week in the long term, it's essential to have a well-prepared and efficient customer service team.
93% of customers state they are likely to make repeat purchases from companies that offer excellent customer service. Increased availability, such as through the use of chatbots, can streamline customer service and reduce pressure during peak periods. Implement an omnichannel strategy that makes it easy for customers to reach you through their preferred channel, whether via SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, or directly on your website.
Given the competition and the high stakes during Black Week, it’s crucial to provide effective customer support to avoid losing customers during their purchase journey. Chatbot flows, tailored to common questions typical of this time of year, can help streamline operations and reduce the workload on your customer service team.
With chatbots, you can save up to 30% on customer support costs while improving communication and response times. Chatbots can handle up to 80% of all routine inquiries efficiently.