Developing a successful marketing plan is no small feat. This fact alone is the reason why you cannot wait until the last minute to create your business’s holiday marketing plan. You’re in luck if you’ve already planned ahead for Christmas, but what holidays up until that time are you prepared for? If you’re prepared for Black Friday, that’s good news; but you’re in bad shape if you haven’t thought about planning for Cyber Monday yet. Here’s why.
Why Cyber Monday Matters
2023 will mark the 18th Cyber Monday, continuing the Black Friday sales from in-store to online-only. At this point, it’s become standard for post-Thanksgiving shopping to be extended into a four-day weekend, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday.
The extension to Cyber Monday made big waves when it was first developed in 2005 because of the convenience it provided to consumers. No longer did they have to rush to wait in line with other shoppers, or fight in the aisles to get the last action figure for their child’s headlining Christmas gift. Now, consumers can shop from the comfort of their home, receiving deals that are competitive to those seen on Black Friday.
As a business, it’s important you make the most of this shopping holiday, extending your marketing plans beyond Black Friday. Whether it’s an affiliate marketing strategy or an email retargeting campaign, you can develop processes to help get consumers shopping in your business’s digital store. Here are some of the best ways you can develop a Cyber Monday plan sure to garner the attention of the right consumers.
Plan Ahead
First off, the biggest thing your company needs to do is plan ahead. You’re competing with many other brands during the holiday season, vying to convince consumers to shop with you above others. To successfully attract attention, you’ll need a well-thought-out plan devised ahead of time, one that begins garnering customers before Cyber Monday comes along.
Get Your Website Optimized
People spend a lot on Cyber Monday, and all of those sales happen thanks to visiting digital storefronts and making purchases. Before a consumer can access your products, they need to make it onto your website. And if your website isn’t working properly come Cyber Monday, you’re not going to get the traffic you hope to see.
Prior to Cyber Monday, you need to ensure that your website is ready for an increase in traffic. Things you and your UX/UI and development team should go over involve site speed, site uptime, and mobile compatibility. These are surefire ways to guarantee your website is a) working and b) navigable by a first-time site visitor. The last thing you want is for your website to crash on the morning of Cyber Monday.
Put Some Time in Offline
It’s a good idea to get online for Cyber Monday if you run a brick and mortar retail store, as you can gain digital sales from locals and others around the world. But not being limited to the digital realm can be a benefit for your business.
Prior to Cyber Monday, consider doing some advertising around your community where you inform customers of what deals they can expect for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This can include placing flyers in local cafes and restaurants, renting out a billboard for the week, or placing posters on other local businesses that are okay with you doing so. This is a simple way to avoid the digital marketing scene, which is sure to be overcrowded in the weeks leading up to these post-Thanksgiving shopping holidays.
Cross-Promote and Develop Partnerships
There’s no need to go through the holiday season alone. Consider partnering with fellow businesses and brands for Cyber Monday, either where deals are offered to customers that shop at both companies or where you promote sales happening at a fellow business and where they do the same for you.
The simplest method of doing this digitally can be through an email campaign or the creation of an affiliate marketing strategy for Instagram — where products of your own are partnered/bundled with other brands for photos, stories, Reels, and more.
The Bottom Line
Prepare now for Cyber Monday. Whatever method your business decides to utilize will prove fruitful. As long as you’re preparing for Cyber Monday, you’re ready to welcome consumers with open arms for one of the nation’s biggest shopping holidays.
