Advertiser Tips for Cashing in on Black Friday/Cyber Monday Madness

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are on the horizon – and no matter what your niche, there’s no denying that this is the season to be in affiliate marketing. According to Adobe Analytics, consumers spent $19.62 billion over the five day period from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday in 2017, a 15% increase from the year before.

It may seem early, but if we’ve noticed anything in Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) affiliate marketing trends over the past few years, it’s that those who prepare ahead of time reap the most rewards.

Think About Who Your Audience is Buying For

This time of year, your typical customers start to change up their shopping style – with the focus shifting from themselves, to gifts for friends and families. In fact, according to a survey done by Coresight Research, 82% of shoppers expected to buy holiday gifts online.

With this in mind, now might be the time to not only promote products that your audience enjoys, but to also focus on exactly who your audience is shopping for this holiday season. Use the analytics at your disposal to research your main demographic, then see what this group is shopping for at this time of year.

Early Bird Gets the Sale

With multiple years of data to back it up, it has become clear that those affiliates who start their BFCM promotions at least three weeks in advance come out on top. According to a 2017 RetailMeNot survey, 54% of consumers said they would begin holiday shopping before Black Friday, with 45% stating they would start before November 1st. While not necessarily buying this far out, these few weeks leading up to the main event are when consumers start looking for – and bookmarking – the products they want to come back to buy.

Make your ads as intriguing as possible to drum up excitement for the big holidays. Retarget heavily, take advantage of social media and influencers, offer free shipping, or other discounts – really pull out all the stops!  But be prepared to have a lackluster return on ad spend during these weeks. If you’re putting in the right effort and optimizing as much as possible, the buyers will be back to purchase by Black Friday.

Theme Your Deals

While you might be selling the same products during the holiday season that you do any other time of year, that doesn’t mean you have to position them the same year-round. Theme your ads to show why they would be the perfect gift. Or perhaps you have multiple products that could be marketed as a BFCM gift bundle. You’ll already have an influx of people coming to your deals at this time of year, why not capitalize on the extra traffic by trying to get consumers to buy more of your products? Just remember to offer a good deal on your holiday package deals, as anything less than 20% off tends to be ineffective.

Diversify Your Marketing Channels and Optimize for Mobile

Relying too heavily on just one affiliate marketing channel can be a risky move during the holiday season, especially if your chosen channel does poorly and you’re left to start over from scratch. For the past couple years in particular, mobile has been a strong player in online holiday shopping. In fact, last year mobile visits outpaced desktop users, with 64% of shoppers choosing to use their phones to search for deals. Planning social and email placements is a sure way to be positive your ads are exposed to mobile customers that are constantly on their phones. Make sure you provide a smooth shopping experience across all your marketing channels with up-to-date and optimized ads.

The earlier you start, the more time you have to work with your Clickbooth Ad Rep to ensure your campaigns are in top shape come mid-November. With advanced preparation and a well-structured approach, affiliate marketers can make a killing this holiday season.

POSTED BY KELLY HOLLERAN