With Black Friday just on the horizon, you’ve most likely already started preparing for what deals you’re going to run and prepping your team for the impending rush. However, the new social media infused world we live in means that you need a social media plan for Black Friday. I’ve come up with a few ways to leverage the power of your social connections to get your business ready for social media Black Friday.
1. Run Social Media Only Black Friday Deals
Reward your current fans and start building your followers by getting them excited for your exclusive Black Friday deals. Let them know ahead of time that only people who like their page are going to get the exclusive deals you’ll be posting on your Facebook page.
2. Upload Exciting Visuals of Your Products
Photos and visuals on social media continue to reign supreme. Post behind-the-scenes photos of your team getting ready for Black Friday and even fun blurred out images of what products will be on sale to get your fans excited and interacting with your page. Encourage sharing!
3. Use Hashtags
Hashtags are for more than just Twitter now with Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest supporting the search and tagging tool now. Create a unique hashtag like “#BlackFridayKohls” so you can see how your customers are experiencing your store and products on the big day. You can even offer exclusive discounts for Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday to users who tweet the hashtag. Just have them show you a screenshot of the hashtag live on their account!
4. Encourage Your Customers to Check-In
Fans who check-in on Facebook or Swarm could receive a 5% off discount to sweeten the deal. Have signs made at your front door ahead of time to let your fans know and then have them show the cashier at checkout. This brings your offline Black Friday online for “Social Media Black Friday!”
5. Post, Post, Post
Stay consistent with your posts on all of your social media networks using best practices. Post about your hours since they’ve probably changed for Black Friday, post about exclusive deals you want to showcase, and reward fans that share your Black Friday Deals. Interactions are the best way to measure your social media success – so get the comments and shares going!
Did you know that in 2013, Pinterest, was the dominant social commerce platform? Pinterest saw a growth of sales that came to retailers by over 260% according to Piqora. If you’re not using Pinterest for your business and you’re an online retailer – get on the ball!
How is your business getting ready for black Friday online and offline? Share your tips in the comments.