11 Meta Hacks To Crush Black Friday Sales 2023
We are getting closer to Black Friday, one of the biggest sales days of the year which is a dream for both consumers and businesses around the world. Facebook and Instagram is two of the best ways to inspire gift shoppers and drive major sales during Black Friday, but the advertising space isn’t infinite, despite what it may seem to users. This means the Metas auction system will get overheated resulting in driving up costs so it's crucial to be prepared in order to get through and maximise sales during these hectic days. Don't worry, I'll give you all the hacks you need to know.
Before we jump straight to the juicy hacks, let's take a quick trip down memory lane and learn why it's called "Black Friday"; Black Friday is the name given to the shopping day after Thanksgiving. It was originally called Black Friday because the volume of shoppers created traffic accidents and sometimes even violence. In the 1950's, people began calling in sick the day after Thanksgiving to give themselves a four-day weekend. Rather than try to determine who was legitimately sick, businesses just added that day as another paid holiday.
Black Friday Hacks 🏴
➡ Black Friday is the most popular shopping day of the holiday season. This year it falls on the last pay week before Christmas on November 24th, and since payday will be pushed back, many customers will receive their salary on Black Friday. Since funds may be running low for some customers during Black Week leading up to Black Friday, communicating different payment options can be beneficial for retargeting ads.
➡ The run up to Black Week is the perfect opportunity for branding and teaser campaigns to make your brand top of mind. This is especially important for products with a longer conversion cycle. It's also a good idea to kick off a lead campaign such as "sign up now and get pre access to Black Friday sales" in order to bulk up your email list.
➡ All campaigns, ad sets and ads should be locked down as early as possible prior to going live to avoid getting stuck in pending review. Set up your ads structure at least 3 days ahead of campaign start, to avoid missing out on Black Week conversions due to being stuck in review.
➡ Early shoppers are usually considerate gift purchasers and will generally have a longer consumer journey; they will also be looking for value for money and do not always fit typical audience demographics as many of them are gifting. Ensure your branding and teaser campaigns are drives awareness for uninitiated audiences too.
➡ Run heavy on re-targeting during this period, this will get you the most results and the best ROI, hands down. Retarget previous customers, website visitors and engagers with a longer than typical action window. Aim for a year at least, to reach as many as possible!
➡ ️Take advantage of Meta's ad creative templates in Ads Manager and focus on creating eye catching ads since the auction will explode with strobe lightning creatives on all placements. Create and use frame and discount overlays to your dynamic ads to make them stand out even more. We recommend focusing on black elements as customers will search for this colour theme.
➡ For a smooth day, ensure you have completed all of your pre-campaign checks before campaign start. Make sure ads are posted in the correct language, correct link destinations and correct budgets. Always do a double check!
➡ It is common to start the Black Week Sale on the weekend before Black Friday or on the Monday at the start of Black Week. Be sure to communicate clearly to prospects when you brand plans to start the Sale to allow customers to plan ahead.
➡ To keep your advertising fresh, consider to offer different offers throughout the Monday-Friday period or simply expand the range of discounted goods as the week progresses.
➡ If you are planning on doing drastic (more than 20%) budget increases during certain days, it might be worth duplicating ad sets as bid budget updates might throw the ads back into the review state. Plan ahead and be ready for any curve balls!
➡ Experiment with newer markets embracing Black Friday for some quick wins at lower cost. Take advantage of Metas Advantage+ Audience and allow Metas algorithms to find prospects for you in new markets.