As the holiday season approaches, Black Friday marks the beginning of the "Golden Quarter" – the final and often most profitable stretch of the year for retailers. It’s a critical time when brands have a prime opportunity to close the year on a high note, capitalizing on increased consumer spending and excitement around holiday sales.
With millions of shoppers scouring for deals, social media becomes an invaluable tool for businesses to raise awareness, engage audiences, and drive traffic to their websites. However, while Black Friday is a pivotal moment in retail, it’s also fiercely competitive. If you’re feeling behind on your Black Friday strategy, don’t panic.
According to Emplifi's latest social media insights, there’s still time to build effective ad campaigns and make an impact. By leveraging the power of targeted ads, engaging content, and strategic timing, you can stand out in the crowded digital landscape and make the most of this lucrative season. Here’s how brands can effectively ramp up their efforts and maximize their holiday sales potential.
How to get the most out of your Black Friday ad spend
Many brands wonder when to launch Black Friday ads to achieve the highest engagement. According to Emplifi's analysis, ad spend surges between six and 10 days before Black Friday, but this period sees a relatively lower ROI. Advertisers increase their spending by 89% during this window compared to the earlier period, but the click-through rate (CTR) only hovers around 1.3%. Interestingly, as Black Friday approaches, spending decreases, but CTR grows to 1.82% in the final five days, indicating that ads become more effective closer to the event.
Key Insight: Consumers become more likely to click ads as Black Friday approaches, so brands should allocate a larger portion of their budget during the last two weeks, particularly in the final five days when the numbers show ad spend typically drops by 34%. This ensures that ad spend is directed toward audiences who are more eager to purchase, maximizing ROI.
Impressions vs. ad spend
While ad impressions peak during the 10- to 6-day window before Black Friday, the corresponding CTR doesn’t see a significant rise. In fact, impressions during this period are 40% higher than during the final five days before Black Friday, yet the average CTR increases from 1.38% to 1.82% in that same period. This suggests that while more people see the ads earlier, consumers are more likely to engage and click through as the event draws nearer.
Key Insight: As Black Friday approaches, fewer impressions may be generated, but they result in higher engagement. Brands get more value from their ad spend closer to the event, meaning it’s better to time advertising campaigns when consumer urgency is highest.
Optimize ad design for higher engagement
To further enhance ad performance, brands should focus on crafting ads that resonate with their target audience. One crucial factor is incorporating a sense of urgency in Black Friday posts. According to an Emplifi analysis, posts that emphasize urgency – such as limited-time offers or countdowns – receive 2x more interactions than those without this element. Urgency drives consumer action, encouraging potential buyers to act quickly and boosting engagement.
Additionally, the prominence of the product in Black Friday ads plays a significant role in user interactions. Posts where the product is featured prominently in the image generate 30% more interactions compared to ads where the product is small or less noticeable. This suggests that visually highlighting the product increases its appeal and makes it easier for consumers to understand the offer, further driving clicks and conversions.
Key trends in social customer care leading into the holiday season
Consumers are increasingly relying on Facebook and Instagram for product support, especially during the holiday season. In Q4, customer service requests on social platforms surged by 52% compared to Q1. As brands ramp up their marketing efforts during this period, they engage with an already active audience, making efficient and responsive social customer care crucial.
However, despite the increase in support cases during the holiday season, many brands struggle to meet the demand and often fall short. In Q4, the number of cases answered drops by 16% compared to Q1, highlighting a service gap during a crucial period for customer engagement.
To address the rising demand, brands must optimize their social customer care strategies. With 49% of U.S. consumers placing high importance on their experience with brands on social media, providing efficient, responsive customer service is critical. Moreover, 86% of consumers report they would leave a brand after just one negative experience, underscoring the necessity for timely and effective community management.
Breakdown of negative comments on Black Friday deals
As brands ramp up their Black Friday strategies, it’s vital to consider customer feedback – especially on social media, where negative experiences can quickly gain traction. Emplifi's analysis of over 4,000 Facebook comments regarding Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2023 promotions revealed key areas of consumer dissatisfaction.
The top issues included missed sales opportunities (15.8%) and poor customer support (15.2%), closely followed by complaints about overpriced products (11.6%) and disappointing sales experiences (14.9%). Other notable concerns included difficulties with ordering, high interest rates, and accusations of scams, with 8.9% of consumers reporting that they never received their orders.
Understanding these pain points enables brands to proactively address common frustrations in their Black Friday campaigns. By enhancing customer support, refining promotional strategies, and ensuring smooth transaction processes, businesses can reduce negative feedback and foster positive interactions, ultimately boosting engagement and ROI during this critical shopping season.
Advice: Brands should ensure seamless collaboration between social media and customer support teams. Quick response times and clear communication about service hours can prevent customer frustration. Additionally, providing self-service resources, such as FAQs, can empower customers and reduce the need for live support during high-traffic periods.
Conclusion
As Black Friday and the holiday season approach, the opportunity for brands to boost engagement and drive ROI is immense. By implementing a well-timed, strategic approach to ad spend and prioritizing customer care on social platforms, businesses can stand out in the highly competitive landscape.
To succeed during Black Friday, brands should focus on fine tuning their ad campaigns and optimizing customer support to deliver seamless experiences. By prioritizing both, they can not only increase conversions but also build lasting relationships with their audience, ensuring a strong finish to the year.
