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Even though Black Friday feels like a lifetime away, businesses all over the U.S. have already started preparing their strategies for the biggest shopping weekend of the year. Starting around the end of summer to early fall, Black Friday strategies are already being planned. So if you’ve been thinking that it’s too early to prepare for this massive sales opportunity, you’ve thought wrong. In fact, you may already be behind. 

“There is no such thing as ‘too early’ when talking about marketing strategy. There is only ‘too late’,” points out Victor Mathieux, Co-Founder and CEO of Miracle Brand.

It really never is too early to start planning your Black Friday strategy. If you need some help deciding on what that strategy will be for 2023, keep reading to discover seven effective ways to get your business ready for the big sale. 

1. Figure Out Your Discounts/Sales

The most obvious thing you’ll have to plan is the discounts that you’ll offer during Black Friday weekend. You’ll want to conduct market research well in advance to determine what kinds of sales you should have. Take a look at what your competition might do as well as how your sales performed the previous year. 

“People are willing to wait for the right sale and be patient,” said Rob Garf, vice president and general manager of retail for Salesforce, “The game of discount chicken is back and consumers will ultimately win.”

Nowadays, doing a Black Friday sale isn’t enough. The deals now last through the entire weekend with each day having a different focus. You’ll want to prepare for each day and have different deals ready to go ahead of time. Let’s talk about the three main events of the busiest shopping weekend of the year. 

Black Friday

Black Friday has changed quite a bit over the past 10 or so years. What started as people trampling over each other in the final hours of Thanksgiving for deals on TVs and gaming consoles has now turned into a three-part extravaganza. Most stores don’t open on Thanksgiving anymore, and shopping is done mostly online. 

“Even with the threat of recession, Black Friday is still going to be the biggest shopping weekend of the year. That was the case in 2022 and it will be the same for 2023,” maintains Brianna Bitton, Co-Founder of O Positiv.

Although many shoppers do choose to do their Black Friday shopping from the comfort of home, you still need to prepare your brick-and-mortar locations if you have any. This should include setting up the store layout to accommodate more volume and acquiring enough stock to get you through the day.

Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday is the latest addition to Black Friday weekend. This day aims to drive sales to smaller businesses that often get overshadowed by corporate giants. If you consider yourself a small business, then you need to capitalize on this day.

“We always hear about the Amazon threat but we’ve never seen it play out that way. It shows up in some data in other ways, and Amazon is taking business away, but at the same time people buying from Amazon are also buying from small businesses at higher rates,” says Laura Wronski, senior manager of research science at Momentive.

Send out marketing materials well in advance, and make sure all existing customers know that they are supporting a small business when they shop with you. This will help them keep you in mind when Saturday rolls around. Make sure you are offering deals that differ from your Black Friday discounts to draw in new sales. 

Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday has been around since people’s shopping habits changed to primarily online. There was once a time when Black Friday deals were all doorbusters, and you could only secure the deals if you shopped in person. And although most retailers offer online deals throughout the weekend, we have an entire day dedicated to online deals. 

“Cyber Monday is a great way to swoop up some extra deals as a customer, and an even better way to swoop up some extra sales as a business. Make sure you have something worthwhile to offer your customers,” offers Matthew Morein, VP of Brand and Creative at Psycho Bunny, a company known for their stylish polo shirts for men.

By the time Cyber Monday rolls around, people’s wallets aren’t quite as heavy. Due to all the spending they did over the weekend, your Cyber Monday deals need to be more competitive. They also need to differ from the online sales you offered earlier in the weekend. 

2. Build an Early Access List

An early access list is the perfect way to reward your loyal customers who have stuck with you throughout the year. Your early access list will give a first look at your Black Friday deals. You’ll want to start curating this list as early as possible.

“Email lists are still going strong, even in a time when text messaging has taken over. Maintain and grow your email lists throughout the year so you can use them for your holiday marketing strategy,” says Richard Li, Co-Founder of July, a company that offers some of the best carry on luggage on the market.

When the day gets close, you can send out a special link or discount code that gives subscribers access to the early deals. You could also give these subscribers a special discount on the day instead. What you choose to do for your early access subscribers is entirely up to you. 

3. Add New Products

Entice customers with a new product drop or two. It’s no secret that you will be competing with just about everyone else for sales during the weekend. So, what better way to draw in customers than to get them excited about new products? You don’t have to discount the new products for the holiday, but releasing them around this time will encourage people to buy your other discounted products. 

“Customers love holiday-themed products. You can give existing products festive packaging for a fairly low cost. Try adding a few snowflakes or holly leaves here and there,” suggests Scott Chaverri, CEO of Mito Red Light.

Promote your new releases not only on your website but also in your promotional emails. You can even include a countdown for your new product release. The key is finding ways to get customers excited to shop with you over the weekend. 

4. Have Hourly Deals

Another great sales strategy is to offer deals by the hour. This can help drum up excitement among your customers and keep them checking back throughout the day. These deals can include exclusive discounts, free shipping, or a gift with purchase. 

“It’s often the little things that can set you apart as a business. If you can do something that few others are doing, it can make a difference no matter how small,” advises Sara Alshamsi, Founder and CEO of Big Heart Toys.

Setting hourly deals is much simpler than it may seem. Using website popups is a great way to reuse the same deal template throughout the day. You can also schedule the deals ahead of time so everything runs smoothly on the day. 

5. Use a Spin Wheel

If you have ever seen a business use a digital spin wheel, you already know how much fun it can be for customers. A spin-to-win wheel is a great way to distribute unique discounts, coupons, and other incentives to get people to make a purchase. It also adds a level of excitement as it makes the customer feel like they’ve already won something. 

“People don’t just shop for a product — they shop for an experience. If you can provide them an experience they haven’t had before, they’ll be more likely to come back for more,” says Alia Bedi, General Manager of L’Evate You.

When setting up your wheel, you’ll want to request an email address from each user. This way you don’t have people spinning until they get what they want. You will also be collecting emails for your email list which is great for marketing purposes.

6. Offer a Gift With Purchase

A free gift with purchase is an age-old method of encouraging people to spend money. Set a minimum purchase amount based on the cost of the gift. For example, if you are offering a gift that has a higher value, then up the minimum purchase amount to get the free gift. 

“Did you say free? Just a mention of the word ‘free’ will turn heads. Offer free shipping or a free gift to win a sale that you may not have gotten otherwise,” suggests Colby Schmidt, Founder of Coursology.

Free gifts can be anything you think your customers would like. They can be inexpensive items, items that are popular with your customers, or items that have a shorter shelf life like cosmetics. Whatever the gift is, it should encourage people to spend money to get it. 

7. Prepare for the Holidays

To keep the sales rolling in, consider offering discounts for your customers to use later in the season. Slip a coupon in their bag that runs from early to mid-December to get your customers coming back for more holiday shopping. You could also drop a coupon into their email account as a thank you for making a Black Friday purchase. 

“As a salesperson, you should always be looking two seasons ahead. When it’s spring, you should be thinking of pumpkins and haunted houses. When it’s summer, you should be thinking about beaches and barbecues, and in fall, Christmas is already here for you,” says Den Montero, Marketing Director of Moeflavor.

You have to keep in mind that Black Friday is only the beginning of the busiest season of the year, so it makes sense to think ahead. A successful business is always going to be planning for what’s next, so take note of them and start your holiday marketing early. 

Black Friday, Here We Come!

Head into Black Friday weekend prepared to reduce stress and increase your chances of record profits. Don’t let this busy weekend intimidate you. All it takes is some advanced preparation and a great sales strategy or two.

“Marketing is all about preparation and data. If you can use data analytics to prepare for upcoming events, then you’ve already won,” mentions Jin Young Woo, CEO of Like Dreams.

Use our seven tips and tricks for successful marketing strategies during the biggest shopping weekend of the year. Good luck and happy marketing!