Black Friday Influencers: Proven Strategies to Maximise 2024 Sales

As the Black Friday influencers prepare, businesses gear up for one of the year’s biggest shopping events. Consumers eagerly anticipate this time for luxury purchases and early holiday shopping. For brands, it’s a prime opportunity to boost sales and attract new customers.

The rise of e-commerce means that online sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday continue to grow exponentially. In fact, in 2023 alone, online Black Friday sales rose by 8%, totalling a staggering $70 billion. With this ongoing trend, it’s more important than ever for brands to leverage the right strategies to stand out.

One of the most effective ways to capture attention in this crowded marketplace is through influencer marketing. Creators have become a powerful resource for brands, offering authenticity and reach to a wide variety of audiences. Particularly for younger generations, influencers can play a significant role in shaping purchasing decisions. Nearly 97% of Generation Z look to social media for inspiration when deciding what to buy, making influencer partnerships crucial for success.

However, a successful influencer marketing campaign requires careful planning and a strategic approach. Let’s explore how you can effectively use influencers to make the most of Black Friday 2024.

Start Early: Partner with Influencers in Advance

Timing is everything when it comes to influencer marketing, especially during the Black Friday period. It’s a highly competitive time, and getting ahead of the game is key to success. Starting your influencer collaborations at least two months before the campaign can ensure you have enough time to prepare, negotiate, and fine-tune the content.

Benefits of Early Influencer Engagement:

• Teaser Campaigns: By engaging influencers early, you can gradually build hype with teaser content, keeping your brand fresh in customers’ minds in the run-up to Black Friday.
• Mitigate Delays: Early planning allows you to avoid potential delays in content creation or shipping products to creators, ensuring everything is ready on time.
• Optimised Content Release: You’ll have the flexibility to post content at the best times, tailored to your target audience’s location and preferences.
• Cost-Effective Deals: Some influencers offer discounts for early bookings, giving you the opportunity to save on campaign costs while building longer-term relationships.

By starting early, you position your brand to capture valuable attention, and your influencers have the time they need to produce high-quality, engaging content.

Repurpose Creator Content to Enhance Retargeting Efforts

Repurpose influencer-generated content (IGC) and user-generated content (UGC) to stretch your marketing budget. This approach is excellent for retargeting purposes. These types of content tend to perform well because they feel more organic, relatable, and authentic compared to traditional brand ads.

Advantages of Repurposed Influencer Content:

• Build Authenticity: Consumers are more likely to trust recommendations from influencers they follow, which can help to establish a genuine connection with your audience.
• Increase Visibility: With many users ignoring traditional ads, using influencer content can blend seamlessly into their social feeds, making your brand stand out more effectively.
• Better Engagement: Influencer-generated content often sees higher click-through rates – up to 4.5 times more than standard digital ads.

Incorporate influencer content into your retargeting strategy on Google Ads, Facebook, or Amazon Ads. This helps re-engage potential buyers who previously visited your site but didn’t purchase.

Create Pre-Black Friday Buzz: Tease Your Audience

Competition peaks during Black Friday, so creating excitement beforehand is critical. One effective way to do this is by having influencers build anticipation for your brand’s offers several weeks in advance. By regularly engaging audiences with sneak peeks or teaser content, you can ensure your brand remains top-of-mind.

Why Pre-Event Teasers Work:

• Storytelling Potential: Teaser campaigns allow you to create a narrative that resonates with your audience. Research has shown that creative storytelling boosts engagement, especially among millennials.
• Word of Mouth (WoM) Marketing: Around 45% of consumers are more likely to discover new products through social media during Black Friday, making influencers a key part of your strategy.

Engaging your influencers in the lead-up to the event builds anticipation, encouraging their followers to check back when your deals go live.

Adopt a Multi-Channel Approach for Greater Impact

To maximise the potential of your Black Friday campaign, a multi-channel approach is essential. Influencer marketing should be integrated with your broader marketing strategy, including paid advertising, retargeting, and email campaigns.

Key Channels to Leverage:

• Email Remarketing: Re-engage potential customers who showed interest in your products but haven’t yet made a purchase.
• Paid Search & Media: Ensure your products appear in search results when consumers are actively looking for Black Friday deals.
• Organic Social Media: Drive engagement and build your brand’s community before and during the Black Friday rush.
• SEO: Optimise your content and website to capture organic traffic, particularly on platforms like Amazon where many buyers start their search for deals.

By ensuring all your marketing channels are aligned, you can maximise your reach and drive better performance throughout the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period.

Black Friday Influencers: Focus on Driving Sales

While brand awareness is important, Black Friday is ultimately about conversions. Streamline your efforts by driving all traffic towards one central platform, whether it’s your own website, Amazon, or another e-commerce platform.

Why a Single Selling Platform Works:

• Simplified Management: Focusing on one platform allows you to more easily manage orders, track sales, and optimise customer service.
• Efficient Tracking: It becomes much easier to monitor and assess the success of your campaign when all sales are directed to one location.
• Increased Customer Satisfaction: Reducing friction in the purchase process improves the overall shopping experience, which is critical during such a busy time of year.

Track Influencer Performance to Maximise ROI

Measuring the impact of your influencer marketing campaign is essential to understanding which creators deliver the best results. By using methods like promo codes, affiliate links, and UTMs, you can track each influencer’s contribution to your overall sales performance.

Benefits of Tracking Influencer Performance:

• Better Campaign Management: Knowing which influencers are driving the most sales enables you to make informed decisions on where to invest your marketing budget.
• Insightful Analytics: Gathering data from your campaigns allows you to refine your strategy for future events, improving efficiency and effectiveness.

Black Friday Influencers: Consider Micro-Influencers for Higher Engagement

While macro-influencers can offer reach, micro-influencers often have smaller but more engaged followings. They are more affordable and generate a higher return on investment (ROI) during Black Friday. Additionally, they build closer relationships with their audiences.

Why Micro-Influencers Are Effective:

• Targeted Audience: Micro-influencers can reach niche audiences that align closely with your brand.
• Stronger Engagement: Influencers with smaller followings typically see higher engagement rates compared to those with larger audiences.
• Cost Efficiency: Micro-influencers often charge significantly less than their macro counterparts, making them a budget-friendly option for brands.

By identifying the right mix of influencers, you can balance your need for reach and engagement while keeping costs manageable.

Black Friday 2024 offers a significant opportunity to grow your brand and increase sales. Start early and use influencer-generated content to build your strategy. Then, adopt a multi-channel approach and prioritise performance.