The Klarna Summer Small Business Accelerator Programme continues, bringing experts to our small and medium-size business partners with clear, actionable advice on ways to improve their businesses and attract new customers.
It’s in every retailer’s diary but how do you make the most of Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) – or ride higher on any seasonal sales peaks? The fifth session in the series “Maximising BFCM and other sales periods” welcomed Shopify and fast-growing lingerie brand Lounge Underwear to discuss how to make sales periods the highlight of your (retail) calendar.
Helping over a million of the world’s best brands to sell, Shopify knows a thing or two about ramping up web-platforms to drive demand. You can view the entire session here, but in the meantime here are 5 well-seasoned tips to help small businesses take pre-Christmas sales to the max.
1. First off, define your strategy.
Choose one that works for your business, your brand and that resonates with your customers. BFCM is not just about discounting. You can focus seasonal initiatives on your brand/tribe values (e.g. green schemes and charity donations), bundle products to shift slow-moving stock, add ‘persona’ gifting ideas and recommendations, or upsell through personalisation and customisation.
2. Showcase your brand.
This is a competitive and noisy time. Small retailers can stand out by putting their brand at the forefront and telling a great story. Consumers want to know who you are and what you stand for. Make sure your website’s more than a shop window and be sure to share what makes you special.
3. Make a bang with email.
When it comes to promotion, email is still one of the most effective ways to reach customers and propel them to your website. Boost conversion with personalisation, incentives, and timed promotions.
4. Go social but make it organic.
It’s hard to make headway against bigger competitors in the paid for space. So, build your organic presence as best you can with fun social posts and by recruiting influencers that fit, share and amplify your brand. Avoid scrum ads and reach buyers without pushing products too hard.
5. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.
Make sure your back-end processes are in as good shape as your front end. Browsing and buying experiences have to be good. If your customers bounce, they may not come back. Automate, integrate and polish up your tech-stack so everything is aligned and stable before those seasonal checkouts start ringing. If you think your platform’s in need of an update, why not try out Shopify with a 14-day free trial available here.
BFC is great but it’s not mandatory.
While it’s easy just to jump aboard the BFCM bandwagon, remember it’s not essential. As brands become more ethically aligned, some are shifting their focus from quantity to quality. They’re avoiding the discount cycle and looking to boost demand at quieter times when there’s more space to win sales. Some consumers are embracing this attitude too and are consciously not buying items they don’t really need or love.
Get more peak-season advice from Spotify and fast-growing lingerie brand Lounge Underwear in our accelerator programme session here.