Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) represents a significant sales opportunity for brands on Amazon. With the holiday season’s potential, a well-strategized approach is crucial for success. In 2022, e-commerce sales reached $35 billion during the 5-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, with Amazon capturing nearly 18% of these sales. For 2023, Amazon’s BFCM Deal Event is extended to 11 days, from November 17th to 27th across North America, providing an even greater opportunity for brands to drive increased revenue on Amazon. Follow the Best Practices in this guide to maximize your Black Friday Cyber Monday deal event sales.
Key Strategies and Best Practices
Table of Contents
Increase Discoverability with Amazon Search Engine Optimization
- Front-End Product Detail Page Copy: Update Titles, Bullet Points, Descriptions, A+ copy, Brand Story copy, and Storefront Copy for relevance and seasonality. Include the highly searched keywords “Black Friday”, “Cyber Monday”, “Deal”, and “Gift” as appropriate.
- Back-End SEO Search Terms: Update the back-end Search Terms field, Image Alt-Text, A+ Content Alt-Text, Brand Story Meta Descriptions, and Storefront Meta Descriptions to include additional relevant search terms as well as seasonal holiday and Spanish terms not implemented in the Front-End fields referenced above. This will increase ranking, discoverability, and ultimately lead to more clicks and sales during the holiday deal event.
Increase Conversion Rate Through Creative Content Optimization
- Click-Through-Rate Optimized Main Image: The Main Image is the “shopping window” into a listing – and you only have a split second to gain a shopper’s attention. Make your main image stand out from the competition to attract more clicks by adding eye-catching elements – like product packaging, package contents, trust badges, demonstrative overlays, and seasonal features. This needs to be done within Amazon TOS, and on a white background in most selling categories.
- Brand Story, A+ Content, Storefront: Update creatives, modules, and banners for seasonal relevance as appropriate. Storefronts should be updated to include a Holiday Gifts, Holiday Deals, or a Black Friday Cyber Monday Deals page.
- Advertising Creatives: Utilize holiday themed Custom Images, Carousel Images, and Video with Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display and Sponsored TV ad types.
Schedule Coupons, Deals & Promotions
- Deals: It is advisable to participate in any Black Friday, Cyber Monday “Deals” that are available to you. You can check these in Seller Central > Advertising > Deals.
- Coupons: If no “Deals” are available, Coupons can be added to your listings in Seller Central > Advertising > Coupons. We recommend using Dollar Amount Off vs % Off. Amazon’s minimum coupon is 5% off the sales price or the dollar amount equivalent. Coupon equivalents of at least 20% are most successful during BFCM. A coupon of any amount displays as a green banner in search results which increases Click-Through-Rate.
- Brand Tailored Promotions: As a new addition to Amazon’s Customer Engagement Tool set, Brand Tailored promotions provide bespoke discounts to brand-aware shoppers. See Adverio’s blog post for more information: www.adverio.io/blog/amazon-brand-tailored-promotions-comprehensive-guide
- MYCE Tool: Increase Customer Loyalty and promotion awareness with Amazon’s direct email platform. Read Adverio’s blog post for more information: www.adverio.io/blog/amazon-manage-your-customer-engagement-tool-myce-how-to-guide
Amplify Brand Awareness with Amazon Advertising
- Sponsored Products: Boost your budget and ensure competitive bids for strategic terms in the Search Grid to maximize visibility.
- Sponsored Brands and Display: Utilize Sponsored Brands for Top-Of-Search Awareness, Brand Awareness and to drive higher converting Storefront traffic. Sponsored Display can be leveraged for targeted re-engagement strategies. Leverage both strategies’ unique Image & Video capabilities to gain interested shoppers.
- Amazon DSP: Increase your overall Amazon DSP investment to re-target the uniquely purchase-driven audience of BFCM. Utilize custom creatives, Streaming TV Ads, and Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) audiences
Optimize Bids and Budget Flights
- Bidding Strategy: In 2022, median CPC increased by 28% during BFCM compared to 14 days prior. Adjust bids to capture peak traffic, particularly in the mornings when ad impressions and efficiency are highest. Bid adjustments of +10% to +20% typically perform best during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
- Budget Strategy: Understand hourly changes in consumer behavior. For instance, clicks and sales surged in the early morning and late evening on Black Friday 2022. Budget requirements will likely increase to 150% the day before Black Friday, 200% – 400% the day of Black Friday & Cyber Monday, then taper sharply to original values post-event. Keep a pulse on budget flights to identify Out of Budget campaigns every 2-3 hours during the sale event through the Budgets tab in Campaign Manager.
Strategic Planning and Execution
- Lead-Up Phase: The lead-up phase is typically 3-5 days ahead of the main sale event and is critical for ranking and positioning ahead of the shopping demand wave. Stock up on inventory and utilize promotions, deals and coupons to increase sales rank and visibility ahead of the main event.
- Main Event: Prioritize high-traffic periods, leveraging real-time data for bid adjustments. Focus on Sponsored Products and Brands for visibility.
- Post-BFCM Strategy: Don’t let customers forget about your offering. Maintain momentum through Sponsored Display and DSP retargeting; promoting complementary products. Nurture loyalty among new customers acquired during BFCM.
Conclusion
Success during BFCM on Amazon requires a comprehensive approach including SEO, Conversion Rate Optimization, and Advertising. By leveraging Amazon’s advertising platform effectively, understanding market dynamics, and executing a strategic plan, brands can significantly boost their visibility and sales during this crucial shopping period. Remember, the extended 11-day period in 2023 offers a unique opportunity to capture a broader audience and achieve greater sales success. By employing these Best Practices, sellers can significantly enhance their visibility, customer engagement, and sales performance during one of the most lucrative periods of the retail calendar.
