How to make the most of your paid media ads on Black Friday & the holiday shopping season

The Friday following the American holiday of Thanksgiving, more commonly known as Black Friday, is generally thought of as the start of the Holiday Shopping season. In 2022, the annual sale event characterised by huge purchases, and substantial discounts reached a peak of more than $65.3 billion in online sales across the globe.

Holding the title of the United States biggest shopping day of the year for almost two decades, Black Friday is a crucial day for retailers – and is undoubtedly packed with intense competition. To combat the competition, and to stand out from the thousands of Black Friday ads, online stores need a strong marketing strategy to outperform their competitors and pave the path to success.

With high audience visibility, precise targeting options, and quality measuring and analysis tools – paid media ads are a crucial part of a brands online marketing strategy. With the right methods, paid media can help you boost your digital marketing strategy, and win the sales this Black Friday weekend and into the Holiday Shopping season beyond.

What ads work best for your goals?

Before you set up your ads, you will need to consider what you are trying to achieve. On huge sale days such as Black Friday, eCommerce sites usually have two main goals – these include:

• Converting new customers: encouraging new people within your target audience to purchase a product(s) or service(s) from your website
• Encouraging returning customers: enticing people who have already visited or purchased something on your website in the past to return and make an additional purchase

There are ideal advertisements depending on which of the above audience types you decide to put your focus on.

For converting new audiences, static images are ideal because they highlight products and encourage shoppers to convert through the call-to-action (CTA) alongside the image.

Retargeting ads are especially effective on shopping days such as Black Friday for encouraging customers to return to your website, showing them products they have looked at previously – encouraging them to convert now the price has gone down.

Consider where your audience is searching

While Google has been the primary search engine of choice for decades, the younger generation have now begun to use social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram as a new way of searching. This is important to consider when deciding where to place your paid media advertisements; if your target audience is mostly millennials and gen Z – you might want to put a greater focus on paid media ads for social media.

Use all tools at your disposal

Ad Copy:

Through the use of concise and persuasive language to capture attention, highlight discounts, and creating a sense of urgency, you can craft compelling ad copy that emphasises Black Friday deals and holiday specials. Enticing copy as such, can ensure your messaging stands out amidst the competitive Black Friday landscape, driving clicks and conversions.

It is important to consider where you can incorporate your keywords, and any additional key terms relating to popular shopping trends or gift ideas that align with customer searches during the festive season

Extensions:

You can leverage ad extensions to provide additional information and incentives, such as:

• Showcasing specific Black Friday promotions
• Highlighting product categories
• Including relevant links to boost click-through rates
• Using site link extensions to direct users to exclusive holiday landing pages or highlight limited-time offers.

By maximising the use of extensions, you enhance the visibility and relevance of your ads, ultimately driving more qualified traffic to your site.

Merchant Center Promotions:

Using Google’s Merchant Center promotions to your advantage, you can showcase special Black Friday discounts and exclusive deals. By linking promotions to your product listings, you can increase visibility on Google Shopping, attracting users looking for the best holiday bargains.

Ensure that your promotions are accurately reflected in your product data feed to provide a seamless and trustworthy shopping experience. This tactic can significantly boost the attractiveness of your products and entice users to choose your offerings over competitors.

Countdown Ad Customizer:

A sense of urgency is vital for limited time events and deals such as Black Friday, to instil a fear of missing out (FOMO), driving users to click and convert before the clock runs out. Using features such as the Countdown Ad Customizer automatically updates your audience in real-time, creating a time-sensitive appeal that encourages immediate action.

By tapping into the psychological aspect of limited-time offers, you This tactic not only enhances ad relevance but also maximises the impact of your Black Friday campaigns.

Bid adjustments

During Black Friday weekend, strategic bid adjustments can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your paid media ads.

Consider opening up to mobile traffic more than usual, especially if your deals are mobile-centric. With the likelihood of users seeking deals on the go, adjusting bids to favour mobile can capture this valuable audience.

Additionally, don’t overlook the importance of Seasonality adjustments, especially for shorter sale periods like Black Friday. By factoring in the expected uplift in conversion rates and the surge in volume during this high-demand period, adjusting bids accordingly ensures that your ad campaigns are not only visible but also optimised to capitalise on the heightened consumer interest and purchasing intent.

Repurposing ads for Holiday Shopping season

Instead of viewing Black Friday and the Holiday Shopping season as two completely separate events, shift your perspective – and consider Black Friday as the inaugural day of
the Holiday Shopping season insead.

Embrace this evolving paradigm to seamlessly connect Black Friday marketing ideas with the broader holiday season. As the Black Friday weekend ends, transition your visuals from sales signs to festive imagery like Santa, snowmen, and reindeers – allowing your Black Friday campaign to organically evolve throughout the season.

You should also leverage the valuable insights you’ve gathered during the Black Friday weekend by creating an audience of the visitors to your website over the course of the weekend. This can then be repurposed for targeted holiday shopping campaigns, ensuring sustained engagement and relevance throughout the festive season and beyond.

Turn Black Friday into Black FriYAY!

Optimising your paid media ads for Black Friday and the holiday shopping season requires a strategic and comprehensive approach. Understanding the ads that will align with your goals, considering your audience’s search behaviour, and leverage all available tools are key elements for success.

Ultimately, by embracing the above strategies, you can turn Black Friday into Black FriYAY, by capitalising on quick wins and maximising your advertising impact throughout the entire holiday shopping season.