Black Friday: 5 mobile strategies to take on board!

In 2019, 33% of Cyber Monday sales were made using smartphones. A new record and an increase of 46% on the previous year. This is just one of the many statistics that is included in our infographics. But it highlights an important fact. The role played by mobile technology during Black Friday and Cyber Monday cannot be ignored. As most users browse retail sites on their smartphones, it is essential to offer them a seamless cross-device experience. This also applies to developing your marketing strategy. Here are 5 key mobile strategies to take on board this year. 

Encourage people to download your mobile app

A mobile app is only relevant if it’s being used. But you can’t count on your customers to find it for themselves. You need to introduce them to it and encourage them to download it from official iOS and Android marketplaces:

• Online advertising: whether it is banners, native advertising, sponsored links, advertising on social networks or on marketplaces, there are many strategies to promote your app. 
• Discount vouchers offered when downloading the app (or when creating an online account): you can send emails to your customer database to promote your app by offering them discount vouchers on a first come first serve basis.
• Referral system: if one user recommends another, you can offer both new customer and sponsor a voucher or a coupon to use on their next purchase. This solution helps you build your brand community and broaden your target.
• Contests for new users: organize a draw or a contest to generate a buzz around your app. 

Make your app a useful tool for your customers

If your app is just a copy of your website, it won’t be relevant. It must be designed as an exclusive platform with unique features. Product reservations, test and sampling, discounts available only to mobile app users, exclusive products and complementary services (free delivery, VIP support, etc.), exclusive videos, personalised advice, etc. If you have high-street outlets, you can also use your app as a lever to boost Drive-to-store or focus on Click & Collect. GPS tracking can also be used to locate your shop(s) easily.

Be Covid-compliant 

In 2020, Black Friday is bound to be different and the Touchless economy keeps growing. Your app can be used in your store(s) for contactless payments. It can be used as an e-wallet. For all transactions made through your app, customers can earn points that can be redeemed for coupons. It’s a great way to gamify your app and build user loyalty. Finally, don’t forget to use notifications to inform users — according to their preferences — that a special offer they may be interested in is available online or that the product they ordered is being delivered.

Optimize your email strategy

Lightweight images, easy loading, customization… your email strategy must be “mobile first”.

Your customers should be able to switch from an email to your mobile app in seconds. They should not need to login again, go through your website or end up on an 404 error page. It is important to thoroughly test your email strategy in order to provide a seamless experience to users. You can also encourage prospects to download your app by integrating a direct link on official marketplaces depending on the type of smartphone they use (iOS or Android).

Think retargeting. 

As every year during Black Friday, competition is tough and basket abandonment is a real challenge for online retailers. Retargeting is a useful strategy to optimize your ROI and keep in touch with customers. The aim is to build a campaign around different objectives. You can target people who used your app or visited your mobile platform from an email link without making a purchase or people who abandoned their basket. To reach customers who abandoned their baskets, you have three options. Send them an email (the most direct), use retargeting on social networks to engage with them again (the most subtle) or send them a push notification from your mobile app (the most intrusive).

Despite Covid-19, Black Friday remains an important event for consumers who are increasingly accustomed to using digital tools in their daily lives. Integrating a mobile strategy into your approach allows you to cover all usage types in order to optimize your marketing efforts and make Black Friday 2020 a success!

To optimize your Black Friday mobile campaigns. Contact our experts!