{"id":7838,"date":"2023-11-02T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/?p=7838"},"modified":"2023-11-10T12:57:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T12:57:08","slug":"black-friday-small-businesses-boost-sales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/black-friday-small-businesses-boost-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Friday: 9 top tips to help small businesses boost sales"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBlack Friday: 9 top tips to help small businesses boost sales\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2023-11-02T09:00:00+00:00\">2 November, 2023<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Black Friday: 9 top tips to help small businesses boost sales\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/black-friday-small-businesses-boost-sales\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/author\/krishna-de\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/08\/Krisha.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" height=\"40\" width=\"40\" fetchpriority=\"high\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Krishna De<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Until a few years ago, many of us would look forward to the post-Christmas sales starting on Boxing Day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that\u2019s no longer the case with the adoption of the US tradition of Black Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s become a day known for steep discounts, with businesses of all types jumping on the Black Friday bandwagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019ve seen my local sports centre offering customers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/black-friday-how-retailers-can-prepare\/\">Black Friday<\/a> deals to entice people to invest in annual memberships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And a local book store offering itself to shoppers as a place for peace and tranquillity while everyone else is frenetically shopping on the high street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many businesses have been planning for Black Friday sales for quite a few months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What started as a one-day shopping extravaganza has now extended for some businesses to become a month of special offers and deals leading through the week up to Black Friday and through to Cyber Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019ve also noticed a number of stores having a landing page for Black Friday in place well in advance with an email opt-in for consumers to subscribe to hear about the latest offers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A search for the term \u2018Black Friday\u2019 weeks in advance will surface these landing pages as the retailers have already put their digital marketing plans in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With online sales on the rise, expect to see a blended approach where retailers are selling both at their bricks and mortar stores and via e-commerce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s not too late to refine your plans for Black Friday success. Here are nine tips to help you boost your sales:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#build-anchor-link\">1. Build excitement and anticipation for your offers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#put-anchor-link\">2. Put social media listening to work before Black Friday<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#do-anchor-link\">3. Do a virtual walkthrough of your online store<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#a-anchor-link\">4. Do a mail out to your loyal customers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#make-anchor-link\">5. Make sure your offers are unique and irresistible<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#check-anchor-link\">6. Check your stock levels<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#pre-anchor-link\">7. Pre-plan your social media posts for Black Friday<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#encourage-anchor-link\">8. Encourage customers to share their purchases on social media<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#dont-anchor-link\">9. Don\u2019t be disheartened if you feel you\u2019ve missed the opportunity<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-0b030cda-dfb7-482e-965b-86bff3d74d6d\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-0b030cda-dfb7-482e-965b-86bff3d74d6d\"\n\t>Download your free Black Friday and Cyber Monday checklist and get your business ready for the busy sales season<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"build-anchor-link\">1. Build excitement and anticipation for your offers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use your social media channels to post teasers in advance of Black Friday. Consider using targeted Facebook ads to reconnect to the fans of your page and even past customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"put-anchor-link\">2. Put social media listening to work before Black Friday<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consumers are posting and tweeting about their Black Friday shopping plans well in advance of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can set up a social listening centre tuning into people in your local area, to learn what consumers are posting about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can then engage with those customers to help them with their shopping pursuits and directing them to your own offers where appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think of your business becoming a local \u2018Black Friday concierge service\u2019. This will also help you boost the visibility of your products and services online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"do-anchor-link\">3. Do a virtual walkthrough of your online store<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider having a mystery shopper make a purchase from your site and explore how you can refine the online sales process to minimise shopping <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/cart-abandonment-close-crucial-sales\/\">cart abandonment<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-anchor-link\">4. Do a mail out to your loyal customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have a mailing list of clients and customers, give them a sneak peek and a first chance to reward them for their loyalty throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If they\u2019ve opted into text or email messaging from you, use that as a way to remind them of some of the offers you\u2019ll have available.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-0b030cda-dfb7-482e-965b-86bff3d74d6d\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-0b030cda-dfb7-482e-965b-86bff3d74d6d\"\n\t>Download your free Black Friday and Cyber Monday checklist and get your business ready for the busy sales season<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"make-anchor-link\">5. Make sure your offers are unique and irresistible<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consumers will be expecting steep discounts and great deals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think about how you can package the offers you have so shoppers will feel they\u2019re getting real value for money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"check-anchor-link\">6. Check your stock levels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Make sure you\u2019ve got the right amount of stock so your customers aren\u2019t left disappointed. You\u2019ll want to ensure you have enough of your top-selling products so you can meet demand and make a nice profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same score, having too much of a product that\u2019s not going to sell will cost you in the long run, in terms of unwanted inventory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use good <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/\">accounting software<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/features\/stock-management\/\">track your stock levels<\/a> and generate insights so you have the right amount of products to sell at this busy time of year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pre-anchor-link\">7. Pre-plan your social media posts for Black Friday<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may want to take care and not schedule your content in case you run out of stock (see the previous point to help you manage this).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, you can prepare your images, video content and posts that you plan to send on (and before) Black Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"encourage-anchor-link\">8. Encourage customers to share their purchases on social media<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can invite them to include your bespoke hashtag for your business or store and your geo tag especially on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dont-anchor-link\">9. Don\u2019t be disheartened if you feel you\u2019ve missed the opportunity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember, as well as Black Friday, you also have Cyber Monday to make the most of for boosting sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take the time to evaluate what works this year so you can plan your next Black Friday campaign in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This article was first published in October 2021 and has been updated for relevance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Black Friday and Cyber Monday checklist <\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get your free checklist for tips to prepare your business for the busy sales season, covering the promotion of your products, staying on top of stock levels, and more.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-0b030cda-dfb7-482e-965b-86bff3d74d6d\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free checklist<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1282456779-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1282456779-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join 1.5 million subscribers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-53abbdcc-410c-4c8c-bf97-ca5c6982eebd\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"999\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/z.5E3A0481_All-Uses.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/z.5E3A0481_All-Uses.jpg 999w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover nine tips to help you prepare your small business make the most of the Black Friday sales opportunity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":8118,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","_sage_video":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"163","post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[163],"tags":[],"business_type":[5],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[191,228],"persona":[232],"imagine_tag":[192,229,230],"coauthors":[445],"class_list":["post-7838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","business_type-small-business","industry-ecommerce","industry-retail"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-ie","author_name":"Krishna 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