12 Ways to Maximise Paid Media for Black Friday Success
Our top tips to ensure your paid media efforts have maximum impact this yearBlack Friday is a prime event for digital marketers looking to maximise conversions and revenue. With intense competition and high consumer expectations, a robust paid media strategy can make a huge difference. The following tips, derived from expert recommendations, offer actionable insights for making the most of paid media during the Black Friday sales. Implementing these strategies can enhance audience targeting, streamline ad operations, and ultimately boost return on ad spend (ROAS).
Black Friday is one of the most aggressive times of year for Paid Media. Cost-per-click’s sky rocket due to more advertisers in the space and brands fighting for visibility. With this in mind, as paid media marketers we need be as reactive as possible and also willing to shift the strategy.
ROAS is a metric that we closely watch during Black Friday, and 2 key metrics, outside of CPC, that impact this figure are conversion rate and average order value. Some of the most successful Black Friday campaigns we have worked on have all doubled down on these metrics when CPC has been a losing battle.
Our advice would be to look to shift focus on higher value products, or try and increase the average order value through bundling when your costs are increasing. Also, look at how you can convert the expensive traffic you are driving to the site more frequently – is it via personalisation? better creative? tighter audience targeting? or another method?
Either way, never ignore AOV and conversion rate when things get pricey!
Paid Social Strategies for Black Friday
1. Reminder Ads
You can use reminder ads to notify your customers when your sales go live. These ads can announce the launch date of your Black Friday event on platforms like Instagram. Users who opt-in for reminders will be notified before and during the event, keeping your brand in mind for those looking to engage during Black Friday.
2. Setup for Success
Make sure your tracking pixel and Conversion API are set up correctly for the social media platforms you are using (Meta, Pinterest, TikTok). Properly utilising the Conversion API improves the quality of data these platforms receive from your website. Combining the pixel and Conversion API can enhance campaign performance, reduce cost per conversion, and increase the reach of your ads and online sales.
3. AI Optimisation
Leverage AI optimisations like Advantage+ (Meta), Smart+ (TikTok), and Performance+ (Pinterest). These features help decrease cost per purchase while increasing conversions. Leveraging these features in your campaign structure could be key to a successful Black Friday, allowing platforms to use pixel & CAPI data with their algorithms to promote ads to audiences they believe are most likely to convert.
4. Promo Codes on Meta
Meta now allows businesses to highlight promo codes within ads, making it easier for users to apply discounts and encourage purchases.
5. Promo Codes on Pinterest
Similarly, Pinterest have added new ways to showcase promotional codes to users. Using Sales Indicators, automatically highlight price changes when a product in your catalogue has gone on sale.
Promotions and Personalised Promotions
Showcase seasonal/timebound offers within your campaigns. Whilst Personalised Promotions will automatically show promotions to people who have engaged with your content or similar products.
Deal Ads Module
This feature brings promotions directly to users, showcasing all your sales and promotions directly on people’s home feeds.
PPC Strategies for Black Friday
1. Black Friday Specific Assets
Your ad copy must be crisp, punchy, and aligned with Black Friday messaging to cut through the noise of competing brands. Use strong, benefit-driven headlines and emphasise urgency with phrases like “Shop Now. Limited Time Offer” or “Last Chance for 50% Off.” Ensure that your Black Friday promotions are front and center, updating assets like sitelinks, countdowns, and callouts to reinforce your message effectively. Be transparent about your offers, and test variations of headlines, descriptions, and calls to action to identify what drives the highest engagement and conversion rates.
2. Optimise Your Landing Pages
Clicks are only part of the equation; your landing pages must convert those clicks into sales. Ensure your pages load quickly, especially during high-traffic periods like Black Friday. Your landing pages must also align perfectly with your ads. If your ad promises a 30% discount, that discount should be prominently displayed on the landing page. Clear call-to-actions, mobile optimisation, and an intuitive layout are critical to keeping shoppers engaged and driving conversions
3. Audience List Update
First-party data is crucial for the success of your PPC campaigns. Ensure that your audience lists are up to date in Google Ads. By going into the ‘Audience Manager,’ you can double-check that your ads account uses the most current audience list data. This allows you to harness the full power of first-party data (1PD). Additionally, segmenting your first-party data can help you target specific groups, such as cart abandoners from the last 90 days or customers who purchased during the previous Black Friday period. The more segments you create, the more granular and targeted your campaigns can be.
4. Merchant Centre Promotion Update
After updating your assets on Google Ads, focus on your Google Merchant Centre (GMC). Setting up Merchant promotions allows you to showcase your offers within your Shopping listings and Search Ads. Setting this up a few days before Black Friday is crucial to account for the time it takes for Google to process and approve the promotions, which can take more than 24 hours.
5. Seasonal Adjustments
With the short-term nature of Black Friday sales, use the ‘Seasonal Adjustments’ feature in Google Ads. This informs your campaigns to expect fluctuations in conversion rates, helping Google adjust your bids accordingly. Remember to set these adjustments well to optimise your bids during the specified period.
6. Utilise Competitive Offers and Countdown Timers
Running competitive offers is essential during Black Friday. Pair strong discounts or exclusive deals with countdown timers to create urgency. Dynamic timers on landing pages can intensify the “fear of missing out” and help you stand out against larger competitors. Ensure that advertised offers are visible on your website to build customer trust.
7. Monitor in Real Time and Stay Reactive
Real-time monitoring is critical during Black Friday to ensure your campaigns perform at their best. Keep an eye on stock levels and update your ads and website offers immediately if a product goes out of stock. Watch your budgets carefully, as high demand can quickly deplete your daily budget. Be ready to increase budgets if necessary to maintain visibility throughout the day. Stay proactive in pausing or adjusting underperforming ads, keywords, or creatives to maximise conversions and stay competitive.
Conclusion
Black Friday presents a significant opportunity for businesses to drive traffic and conversions through paid media. You can improve your PPC campaigns by updating audience lists, creating Black Friday-specific assets, setting up Merchant Center promotions, and leveraging seasonal adjustments. Meanwhile, for Paid Social, utilising reminder ads, setting up tracking pixels and Conversion APIs, and leveraging AI optimisations can enhance your paid social strategies.
By following these strategies and tips, you can maximise the effectiveness of your paid media campaigns and achieve your business goals during the Black Friday shopping frenzy.
We can help with your Black Friday Paid Media Strategies
Contact us on 0161 820 7628 or email us today
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