With Black Friday just a week away, shoppers are busy preparing their wish lists and scouting out which stores will have the best deals. Retailers have a fantastic opportunity to listen to and connect with customers on social media leading up to and on the big day.
Here are some ways your brand can get the most out of Black Friday madness.
Listening
1. Use a paid or free social media monitoring tool to track brand mentions, easily identify questions and customer service issues, and catch potential crises early on
2. Track competitor mentions to see how you stack up to your rivals
3. Follow #blackfriday on Twitter to find potential engagement opportunities
4. Search Pinterest for brand mentions, content pinned from your site, and trending items
5. Instagram is huge this year. Search hashtags relevant to Black Friday and your brand to see what people are sharing
Engagement
6. Create a social media playbook so your team can handle mentions, questions, and customer service issues quickly and effectively
7. Geo-target your Facebook posts to provide the most relevant content for your customers
8. Crowdsource your followers to find out what deals they want to see
9. Interview influencers or ask them to contribute a Pinterest board or guest blog on a Black Friday topic your community may find helpful
10. Ask for customer photos and tips and share with your community
Tip: Facebook engagement rates for brands are higher the day before Black Friday (31% above the average for the week), according to a 2011 analysis from Buddy Media. Plan to post on Thanksgiving to get more engagement around your Facebook content.
Rewards
11. Offer your customers a sneak peek at your Black Friday specials
12. Provide your Facebook fans and Twitter followers with exclusive deals
13. Reward Foursquare fans with check-in specials
14. Partner with a charity so customer dollars go toward a good cause
15. Delight loyal customers with personalized offers
Tip: In 2011, Facebook posts containing “coupon” received twice the average engagement compared to posts containing other sales keywords, such as “deal” and “sale”. Keep this in mind when posting Black Friday offers to your Facebook page.
Apps and Campaigns
16. Launch a Facebook or mobile app
17. Host a Pinterest or Instagram contest
18. Create a hashtag campaign around your brand
19. Integrate your social and traditional media efforts
20. Create a video campaign and promote on your social channels
What ways are you using social media for Black Friday this year? Feel free to add to our list with your own suggestions and check out 100 Uses of Social Media Engagement for more ideas.
