12 Black Friday & Cyber Monday Tips to Help You Bring in the big FBA Bucks

Why is it Called Black Friday?

Don’t let the name fool you; it’s called “Black Friday” because it’s when businesses start making huge profits. It occurs on the Friday after Thanksgiving and is considered the beginning of the holiday season. Businesses offer discounts on items you won’t see any other time of year to boost sales and satiate armies of consumers eager to stock up on holiday gifts. 

The following Monday is called Cyber Monday. Think of it as an “online Black Friday.” Online retailers significantly mark down their inventory of top Amazon products to ride the holiday business surge up the sales rankings. 

The long story short is this: Black Friday and Cyber Monday are your absolute best opportunities to make an FBA killing. 

With Great Amazon Sales Opportunities Comes Greater Amazon Seller Competition

Black Friday 2021 is poised to be one of the most profitable in history. With COVID-19 forcing people to stay home, eCommerce is seeing an incredible surge. If you run an Amazon business, now is the time to prep if you want to go toe-to-toe with the big brands. You’ll be up against a lot of competition. That’s because: 

1. Customers are bombarded with an avalanche of newsletters announcing various Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.
2. Advertising costs (Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.) spike during the sales period.
3. Products are heavily discounted to compete for sales and profits, meaning you have to think outside the box if you want to grab sales away from more prominent brands that can afford to slash prices. 

To help you dominate the buy box and bring in massive holiday sales, we put together a list of 12 ways you can help develop an effective marketing strategy. 

1. Offer up Black Friday 2021 Freebies Along With top Amazon Products

Who doesn’t love freebies? I’m pretty sure most of you out there enjoy receiving gifts when you make purchases. Why’s that? Because your brain automatically justifies each purchase you make, and a gift helps make the decision more worthwhile.

Some sellers who want to maintain their luxury appeal can still take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday without slashing prices too much; they can offer a freebie or ‘gift with purchase’ to customers. One highly effective method is offering limited time or high-value freebies along with a minimum purchase. This adds a sense of luxury to your brand, creates urgency, and encourages spending. 

Offering freebies during Black Friday and Cyber Monday or even non-promotional periods will help drive customers back to your listings for more. Customers react favorably when they receive gifts and are less prone to give you a negative review on Amazon. Aside from that, customers are more likely to share their purchases and experiences on social media channels when they receive a free item.

2. Initiate a Holiday Season Referral Program

Would you trust your best friend’s opinion on that leather jacket you’ve had your eye on? Or how about your choice of daily multivitamins? Most people are more likely to consider a friend’s suggestions over some random person on the internet. 

Recommendations (AKA, “referrals”) are the most trusted form of advertising. A majority of people heavily rely on someone else’s opinions in deciding what to buy. For instance, Facebook’s recommendation post is a great tool for users to seek advice from friends.

Sellers can create a Facebook post offering an exclusive 20% discount coupon to both the referrer and friend. Keep in mind, though, that it’s important to create single-use coupons to avoid the same code being overused. Some less than scrupulous customers can abuse this, creating huge inventory losses.

Pro Tip: Make a Godfather offer and give them something they can’t refuse. For instance, “Black Friday Special: Give your friends 50% off their first supplements purchase, and get 50% off for yourself!” When a purchaser gets a little taste too, they are exponentially more likely to buy from you. Give it to them! 

3. Step up Your Amazon Keyword Game

The best advertising in the world doesn’t mean anything if no one can see it. Any effective marketing campaign needs to utilize powerful keywords that increase your visibility. The problem is, PPC bids for the most popular keywords are sky-high during the holidays. 

Don’t worry, though! You can compete against deeper-pocketed competitors thanks to the Halo Effect Method. This strategy incorporates long-tail keywords that you don’t have to compete over to own and organically rank your listing up in competitive niches. 

This method, along with Keywords on Fire, is your best bet to attract big-time holiday sales. Find out more about the Halo Effect Method here.

4. Employ High-Quality Product Photography In Your Listings

Keywords are just the first step. Once you begin appearing on search engine results pages (AKA, SERPs), you have seconds to draw customers to your listing. The best way to do that is with professional product photography that sticks out amidst a sea of similar-looking listings.

We’re not through yet, though. Once someone clicks on your listing, it’s your job to sell them on your product as quickly as possible. Crisp, high-quality photographs of your product being used in various situations are a quick way to instantly connect with your customer. When you show them how your product fits into their life, you demonstrate a sense of understanding that’s more likely to lead to a sale.

Take a quick look at your listings and ask yourself, “do I need to update my product photos?” The answer’s probably yes! Try taking fun, festive photos. 

5. Time to Spread the Word on Social Media

Email campaigns are fine, but you’re missing out on a huge audience if you don’t tap into social media. Platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook all have robust advertising options to help you attract new customers. Running Black Friday/Cyber Monday offers on these channels can significantly increase outside traffic, which is something the A10 algorithm loves. 

It isn’t all about ads, either. Maintaining a strong presence by regularly adding new content and engaging with users helps build up a loyal fanbase ready to take advantage of all your Black Friday/Cyber Monday offers. 

Check out our Instagram page for great examples of content that keeps your customers engaged!

6. Craft Compelling FBA Listing Copy That Gets Customers to Buy

Writing an Amazon listing is a balancing act. You have to make sure the right keywords are in the right places while still telling a story that makes sense. FBA tools like Listing Optimizer may guide you along the path, but at the end of the day, you still need to present a compelling case for why someone should buy your product. 

Effective listing copy does two things: relates to your customer and demonstrates an expert level of knowledge of the product you’re selling. If someone likes you and believes you actually know what you’re talking about, you’re in for a sale. If writing’s not your thing, don’t be afraid to hire a pro! There are tons of freelance writers out there ready and able to tune up your listings. 

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday right around the corner, the time to go through your listings with a red pen is now. 

7. Hire Amazon Selling Influencers to Increase Sales

Partnering with influencers to signal boost your promotions is an effective way of leveraging their authority to reach new audiences and build brand awareness. With the right influencer, you can tap into a huge audience ready to purchase solely based on their word. 

We talked about influencer marketing strategy and how to find ones who perfectly complement your brand HERE. Check it out!

To find a suitable influencer(s) to join forces with, check with ones you have had success with in the past. Choose your top-performing influencers to promote your sale, and tap into audiences you never even knew existed!

8. Moving Inventory With Upselling, Cross-Selling, and the Mystery Box 

A great way to sell more to a current customer who already buys from you is to upsell and cross-sell complementary products. Amazon already does this with the “Frequently bought together” section on listing pages.

Although there is no option for sellers to pre-set the frequently bought together products, they can offer product bundling to customers. Bundling complementary products can help customers save time and effort and help you offload unwanted inventory. Also, it is generally cheaper for customers to purchase bundled products rather than buying them separately.

As for sellers, you generally have a higher profit margin when you focus on your average order value. Many brands are using the “buy more, save more” promotional model. Here’s why:

Another way to upsell and cross-sell your products is by offering a mystery box with a bunch of your best products and offering a significant discount for those willing to buy it. One great example is BarkBox, a monthly surprise of dog toys, treats, and goodies! 

9. ‘Tis the Season to Donate to A Cause

Another great way to generate sales and profits while also making a positive impact is by donating part of your profits to a specific cause that you and your audience can relate to. Amazon has a separate website called Amazon Smile. When you shop there, the Amazon Smile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to a charitable organization of your choice.

The global movement toward charitable giving has taken off so much that it now has its own day of celebration, known as #GivingTuesday. It is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.

10. Publish Your Own Black Friday/Cyber Monday Gift Guide

There are almost too many options out during the holiday season. Sifting through a metric ton of emails and newsletters to find the perfect product listing that fits your needs/budget takes up a ton of time. What if you had one spot to find everything you need? Say hello to gift guides! 

Publishing all of your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in one spot gives your customers one easy spot to check out your offers. It also enforces the thought that you are a trustworthy brand. When buyers see your brand emblazoned across pages full of huge deals, they are more likely to purchase from you rather than a spammy-looking newsletter. 

11. Run Timed Lightning/Flash Deals

When there’s a ticking clock involved, people tend to make decisions fast. A sense of urgency may be just what your FBA business needs to beat out the competition. Amazon Lightning Deals are here to help.

These are highly discounted products offered for a very short amount of time as long as a limited inventory lasts. You may be selling the product at significantly lower margins, but the huge amount of sales you make thanks to the sense of urgency more than makes up for it. 

12. Develop a Strategic Sales Game Plan

The cardinal rule of Amazon selling is never run out of stock. The second you do, customers flock to competing listings. This is doubly true during the holiday season, as people are in a mad rush to scratch an item off their shopping list. Also, some sellers bank on you running out so they don’t have to discount their products as much! 

Think strategically! To ensure you get the most out of the Q4 sales rush it’s important to understand your numbers. What did you sell last Back Friday/Cyber Monday? Have you got inventory in stock to fulfill this demand? What’s your break even point? Thinking strategically will ensure you’re positioned for the long game rather than a flash in the pan sale that returns minimal profits and out of stock listings. Make sure you have sufficient stock to withstand the increased demand and understand the effect sales promotions have on your bottom line.

Using some sort of inventory tracking software such as Your Products will make sure you meet customer demand and stay alert to inventory changes. Once you’ve developed a game plan, regularly check your numbers via your Business Dashboard to make sure you stay true to course and make adjustments where needed. 

Final Thoughts

I’m sure by now you have a couple of ideas on how to promote your products for a more profitable Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Be sure to apply these strategies to enhance your holiday marketing campaigns. Your sales ranking will thank you! 

To further boost your Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions, you can email blast your email and Messenger lists ahead of time to avoid an influx of customers who reply with questions and build early anticipation. Your social media posts should vary before, during, and even after to boost sales.

But remember: your keyword game needs to be 100% on-point! Otherwise, all of these tips mean nothing. Be sure to read up on our amazing Halo Effect Method to learn how you can easily own powerful keywords, and get some free goodies while you’re at it!

Pro Tip: Announce Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotions through the header bar on your website, Facebook page, YouTube channel, etc. to grab customers’ attention.