2 minutes

Black Friday 2022: A Marketer's Checklist

Rod Stewart famously said in some of his best known lyrics “I wish that I knew what I know now” . . . and if you’re wondering how that relates to Black Friday and PPC, then let me tell you.  

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM for short) are one of the most significant retail events of the year, this we know.  We also know that the backbone to any successful event is preparation, execution, and evaluation, and that starts now, yes really!

So if you’re looking for this year's BFCM to be the best yet, then take a look at our comprehensive checklist to get ahead of the game. After all, rather know now, than wish you knew later (see what I did there)...

1. Evaluate last year's performance

One thing we are big on here at Ortus is knowing your numbers, so before you steam ahead with this year's master plan, it’s important to get to grips with the last.  Take the time to review historical data, analyse what went well, what you’d like to improve on, any areas for growth, or even highlight any fails so you know what not to do!

2. Align your strategies

Discuss plans, budgets, and focus - what's more critical revenue or ROAS? What is your target audience? What level of growth are you striving for YoY? Are the objectives the same? Make sure all involved are on the same page and working towards the same goal.

3. Check your site

Ensure conversion tracking is active, all tags are in place and landing pages align with PPC ads. Optimise user experience for straightforward navigation, if 2022 is teaching us anything it's that consumers want the goods and they want them now! So minimise the steps from landing page to check out for maximum conversions.

4. Prepare Google Shopping 

Set up promotions, review your feed, and assign any custom labels to segment sale categories if it’s not sitewide.  That way you are ready to go when Black Friday hits.

5. Know your budgets, raise your budgets

Competition is high around this time so it's vital to maintain visibility. Don’t be tempted to pull back on budget if you’re not seeing those conversions tot up as we approach Black Friday. This is historically known as the research period, where consumers are clicking around, gathering information about what they want and who they want it from, so they’re ready to purchase when the deals go live.

6. Stand out from the crowd

Have fun with ad copy, shout about USPs, display your creative ability, and take advantage of the decline in brand loyalty by boosting your own brand awareness (savage I know) but with unforgettable ads and creatives, why would consumers shop elsewhere?!

7. Build your audiences for remarketing

Get ready to retarget previous visitors, especially basket abandoners and past converters. Use RLSA for Search and Remarketing for Display, leave no stone unturned! And don’t forget, if you’re running P.Max campaigns, update your audience signals here too as this will feed the algorithm further to get more bang for your buck by making them work harder.

8. Use the tech available

With a whole host of tools available, Google prides itself on its technical abilities, so allow us to share some of our favourites:

  • Keyword Planner for search volume and demand.
  • Google Trends for insights.
  • Performance Planner for budgets and forecasting.

    Then when it comes to Google Ads, say hello to customer match lists, ad scheduling, and of course, smart bidding - after all Google’s algorithms are extremely advanced and tap into real-time data, so use it! 

9. Analyse and optimise

Google Analytics is your new best friend - use the data to be reactive as well as proactive should you notice any emerging trends - good or bad!  Either way, get ready to adjust, adapt and overcome should the need arise.

10. Have a backup plan

Now that you’re poised for action, what could possibly go wrong?! Well, nothing we hope, but we strongly recommend having a plan B up that digital sleeve of yours.  Whether it’s a last-minute promotion or an extension of sale, it's always best to be one step ahead.

 

You can learn more about our PPC offering at Ortus using the button below!

Learn about our PPC expertise!