Driving sales from first click to conversion during Black Friday

Black Friday. The day that students spend money, save money, treat themselves, and get ahead with their Christmas shopping. It’s one of the biggest shopping days of the year for young people, and as performance marketers, it’s one of the biggest days of the year for you too!

This year 75% of US students and 59% of UK students are planning to spend money during the Black Friday/Cyber Week sales. The most popular planned purchases in the UK are clothes/shoes/accessories (79%), health and beauty (52%) and tech/mobile (50%). That’s a lot of young people ready to connect with your brand, invest in your products, and spend time on your sites/social pages…

 But how can you sweeten the deal even more and add extra value to your Black Friday marketing to really drive your student sales?

1. Do your research

How do these young shoppers behave and what are their spending habits? Understanding the answers to these questions will help to shape your marketing strategies and make the most of students’ readiness to spend.In terms of advertising, students want free gifts, flash sales, and social media videos from brands/influencers. These are all things that should be incorporated into your social strategy – not only will this mean shoppers are getting the best experience possible, but it will also help you to build suspense ahead of the big day. You could even boost your social reach with our award-winning Pion Creators!

2. Offer freebies

Young people are savvy with their money, and love a deal – something that’s currently even more important given the rising cost of living.  And, for some, stand-alone Black Friday deals just won’t cut it  – our research revealed that 72% of US students who will be spending money during this period will be looking for free delivery, 77% for free gifts, and a huge 90% will be looking for additional student discounts. These will all add extra value to your brand and products.

3. Optimise your homepage

Effective copywriting is always important, but it’s more essential than ever around the Black Friday period. 89% of student spending is with brands that promote their own student discounts. Not only that, but Pion brands who place their student discounts call to action prominently on their homepage have seen +309% more student sales, 20% increase in AOV, and 67% of students transacting again within 30 days.

As a generation of digital natives, it will come as no surprise that students prefer to shop online or via app. Here’s how you can make the most of all that traffic visiting your site: 

• Exclusive offers and deals are clearly signposted
• Popular or in-demand items are front and centre
• Keywords are carefully researched and strategically placed
• Seasonal and relevant imagery

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4. Channel optimisation based on ROI data

Publishing partners like Pion are a great place to start with this. Pion helps brands expand their reach and connect with a range of consumer groups by offering bespoke offers and discounts, building brand awareness, establishing brand loyalty, and increasing conversations.

We offer a verification tool that’s reliable (both for brands and shoppers), will boost engagement with your target audience, keeps you in control and will lay the groundwork for future marketing campaigns. What more could you need?

5. Go big or go home

BFCM is one of the biggest days in the Gen Z shopping calendar, so if you’re ever going to go big, now’s the time! Maximise engagement on the day by incorporating a dramatic countdown into your marketing strategies, with a big push at the end to drive traffic to convert.

Ultimately, young people across the world are planning to spend money this Black Friday AND want to take advantage of student discount offers available to them, and there are a number of ways that you can leverage this to drive sales.

This desire from students provides affiliate and performance marketers with a fantastic opportunity to grow sales by providing that extra value. And remember – a positive experience now will lead to a loyal customer for life!

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