How To optimize your student discount in time for Black Friday

Written by

Alexandra Haider

Published on

November 13, 2023

Last updated

November 13, 2023

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The countdown is officially on: we’re in the month of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Gen Zers around the world will be pulling wishlists and checking their bank accounts ahead of one of the biggest shopping periods in the student calendar. Buckle up, everyone. It's gonna be a big one.

Whilst students are ready and eager to spend, there’s always more you can do add value and elevate their shopping experience. We've previously discussed everything from how you can optimise your email marketing to how to go viral on TikTok this Black Friday, but let's not forget the thing that every student lives for: discounts.

In this blog post, we'll be sharing how brands can optimise their student discounts to drive conversions this BFCM, as well as hearing from Tyra Balis, Customer Success Executive at Pion.

6 quick tips to optimise your student discount this Black Friday

1. Upgrade your Call to Action

A simple but effective one. Using an eye-catching and prominent CTA is vital when it comes to driving conversions, but you need to make sure that they're also tailored to each consumer group. Some fun facts: Pion brands that improve their CTA positioning have seen 309% more student sales, a 20% increase in AOV and 67% of student shopping again in 30 days.

Need more convincing? 89% of student spending is with brands that promote their own discount. Chop, chop!

2. Keep imagery fresh

‘Tis (nearly) the season and Gen Zers are consuming festive content at an alarming rate. From TikTok wishlists to Pinterest moodboards, the Christmas spirit is well and truly alive amongst young people.

Of those who celebrate Christmas, 50% of US Gen Zers (48% UK) will be starting their Christmas shopping in November - in other words, just in time for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Make sure your imagery is seasonally relevant to entice in these young spenders.

3. Create separate offers for specific products

Is your Black Friday offer available across several products? Great news! But make sure you’re creating separate offers for the most popular products to help shoppers understand the full value.

4. Shout about your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals

From email marketing to social media content, deliver your discounts straight to the screens of Gen Z. Our research revealed that when it comes to engaging with a brand, 54% of Gen Zers favour email content, followed by YouTube videos and branded content.

And lest we forget social: 86% of UK Gen Zers use Instagram, 82% use YouTube and 80% use TikTok, making these key platforms for you to take your offers to.

5. Include student-focused words in the search bar

A huge 92% of students check for brand discounts while they shop, so make the most of it!

Start with words like ‘student’, ‘black friday’, ‘student discount’, and ‘black friday discount’ and build out your keyword research from there.

6. Offer percentage discounts rather than monetary

Like the rest of us, students don’t want to be tied into spending. In other words, they’re more likely to commit to a spend this BFCM if they feel like they’re getting a percentage discount which is proportional to their spend. Basically, the more they spend, the bigger the discount.

And don’t forget to boost the discount; 89% of UK students and 90% from the US want to see special offers and discounts this BFCM, so make sure they get some extra bang for their buck!

"If you do all of these key but simple optimisations over Cyber week/ Black Friday you are sure to see some amazing results in revenue”, says Tyra. “Students will be searching for the best deals at this crucial time of the year, GenZ will have more awareness around your brand too!”