Black Friday is upon us. Our email marketing manager, Jenn, gives you actionable takeaways and insights to plan and execute a Black Friday / Cyber Monday promotion that is sure to stand out from the noise and help you make more sales and earn more clients.
Mark Campbell

Jenn Ohlheiser

Jenn Ohlheiser is the Email Marketing Manager at TrainHeroic. Her previous experience includes marketing communications in software and consumer goods and she loves being able to apply those skills with her passion for all things fitness and performance.

// How to plan & execute your holiday promotion to stand out from the clutter

Love it or hate it, Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) is almost upon us. That wonderfully chaotic day where everything is on sale, and everyone’s credit cards are putting in the reps.

The semi-official start to the holiday shopping season is a great chance for gym owners, personal trainers, and fitness entrepreneurs to attract new clients and bolster your business for the year.

Considering consumers spent more than $7 billion online on Black Friday 2019 and over $9 billion on the following (Cyber) Monday, it’s a no-brainer to participate. But, how do you stand out from the noise?

We’ll give you three key takeaways to keep in mind to make sure your Black Friday doesn’t turn into a whack Friday.

Timing is important

Spreading the word about your holiday promotion requires some persistence. Just because someone doesn’t open your first email or make a purchase after seeing one social media post doesn’t mean they never intend on purchasing.

It could be because it wasn’t great timing for them, they simply forgot, or maybe they are researching other products to fulfill their needs. So start thinking ahead on how often you want to communicate and begin creating your calendar.

Also, keep in mind that Black Friday is no longer a one-day event. Many companies run promotions through the weekend and into the following week for Cyber Monday.

Here is a recommended calendar to get you started:

  • Nov 26th – Create buzz the day before Black Friday. Leverage social media to get in front of people who might not be on your email list and get them excited 
  • Nov 27th – Announce your Black Friday offer
  • Nov 28th-29th – Send reminders that the sale is still on
  • Nov 30th – Announce your Cyber Monday offer and position is as “last chance.” FOMO can really come into play here
Timing recommendations provided by Yopto and modified by TrainHeroic

Ensure email deliverability

When using email as your main channel to get the word out about your holiday promotion, it’s tempting to take every email address you’ve ever gathered over however many years and blast out the details about your Black Friday/Cyber Monday offer.

Here’s why you shouldn’t do that:

If email providers (Gmail, for example) detect unusual activity from your email domain, you run the risk of getting blacklisted. Blacklisted means that your domain has been flagged as sending spam and it’s harder for your email to land in the desired user’s inbox.

This can happen when you have a surge in list volume, recipients aren’t used to receiving email from you / don’t recognize your business and mark the email as spam, or you’re using an old email list resulting in high email bounces.

To ensure high email deliverability, make sure that the people on your email distribution list have opted in to receiving communication from you, their email address is up to date, the particular offer is relevant to them, and your email send volume isn’t out of the ordinary of your day-to-day email sends. 

Focus on your email subject line

No one likes being deceived. Have you ever opened an email because of the catchy subject line only to realize that what was inside the email had nothing to do with what got you to open it in the first place? That’s called clickbait and it can make people less engaged in the long run. 

We’re not saying that you can’t be creative and catchy when coming up with your subject line, by all means, we encourage that. Just make sure that users know what to expect when opening the email and that they won’t be taken by surprise when they see what’s inside of it. 

Best practice is to keep your subject line under 40 characters so that all text is visible, whether opening on a computer or on a phone. Focus on providing a clear value proposition in your email subject line that encourages recipients to open by being clear about the value inside the email.

Customer Empathy

Customer empathy is always important when it comes to marketing, but when you throw in a pandemic, an election, and everything else going on, it’s going to be even more crucial that businesses hone in on customer relationships. 

Shoppers this season are more likely to be emotionally exhausted. This means that they will lean towards companies that they have a connection with, one that resonates with them and brings them a level of comfort.

When it comes to email copy, it’s important to make it about the recipient, not your business. Even taking out “we” and “us” and replacing with “YOU” can make all the difference. 

Chances are they probably don’t care that Jenn’s Gym is excited to launch a brand new training program that’s the best out there — anyone can claim that.

But instead that Jenn’s Gym will provide me customized programming to help me become faster and stronger without spending every day in the gym. Now that sounds like exactly what I’m looking for. Think about your value prop (what makes your product or service stand out from the rest), who your target audience is, and what their needs are so that your statement is direct and personalized. Take every opportunity to show that you listen to your customers and you have the solution that is specific to their needs and goals. 

There’s already a lot of competition and there’s going to be even more clutter to break through with the increase in online shopping this year. Customer empathy can go a long way and separate your business from your competition. Creating a good customer experience with trust will keep customers invested and coming back for more. 

 

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