5 Cyber Monday Marketing Ideas to Boost Your Sales in 2023

This strategy creates a win-win situation. You get a subscriber, and they get access to an exclusive deal. Needless to say, you should schedule this promo to go live right for 11:59pm on the day of Black Friday.

When the sale starts, add a site-wide promo banner that will advertise your best deals and take visitors to the sale page – or feature a coupon code.

⚡ If you’re looking for more examples, here is a collection of holiday sale banners and popups for ecommerce. You can add them to your website within minutes, without a developer.

Besides retailer websites, the other ways consumers found out about the Cyber Monday promotions were:

• Social media ads (41%)
• Email (38%)
• TV ads (31%)

So now that we’ve covered the best way to promote your deals on your site, let's talk about how to craft targeted social media ads for Cyber Monday (email will come in the next section).

Create anticipation on social media

Ideally, you should start Facebook or Instagram ads. Consider using YouTube, Pinterest, or Twitter if your budget also allows it.

Whatever platform you choose, the ad should be focused on the products on sale and the size of discounts.

In your ads, highlight your offers, and if you can, use some testimonials for that added touch of trust.

What matters is that you make clear how much the discount is, how much money they could save, and how long the discount will last (a day, but as you'll see later, you could expand that for a day more).

Prepare multiple Cyber Monday promo emails

Since email is the second most important channel where consumers discover Cyber Monday deals, you must have a strong strategy prepared for this day.

The first point to consider is your volume — how many emails should you send?

While it's tempting to flood your customers with emails to ensure they get all your deals, restraint is key. Normally, bombarding your list within a time span of 24 hours can lead to fatigue or even unsubscribes.

So instead, consider emailing your customers before, during, and right after the sale.

Email before, during, and after the sale

If you want to stand out in your customers’ inboxes, consider sending your Cyber Monday promo email on Sunday, like Posh Puppy Boutique did last year:

On Monday, you may want to send a reminder about the sale and feature some of your bestsellers, like Third Love did in the example below.

Keep in mind that your emails don’t have to be of a complex design. Just like with social media ads, their goal is to let customers know about the deal and the rules they need to follow to get it:

If an offer is a smashing hit, consider extending it for a few hours more, up to 24 hours. If you choose to do it, that will be your Tuesday email.

Remember that this can come off the wrong way to those who purchased thinking the offer would last until the end of the day. To avoid this, brands usually make discounts smaller for the sale extension.

Sale extension calls for a sense of urgency, so feel free to use eye-catching emojis, like Cools Club did in the example above; adding a countdown timer to the email might also be a good idea.

Start increasing email frequency in advance

If your current cadence is one email a week, don’t jump suddenly to multiple emails a day. That’s the digital equivalent of springing a surprise party every day — fun the first time, not so much after that.

Start pacing yourself from now to November 27^th, increasing the frequency gradually. This way, your audience is accustomed to hearing from you a bit more by the time Cyber Monday arrives.

It might be worth resending your emails — that’s when you send the same email with different subject lines and preview text only to those who didn’t open your previous email.

Even if you get a 10% open rate, this can drive considerable sales that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

Finally, your Cyber Monday emails should never feel like a reheated version of your Black Friday email deals. Keep them fresh, enticing, and unique.

Use the right discounts

It's a fact that we all love a good discount. But it's also true that not all discounts are created equal.

Depending on your product, audience, and margins, there are different popular discount structures:

• Flat % off: A classic. Everyone loves a good “30% off everything” deal.
• Flat $ off: Tangible and direct. “Save $20” can sometimes feel more real than percentages.
• Tiered % or $ off: The more you buy, the more you save. It encourages bulk purchases.
• Gift With Purchase: Everyone loves a bonus. It’s like a little unexpected cherry on top.
• Free Shipping: Sometimes, the promise of no extra charges feels like the biggest saving.
• Buy 1 Get 1: Double the joy for the price of one.
• Price Change Offer: Temporary price reductions can create a sense of urgency.

From all of these options, you need to pick one that best fits your needs.

Ideally, you should start by taking Average Order Value (AOV). If it's $100, for instance, consider what might appeal more to your audience: 10% off or a direct $10 off?

Even though mathematically they're equivalent, perception alters how they perform. Some customers might lean towards one offer over the other. So, test both and pick the one that works best.

If you are wondering how much to discount, first and foremost, use something that doesn’t hurt your margins.

The idea of discounts isn’t to get more sales, but more profits.

During Cyber Week 2022, Salesforce indicated that average discount rates went through the roof, surpassing pre-pandemic levels at 27% globally. And it was even higher in the U.S., touching a whopping 30%.

You can use that as a benchmark or check what your competitors do to see how much your customers are likely to expect. Also, consider setting a minimum order amount to keep your sale profitable.

Don’t start a race to the bottom — if your competitors use 25% discounts, don’t use 30%. Before you know it, you’ll be bankrupting yourself for no good reason.

What matters is that you discount the right products. That could be a mix of the following:

• Flagship items: Offering a hefty discount on a popular item can create buzz and attract crowds.
• Slow-movers: This might be an opportunity to clear stock.
• Popular gift categories: Think apparel, toys, and electronics. They're holiday season favorites.
• Entire Catalog: Bold, but it can be a massive hit if executed well.

According to one survey, 59% of consumers say the main reasons for their dissatisfaction during Cyber Week are:

• Unattractive discounts (59%)
• Disinterest in the products on sale (53%)
• Discounted products sold out too quickly (35%)

Based on this data, start by discounting the most in-demand products (your flagship items, most likely). Reduce their prices by at least 10-20%, but anywhere above that should be taken carefully, as it can hurt your profitability.

Lastly, make sure your discounted products have enough stock so all your customers can buy them.

Offer buy-now-pay-later (BNPL)

The buy-now-pay-later craze may have slowed down in 2023, but it’s still an incredibly persuasive financing option you need to use during Cyber Week.

Customers still crave flexibility and simplicity, especially due to inflation eroding consumer purchasing power. What’s more, alternative payment methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal provide a seamless checkout experience that increases conversions.

According to one Adobe report, the share of online purchases using BNPL grew by 14% compared to 2021, with revenue from BNPL growing 27% year-over-year.

Adobe also found that during Cyber Week 2022, BNPL orders rose 85%, and revenue increased 88% compared with the prior week.

Another study estimates that by 2027, BNPL will become the go-to option for over 900 million people.

For ecommerce stores, this is not just an online shopping trend; it's an opportunity. If you haven't jumped on this bandwagon, now's the time. Equip your store with BNPL options such as Klarna, Afterpay, or Affirm, and watch as more customers choose you for their shopping spree.

Leverage automation

In 2023, automation is no longer an option — it’s a necessity.

Successful retailers have embedded automation into their operations, ensuring everything from marketing, logistics, and customer support goes smoothly.

One of the many ways in which ecommerce stores can leverage automation is through the use of chatbots.

According to Salesforce data, last year, chatbots witnessed a 53% increase during Cyber Monday compared to 2021.

These virtual assistants handle routine queries, freeing your agents for more complex issues, ensuring faster responses and happier customers.

Source: 13chats

Your Cyber Monday promo isn't just about sales. It's a golden opportunity to build relationships. With a horde of new customers signing up and making their first purchase, making a lasting impression is crucial. How? By timing your interactions perfectly.

After someone purchases from your store, don't bombard them immediately. Instead, trigger a well-crafted follow-up email once the order is marked (that’s easy to track if you’re selling on Shopify or another ecommerce platform).

Ask them about their experience and request a review at the right moment. It’s a subtle yet effective way of showing you value their opinion.

Remember that your Cyber Monday shoppers aren’t just one-time shoppers. If they've bought once, with the right nudge, they might buy again. And automation can give you that edge.

How? By using customer tags and purchase history to personalize their shopping experience. Some ways to do so include:

• Leveraging your customer purchase data to upsell them relevant products
• Designing transactional emails that not only confirm their order but also suggest products that align with their interests.
• Giving them an AI-based personalized shopping assistant that gives them recommendations

Automation, at its core, is powered by data. By understanding a customer’s behavior, preferences, and purchase history, you can craft personal and authentic experiences.

Such tailored experiences can be the difference between a one-time shopper and a loyal customer.

Summary: your Cyber Monday marketing plan

Cyber Monday is more than a sales event; it's a unique opportunity to grow your customer base and boost your profits. By proactively promoting offers, especially through strategic website techniques, businesses can capture early attention. The key to discounts isn't just generosity but relevance and strategy.

Regarding your emails, remember it's a matter of balancing the volume with the relevance of your offers. Every touchpoint should resonate with trust and genuine engagement.

As the market shifts, flexible payment methods, particularly BNPL, have become not just nice-to-have but essential, reflecting today's consumer needs.

Automation, our behind-the-scenes powerhouse, ensures consistent and efficient customer interactions, especially during peak shopping times.

Focus on meaningful connections and value-driven strategies as you gear up your Cyber Monday promotion. Here's to maximizing sales and fostering lasting customer relationships!