Cyber Monday Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

Ready to make your virtual cash register jingle all the way through this holiday season? Any small business knows the holiday season can make or break their year due to a boost in customers shopping for gifts and great deals.

To meet this demand, you can start by making sure your site is open for business with a great Cyber Monday marketing strategy. You don’t want to miss out, especially considering 2022 Cyber Monday broke a new record with $11.3 billion in online sales, making it the biggest online sales day of that year.

But when is Cyber Monday 2023? It’s always held on the Monday after Thanksgiving and the Black Friday holiday. This year, it falls on Monday, Nov. 27.

The origin of Cyber Monday involves Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation (NRF), which started marketing it in 2005 as a complement to Black Friday. The theory was that consumers had slow dial-up connections at home, so they’d shop online during the workday to take advantage of their employer’s fast internet.

Of course, retailers today need to be more concerned about their mobile game. Here are some Cyber Monday marketing strategies that can make your holiday retail sales merry and bright.

Finalize Your Marketing and Promotion Plans Now

It’s never too soon to start rolling out your marketing, and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) should craft a strategy that showcases their business strengths. That can often include a focus on customer service, which can be a differentiator as shoppers get caught up in holiday havoc.

This is also the ideal time to plan your social media strategy with holiday-related photos, tips, and advice, skewing toward themed content to entice customers to buy.

Double-Check Your Website Is Ready for Mobile Shoppers

No matter how strong your Cyber Monday marketing strategies are, your website has to be ready. Now is the time to optimize your site for mobile and check that your messaging and pricing are clear, recognizable, and competitive.

Consider checking your loading speeds: According to Neil Patel, nearly half of customers expect a site to be able to load in two seconds or less. You can check your speed and use a service like UptimeRobot to get alerts when speeds lag.

Develop Special Promotions for Cyber Monday

Doorbusters entice us for a reason — they build on our fear of missing out (FOMO). Cyber Monday marketing strategies can replicate the tactic through special online “deals of the day” (or hour) at an attractive promotional price, with a countdown timer to emphasize urgency.

Convert Cyber Monday Customers to Returning Fans

Your Cyber Monday marketing strategies might have targeted customers with a certain promotional offer, but now you can take the time to build loyalty that may pay future dividends.

Try to keep the conversation going after purchase by sending shoppers a special offer — a code for X% off their next purchase, a discount if they share your messages with a friend, or a bundled item, like buy-one-get-one half off.

Create a Complementary In-Store Experience

If you’re a brick-and-click operation, make sure your physical location is set up for easy shopping. Today, many customers appreciate the option to buy online and pick it up in the store rather than paying for shipping or waiting for delivery. Retailers may want to take advantage of this option in the hope that customers make an extra purchase while in the store.

However, you can make it easy for them with clearly delineated signage, such as banners and floor decals, so they know where to find their products. To encourage using this option, consider designating close-in parking spaces for customers and offering a perk, such as free gift wrap, to get them in the store.

By starting your marketing and promotion plans now, you’ll be ready to take on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and every shopping opportunity all season long.

About the Author

Cathie Ericson is a freelance writer specializing in small business, finance, and real estate.

All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided “as is,” and neither the author nor Office Depot warrants the accuracy of the information provided, nor do they assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.