Black Friday has become one of the most important e-commerce dates of the year. While it’s a relatively new shopping event in the UK, it has been popular with brands and consumers alike who want to make the most of the lead up to Christmas.

This year Black Friday will take place on November 26, 2021, with many brands choosing to promote offers in the weeks leading up to this date. Traditional store-based sales have been dropping year on year, with Covid-19 really solidifying e-commerce as the way to go in 2021.

With this in mind, many brands are turning to campaigns that utilize influencer marketing on Instagram and Facebook as one of their leading marketing methods.

Here’s why creator content sits at the heart of Black Friday marketing strategies, and how brands can maximize sales with help from content creators on Facebook and Instagram.

In 2021 Black Friday is a major e-commerce event

Traditionally Black Friday was an in-store event where people rushed out to get their hands on the best deals. We’ve all seen the viral videos of Black Friday sales gone wrong, where consumers are breaking into stores and fighting to get their hands on the best offers. Thankfully, it seems like these days are behind us with e-commerce spending on Black Friday taking the lead.

2020 saw an estimated 44% decrease in in-store shopping, as many consumers wanted to avoid crowds due to the Covid-19 risk. 25% of consumers realized that they can find better deals online on Black Friday, and this increased the amount of online purchases vs in-store. In 2021, this trend has continued, as online shopping has become a much easier and safer option than venturing into real life shops. As it stands in 2021, the number of online shoppers globally is at an all-time high of 2.14 billion, nearly 30% of the global population.

As a result, brands are upping their online marketing presence to keep up with demand from shoppers.

Influencer marketing boosts online sales

As brands start working on digital marketing campaigns leading up to Black Friday, many are calling on the help of content creators to boost sales.

Not only do content creators have strong audience ties that can inform content decisions, but they also have the ability to create high quality content that has an authentic appeal. Using content creators to unveil deals and offers, as well as offer their genuine opinion on products can be a great way to boost online sales.

According to HubSpot, consumers are 71% more likely to purchase a product following a social media referral, while research from Facebook shows that 71% of weekly users have taken any shopping action as a result of seeing content posted by creators. This makes Black Friday the perfect occasion to capitalize on the trusted opinions of creators.

There’s also evidence to suggest that social media purchasing is much more impulsive than in-store buying, and working with creators only increases the intensity. 54% of people surveyed by Facebook said that they made a purchase either in the moment or after seeing a product or service on Instagram.

Time-limited offers + creator recommendations = sales

The combination of online sales that time out, plus the element of social referral creates the perfect motivation for consumers to buy quickly to access the best deals. A brand that does this particularly well each year is GymShark, with their ‘Blackout’ sale event.

GymShark enlists the help of multiple creators to showcase the amazing deals that will be available online before their website goes live. The creators they partner with use YouTube, Facebook and Instagram to share the products, prices and outfit combinations that they’re most impressed with.

GymShark will then normally take the website down 24hrs before, leaving only a countdown timer that creates a sense of suspense. By working with content creators, GymShark creates hype around their activewear causing them to sell huge amounts every year.

Influencer marketing on Facebook and Instagram win out on Black Friday

When it comes to the best platforms to boost Black Friday sales, Facebook and Instagram are clear winners. Users on these sites are already open to shopping via social media and are likely to be more receptive to online deals.

Facebook Insights suggest that 63% of consumers use Facebook for shopping activities, while 83% of Instagram users discover new products and services on the platform. By collaborating with content creators, brands can reach even more consumers who are open to exploring new products on Facebook and Instagram.

Some of key features that make Instagram and Facebook ideal for Black Friday marketing

- Highly targeted algorithms:

The highly targeted algorithms are able to pinpoint the kinds of consumers who will be interested in your product, making the shopping experience highly relevant to them. Black Friday sales are popular on social media, with most consumers expecting to be targeted with deals during this period.

- Shopping features:

Both platforms also offer shopping features whereby users can buy products without having to navigate off the platform. This makes the purchasing experience seamless, and encourages a quick and easy transaction.

- Stories features:

The ‘stories’ feature allows content creators to include affiliate links. Users can follow stickers to view the affiliate site, all while remaining on the original platform. Black Friday is the perfect occasion to utilize this feature, as 51% of people surveyed by Facebook said that they wanted Instagram and Facebook stories to feature sales and promotions.

Why work with creators on Black Friday?

Working with creators is not only a great way to boost sales, it also increases brand awareness and can help inform purchasing decisions.

Creator content adds an element of authenticity to your Black Friday campaigns, and can soften your approach. Instead of bombarding users with offers, working with content creators can elegantly showcase your products and give your brand access to an extra content creation resource.

Creators know their audience best and will be able to promote the offers that are most relevant to their followers. This insight can be invaluable and will help you break through the sea of noise this Black Friday.

Do you need help crafting the perfect Black Friday influencer marketing campaign? Reach out to start the conversation.