How Does a Small Business Compete During Black Friday/Cyber Monday?

Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) seems to be getting earlier and earlier every year.

Historically, Black Friday has been a chance for brands to broadcast their biggest sale or discount of the year. It was a chance to stay up late after Thanksgiving, camp out at Best Buy, grab that massive TV you'd been eyeing, and maybe a few Christmas gifts, and call it a night.

However, what started as a one-day event, stretched to a weekend when Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday came onto the scene.

Then one weekend stopped being enough and many brands stretched their sale out over 7 days to further drive competition.

But in 2020 and 2021, all the traditional rules when out the window and the month of November was a free-for-all. Brands were launching massive sales on November 1 and upping the ante over the traditional BFCM weekend.

And so far in 2022, we are seeing that brands have already begun hosting their biggest sales of the year to encourage shoppers to spend money earlier and earlier.

So why tell you the backstory?

In 2022, many shoppers expect BFCM sales. Gone are the days of a surprise and delight 25% off sitewide. Many shoppers will slow their spending in the first half of November because they know that item will be much cheaper in just a few days.

How does a small brand compete during the free-for-all that happens during the last two months of the year?

By talking to your warm audience.

November and December are not the time to be trying to acquire new customers.

It's time to hunker down with your current audience and offer as much value to them as possible.

Inboxes are going to be full. Social media is going to be noisy. But if you can provide value and an offer that your audience can't pass up, they will buy.

People are ready to shop the second half of November -- so create an offer they can't resist, and they'll buy.

I'd love to hear what your Black Friday/Cyber Monday plan is below.