Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2020 were the second biggest online shopping in history.
But something big happened in April 2021.
The dreaded Apple’s iOS 14.5 update changed everything for advertisers.
In a significant move to give users more control over their privacy, Apple’s iOS 14.5 update introduced a new policy that allows them to opt-out of tracking.
Data from Branch, an analytics firm, shows that only 25% of iOS users are opting in for tracking. This behavior is a waking nightmare for advertisers looking to crush it on social.
Without access to data, personalization - one of the most critical strategies for social media ads - is hard (but not impossible. Keep reading to find out!)
Because of this unforeseen challenge, Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2021 is cued up to be one of the biggest and the most challenging advertising season.
You need to plan strategically, but more than that - you need to act fast, test fast and localize fast before your competitors do. You can use workflow automation to manage all tasks at this busy time of the year.
As the Head of Marketing at Hunch, a certified Facebook business partner, I’ve gained powerful insights running hundreds of successful campaigns for some of the biggest brands in the market.
And I’m going to share them with you.
I will show you the exact 8 steps you need to win big on paid social this Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
#1 Leverage owned brand data for personalization
71% of holiday shoppers say personalization increases their likelihood of purchase.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday advertising is a sprint. You need quick results, but without user data required for personalization, you’re flying blind.
That’s why owned data is more critical than ever.
Here’s what to do with owned data: Focus on geo personalized ads, multi-language campaigns, and weather data to create highly hyperlocalized messages.
Just personalizing ads for your user’s location alone helps you create an ad that is 20x more effective than a generic ad.
#2 Prioritize conversion events
With the limitations in how many events you can track, you should focus on the events that matter.
Of course, the buyer journey is essential. It should satisfy the needs of a buyer persona, but the goal of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is sales. You should start tracking last-click conversion events instead and assign this a higher priority.
#3. Embrace server-side tracking
The Facebook Pixel is a browser-side tool. It tracks data through the user’s browser.
But here’s where users can disallow tracking, install ad blockers and prevent any data from being stored.
The iOS 14.5 update and ultimately the elimination of third-party cookies by 2022 will practically render Pixels useless.
What you should do: Embrace server-side tracking.
The Facebook Conversions API is an excellent workaround to this problem. It allows you to track “server events” unaffected by cookies and users’ browser settings.
It allows you to track web conversions, post-conversion events, and page visits and feed that data. You can also hook it up with your CRM.
#4 Use UTM tracking to unlock more data
Good old UTM parameters to the rescue!
When a user clicks on your link with UTM parameters, the tags you’ve attached to the URL get recorded in Google Analytics.
Apart from getting a better sense of how users enter your funnel, you will know which links they clicked on, demographic data, location data, interests, and the user flow.
Pro Tip: Take this a step further and optimize for Goals in Google Analytics. Goals help you track all kinds of site conversions.
#5 Build new audiences with content marketing
53% of content consumption comes from organic search results. But only 60% of B2C content marketers have a documented content strategy.
Building new audiences is crucial to expand your ad’s reach and increase the chances of it being seen by engaged users.
With an effective long-term content strategy, you can create an enviable email list.
Pro Tip: Import those collected emails on Facebook, and you can seamlessly start targeting these users.
#6 Unlock high ticket audiences with Facebook collection ads
Does your brand have a diverse product portfolio?
Then you’ve probably dealt with having a lower Average Order Value (AOV) because inexpensive products find their way quickly to your audience.
Here’s what I recommend: Use Facebook Collection Ads.
This advanced ad format creates an immersive shopping experience for your customers on Facebook and Instagram.
When a user taps on the ad, it opens up a Facebook instant experience - a full-screen landing page showcasing your products.
It’s ideal for users who like to browse instead of users shopping for something specific.
#7 Dust off your CRM to improve conversions
Ideally, you’d look at your pixel purchase to create a user persona and then set up Lookalike Audiences.
But, the iOS 14.5 update has affected Lookalike Audiences too. The size of custom audiences generated via pixel events is far smaller, affecting the quality of the lookalike audience.
What to do instead: Dust off your CRM, prune the email list and use the list to create Lookalike Audiences on Facebook.
#8 Engage your audience with Dynamic Creative
Ad fatigue is real. Put this in the context of a Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaign, and you have a massive problem on your hands - Most Black Friday campaigns use similar messaging, which fails to set you apart.
You only have 1.7 seconds to combat ad fatigue and engage your audience.
What you need right now: Start using Dynamic Creative.
A dynamic creative ad uses a combination of ad elements - images, video, title, CTA, and description to create an entirely new version and rapidly A/B test it on your audience.
Hunch’s Dynamic Creative can unlock new levels of personalization, customization, and automation.
P.S. Check out the 15 best examples of dynamic creatives you can use right now.
Crush your Q4 goals with this updated and robust Black Friday and Cyber Monday ad strategy on social
A recent survey by Offers.com found that people are looking for good deals but by no means intend to spend less than what they did in 2020.
All you need to do is adapt your ad strategy and use the magic of dynamic ads + owned data to stand out from your competition.
Ready to crush your Q4 goals? Sign up for FREE strategy call to see our playbooks in action.
