As Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) approach, retailers and marketers in the MENA region are preparing to capture the attention of deal-seeking audiences. With consumers increasingly waiting for discounts and sales before making purchases, understanding how to effectively target and engage these shoppers during BFCM can be crucial to boosting sales. This guide offers proven strategies to maximize your BFCM promotions, helping you drive value, enhance brand loyalty, and increase conversions, all without compromising profitability.

1. Align Promotions with Demand

To maximize the impact of your BFCM promotions, it’s essential to align them with periods of peak demand. Studies indicate that 67% of consumers in MENA actively wait for promotional periods before making purchases, especially during major shopping events like Black Friday. These consumers are primed to buy, which creates a golden opportunity for retailers to engage them through targeted discounts.

Strategy Tips:

• Plan Promotions Strategically: Launch promotions during peak demand times, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the surrounding weekends. This approach aligns with consumer behavior and prevents the risk of diluting demand during off-peak periods.
• Avoid Artificial Demand: Steer clear of pushing promotions during quieter months, as this can lead to customer fatigue. Instead, focus your promotional efforts during these peak periods to maximize effectiveness and reach.

2. Utilize a Tiered Promotion Strategy

A tiered promotional approach can be highly effective, starting with lower discounts in early November and building up to significant deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This phased approach allows you to attract early shoppers while saving your most compelling offers for the highest-traffic days.

Strategy Tips:

• Early Engagement: Start with teaser promotions in early November, offering smaller discounts to draw in shoppers who want to avoid last-minute crowds.
• Gradual Discount Increase: As you approach BFCM, gradually increase your discount offers. For Black Friday itself, introduce your highest discounts to maximize impact.
• Highlight Major Shopping Days: Ensure that your advertising makes it clear when the biggest deals are coming. Many MENA shoppers plan their purchases around these dates, so timing is everything.

Read also: The Impact of Performance-DrivenMarketing on Audience Growth

3. Leverage Convenience Factors to Drive Online Sales

In the MENA region, the convenience of online shopping continues to win over consumers, especially as e-commerce and digital payments become more accessible. Shoppers increasingly prefer browsing online over crowded malls, making it critical to emphasize convenience features in your BFCM campaigns.

Strategy Tips:

• Highlight Free Shipping & Easy Returns: These features are critical for deal-seeking shoppers. Make them front and center in your messaging to attract shoppers who value convenience.
• Push Mobile-Friendly Shopping Options: MENA consumers are mobile-centric, with smartphones being a primary access point for e-commerce. Ensure your website and checkout process are mobile-optimized for smooth user experiences.

4. Maintain Brand Value While Offering Deals

While steep discounts can attract bargain hunters, it’s essential to protect your brand value. Excessive discounts can risk devaluing your brand and diminishing long-term customer loyalty. Instead, look for ways to provide value that encourage larger purchases without compromising brand perception.

Strategy Tips:

• Introduce “Buy More, Save More” Offers: This approach encourages higher cart values by offering greater savings on larger purchases, which can boost your average order value (AOV).
• Implement Minimum Spend Requirements: Set thresholds for free shipping or extra discounts to maintain profitability while still appealing to deal-seeking shoppers.

5. Segment Campaigns Based on Product Profitability

A one-size-fits-all promotion approach may not always be the best strategy, especially if you’re dealing with a diverse range of products with varying profit margins. Group products by profitability and adjust bidding strategies accordingly, to ensure that your most profitable items receive targeted exposure.

Strategy Tips:

• Group Products by Profit Margin: Identify your high-margin products and create special promotions around them. For lower-margin items, consider offering bundle deals or upsell options.
• Adjust Bidding Based on Margins: Use performance data to increase ad spend for products that offer higher margins, maximizing the return on your advertising investment (ROAS) for the most valuable items.

Read also: Seasonal Performance Marketing Strategies for 2024

6. Monitor Profitability Over ROAS

While ROAS is a common metric for measuring ad campaign success, focusing solely on it can obscure overall profitability. Instead, evaluate each product’s individual profitability to get a clear picture of how much each sale contributes to your bottom line.

Strategy Tips:

• Assess Profitability for Each Product: Regularly review individual product performance to see which items are genuinely driving profits, not just revenue.
• Adjust Strategies for Low-Margin Products: If certain products generate low profit but high traffic, consider adjusting ad spend or restructuring offers around these items to prevent losses.

7. Use Real-Time E-commerce Analytics to Optimize Campaigns

Real-time analytics are crucial for staying agile during BFCM. Monitoring the performance of your campaigns as they happen allows you to make data-driven adjustments, ensuring you’re making the most of your advertising spend.

Strategy Tips:

• Adjust Campaigns Swiftly: Use real-time data to evaluate how ads, offers, and product placements are performing. If certain promotions aren’t yielding expected results, pivot quickly to more effective strategies.
• Focus on ROAS and Profitability Combined: Make decisions not just based on revenue, but on overall profitability. This integrated approach ensures that you’re capturing value for every dirham or riyal spent.

Conclusion: Building Loyalty Beyond BFCM

BFCM is an excellent opportunity to attract new customers and maximize sales, but remember, sustaining long-term relationships with these new customers is key to lasting growth. Use these BFCM promotions to not only drive immediate revenue but to also convert deal-seekers into loyal customers who appreciate the value your brand brings. By strategically aligning your promotions, monitoring profitability, and providing a seamless shopping experience, you’ll be well-positioned to capture the MENA region’s deal-seeking audience while upholding your brand’s value.