Two days of the year are traditionally the biggest shopping days for retailers, online and off line. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the biggest day for brick-and-mortar stores. It always has been. It’s the day when retailers open their doors early to allow shoppers inside to do their Christmas shopping. And it results in a huge day of shopping all across the land.
Cyber Monday is the the first Monday after Black Friday. On this day, Christmas shoppers go online and make the purchases they couldn’t make the previous Friday. It’s the biggest day for online retailers and every year it keeps getting bigger.
The time to start planning and promoting your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales is two to three months prior to those shopping days.
While it may be too late to start promoting your sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it isn’t yet too late to start promoting your Christmas specials. Realistically, however, if you start today you’ll be getting in late in the game. Better late than never, though.
Whether you are a brick-and-mortar retailer or an online e-tailer, online marketing is still a necessary endeavor in your overall marketing plan. Don’t wait until the last minute. Prepare, plan, and promote. If you’re not ready for this year, the least you can do is to start getting ready for next year. Your business will thank you.