But with so many deals and promotions, how can your company stand out in the inbox and generate real results? And which email marketing tactics should you focus on during this high-volume weekend?
To answer these questions, we analyzed last year’s trends in the context of today’s economy, referenced examples from successful B2B companies, and consulted with industry experts to buy telegram number list bring you the ultimate guide for your Black Friday email marketing campaign.
Get even more inspiration:
1. Inspiring Holiday Email Campaigns & Ideas
2. Super Cyber Monday Emails & Tips for Real Results
3. 12+ Best Black Friday Emails and Tips
Cyber Weekend stats for B2B SaaS marketers
Amid inflation and economic uncertainty, B2B buyers are more cost-conscious and selective about their purchases. While buyers may be hesitant to make big-ticket purchases, they are still open to cost-effective solutions that can drive ROI and improve their bottom line.
Cyber Weekend 2021 recap
Buy rate online was also four times higher during Cyber Weekend than in the typical 4-day period throughout the year. (Numerator)
Consumers spent $10.7B on Cyber Monday, down 1.4% from 2020. Despite this, it remained the biggest online shopping day of the year. (Adobe)
BNPL spending in the U.S. has increased 230% in the past year, with a 34% increase this holiday season compared to last year. Afterpay said there had been a 30% increase yearly of people using its BNPL offerings. (Afterpay)
Cyber Weekend Forecast for 2022
Three in four consumers expect to shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday later this year, outpacing all other 2022 sales events. Over half also expect to participate in Small Business Saturday. (Numerator)
76% of total consumers definitely/probably will shop on Black Friday (Numerator)
Cyber Monday will remain the year’s biggest shopping day, driving $11.2 billion in sales, a 5.1% increase YoY, compared to Black Friday, which isn’t expected to see as much growth this year (Adobe)
5 offer ideas for B2B SaaS
B2B buyers are still willing to invest in cost-effective solutions, but they’ll be more discerning about their purchases. Here are some insights to keep in mind as you plan your Black Friday email marketing campaign:
Bundle complementary products or services: Paul Mallory at ConsumerGravity suggests taking inspiration from Amazon’s bundle packages to help boost visibility. “These value-added bundles market all our products without solo ads; consumers saved 7% to 15% on the package, and we increased our sales by 20% compared to previous years.”
Offer extra credits: Products with usage-based pricing can offer extra credits during Cyber Weekend to incentivize purchases. Offering 40% more credits with a purchase, for instance, can drive conversions and encourage buyers to continue using your product.
Consider BNPL: Fintech company Ratio raised $411mn in September 2022 to facilitate SaaS businesses’ BNPL options for their customers, showing it’s a great time to offer this payment option. You can offer a BNPL option for your service and give buyers the flexibility to pay in installments without straining their budget.
Provide further discounts on annual plans: Additional discounts on annual plans allow for more long-term ROI, but the upfront cost can daunt cash-strapped buyers. Offering greater discounts on annual plans during Cyber Weekend can help ease this and drive purchases.
Offer an additional seat: Provide buyers added value by offering an extra seat or feature at a discounted price. This strategy is especially useful for early-stage startups looking to drive adoption and increase their user base.
5 crucial elements for B2B Cyber Weekend emails
Most email marketing best practices apply to B2B as well, such as having a clear call-to-action, personalizing emails, and providing value. Here are some specific tips for B2B Black Friday email marketing:
1. Highlight the ROI
Focus on how your offer can drive cost savings or improve the bottom line for your B2B buyers. Businesses are experiencing slower growth and tighter budgets, so many might hesitate to invest in new solutions.
On the flip side, Cyber Weekend is also the perfect time for businesses to purchase solutions they previously could not afford. B2B Martech spending is expected to grow by nearly 30% over the next two years, so businesses are still investing in technology to drive growth and efficiency despite inflationary pressures. Capitalize on this by highlighting the long-term ROI of your offer and how it can improve their bottom line.
2. Target specific buyers and decision-makers
The B2B purchase process involves multiple decision-makers and influencers. Target specific roles, such as CFOs, marketing directors, or operations managers who might be interested in your offer and personalize the email and highlight how your solution can address their pain points and drive success for their department.
For example, a social scheduling tool like Buffer can offer a discount on its premium plan for marketing directors, highlighting how it can save time and improve its social media strategy. Personalizing the email to the specific job function can improve engagement and drive conversions.
3. Include a countdown
FOMO can drive conversions and encourage buyers to take advantage of your offer before it expires. Tapping into the excitement of Cyber Weekend and including a countdown in your email can create a feeling of urgency for buyers to take action.
A countdown timer with every email sent can also help track the success of your offer and adjust future promotions. Keep track of the open rate, click-through rate, and conversions during the countdown period to gauge its effectiveness and optimize for future Cyber Weekends.
Pro tip: Check out the GetResponse Integration center and power up your emails with countdown timers.
4. Leverage social proof
90% of buyers are more likely to make a decision after reading a trusted review. Including customer success stories, case studies, or testimonials in emails can build trust and show the value of your solution to potential buyers.
Social proof also helps differentiate your brand and offer from competitors during the busy Cyber Weekend shopping period. Highlighting specific results and success metrics can showcase the effectiveness of your solution and drive conversions.
5. Create lists for your coldest leads
This promotion offers a very good discount. With Black Friday everywhere nowadays, I think price-sensitive prospects believe this is the best time of year to purchase to get the best rate, and many prospects on the fence buy for fear of missing out.
The strategy resulted in 4 times more sales volume than other email marketing campaigns that included discounts throughout the year.
Ronan Hickey, CEO of MarketingConsultant.ie
Cyber Weekend is a great chance to reconnect with leads that have been inactive or on the fence about your solution. B2B SaaS customers typically have longer sales cycles and Hickey suggests warming them up in advance and hitting them with a time-sensitive promotion.
Segment your email list by targeting prospects more unlikely to convert. These prospects may respond the most to a strong monetary discount for a limited period. Hickey suggests it’s crucial to warm up these prospects in advance by hinting at the offer in previous emails. You can also consider surprising non-converters once more after Black Friday with a special “missed out” offer.