Originally created to encourage consumers to shop online, Cyber Monday has fast become a date that many shoppers will look forward to throughout the year.

With countless deals across countless brands on products such as laptops, TVs, phones, tablets, and even mattresses and household appliances, it isn’t hard to imagine why more and more shoppers are choosing to save some of their bigger purchases for Cyber Monday every year.

And 2020 was no exception.

According to Adobe, Cyber Monday in 2020 was the biggest day for eCommerce sales ever in the US, with online sales surpassing $10.8 billion.

In a year where so many of us suffered unexpected changes to our finances, Cyber Monday provided consumers with a much-needed security blanket of discounted cyber goods.

According to the data, most of the $10.8 billion (the total money spent on Cyber Monday) was spent towards the end of the day.

As Adobe states, “During the ‘golden hours of retail’ (7-11 pm Pacific), consumers spent $2.7B. These last four hours account for 25% of the day’s revenue, with the peak hour between 8-9 pm Pacific reaching a purchasing rate of $12 million per minute.”

It is perhaps no wonder that Cyber Monday 2021 is projected to garner over $11.8 billion dollars – that’s roughly $1 billion more than in 2020.

If the projections for 2021 are true, then Cyber Monday 2021 will be a huge success. That is, for the brands who make the most of increased footfall and prepare for Cyber Monday correctly.

So, how can advertisers prepare for Cyber Monday and reap these amazing benefits?

Let’s find out!

Timing is everything

Despite more people generally being attracted to Black Friday deals, Cyber Monday is expected to overtake Black Friday in popularity within the next few years.

Either way, when it comes to the post-October period, most brands will see large returns as consumers shop for the holidays.

As the entire autumn/winter period is typically very popular with consumers, advertisers may wish to consider one of the following:

1.     Treating Black Friday and Cyber Monday as one period.

While most of us probably perceive Black Friday and Cyber Monday as two separate events, in recent years the popularity of the Black Friday & Cyber Monday weekend (or BFCM as it is known) has grown substantially.  

With many advertisers choosing to extend the sales of both days past their typical 24-hour limit, the divisions between both days are well and truly becoming blurred.

This gives advertisers a brilliant opportunity to create one campaign optimised for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday, while also enticing shoppers with a longer sale.

2.     Blending Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas sales in together.

Like option 1, in blending Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas sales together, brands can increase ROI by decreasing campaign costs.

Products that didn’t sell on Black Friday are given the chance to do so on Cyber Monday, and then again during Christmas sales. But for this strategy to work, the sale should not be too specific.

By not letting customers know of specific sale details in advance, customers will have to check the brand website regularly to keep up with which items have the best deals on a given day, increasing engagement and consumer intrigue.

Sounds like a win-win to us!

How do you plan on optimising your campaigns for Cyber Monday?

To learn more about Cyber Monday, get in contact today.