Black Friday Advertisers Guide 2021

Get ready for Black Friday! We’re at that time of year where spirits are high, works almost over, and the world collectively LOSES THEIR MINDS in preparation for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. What started as a “nice to have” in the global retail calendar has quickly morphed into the single biggest eCommerce shopping day of the year. 

So? How do you level up your affiliate game in time for Black Friday and break off a piece of the action from the Fortune 500 crowd? Keep reading as we uncover a few core advertiser tips to set you on the path to higher revenue and stronger conversions.

Top Verticals to Target for Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2021

Working from home and interacting online is officially the new norm. According to Statista, over 2.14 billion people worldwide are expected to buy goods and services online in 2021, with a noticeable spike across Black Friday/Cyber Monday. 

These days, the top verticals to target are sources of online entertainment, ways to stay fit and healthy, and ways to make money online. While eCommerce will always have the lion’s share of the market, every imaginable sub-sector will be putting its best foot forward this month, with top offers that attract higher conversions.  

If you’re looking to run products, offers, and services in the retail space. 

🍎 Health + Wellness 

🎮 Games and Gaming (Especially Cyber Monday!)

💻 Entertainment + SaaS (Especially Cyber Monday!)

🏋️‍♂️ Fitness + Nutra

🏇🏻 Sports Betting

🎰 Casinos and Gambling 

💻 VPN 

💜 Online Dating

Know Your Black Friday/Cyber Monday Offers 

Where there are leading offers, there are also scams. And while there is ample opportunity on the table for higher returns, you can still get hit with fraudulent traffic that eats up your budget.

As a rule of thumb, always test a product/service yourself before rolling it out to the world, and always do your research to ensure that the offer you’re promoting is on the level, credible and profitable from the get-go. 

If you haven’t already, sign up for an Ad Network that can grow your audience with performance-driven ad campaigns. Use the below points when looking for a Balck Friday/Cyber Monday Ad Network. 

• Available ad formats provided.
• Fill rates, pricing, and/or payment options.
• Special features and optimization capability.
• Extent and level of platform anti-ad-block technology.
• The overall ability for reporting and statistics.
• Transparency and ad compliance.
• Company reputation.
• Support team capability.

Target the Right Region

The reach of Black Friday/Cyber Monday spans far and wide, with more than 65% of the world’s countries taking part in an online advertising landslide. The vast majority of traffic flows in from tier 1 countries with a strong GDP, as you’ll see below, but the sheer magnitude of Black Friday is catching up to the rest of the world and it pays to do your research before assigning your campaign budget.

Top regions to target.

🇬🇧 UK

🇺🇸 USA

🇩🇪 Germany

🇫🇷 France

🇮🇹 Italy 

🇪🇸 Spain

🇳🇱 Netherlands

🇧🇪 Belgium

Pro Tip? Yes, the above countries have a massive pull in terms of online spending but also come with fierce competition. You’d do well to target your campaign to the above regions, but if you’re advertising a product/service that’s more niche, it might be worth your while to run a parallel campaign that targets a few tier 2 and 3 countries as well.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also try out 

🇿🇦 South Africa 

🇧🇷 Brazil

🇮🇳 India 

Combine a Few Different Ad Formats 

Find the ad formats that are not overly aggressive (to the point of giving your prospect a visual heart attack), but don’t be too subtle either. Find the ads that suit the site, push the message clearly, and rise above the rest without being overly invasive. Below is our pick for the three best ad formats to use throughout Black Friday/Cyber Monday: 2021. 

In-Page Push 

In-Page Push ads are well-targeted, engaging, and less intrusive to the overall end-user experience, blending high-quality UX with market-tested returns. Loads of websites use In-Page Push to monetize traffic, regardless of the content they’re running or the vertical they’re in. They also give advertisers multiple targeting options and the ability to reach fresh new audiences. 

Pop-Under Ads

A top-seller and an effective way to bring in conversions. Pop-Unders appear as a new tab behind a current browsing window, appearing as the user is logging out of the site, ensuring top-of-mind placement, every time.

Interstitial Ads

Known for their maximum visibility and reach, Interstitials come with a hard-coded 5-second delay in exit times. Added to that, a larger display window and heightened visuals keep Interstitial ads top of mind across any number of different sites.

Final tip? Use these ad formats in combination with one another to achieve maximum reach. Test them constantly, change them according to your offers, and find the winning combination that yields consistent returns.

Run Black Friday Promo’s, Discounts, and Giveaways

Unmissable deals are vital for standing out on Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Consumers are scrolling through every site imaginable, looking for offers that are better than the last.  

Make sure you secure the widest-reaching audience by running giveaways, promos, incentives, or discounts on paid features. Look for any add-ons that will separate you from the competition and an endless ocean of offers. 

Fuel buyer anticipation by running offers/incentives/discounts that are just too good to pass up on. Make your unique differentiator stand out in the copy and craft a visually appealing (and concise) landing page that reinforces the offer from start to finish. 

Going back to a few verticals we spoke about earlier on, look for offers that carry incentives like…

• Percentage reductions for eCommerce/SaaS/electronics etc. 
• Free trials and/or vouchers that reduce sign-up costs for VPN subscriptions. 
• 50 Free spins for casino sites etc.

Pro tip? In your copy, don’t forget to add urgency to EVERYTHING! When it comes to these types of holidays, you’re dealing with consumer FOMO on steroids, so use strong sell CTA’s that get the message across instantly. Things like…

• “Today Only!”
• “Flash Sale!”
• “Don’t Miss Out!”
• “Ending Soon!”

You get the picture 😁. Check out what your competitors are doing, scroll through past campaigns, and look for creatives that tick all the boxes. I.e

• The ability to drive urgency.
• Ultra-Strong CTA’s.
• Unmissable deals/discounts/incentives.
• Eye-catching creatives.
• Clear offers.

Keep Your Ads Mobile Specific 

More than 50% of Black Friday/Cyber Monday web traffic came from mobile in 2020; it’s a must to optimize your existing campaigns to mobile traffic, and while you’re at it, run a few exclusive offers on mobile alone. Remember that mobile shoppers are primarily active at night or on the weekend, so set your ads live for peak engagement periods. Cover your bases and don’t only target one device type.

Make sure your landing pages are fully optimized to accommodate mobile traffic. Look out for things like…

• Page speed.
• Entry/exit times.
• Image sizing.
• Copy placement.

“Use this time to maximum effect. The world is buzzing in anticipation of great offers. So make sure you give them what they’re looking for. Draw in your audience with attractive discounts/giveaways/promos and incentives. Remember, there might be a better offer right around the corner, so bring your A-Game. You’ve stepped on the Black Friday battlefield, where the stakes are at an all-time high. Make sure you fight for your exposure. If you succeed in giving your target audience what they want, not only do you get great returns, but you build trust with a potential client for life.”

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Reach out to us anytime here, and we’ll put you in touch with a team of dedicated Advertiser Managers that will help take your campaign to the next level in quick time. All the best for the Black Friday Boom!