Checklist for Amazon Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner, and for Amazon sellers and vendors, this means it’s time to gear up for one of the biggest shopping events of the year. Happening on the last Friday of November and the following Monday, these dates are traditionally associated with the start of the holiday shopping season and consumers will be on the lookout for significant discounts and deals on these days, both in retail environments but especially on online marketplaces such as Amazon.

We have put together a quick checklist with the essential steps to help you prepare for Amazon Black Friday and Cyber Monday, ensuring you make the most of this shopping extravaganza and set the stage for a successful holiday season.

Plan your marketing and promotional strategy

Begin the planning process by formulating a comprehensive marketing strategy. Determine the actions you intend to take, decide on the discounts you’ll offer, and carefully schedule the timing for your promotions. And don’t forget that it is crucial to sync this with your inventory management, making sure you have adequate stock available, whether it’s in your own warehouse or at Amazon’s if you are an FBA seller.

Submit deals before the deadline

If you want to make use of Amazon’s official Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and submit your products for these, keep in mind that the deadline is set for September 30, 2023. If your products fulfil the necessary criteria to be eligible for these deals, you will be able to schedule your products for Black Friday or Cyber Monday in your Amazon Seller Central Deals dashboard. Remember that eligibility criteria may vary between Amazon marketplaces, so double-check the specific requirements for your target market.

Adjust your ad-campaigns

If you ran Prime Day Pay-per-Click ad campaigns, now is the time to review and learn from them. Use the insights gained to fine-tune your Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns. It’s always worth considering increasing your budget to compete effectively and raising your bid amounts to secure top placements. Similar to Prime Day, traffic tends to surge a couple of weeks before the big day, so you might want to start your campaigns early to make the most of the increased number of shoppers.

And while your Amazon PPC campaigns are a powerful tool, have you considered running external campaigns for your products on other marketing channels such as social media platforms or Google AdWords?

Optimize your Amazon listings and brand store

Optimized product listings are key to attracting potential buyers and converting them. Take a comprehensive approach to review and enhance your listings, paying particular attention to your titles, bullet points and product descriptions (make sure to include relevant keywords), your images and your A+ Content to create engaging, multimedia product depictions, and on ensuring that your listings are mobile friendly, as many shoppers use smartphones for online shopping.

Similarly, if you have multiple products on sale, consider presenting your customers with a cohesive shopping experience by developing your brand store.

Offer free shipping

If you don’t do this already, have you thought about offering free shipping on your products, even if it is just for this event? This can be a powerful incentive for shoppers during the holiday season and may give your products a competitive edge.

Remember post-Black Friday shopping

While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the main sales events to attract deal seekers, holiday shopping continues well into December. Don’t halt your advertising campaigns abruptly after Cyber Monday but keep targeting holiday shoppers throughout the season.

Evaluate and learn

After the dust settles, take the time to review how your products and campaigns performed during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Make notes of what worked and what didn’t, so you can apply these insights to your strategy for the following year.

We can help

Amazon Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers an incredible opportunity for sellers and vendors to boost sales, enhance visibility and solidify brand loyalty. Yet, navigating this event effectively can sometimes seem daunting, leaving you unsure of where to begin and how to achieve the best outcomes. That’s precisely where our dedicated team comes into play.

Our team of Online Marketplace Experts specialise in streamlining your workload in the realm of eCommerce, fortifying your brand’s online presence, providing support during major events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday and ultimately driving sales growth. With years of experience supporting our global customers, we can help you manage your online marketplace presence or offer specific assistance with tasks like campaign management or product optimization.