While some shoppers have been in the swing of the holiday season for a while, this past week marked the first big events of the holiday season: Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Known as Turkey 5, these days are the traditional kickoff to holiday shopping, a time that e-commerce brands have been anticipating since the summer months. But, after Cyber Monday, what next? There are still weeks to go before Christmas, and plenty of time to capitalize on sales. We’re sharing some tips and tricks on how to capitalize on the post-Thanksgiving momentum on Amazon to propel you across the finish line.
Consider the Halo Effect on Amazon
First, don’t count out the halo effect on Amazon! Historically, in the few weeks leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, shoppers aren’t making as many purchases, and are instead waiting to see what deals go live before committing to buying. While supply chain issues and the early shopping season may slow the browsing traffic, 27% of Americans still plan to shop on Black Friday and the days following.
With this, brands can plan to see increased browsing leading up to the holiday and increased traffic and total revenue across all marketplaces over the weekend. And, brands that perform well during this time will see the “halo effect” after, due to more conversions leading to improved rankings and increased product reviews. What your brand does next could lead to cementing improved rankings and status.
Although you should be keeping a close eye on inventory levels through the weekend, immediately after Turkey 5, the first task to complete is to ensure your most critical ASINs will stay in stock throughout December. If you need to send an FBA shipment to Amazon, several smaller shipments could reduce the risk of a delay. In the event items run out of stock, a strategic switch to FBM may help ensure your item stays in stock and on result pages.
Many brands will take a step back from running promotions in the immediate days after Turkey 5, but considering the halo effect, it’s helpful to run additional sales or coupons to further increase rankings and maintain momentum on Amazon.
With this, we strongly suggest pulling on all the necessary levers during December to increase sales, including all of your marketing channels like social media and email marketing. For example, our clients have seen great success when advertising their Amazon or other marketplace listings on social channels. Or driving email recipients to the pages via email marketing.
Advertising Considerations for Post-Turkey 5
After Thanksgiving, the marathon of the holiday shopping season has just begun. Don’t slow down with your search advertising in December. Keep vigilant by monitoring budgets and campaigns and ensuring budgets don’t max out too early each day.
“It is important to continue the momentum on brands see during Turkey 5 by not optimizing their bids and budgets to the levels they saw pre-Turkey 5,” said Chandler Walnsch, Search Advertising Strategist II. “After the busy shopping weekend, we see traffic levels significantly higher than compared to the pre-Turkey 5 time frame. Staying relevant by bidding aggressively will allow brands to help continue the momentum on Amazon.”
Additionally, brands should leverage sponsored display and DSP to target shoppers who didn’t make a purchase just yet, but make sure you negate audiences who have purchased from you or a competitor in the past 30 days.
PDP Maintenance Post-Turkey 5
Inventory aside, keeping an eye on the technical details of your priority ASINs is key after Thanksgiving shopping. Daily review and maintenance if needed for inventory, Buy Box, suppression, and all other backend details are recommended.
If you’ve updated your Store, content, or creative to reflect promotions or deals for Turkey 5, make modifications immediately after the promotions end. Keep your content and creative assets fresh through December, though, with bullet points referencing holiday gifts and seasonal imagery.
Are you looking for a strategic partner to help with your holiday strategies? Contact us today, we’re happy to help you win the shopping season!
