9 Video Strategies We Love: Black Friday & Cyber Monday Edition

Tell them, and they’ll forget about it. Show them, and they’ll buy it.

That’s the motto for every eCommerce business going into this year’s retail holiday season.

Shoppers are big on video. 91% of marketers say video marketing has helped them increase traffic, and 90% said it helped them generate leads —and the BFCM shopping spree will be no exception.

From product discovery to purchase and repeat orders, video seems to be the key to unlocking massive sales and truly hitting the jackpot at the Black Friday – Cyber Monday bonanza.

But here’s the kicker: you have to do something extraordinary to stand out in a sea of promotional videos and wow your buyers.

Looking to pick up some insights and strategies to win at BFCM video marketing? We’ve got nine of them for you.

9 BFCM video marketing strategies for eCommerce businesses [+ examples]

In 2022, Black Friday sales hit a record spending of $9.12 billion from online shoppers. And Cyber Monday went even bigger, locking $11.3 billion for eCommerce businesses.

If you’re preparing to take a big piece of this pie, you need to level up your video marketing game with these nine tried-and-test tactics.

1. Offer a seamless checkout process with shoppable videos

Here’s the golden rule for eCommerce brands: the shorter the path to purchase, the more conversions you get.

But how exactly can you shorten this path from awareness to conversion?

Two words: shoppable videos.

Shoppable videos create an immersive experience for your target buyers and offer everything they need to know about a product. These videos also allow shoppers to buy any product with a single click without ever leaving the store page they were browsing.

Put simply, shoppable videos enhance the buyer experience and streamline the checkout process by:

• Showing buyers exactly how a product looks + works and its benefits

• Giving them an easy option to buy instantly instead of ordering later

With that, shoppable videos can also reduce cart abandonment and skyrocket sales, especially during the BFCM frenzy. Here’s how you can create unique shoppable videos that resonate with your buyers:

• FOMO: Add time-sensitive discount offers to create a sense of urgency and provoke the fear of missing out (FOMO).

• Personalize: Use machine learning algorithms to show personalized recommendations based on users’ buying/browsing behavior.

• Storytelling: Showcase every product with a compelling story that buyers can relate to and weave its features/benefits into this story (more on that later).

• Multi-channel: Optimize videos for multiple platforms and devices to maximize your reach and deliver a frictionless watcher experience.

Dr. Squatch’s campaign is an excellent video marketing case study to inspire you.

Dr. Squatch uses autoplay video user-generated content on its home page. These UGC videos showcased actual customers using Dr. Squatch's products. Such a strategic move enabled the brand to create a more profound and personalized connection with its shoppers. They also used Videowise’s bulk embed functionality to insert a video on more than 200 pages automatically.

The result? The UGC videos influenced shoppers to convert at a 9.9% conversion rate, totaling 13,500 orders worth over $ 750,000. Also, adding videos increased the brand's revenue per session (RPS) by 3.2% right before Black Friday.

2. Create anticipation and encourage impulse purchases

Since almost every brand offers massive discounts, buyers are usually spoilt for choice during the retail holiday. So, your success boils down to what you can do differently to capture their attention and build excitement before the weekend hits. That’s where psychology comes in.

Two fundamental psychological factors—anticipation and impulse—play a significant role in buying.

Positive anticipation generates a sense of excitement, fostering the belief that something extraordinary is on the horizon. It gradually nurtures curiosity and ignites an immediate desire to make a purchase. Conversely, impulse invokes a genuine longing to acquire something, even when there may not be an immediate need.

Harnessing these emotions ethically and authentically can empower you to connect with buyers and encourage them to explore your products during the sale. Here's how to create that meaningful connection through the use of videos:

• Run teaser campaigns: Build hype for your BFCM sale well before the sale begins. Keep people guessing and create anticipation with a teaser campaign about a new launch or discount deals. You can create countdown videos, run witty ads, or partner with influencers with an intriguing headline.

For example, Poppi created this teaser campaign with the headline “Black Friday Cancelled” to pique buyers’ curiosity. Here’s a reel from the campaign in 2022.

• Add ‘People Also Buy’ videos: Encourage shoppers to buy more with a dedicated section on every product page to show videos of complementary products. This 'People Also Buy' section can show videos of how people use Product A with Product B and C, nudging them to buy all three.

• Give an exclusive sneak peek: If you’re launching a special edition for the Black Friday sale (more on that shortly), you can create videos to share an exclusive glimpse of the collection. These can be half unboxing videos or showing one item in use—like this one by Abigail Ahern below.

Build more anticipation and trigger impulse purchases with compelling videos on your website and email campaigns. Combining these sentiments with FOMO can intrigue shoppers to buy more.

3. Launch new products or BFCM special launches

Many brands launch special collections during the retail holiday. Most people shop for Christmas and the festive season, so brands create limited-edition products to maximize sales.

Done right, special BFCM editions can be a game-changer for an eCommerce business. Sellers can put a higher price tag, and shoppers want to grab theirs before stocks run out because of the higher perceived value of these products.

And if the products are really worth the price + hype, you win customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth throughout the holiday season.

But the magic is in creating enough buzz around your special launches before the sale. Here’s how you can do it:

• Make a pre-launch teaser campaign to give shoppers a hint of what’s coming

• Design interesting emails and use clever copy + visuals to do the trick for you

• Partner with influencers to show your special edition products 1-2 days before the launch

• Create bundle deals with existing products to sell more and give buyers more bang for their buck

Here’s an example of how Yolele launched its Black Friday special product. They made some teaser videos on Instagram and sent a discount coupon via email to save 20% after the product was live.

4. Host giveaways to generate more user-generated content

Producing user-generated content is the perfect opportunity to reach a bigger audience and build social proof during the retail holiday. Hosting giveaways and contests is one of the best tactics to create UGC at scale.

You can incentivize existing customers to share videos using your product and win exciting prizes. This nurtures a strong relationship with current customers and creates a domino effect to rope in new customers. When people hear and see your products in multiple videos, they’ll be more curious to learn more and eventually buy from you.

Follow these tips to host exciting giveaways to get massive participation:

• Select a coveted prize: The participation rate in a giveaway depends almost entirely on the award. If your prize isn’t attractive enough, people just won’t care enough to make a video. So, look at your best-selling products and choose any of them as the big prize. You can also add multiple smaller prizes—gift cards or discount coupons—to reward more customers.

• Write participation rules clearly: The rules to enter this giveaway should be clear and straightforward. Outline exactly what you want people to do and how to make their submissions. You can create a branded hashtag to see all your UGC posts in one place.

For example, Huckberry created the hashtag #HuckberrySando, encouraging people to post a photo or video of one of their recipes. They announced the contest with this reel.

• Tap into influencer partnerships: Increase your giveaway participation with some influencer posts. Your top influencers can encourage their followers to buy your products and get in the giveaway. It’s a win-win since you can increase your sales and spread the word.

• Co-host with other brands: Collaborating with another brand can double the audience for your contests. Partner with complementary brands whose products can be used with yours and give customers a prize they absolutely can’t refuse.

For example, Frank Body partnered with Supre to host this $500 giveaway for both brands. They advertised the contest with this cool video showing their products in action.

Remember to follow up with your winners after the giveaway and encourage them to create more content after receiving rewards. The UGC train just keeps moving!

5. Use storytelling videos to build a convincing narrative

Research shows that different parts of the human brain light up when you hear a story, and your emotions are activated. That is to say, stories have a massive impact on our minds. They can greatly influence our perception of different brands and how we buy.

That’s why you need a strong narrative to make your BFCM video marketing campaigns more successful than ever. With a compelling story, you can:

• Emotionally engage potential customers

• Create a unique brand identity and recall

• Make your videos more shareable (and viral)

For instance, consider this video by IKEA. In just half a minute, the video captures the spirit of the holiday season and conveys the bond between a child and her grandmother. It’s short, sweet, and positively influences viewers.

You can produce a similar effect for your target shoppers with these tips:

• Showcase the real stories of your customers to create a powerful narrative

• Humanize your brand by weaving a story with behind-the-scenes BFCM planning

• Design narratives around your customers’ pain points or aspirations to resonate with them

• Make a multi-part series of videos and add cliffhangers in each video to keep people engaged

• Create interactive videos with multiple branches to experience a story from their perspective

Retail storytelling can be an amazing tool to help you win this BFCM season. You can also convert these video stories into shoppable videos, allowing viewers to instantly buy a product after watching the video.

6. Create 360-degree product videos and tutorials

Fact: In a crowded market, the more you can do to stand out, the more revenue you can generate. A surefire way to create a standout brand identity during the BFCM season is by adding 360-degree product videos to your online storefront.

A 360-degree video brings your product to life—literally. It lets shoppers view an item from every angle and properly assess its shape + size. Basically, it enhances how people visualize your product without any false expectations.

The result? Lower return rates. When people know exactly what they’re buying, they’re less likely to return the item. It also strengthens their trust in your brand and makes shopping convenient.

Here’s an example of a 360-degree product video:

You need a professional camera setup and technical expertise to create 360-degree videos. Keep the action within 150° – 180° in front of the viewer, and don’t move the camera much between different shots.

You can also add interactive elements—like a hotspot to show different aspects of a product, such as its front and back materials, build quality, special features, etc.

Besides product pages, remember to post these videos on your social profiles to get more eyeballs and eventually increase sales.

7. Include short videos in your email funnel

What’s your best shot at letting customers know about the best BFCM deals and discounts? Email.

Unlike social media platforms, email marketing provides a direct channel to speak to your customers. You can send them the latest offers, share updates, and keep them in the loop of all things Black Friday – Cyber Monday.

More importantly, emails work well because 55% of BFCM sales come from mobile devices. So, if your emails are responsively designed with a quick video, they can boost sales by a margin.

You can include videos across your holiday email funnel. Whether you’re welcoming new subscribers or sending a series of emails to existing customers, add videos to grab their attention from the get-go. What’s better? Add shoppable videos in your emails to give them a two-step buying experience.

Keep this checklist handy when creating videos for BFCM emails:

• Create an enticing and eye-catchy video thumbnail

• Showcase products on sale with their discounted prices

• Add video testimonials from happy customers for credibility

• Make videos showing your products in action or on display

Segmenting your audience is also critical for BFCM email marketing success. You can target each segment with laser-focused emails designed specifically for them. Chase Dimond emphasizes the benefits of audience segmentation for BFCM marketing.

Remember to create multiple video emails, and A/B test them for different buyer segments. This will reveal the best-performing version for each persona.

8. Collaborate with influencers to get extra traction

Your BFCM video marketing strategy is incomplete without influencers. At a time when your shoppers are overwhelmed with discounts and ads, you need to show them a friendly face and organically encourage them to buy from your brand.

The right influencers can become the face of your brand and establish a positive reputation for you. As we discussed earlier, there are many ways to partner with influencers:

• Hosting giveaways

• Generating UGC posts

• Running teaser campaigns

You can also co-create content with influencers or run whitelisted ads on Instagram and Facebook to reach broader, more high-intent buyers.

Offering exclusive products and special deals is another great opportunity to collaborate with influencers. You’re not just offering discounts like all other brands. You’re giving people something unique and creating a feeling of exclusivity.

Nutr worked with influencers to share tips, tutorials, and reviews, and for Black Friday, they used some of the videos they had and added their Black Friday offer in the caption.

9. Run video ads on different platforms

You can also plan ad campaigns if you have a big budget for your BFCM video marketing strategy. Social media + programmatic display ads can do a lot of heavy lifting to bring in sales during the retail holidays.

You can run ads for:

• Time-sensitive deals

• Limited edition products

• Retargeting past customers

• Influencer partnership posts

Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok continue to be the more popular social media channels for advertising—with WhatsApp close behind. Brands like Frank Body run video ads like this, demonstrating each product in action and highlighting its benefits.

On the other hand, programmatic display ads—the ones you see on the top or side panels on different websites—have also become a big hit among eCommerce brands. The spending on these video ads has almost doubled from $55 billion to $97 billion.

The biggest reason these ads work so well is the brand recall they create. If a visitor casually browses through your online store and doesn’t buy anything, a programmatic video ad will remind them about your brand and entice them to buy.

So, invest some time planning your budget for BFCM video marketing and allocate the right amount for ad spend.

Win big this BFCM season with video marketing

That’s a wrap on our nine best tactics for BFCM video marketing.

The bottom line: You need to create something outside the box to capture people’s attention. The next best step for you is to brainstorm and find creative themes to cover across your campaigns and find ideas to convey through video content.

If you’re ready to rock this festive season, kick-start your planning and video production process right away. Find more tips and expert advice on all things BFCM + video marketing on our YouTube channel. Happy retail holidays!