18 Nov How Brands Use Social Media To Enhance Your Cyber Monday
Everybody’s favorite time of year is almost upon us. I’m not just talking about the holidays – I’m talking about SHOPPING season (of course). In the past, my days were spent scanning retail ads and websites for the best deals. This preparation for “game day” could be compared to a runner training for a marathon: Exhausting, but I’d thank myself for it later. These days, Black Friday is fun and all, but I much prefer sitting in my cozy bed while I do my shopping. For this reason, I begun skipping the cold, early morning lines of Black Friday and focusing all of my time/energy on the best Cyber Monday deals. Not only do I scope out websites, but I also scan social media platforms that might be handing out even more deals. During my personal recon work, I’ve noticed many brands forget about social media when previewing Cyber Monday deals. But why? The answer is that many brands forget consumers won’t only be looking at websites to find deals. The internet is a big place, consumers will be checking out your whole cyber presence. So how can brands execute a successful Cyber Monday activation with a social play? So glad you asked! Here are a few Cyber Monday activations we could all learn from.
Marshalls, T.J.Maxx & HomeGoods Tri-Holiday #TheGifter Twitter Contest
How it worked: This cross-brand promotion kicked off with a video promo called the #TheGifter, depicting the ultimate gift giver shopping at all three stores to complete her holiday list. The premise of the campaign was to get fans to engage with all three brands while sharing their thoughts and opinions for a chance to win gift cards to one of the three sponsoring stores. Every week for six weeks #TheGifter asked a new question from one of the three brand handles and fans had to respond using the official hashtag and including one of the brands Twitter handles. A new gift card prize was given away each week totaling in 6 winners. 
Why it worked: Not only were Marshalls, T.J.Maxx & HomeGoods cross-promoting, they were also building a unified fan base. HomeGoods would tweet out a question and a possible prize would be gift cards to the other two stores. This promotion also lasted six weeks, starting before the Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping frenzy and lasting past the Christmas holiday, bringing fans back each week to try and win a gift card. Their Black Friday promoted tweet from #TheGifter received 42 retweets and 62 favorites along with a Facebook post receiving 849 likes.
Amazon’s Lightning Deals
How it worked: Amazon used Facebook to announce seven “Lightning Deals” happening throughout the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend. Each Lightning Deal had a set redemption period letting those interested in the deal go to the Amazon website and make a purchase.
Why it worked: It gave fans an incentive to keep coming back to Amazon’s Facebook page. Since deals were announced spontaneously throughout the shopping weekend, their Facebook page turned into a must-check page. Shoppers would come back looking for the newest and best lighting deals before they expired, drawing in new fans and keeping old fans engaged.
Michael’s Stores Coupons
How it worked: Last year, Michael’s posted a coupon on their Facebook page offering fans 30% off their entire purchase. The coupon was valid from 4pm on Thanksgiving Day until 2am on Black Friday.
Why it worked: Michael’s took a traditional approach to Black Friday and gave it a social spin. The only people that had access to this 30% off coupon were people populating Michael’s Facebook page. Generating traffic, growing their fan base and creating buzz. The limited time frame also created a sense of urgency – making fans want to redeem the coupon as soon as possible. The offer post received 3,874 likes, 909 shares, 274 comments and 23,399 claims.
Amazon Hashtag Shopping
You had to know Amazon would make this list twice, right? This is a year-round program, but I’m excited to see how consumers will use it during their Cyber Monday shopping frenzy.
What they’re doing: Users that link their Twitter account to their Amazon accounts can add products they see on Twitter to their shopping cart simply by replying to the tweet and adding the #amazoncart hashtag. Then the next time the user visits Amazon’s website, the item will be in their shopping cart ready for purchase.
Why it will work: Hashtag shopping embodies the “see it, want it, get it” impulse mentality that all retails brands are trying to push on Cyber Monday. Fans see a product they like on Twitter and they can instantly add it to their cart without leaving the social channel. This program takes out a whole step in the buying process and allows shoppers to keep scrolling for more deals.
These are just a few examples of successful social Black Friday/Cyber Monday campaigns. Which brands do you think will make a splash this Cyber Monday? I’m certainly excited to see who takes the crown, and brings me the best deals. Happy shopping to all!
