Getting ready for Q4

It goes without saying, that especially in recent years, Q4 is the prime sales period of the year for many advertisers in eCommerce.

Historically in the UK, the end of year sales was traditionally reserved for the build-up to Christmas, Boxing Day and the January sales period going into the following year. More recently, however, Black Friday has made its way from across the pond to evolve into one of the most important sales events in the form of Cyber Week and Weekend. What was typically set for just a late Friday with Black Friday, and the following Monday with Cyber Monday, we now see a full week of offers and discounts leading up to both days and in some cases stretching all the way to end of the November month and into December.

As well as this, Single’s Day, a popular sales day in China has recently become even more popular in the UK as well as Europe, with big Chinese brands making their mark on the region having established themselves as eCommerce powerhouses in this part of the world.

This isn’t to forget that Christmas and Boxing Day are still key dates to aim for when planning marketing strategies for Q4. Other dates also include October half-term and Halloween.

Dates for all periods mentioned above are as follows:

– October Half-Term – 21/10/2019 until 25/10/2019
– Halloween – 31/10/2019
– Single’s Day – 11/11/2019
– Cyber Week(s) – 25/11/2019 – 04/12/2019
– Black Friday – 29/11/2019
– Cyber Monday – 02/12/2019

What should advertisers be doing?

The most important thing a brand can do is ensure they are prepared. With Q4 growing further year-on-year, many advertisers and affiliates look to secure placements, offers and exposure far in advance. In order for you ensure you’re also prepared it’s worth taking note of the following:

Ensure availability of budget

With an additional budget, positions and promotional packages can be purchased from the most relevant Black Friday publishers. Dedicated Black Friday publishers are already filling up the first positions within the affiliate channel. In order to offer you a clear insight into the various options, TradeTracker has compiled a special Q4 Opportunities deck, which you can request from your account manager. Various exposure options are listed for you to choose within this deck.

Getting your offer right

It can sometimes be difficult to get the right offer to help you gain the best return. As an advertiser you need to think about a multitude of factors to ensure you see success. This includes the length of the offer, the amount of discount applied, and how far that discount goes. Whilst discounts on certain products work well, think about running site-wide or category offers to entice consumers to purchase more products from your site. Concerned about product margins? Think about running a strong minimum spend offer to give consumers a discount when they hit a certain threshold. As well as helping you generate sales, exposure for your brand can also play an important role with offers such as free delivery or other creative ways to incentivise the consumer to visit your site and make a purchase. You can find out more by looking at the Q4 Opportunities deck or speaking to your account manager.

Timing is everything

From previous years it’s becoming clearer that top positions on affiliate sites are being claimed well in advance. Closing fixed deals as early as possible is now a rule rather than an exception. This essentially leads to a first-come-first-serve mentality.

Going custom

The best positions with the biggest Black Friday publishers obviously have a price tag. Advertisers regularly choose to ignore certain publishers, because the available budget is not sufficient. In many cases, however, it is possible to request a customised proposal based on your available budget. In many cases, you can still get a mention on your desired publisher site, even where at first glance this did not seem possible.

Consult with your account manager

Due to the multitude of extra options, it is sometimes difficult to choose the right opportunities. Nothing is more frustrating than spending additional budget on propositions that do not produce the desired result at the bottom of the line. Your account manager can always provide you with a realistic estimate of the expected performance per Black Friday proposition. With this, you can be assured of optimal spending of your Black Friday budget. Moreover, your account manager is in close contact with each of the relevant publishers, so you can ensure you claim your desired position sooner rather than later.

TradeTracker is happy to talk to you personally to help you make the Cyber ​​Weekend a success. Request the Q4 Opportunities deck from your account manager to discuss the options.

Make your Q4 one of success and be a part of another record-breaking moment for the most important sales period of the year.