The biggest sales weekend of the year is almost here. Cyber Weekend, comprising Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, is the perfect opportunity for B2B SaaS companies to drive conversions and increase revenue.
But with so many deals and promotions, how can your company stand out in the inbox and generate real results? And which email marketing tactics should you focus on during this high-volume weekend?
To answer these questions, we analyzed last year’s trends in the context of today’s economy, referenced examples from successful B2B companies, and consulted with industry experts to bring you the ultimate guide for your Black Friday email marketing campaign.
Table Of Contents
Cyber Weekend stats for B2B SaaS marketers
Amid inflation and economic uncertainty, B2B buyers are more cost-conscious and selective about their purchases. While buyers may be hesitant to make big-ticket purchases, they are still open to cost-effective solutions that can drive ROI and improve their bottom line.
Cyber Weekend 2021 recap
- Buy rate online was also four times higher during Cyber Weekend than in the typical 4-day period throughout the year. (Numerator)
- Consumers spent $10.7B on Cyber Monday, down 1.4% from 2020. Despite this, it remained the largest on-line procuring day of the 12 months. (Adobe)
- BNPL spending within the U.S. has elevated 230% up to now 12 months, with a 34% improve this vacation season in comparison with final 12 months. Afterpay stated there had been a 30% improve yearly of individuals utilizing its BNPL choices. (Afterpay)
Cyber Weekend Forecast for 2022
- Three in 4 customers anticipate to buy on Black Friday or Cyber Monday later this 12 months, outpacing all different 2022 gross sales occasions. Over half additionally anticipate to take part in Small Business Saturday. (Numerator)
- 76% of complete customers undoubtedly/in all probability will store on Black Friday (Numerator)
- Cyber Monday will stay the 12 months’s largest procuring day, driving $11.2 billion in gross sales, a 5.1% improve YoY, in comparison with Black Friday, which isn’t anticipated to see as a lot progress this 12 months (Adobe)
5 provide concepts for B2B SaaS
B2B consumers are nonetheless prepared to spend money on cost-effective options, however they’ll be extra discerning about their purchases. Here are some insights to bear in mind as you propose your Black Friday email marketing campaign:
- Bundle complementary products or services: Paul Mallory at ConsumerGravity suggests taking inspiration from Amazon’s bundle packages to assist increase visibility. “These value-added bundles market all our products without solo ads; consumers saved 7% to 15% on the package, and we increased our sales by 20% compared to previous years.”
- Offer additional credit: Products with usage-based pricing can provide additional credit throughout Cyber Weekend to incentivize purchases. Offering 40% extra credit with a purchase order, for occasion, can drive conversions and encourage consumers to proceed utilizing your product.
- Consider BNPL: Fintech firm Ratio raised $411mn in September 2022 to facilitate SaaS companies’ BNPL choices for their clients, displaying it’s a good time to supply this cost choice. You can provide a BNPL choice for your service and provides consumers the pliability to pay in installments with out straining their funds.
- Provide additional reductions on annual plans: Additional reductions on annual plans permit for extra long-term ROI, however the upfront price can daunt cash-strapped consumers. Offering better reductions on annual plans throughout Cyber Weekend might help ease this and drive purchases.
- Offer a further seat: Provide consumers added worth by providing an additional seat or characteristic at a reduced value. This technique is very helpful for early-stage startups seeking to drive adoption and improve their consumer base.
5 essential components for B2B Cyber Weekend emails
Most e mail advertising practices apply to B2B as effectively, corresponding to having a transparent call-to-action, personalizing emails, and offering worth. Here are some particular suggestions for B2B Black Friday e mail advertising:
1. Highlight the ROI
Focus on how your provide can drive price financial savings or enhance the underside line for your B2B consumers. Businesses are experiencing slower progress and tighter budgets, so many may hesitate to spend money on new options.
On the flip facet, Cyber Weekend can also be the right time for companies to buy options they beforehand couldn’t afford. B2B Martech spending is predicted to develop by practically 30% over the next two years, so companies are nonetheless investing in know-how to drive progress and effectivity regardless of inflationary pressures. Capitalize on this by highlighting the long-term ROI of your provide and the way it can enhance their backside line.
2. Target particular consumers and decision-makers
The B2B buy course of entails a number of decision-makers and influencers. Target particular roles, corresponding to CFOs, advertising administrators, or operations managers who is perhaps desirous about your provide and personalize the e-mail and spotlight how your answer can deal with their ache factors and drive success for their division.
For instance, a social scheduling instrument like Buffer can provide a reduction on its premium plan for advertising administrators, highlighting the way it can save time and enhance its social media technique. Personalizing the e-mail to the precise job perform can enhance engagement and drive conversions.
3. Include a countdown
FOMO can drive conversions and encourage consumers to make the most of your provide earlier than it expires. Tapping into the joy of Cyber Weekend and together with a countdown in your e mail can create a sense of urgency for consumers to take motion.
A countdown timer with each e mail despatched can even assist observe the success of your provide and regulate future promotions. Keep observe of the open price, click-through price, and conversions through the countdown interval to gauge its effectiveness and optimize for future Cyber Weekends.
Pro tip: Check out the GetResponse Integration heart and energy up your emails with countdown timers.
90% of buyers usually tend to decide after studying a trusted evaluate. Including buyer success tales, case research, or testimonials in emails can construct belief and present the worth of your answer to potential consumers.
Social proof additionally helps differentiate your model and provide from opponents through the busy Cyber Weekend procuring interval. Highlighting particular outcomes and success metrics can showcase the effectiveness of your answer and drive conversions.
5. Create lists for your coldest leads
This promotion presents an excellent low cost. With Black Friday in every single place these days, I feel price-sensitive prospects imagine that is the perfect time of 12 months to buy to get the perfect price, and plenty of prospects on the fence purchase for concern of lacking out.
The technique resulted in 4 occasions extra gross sales quantity than different e mail advertising campaigns that included reductions all year long.
Ronan Hickey, CEO of MarketingConsultant.ie
Cyber Weekend is a superb likelihood to reconnect with leads which have been inactive or on the fence about your answer. B2B SaaS clients sometimes have longer gross sales cycles and Hickey suggests warming them up prematurely and hitting them with a time-sensitive promotion.
Segment your e mail checklist by focusing on prospects extra unlikely to transform. These prospects could reply probably the most to a robust financial low cost for a restricted interval. Hickey suggests it’s essential to heat up these prospects prematurely by hinting on the provide in earlier emails. You can even think about stunning non-converters as soon as extra after Black Friday with a particular “missed out” provide.
5 examples of B2B cyber weekend e mail campaigns we love
Here are some campaigns to assist encourage your individual:
Helpjuice
Our open price was 31.3%, and our CTR was 5.2%. We despatched emails to individuals who subscribed to our e-newsletter however by no means subscribed for a paying plan. We emailed on Monday to let our subscribers know we had been planning a BF sale with the main points.
We didn’t need to be coy about it as a result of we’re B2B versus B2C – so we’re not an impulse buy however one with extra of a analysis part. We despatched the subsequent e mail on Friday at 11 am EST after which a second e mail on Monday at 11 am EST.
Josh Brown, Marketing Manager at Helpjuice
Subject Line: One Time Sale – 50% OFF All Helpjuice Plans
The “One Time Sale” topic line instantly catches the eye of potential consumers and the 50% low cost is tough to withstand. It’s extremely impactful for these confused about buying a Helpjuice plan and helps nudge them in direction of making the choice.
Why the e-mail’s nice
The countdown timer in the course of the e-mail helps create a way of urgency for subscribers to make the most of the provide earlier than it expires. The black and yellow theme all through the e-mail additionally ties in effectively with Black Friday.
Helpjuice additionally goes heavy on social proof – logos of their shoppers, badges from evaluations websites, and the heading “#1 Rated Knowledge Base Software (Since 2011)” add immense credibility to their provide. They reinforce that this would be the solely time prospects can avail of a 50% low cost, with a 14-day trial, through the 12 months, additional driving the FOMO issue.
Canva
Canva Black Friday Email. Source: ReallyGoodEmails
Subject line: Get prepared for Black Friday
The topic line builds anticipation for the upcoming Black Friday offers and catches the reader’s consideration. It encourages readers to plan and make the most of the limited-time provide that’s quickly to return.
Why the e-mail’s nice
The e mail encourages the significance of different companies to enroll for Canva earlier than Black Friday. They spotlight that they’ve added new templates that companies can use to design Black Friday promotions and gross sales, creating worth and timeliness for the provide. The design additionally consists of a number of CTAs.
It’s additionally selling Canva’s print service; an important upsell for companies seeking to design bodily supplies for their Black Friday promotions. The provide finishes off with 4 further seats for the value of 1, including worth to their provide and inspiring crew collaboration, making it an important provide for bigger companies.
Datacamp
DataCamp Cyber Week e mail marketing campaign. Source: ReallyGoodEmails
Subject line: Save $150 for Cyber Week!
There’s no beating across the bush with this topic line, clearly stating their Cyber Week low cost for readers. It’s direct and to-the-point, giving readers all the data they want in just some phrases.
Why the e-mail’s nice
The mixture of social proof and a countdown timer add urgency to the provide and improve the probability of conversions. FOMO is a strong driver for shopping for selections and Datacamp leverages it effectively by showcasing their glad clients and the restricted time left to make the most of the low cost.
The CTA “Learn data science for less” with the 50% badge additionally provides worth to the provide and highlights the potential profit for consumers. Including a glad buyer’s image and quote provides heat and belief to the e-mail marketing campaign.
Hootsuite
HootSuite Cyber Monday e mail marketing campaign. Source: ReallyGoodEmails
Subject line: Save over $700 on Hootsuite plans and certification
The topic line is evident: the reader is in retailer for a number of offers, and the greenback quantity provides worth to the provide. It’s additionally particular, mentioning the 2 totally different parts of Hootsuite’s enterprise—their plans and certification program.
Why the e-mail’s nice
Hootsuite’s e mail is full of presents for social media professionals, offering choices for varied budgets and wishes. The copy capitalizes on how Hootsuite is all professionals have to elevate their social advertising sport and drive progress, including worth to the provide. They additionally promote their certification program for these seeking to stand out within the trade and showcase their social media experience.
The e mail additionally repeatedly mentions the greenback quantity saved, explicitly displaying the worth of their provide and driving conversions. While the e-mail may benefit from some social proof, it nonetheless presents a complete Cyber Week e mail marketing campaign that caters to a number of purchaser personas and highlights rapid and long-term worth for their options.
DesignModo
DesignModo e mail marketing campaign for Black Friday. Source: ReallyGoodEmails
Subject line: Black Friday Deal: Buy Postcards, Startup or Slides and Save 60%! 🙃
The topic line clearly states the provide – what it applies to and the way a lot the reader can save – and provides a little bit of persona with the emoji.
Why the e-mail’s nice
DesignModo promotes its three hottest merchandise, giving readers choices to select from primarily based on their wants. The e mail performs with a pink and black theme, including a little bit of enjoyable and creativity within the design. The countdown timer on the finish provides a way of urgency to the provide.
Where the e-mail does lack, nonetheless, is in its copy. There’s a typo within the CTA “buy,” not “by” and it doesn’t pack a punch when it comes to how a lot worth every talked about characteristic can add for the reader. The earlier than and after costs are clear, although, and the low cost is critical, doubtless driving conversions.
Email templates for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Once you’ve determined in your provide, talk it with a well-crafted e mail template. Here are some examples to get you began:
Email template 1
Subject line: These offers are too good to be true!
Body:
Happy Black Friday, _____!
We hope you’re prepared for some superb offers as a result of we’ve acquired them in spades.
Take benefit of our limited-time Black Friday reductions and save on ___, ___, and ___.
Shop now to get the perfect offers earlier than they’re gone.
Email template 2
Subject line: 🔥 Half-off every thing!
Body:
It’s Black Friday, and we’re heating issues up with a half-off sale on all of our services and products.
Upgrade XXX or check out XXX for the primary time at a fraction of the associated fee.
Take benefit of those scorching offers now and let XXX elevate your XXX sport.
Hurry, this provide received’t final lengthy!
Email template 3
Subject line: Score massive this Black Friday with our offers 🚀
Body:
Black Friday solely comes yearly, and the clock is ticking on our XX% off deal on XXX product/service.
Take benefit of this limited-time provide to boost XXX facet of your online business. X% of our clients have seen XXX enhancements in simply X weeks – don’t miss out on the chance to expertise it for your self.
Secure your low cost now earlier than it’s too late.
Email template 4
Subject line: Cyber Monday steals – save XX% now
Body:
Cyber Monday has arrived, and so have our superb offers.
Save XX% on XXX product/service – it’s the right time to check out the answer your opponents are already utilizing to extend their success.
Don’t wait – this provide ends at midnight on Cyber Monday.
Take benefit of those steals now, and thank us later for serving to increase your online business.
Email template 5
Subject line: X extra hours till our largest sale but
Body:
Are you prepared for the largest Black Friday deal we’ve ever supplied?
In simply X extra hours, save XX% on our XXX product/service. With large financial savings like this, it’s the right time to improve or check out XXX for the primary time.
Don’t miss out on this limited-time provide – act now and scale your online business to new heights.
Start planning the largest gross sales occasion of the 12 months
It’s by no means too late to gear up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday with a well-thought-out provide and e mail marketing campaign. Use this information to encourage your offers and e mail templates, and take a look at out totally different topic traces and presents to see what resonates greatest together with your viewers.
GetResponse might help make your e mail campaigns profitable–check out our platform for free and see the outcomes for your self. Get in contact with us now to study extra.