The biggest shopping days of the year are quickly approaching and consumers are ready. In 2021, Cyber Monday’s sales hit an astounding $10.7 billion in the United States alone. Fewer consumers are choosing to shop in-store for their holiday needs with only 32% of people planning to shop online for Cyber Monday instead of in person on Black Friday. Of these online shoppers, over half are predicted to come from mobile devices.
Here, we take a look at the top trends that will help app marketers win over users during this busy period and set them up for success throughout the rest of the year as they create a Cyber Monday marketing strategy.
Shopping on Cyber Monday: What to Expect
While Black Friday is known for in-store battles over coveted discounts, Cyber Monday sales are strictly for those who wish to do their shopping through a screen. Cyber Monday occurs the Monday following Thanksgiving and is an opportunity for online retailers to offer promotions and discounts to their customers, rounding out the “Cyber Five” days post Thanksgiving.
Sixty-four percent of consumers said they plan to shop on Cyber Monday this year, which is a 42% increase from 2021. If last year is any indication, Cyber Monday will be the most popular online shopping day during Thanksgiving weekend, having surpassed Black Friday in 2021 by about $2 billion.
Source: Insider Intelligence
In 2021, smartphones accounted for 39.7% of Cyber Monday sales, an 8.4% year-over-year increase. These mobile shoppers spent a total of $4.5 billion in-app during Cyber Monday – showing there is a huge opportunity for app marketers to win over users during this high spending season and even more so on Cyber Monday specifically. Shoppers are even more incentivized by discounts this year because of inflation. App marketers should take advantage of this demand with Cyber Monday marketing and mobile engagement strategies that highlight holiday deals.
Cyber Monday Marketing Mobile App Shopping Tips
No Case of the “Mondays”
With consumers anxious to get their shopping done as early as possible to avoid last minute stress during the holidays, brands are beginning to offer their cyber discounts earlier in the month. Fifty-six percent of consumers began their holiday shopping in October last year rather than waiting for major shopping days later in the season.
This means that shopping app marketers should already be running their Cyber Monday discount pushes long before Cyber Monday arrives as a Cyber Monday marketing tactic. Running growth campaigns as preparation for Cyber Monday allows marketers to stay competitive in this highly profitable time. Personalized promotions running earlier can help brands stand out when creating mobile marketing advertising. Starting early also helps with brand awareness as consumers take advantage of initial app promotion sales, while looking forward to additional discounts to launch on Cyber Monday in the app. Starting early also lowers the amount of competition noise, as many brands start their campaigns later in the season (typically about a week before Cyber Monday).
Have a Strong Social Media Presence
As many as 65% of customers intend to shop online this season, and 36% of them will look for deals on social media. Social media can have a powerful impact on brand awareness, with 52% of consumers discovering brands through social channels. Additionally, the average person spends around two and a half hours a day on social media, so why not capture users' attention where they already spend their time?!
Source: Tidio
Shopping app marketers can use social media as a way to get users excited about upcoming discounts, hint at limited edition products that will become available during a sale, and offer digital coupons when devising a Cyber Monday marketing strategy. Adding messaging around “exclusivity” and length of promotions creates a buzz for consumers to get excited about. Another mobile marketing advertising tactic is using hashtags and video for social media promotions are other ways to build anticipation for an app’s holiday sale.
Offer Additional Payment Options
The “buy-now-pay-later” feature has become increasingly popular in the mobile shopping app space. Consumers are accustomed to having the option to pay for their larger purchases over increments of time in smaller amounts. In order for shopping apps to be successful during Cyber Monday marketing campaign, consider incorporating BNPL options into the app.
In 2022, it’s estimated that about 50% of US consumers have used BNPL services compared to 37.7% in 2020. Offering these financial services can drive conversions with 59% of users admitting they have used BNPL services to purchase something outside of their normal budget. When you create your mobile marketing advertising, if consumers are considering where to make their holiday purchases, a shopping app that offers a BNPL option, especially during this expensive time of year, could be the deciding factor between your brand and another less financially flexible option.
Personalization
Creating personalized experiences for shoppers has become an unspoken “requirement” in a Cyber Monday marketing strategy, in order to stay competitive in the shopping app market. Eighty percent of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that offers personalized experiences. Personalization helps build brand loyalty, increase customer satisfaction and create a lasting impression on users. During Cyber Monday, users will be frequenting many different platforms for their buying needs. Building personalized recommendations and messaging for users will be key to standing out among the competition during this busy day and become a big payoff for mobile marketing advertising. After all, 66% of customers say that encountering content that isn’t personalized would actually discourage them from buying.
Cyber Monday Marketing Retargeting Tips
Marketers can also create messaging if a user has exited the app to entice them to keep browsing in the section that they had previously been interested in. Keeping users engaged by running retargeting campaigns with a strategy that supports Cyber Monday big sale pushes will capture returning customers, driving revenue even higher than without an established reengagement strategy. Appropriate messaging and timing for this interaction will make sure that users feel noticed is an essential part of the buying process.
Takeaways of Cyber Monday Marketing Tips and Trends
In 2021, Cyber Monday’s sales hit an astounding $10.7 billion in the United States alone. That same year, smartphones accounted for 39.7% of Cyber Monday sales which totaled $4.5 billion. Here are the top mobile marketing advertising trends to help your brand win over users on Cyber Monday.
- Not Just a Monday: 56% of consumers start their holiday shopping in October rather than waiting until later in the season or for major shopping days. Launching personalized promotions earlier in the season can help brands stand out from the competition.
- Strong Social Media Presence: As many as 65% of customers intend to shop online this season, and 36% of them will look for deals on social media. Shopping app marketers can use social media as a way to get users excited about upcoming discounts, hint at limited edition products that will become available during the sale, and offer digital coupons.
- Additional Payment Options: It’s estimated that about 50% of US consumers have used BNPL services. Making it clear to consumers that your shopping app offers a BNPL option, especially during this expensive time of year, could be a deciding factor for a consumer choosing between your product and a competitor’s.
- Personalization: Eighty percent of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that offers personalized experiences. When a Cyber Monday marketing campaign is done right, personalization builds brand loyalty, increases customer satisfaction and leaves a lasting impression on users. Shopping app marketers can use location tracking to make localized recommendations about products the user may want to buy.
