How big of an event is Black Friday for Thoughtfully in the U.S.? What impact has the event had on your business in previous years?
Big! As a gifting company, we’re anticipating about 55% of our annual revenue to occur in Q4. Black Friday represents the official “kick-off” for holiday gifting to a lot of people, so we’re anticipating a significant sales day. We also held a 2-for-1 (BOGO) deal Halloween weekend, which in the past has led to a 148%+ lift in both revenue & conversion rate for the period the deal ran.
A thoughtful gift is one of the most meaningful ways to express what someone means to you. Thoughtfully curates a variety of artisan-inspired gifts for every occasion. Each gift set tells a unique story and creates a memorable experience for the recipient.
What exclusive offers or plans do you have for Black Friday 2017? Will you also be participating in Cyber Monday? How will your promotions or approach differ between the two retail holidays?
For Black Friday, we were thinking we'd bring back our 2-for-1 deal since it's been a huge success. Purchase any gift ($20-$120 in value, which covers all gifts) and you'll get a second gift of equal or lesser value free (just pay $7 shipping on the free item.) Effective average savings range from 25% to 55%, depending on the price of the item.
For Cyber Monday (and Giving Tuesday,) we're planning a campaign aimed at taking away the burdens of prices and just focusing on allowing our customers to choose the perfect gift for someone based on what the recipient likes (hopefully loves.) We're removing all retail prices and making all items normally priced from $39.99 to $119.99 a single price of $39.99 with free shipping included. Savings on these items will range from 15% (because of free shipping) to over 70% off! Part of the fun is that we hide the retail prices and everything is the same price.
Is there a specific type of affiliate you see as the biggest star this holiday season (influencers, coupon and cashback sites, bloggers, etc.)? Have you seen any unique or creative promotional methods?
We have a pretty decent mix of affiliates that all do well, but we’re seeing a pretty significant amount of traffic come from loyalty sites and mobile ad network publishers. It sounds like a “no brainer,” but providing really attractive creative and unique promotions is paramount to success if you want to stand out.
What are your overall predictions for Black Friday/Cyber Weekend in your market?
We launched our site just after Black Friday last year, so prediction is a bit difficult, but we do know that given our current sales volume and how similar sales have impacted our revenue, this is going to be a BIG weekend for us.
What are some of your best practices for engaging affiliates/users during Q4?
Thoughtfully as a brand is all about creating meaningful connections with people and the same is true for the affiliates and companies we work with. Our intention is to create long-term partnerships with the affiliates we work with. Quality communication, setting clear expectations, and helping each other achieve those goals is key.
How does Awin play a role in your Q4 success?
Awin plays a substantial role as the majority of our new customers come to us through our affiliate program via Awin! We’re working closely with our account manager to meet our goals and have our program continue to grow and be a win (pun intended.)
What are some of your favorite features of the Awin platform?
The ease of adding publishers and reach of the network are a couple favourites for me. In general, the entire platform has a nice UX and interface that makes navigating the platform easy. If our account manager could be called a feature I’d say that’s our favorite part.
You can learn more about Thoughtfully, and how to join their affiliate marketing program, here.
