Black Friday is rapidly approaching and if you’re an online school owner it’s time to channel your inner Santa and get ready for a surge in holiday sales! 🎄 This year Black Friday falls on November 29th and the buzz is already building.

The pandemic might have dampened sales in previous years but 2023 saw a remarkable resurgence with $16.4 billion in Black Friday sales in the US alone and a staggering $70.9 billion globally.

📈 The potential for success is enormous but to grab your share of the pie you need a game plan that’s as solid as a gingerbread house.

Ready to turn your online school into a Black Friday sales machine? 💰 Get your free Black Friday checklist and learn how to dominate the holiday season! 🔥 Let’s make this Black Friday legendary! 🎉

Table of Contents

Black Friday Checklist 2024: Best Tips and Treats to Prepare Your Online School

Here’s a breakdown of the key areas to tackle to ensure your online school is ready to rock this Black Friday:

1. Tempting Offers: The Hook That Catches Your Audience

First things first you need an irresistible Black Friday offer that will make your audience shout “Yes please!” 🎁 Here’s where creativity and strategy collide:

a. Crafting the Perfect Black Friday Offer

Discounts: The Classic Allure: Offering a percentage off your best-selling course or a bundle of your most popular offerings is a timeless strategy. This can be a simple flat percentage off like 20% or a tiered approach with bigger discounts for larger purchases.
Bonus Content: Adding Extra Value: Think about offering a free bonus like a workbook cheat sheet or exclusive Q&A session with you. It’s a great way to add extra value and make your offer stand out.
Limited-Time Bonuses: Creating a Sense of Urgency: You can also offer a limited-time bonus that expires after a certain date. This creates a sense of urgency and encourages customers to act quickly.
The “Jaw-Dropping” Sale: This involves a significant discount on your most popular product aiming to attract customers with a compelling price point. This could be a course a membership or even a specific module.

b. Launching the Offer Early: The Power of Pre-Black Friday Hype

Instead of waiting until Black Friday itself consider starting your promotion on Thanksgiving Day.

Many shoppers are already in the holiday spirit and are eager to get a head start on their shopping.

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c. Extending the Sales: Embracing the BFCM Trend

Black Friday has evolved into a multi-day event often spanning the entire weekend and even extending to Cyber Monday (the following Monday) for deals on digital products.

Consider stretching your offers over this extended period offering different deals for different days.

This could involve:

Thanksgiving: A Soft Launch: Begin with a smaller discount on Thanksgiving Day building anticipation for bigger discounts on Black Friday.
Black Friday: The Big Splash: Introduce your most substantial discounts on Black Friday targeting those looking for the most significant savings.
Cyber Monday: Focusing on Digital Products: Use Cyber Monday to highlight digital products like courses and memberships attracting tech-savvy shoppers.

d. Customizing Your Sales Calendar: Recognizing Global Differences

Be mindful of the timing of Black Friday celebrations in different regions.

While Thanksgiving and Black Friday are primarily American traditions the shopping frenzy has gone global.

Tailor your campaign timing to suit the expectations and shopping patterns of your target audience.

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e. Building Your Sales Funnel: Guiding Customers to Purchase

A well-structured sales funnel helps guide your potential customers through the buying process ensuring they have a positive experience and are more likely to convert.

Think about:

Awareness: How are you going to capture the attention of your ideal students? Use social media targeted ads email marketing or even collaborations with other businesses to spread the word.
Interest: Once you have their attention it’s time to pique their interest. Highlight the benefits of your courses share testimonials from happy students and showcase the value you offer.
Decision: Help your potential students decide whether your course is right for them. Provide clear descriptions offer a free preview or sample lesson and address common concerns or objections.
Action: Finally make it easy for them to take action. Use strong calls to action provide multiple payment options and offer a guarantee to minimize their risk.

2. Email Marketing: Your Secret Weapon for Black Friday Success

Email marketing is a powerful tool for reaching your target audience especially during Black Friday.

Here’s how to make it work for you:

a. Building Your Email List: Capturing Potential Customers

Start building your email list well in advance of Black Friday.

Use pop-up forms on your website offer lead magnets (free downloads or resources) or host a giveaway to encourage signups.

b. Creating a Pre-Black Friday Hype:

Email Teasers: Send out a series of emails in the weeks leading up to Black Friday building excitement and introducing your Black Friday offers.
Countdown Emails: Use countdown timers to create a sense of urgency.
Early Access Offers: Offer exclusive deals to your email subscribers before the Black Friday sale officially begins.

c. Leveraging Automation:

Use email marketing automation to save time and ensure your emails are sent at the right time.

Set up automated sequences to trigger specific emails based on subscriber behavior or the Black Friday countdown.

d. Crafting Compelling Email Content:

Eye-Catching Subject Lines: Write subject lines that grab attention and entice your subscribers to open your emails.
Personalize Your Messaging: Tailor your emails to different segments of your audience.
Strong Calls to Action: Use clear and concise calls to action that tell your subscribers what to do next like “Shop Now” or “Claim Your Discount.”

3. Facebook Ads: Targeting Your Perfect Audience

Facebook Ads are a great way to reach new and existing customers especially during the holiday season.

a. Leveraging Facebook’s Targeting Capabilities:

Facebook Ads offer powerful targeting options allowing you to reach people who are interested in your specific course topics or who have shown interest in similar products or services.

b. Creating Engaging Ads:

Eye-Catching Images and Videos: Use visually appealing images or videos to grab attention and make your ads stand out.
Compelling Headlines: Write headlines that clearly communicate the benefits of your courses and entice viewers to click.
Tailor to Different Devices: Optimize your ads for both desktop and mobile devices.

c. Retargeting Lost Visitors:

Use retargeting to reach people who have visited your website but haven’t yet enrolled in your course.

You can create ads that remind them of their interest and offer a special Black Friday incentive to encourage them to convert.

4. Multichannel Marketing: Reaching Your Audience Where They Are

Don’t rely on a single marketing channel.

Utilize a mix of strategies to reach your target audience across different platforms.

a. Identifying High-ROI Channels:

Analyze your previous marketing efforts to identify the channels that have generated the most leads and sales.

Focus on these high-performing channels during the Black Friday period.

b. Optimizing for Mobile:

Mobile shopping is on the rise.

Make sure your website and marketing materials are optimized for mobile devices.

5. Leveraging Hot Course Topics: Capitalizing on Trending Subjects

With the rise of online learning certain course topics are experiencing a surge in demand.

a. Staying Updated with Trends:

Use tools like Google Trends to monitor trending course subjects.

Identify topics that are experiencing a significant increase in searches and interest.

b. Offering Special Deals on Popular Courses:

Highlight your courses that align with popular topics and offer special Black Friday discounts on these offerings.

c. Creating New Courses Based on Trends:

Consider developing new courses based on trending topics to capitalize on the current demand.

6. Gifting Options: Spreading the Love of Learning

The holiday season is a prime time for gift-giving.

Offer your courses as gift options to help your students spread the love of learning to their loved ones.

a. Create Gift-Ready Courses:

Placeholder Courses: Create placeholder courses that can be purchased as gifts.
Gift Card Options: Allow your students to purchase gift cards for your courses giving the recipient the flexibility to choose the course they want.

b. Promote Gift Options:

Dedicated Landing Page: Create a dedicated landing page highlighting your gift options making it easy for students to purchase gifts.
Social Media Campaigns: Promote your gift options on social media using eye-catching graphics and festive messages.

7. Aesthetics Matter: Creating a Black Friday Atmosphere

First impressions count and your online school should be decked out for the holiday season.

a. Black Friday Landing Page:

Temporary Black Friday Website Builder Templates: Use your website builder’s templates to create a dedicated landing page for your Black Friday offers.
Eye-Catching Headlines: Write concise and compelling headlines that highlight your Black Friday deals.
Engaging Visuals: Use images graphics and videos that create a festive atmosphere and highlight the benefits of your courses.
Strong Calls to Action: Include clear calls to action that encourage visitors to learn more and enroll in your courses.

b. Customizing Your School’s Look:

Seasonal Header Image: Change your homepage header image to something more festive and celebratory.
Black Friday Banners: Add banners to your homepage and course pages that promote your Black Friday offers.

8. Pricing Your Courses: Finding the Sweet Spot

Pricing your courses is a critical element of your Black Friday strategy.

a. Finding the Right Value:

Above-Average Pricing: Don’t undervalue your expertise. Set your prices at a level that reflects the value you offer.
Testing Different Price Points: Experiment with different price points to see what resonates best with your audience.

b. Factoring in Your Time Investment:

Self-Paced Courses: Price self-paced courses at a lower point than courses that require more of your time such as live classes or coaching.

9. Payment Gateways: Making It Easy to Enroll

A seamless checkout process is essential for maximizing your sales.

a. Integrate Multiple Payment Options:

Credit/Debit Cards: Accept a variety of credit and debit cards for maximum convenience.
PayPal: Offer PayPal as a popular payment option.
Buy Now Pay Later: Consider offering buy now pay later options to make your courses more accessible.
Local Payment Gateways: If you have an international audience offer local payment gateways to simplify the checkout process.

b. Learnworlds Integration:

Stripe: Learnworlds supports Stripe as a primary payment gateway which enables subscriptions and payment plans.
Shopify: If you’re selling e-commerce products alongside your online courses you can use Shopify to process payments for both.

10. Automation and Integration: Streamlining Your Workload

Save time and focus on your core business by leveraging automation and integration tools.

a. Zapier Integration:

Use LearnWorlds’ Zapier integration to automate repetitive tasks such as adding new students to your email list or sending welcome emails when a new enrollment occurs.

b. Connect Your Apps:

LearnWorlds integrates with many other popular apps and tools making it easy to manage different aspects of your online school in one central hub.

11. Black Friday and Beyond:

Offer a Great Customer Experience: Remember that a positive customer experience is crucial especially during the holiday season. Provide prompt and helpful customer support and go the extra mile to ensure your students are satisfied.
Celebrate Your Success: Once Black Friday is over take time to celebrate your success and analyze your results. Identify what worked well and what could be improved for next year.

With careful planning a strategic approach and a touch of holiday cheer you can make this Black Friday the most successful yet!