advertising trends | Nartak Media Group

How to Build a Black Friday Advertising Strategy That Converts

Black Friday is like the Super Bowl of retail. But while consumers are planning their wish lists, many businesses are still scrambling to throw together last-minute campaigns.

If you’re reading this and Black Friday is just weeks away, there’s still time to build a Black Friday advertising strategy that drives real results.

The basis of every effective Black Friday marketing campaign remains the same: start early, stay strategic, and zero in on what converts.

Why Black Friday Advertising Should Be Treated Differently

Black Friday advertising is not business as usual. Your audience is bombarded with promotions from every direction…inboxes blow up, and ad costs are at their highest. To break through, you need much more than a discount.

The most successful Black Friday marketing campaigns share these three things:

Building early momentum to warm audiences up before the rush
Omnichannel coordination creating consistent touchpoints
Sharp, appealing offers that can make them decide for you against your competitors

Why Timing Matters in Black Friday Marketing Campaigns

If there’s one mistake we see time and time again, it’s delaying the launch of Black Friday advertising efforts until it’s too late. The businesses that succeed on Black Friday are the ones that started planning months ago…but even if you’re late to the party, starting today is better than waiting another week.

The Pre-Black Friday Timeline

6-8 Weeks Out: Drive awareness and anticipation. Tease your Black Friday offers with email campaigns, social media, and early-bird announcements. This is where you capture email addresses and build your retargeting audiences.

3-4 Weeks Out: Increase ad spend. Turn on paid search, social media, and display advertising. We have seen in the Pittsburgh market that businesses can be very effective in leveraging local targeting, reducing competition, and ultimately costs in this phase.

1-2 Weeks Out: Go all-in. This is where your Black Friday marketing campaigns should be in full throttle: increase budgets, turn on all channels, and make sure your messaging is consistent across every touchpoint.

How to Build Your Black Friday Ad Campaign Step-by-Step

1. Define Your Goals and Offers

Before writing even a single ad, figure out what you’re trying to achieve. Are you focused on revenue, customer acquisition, or clearing inventory? Your objective will decide everything!

But for B2B companies, this may look very different. To business decision-makers, one may want to offer discounts on annual subscriptions, longer trial periods, or bundled services that are well and truly valued.

2. Know Your Audience and Segment Strategically

Segment your audience into at least three groups:

Past customers: This is the warmest lead you have. They already trust you and are most likely to convert with the right offer.
Engaged prospects: Those who have visited your site, downloaded some content, or somehow interacted with your brand but did not buy.
Cold audiences: New potential customers who fit your ideal customer profile but haven’t been in contact with your brand so far.

Each section requires different messaging and offers. Your past customers might respond to a “VIP early access” campaign, while cold audiences need more education and social proof.

3. Select Your Media and Allocate Budget

The most effective Black Friday marketing campaigns use a multi-channel approach. Here’s how to think about selecting channels:

Paid Search (Google Ads, Bing Ads):

Essential for capturing high-intent searchers. Focus on both branded terms (to protect your turf) and competitive keywords related to Black Friday advertising and your product category.

Social Media Advertising:

Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn (for B2B) allow for very sophisticated targeting and retargeting. Use video ads for the demonstration of your offer and carousel ads for showing several products or services.

Email Marketing:

Email marketing is your owned media with the highest ROI potential. Plan a Black Friday email sequence that builds anticipation, announces the sale, and creates urgency with countdown timers.

Display and Programmatic:

Ideal for staying top-of-mind with retargeting campaigns. Serve ads to people who have visited your site but haven’t converted.

Traditional Media:

Radio, print, and TV are far from dead, especially in local markets like Pittsburgh where those channels are often delivering stronger ROI relative to digital in peak season.

4. Craft Messaging That Converts

Your Black Friday ad creative should do three things in a second: capture attention, communicate value, and drive action. For example, lead with the benefit, not the discount. Instead of “30% off,” try “Save $500 on the tools that will transform your business.” Specificity sells!

Create real urgency. The limited-time offer still works, but it needs to be genuine. Flash sales, limited inventory callouts, and early-bird pricing that expire at a certain time all work.

Finally, make it ridiculously easy to take advantage of your offer. Smooth out that checkout process. Offer multiple payment options, and make sure your website can handle increased traffic.

5. Optimize for Mobile

More than 70% of Black Friday shopping happens on mobile devices. If your ads, landing pages, and checkout process aren’t mobile-optimized, you’re leaving money on the table. Test everything on actual mobile devices before your campaign launches.

Measuring Success

Here are a few KPIs to focus on:

Return on ad spend (ROAS): Calculate it by dividing revenue by advertising spend.
Conversion Rate: Tracked by channel and campaign to understand what works.
CAC (cost of customer acquisition): Know the price you pay for getting every new customer.
Average order value (AOV): Are customers spending more than usual? Upsell and bundling can do wonders in this regard.
Email open and click-through rates: These show how your messaging is resonating.

The Post-Black Friday Opportunity

Here’s something many businesses miss: Black Friday advertising doesn’t end on Friday. The best marketers extend their campaigns through Cyber Monday and into Cyber Week. You’ve already paid to acquire these customers’ attention, so you might as well maximize the return by having a plan for follow-up offers and nurture campaigns!

Ready to Build Your Black Friday Advertising Strategy?

The difference between a mediocre Black Friday and a record-breaking one often comes down to preparation and execution.

At Nartak Media Group, we can help you construct advertisement strategies that drive results. Contact us today to talk about your Black Friday marketing campaign!

2025 Advertising Trends to Watch

2025 has officially begun, and if you’re looking to advertise your business, don’t get left behind. Join the bandwagon and enhance your advertising strategies by considering the new advertising trends in 2025. From the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence to the continued popularity of podcasts, 2025 will be an exciting year for businesses, marketers, and consumers alike. Let’s explore 2025 advertising trends to watch.

Digital 2025 Advertising Trends

1. AI-Driven Personalization

The continued use of artificial intelligence is the first 2025 advertising trend. As we can all see, AI has transformed how we do things, including advertising.

AI is utilized to improve marketing personalization and how businesses connect with customers. AI can help analyze massive amounts of data (such as browsing behavior, social media interactions, and purchase history) and generate a specific set of consumer information, allowing advertisers to create content that resonates deeply with their target audience. As a result, you have highly engaging and relevant ads that are delivered precisely—at the right place and time. The potential benefits include improved user experience, brand perception, and customer loyalty.

2. Voice Search Advertising

Voice search advertising is expected to increase in popularity as voice-activated devices such as Alexa and Google Home become more prevalent. This growth is also driven by consumers’ constant demand for convenience. Users can simply ask what they want, and recommendations will appear instantly. Voice search advertising allows brands to stay ahead by adopting a more intuitive and personalized approach to customer interaction.

3. Social Commerce Evolution

To continue to be relevant to users, social media platforms need to develop new features that enhance convenience. One way these platforms have evolved is through the transformation of social media into a shopping hub. This is evident as more social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, incorporate shopping features into their ecosystems. Instagram, for example, has added features like product tagging in posts and a shopping tab, which allows businesses to showcase their products and enable direct buying, resulting in a more streamlined user experience.

Social media users are the most dedicated of internet users, spending an average of 2.5 hours per day, accounting for one-third of our total online time. As a result, social media remains an important channel for connecting with customers.

4. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

Augmented and Virtual Reality are effective ways to offer a unique digital advertising experience by providing users with an immersive and interactive experience. For example, many businesses have used AR filters on social media to allow consumers to try on their products virtually. These fun and interactive experiences are more likely to be shared, as a result encouraging user-generated content and increasing reach and visibility.

Virtual reality can further enhance brand interaction. Businesses can use VR to invite users to visit stores or attend events virtually. These game-changing tools appeal to the ever-increasing tech-savvy audience and can make a lasting impact.

5. Authenticity is King

Since the birth of social media platforms, users have been exposed to many different types of content and can now figure out which content is genuine and which isn’t. It’s also clear by now that consumers prefer authentic content over all other types. When consumers see that a company is creating content that addresses their genuine concerns, they appreciate it and recognize the effort put in by these brands. As a result, you’ll see users returning to the brand due to trust and connection, increasing overall engagement.

6. More Podcast Advertising

2024 was the year of podcasts, with a record number of listeners tuning in to this newly popular medium. From celebrities to politicians, podcasts have been used to promote and increase popularity. According to one study, 84% of podcast listeners have taken action after seeing a brand mentioned on a podcast. Furthermore, 80% of listeners listen to niche podcasts that feature content tailored to their specific interests. And 94% of these niche listeners took action after hearing the podcast. Given the positive stats, brands and businesses are more likely to use podcasts as part of their marketing campaigns in 2025.

7. First-Party Data Focus

More people are becoming aware of and concerned about their privacy and that’s why third-party cookies are phasing out in 2024-2025. So, what does this mean for marketers?

Advertisers will lose some tracking capabilities, like tracking behaviors across websites. The solution will be to change focus to first-party data, where businesses will have to gather information directly from audiences through subscriptions, email lists, loyalty programs, and other direct interactions. For example, when a brand offers a loyalty program (like a membership card), where customers are rewarded through points for their purchases, data such as buying preferences and purchases can be collected.

8. Advanced Analytics for Campaign Optimization

Advanced analytics for campaign optimization will become more prevalent in 2025. As digital marketing becomes more complex, the demand for real-time insights and machine learning grows.

The application of machine learning can help advertisers predict campaign outcomes, such as conversion rates based on consumers’ purchasing behavior. It can also analyze historical data to determine which strategies will be most effective in achieving the desired results. Furthermore, real-time insights, such as an analytics dashboard, allow advertisers to change any steps, such as budget or creatives, to improve results.

9. Gen Z and Millennials’ Influence

The future of advertising is being shaped by the preferences of Gen Z and Millenials. It’s no longer just polished, nice-looking ads but rather ads with genuine messages that directly address their questions or concerns.

Generation Z, in particular, has a strong influence on purchasing decisions and consumer trends. They’re the trendsetters, and their preferences often ripple across other generations. where these generations spend the majority of their time (social media) to deliver messages that speak their language.

10. Rise of Micro-Moments

Micro-moments are when consumers instinctively turn to their smartphones to act on their needs. For example, those “I want to buy,” “I want to know,” “I want to have,” and “I want to go” moments. When consumer quickly realize they want to buy something, they search from their phones to find that exact product. These micro-moments are becoming more prevalent, presenting an opportunity for advertisers to create ads that are mobile-friendly: fast, concise, and clear call to action.

Conclusion

2025 Advertising trends will be dominated by advanced technology, such as AI and the integration of new social media features to simplify results, improve delivery, and elevate user experience. Strong emphasis will also be on developing ads that are interactive, immersive, and authentic. Therefore, to stay ahead of the curve, brands must adapt to these trends and tailor their strategies to the needs of the ever-increasing tech-savvy, internet-driven audiences.

Need help implementing these strategies in your 2025 campaigns? Let Nartak help you! With extensive industry experience and a dedication to staying ahead of emerging trends, we’ll help you create effective, relatable advertising campaigns tailored to your target audience.

Top 5 Advertising Trends in 2024

Advertising is constantly evolving to keep up with technological advances and changes in consumer behavior. There are exciting, new advertising trends in 2024 that have the potential to transform marketing strategies.

From harnessing artificial intelligence to exploring new social platforms, the advertising landscape is shifting innovatively, providing fresh opportunities for brands to engage their audience creatively.

In this article, we will explore the top five advertising trends in 2024 that are reshaping how brands connect with consumers.

1. AI and Machine Learning in Advertising

If you still need to dip your toes into the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in advertising, now’s the time to seriously consider it. This game-changing integration has completely transformed how brands interact with their audience.

By harnessing the power of AI, advertisers are taking targeting and personalization to a whole new level. These algorithms dive deep into vast datasets, predicting consumer behavior with precision. The result? Highly targeted campaigns that hit the bullseye, resonating with individual preferences and making each consumer interaction more meaningful.

In 2024, automated ad buying is predicted to become a major player. This process involves using complex algorithms to buy and sell digital ad spaces in real-time.

As these algorithms get more advanced, they can analyze how people use the internet in real time – their likes, online behaviors, and preferences. This intelligent upgrade ensures that ads aren’t just present but truly stand out, forming a connection with the people they’re meant for.

2. Interactive and Immersive Ad Experiences

In 2024, passive viewing is so last season. Consumers are no longer satisfied with passive viewing experiences; they crave engagement.

Interactive advertisements, where users actively participate, are gaining traction. This one of the advertising trends in 2024 compels advertisers to explore innovative ways to captivate their audience’s attention and create memorable brand experiences.

As technologies evolve, we can anticipate more sophisticated and realistic immersive experiences that blur the lines between the physical and digital realms. Get ready for a dose of reality – both augmented and virtual.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are not just tech jargon; they’re the secret sauce for creating immersive brand experiences. From virtual product trials to 3D wonderlands, brands are encouraged to step up their game.

However, do not worry if you’re still into the classic video campaigns. Video content remains a powerful tool. Yet, in 2024, the rise of interactive video campaigns is hard to ignore.

Imagine a creative billboard playing an interactive video with touchscreen technology where consumers can actively participate and choose their narratives, turning ads into engaging experiences.

3. Sustainability and Ethical Advertising

As societal consciousness grows, consumers increasingly prioritize ethical and sustainable practices, as reflected by a 71% spike in Google searches worldwide for sustainable goods. In response, more and more brands are aligning their strategies with these advertising trends in 2024, striving to build trust and loyalty among their environmentally-conscious consumers.

Green marketing is a brand’s strategic move to showcase its eco-friendly side. This initiative highlights the company’s commitment to sustainable choices, a green business model, and actions through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). For instance, a brand might spotlight its use of eco-friendly materials or involvement in conservation projects.

By weaving these environmentally conscious efforts and transparency into the messaging, companies can build a positive brand image associated with sustainability.

4. Voice Search Optimization

A recent survey revealed that 72% of younger Americans use voice assistant technology. Voice-activated devices are not merely sci-fi dreams; they have become integral to daily lives, significantly influencing how consumers seek information.

If you don’t adopt the practice of optimizing content for voice search, as outlined in the advertising trends in 2024, you might be missing out.

To remain competitive, start engaging in the conversation. Integrate conversational keywords, keep your messaging concise, and ensure your content is geared toward local searches. Embracing voice search-friendly advertising is the way forward in 2024, where your audience is not just listening but actively participating.

5. New Social Media Platforms

Emerging social media platforms are reshaping digital advertising trends in 2024, with TikTok leading the charge through in-feed videos, branded hashtags, effects, and top-view ads. Instagram Reels Ads, mirroring TikTok’s approach, seamlessly integrate between organic Reels, boasting durations of up to 30 seconds. Snapchat Spotlight adds to this dynamic mix with full-screen video ads strategically placed between snaps, each lasting 10 seconds.

Predictions indicate that these platforms will be pivotal in shaping future social media advertising strategies. Anticipated trends emphasize a continued focus on short-form, visually compelling content as these platforms redefine the advertising landscape, capturing the attention of younger demographics in innovative ways.

End Note

So, there you have it – the top five advertising trends 2024. Whether diving into the world of AI, creating interactive experiences, embracing sustainability, optimizing for voice search, or riding the social media wave, the key is to stay adaptable.

If you’re seeking guidance in navigating these trends, Nartak Media Group is just a message away. Let’s make your brand the talk of 2024. Get in touch today!

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