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Cyber Monday 2023 set a record with $12.4 billion in online sales, a 9.6% increase over 2022, making it the largest online shopping day ever.
Still, Cyber Monday is one of the most overlooked campaign opportunities for online businesses. This doesn’t mean that retailers, eCommerce sellers, or businesses, both large and small, don’t create special promotions during this time. Instead, they re-use the same campaigns and offers they chose for Black Friday marketing. With a lack of unique discounts, as well as repetitive messaging, you’re not making the most out of the Cyber Monday rush.
And that’s where I stand today. I’ll show you just how a digital product creator or online business owner can use actionable Cyber Monday marketing ideas that are specifically built for this day. With these creative marketing efforts, you’re likely to see a high impact in maximizing sales and conversions.
Understanding Cyber Monday for Digital Products
The pandemic has accelerated digital product sales, with continued growth observed in 2023. Discounts and mobile usability were key drivers in increasing sales. Artificial intelligence also played a significant role by providing personalized promotions and customer services, which contributed to the growth in digital product purchases.
But Cyber Monday isn’t a good fit for just about any type of business. It remains particularly significant as an online shopping day focused primarily on digital and tech-related products. Hence, if you’re selling digital products, you should be well-prepared for this event.
There are three fundamental drivers behind why selling digital products works best during Cyber Monday:
Exciting, right? Now, let’s explore how you can capitalize on the incredible opportunities Cyber Monday presents with some innovative marketing ideas.
16 Cyber Monday Marketing Ideas to Boost Sales
There are thousands of Cyber Monday marketing strategies you can use to promote your digital products during this time. The more creative you are, the better.
For starters, here’s a list of the most common types of strategies that are likely to yield more value. I’ll finish the list with a couple of unique ideas that will be better suited for certain industries or use cases such as selling online courses or digital tools.
Idea 1: Offer Time-Limited Flash Sales Throughout the Day
Consider running hourly or half-day flash sales to keep shoppers engaged and returning to the site. Adobe offers digital tools through its Creative Cloud subscription service, which is very popular among designers, photographers, and marketers.
For BFCM, Adobe runs limited-time offers on their subscriptions, typically offering up to 40-70% off their plans for a set number of hours or for the duration of the day.
Idea 2: Create Cyber Monday Bundles for Digital Products
Consider offering product bundles or package deals. This will increase the perceived value for the customer. HubSpot, for instance, allows customers to bundle different products and add-ons to get a better price for more. This encourages customers to sign up for a more comprehensive package instead of purchasing individual tools, increasing overall spending.
Idea 3: Using Social Media for Last-Minute Shoppers
Using Instagram Stories, Meta Ads, TikTok, and X promotions to attract procrastinating shoppers should be done by taking a step-by-step approach. Some social networks won’t work for your audience so you want to invest more in the platforms your target market uses most often.
For effective Cyber Monday social media ad copy, emphasize urgency, exclusive digital deals, and instant access. Make messaging distinct from Black Friday by highlighting online-only discounts. Stand out from competitors with creative, personalized offers, unique bundles, or bonus perks, focusing on what sets you apart.
Idea 4: Run Retargeting Ads for High Conversions
Retargeting visitors who showed interest in your product but haven’t purchased is a powerful strategy because these people are already familiar with your brand. The fact that they’ve shown intent makes them more likely to convert than new visitors.
To get started with running retargeting ads during Cyber Monday, here are four quick steps:
Retargeting can help you boost conversions by re-engaging hesitant visitors with personalized messaging based on their previous actions, increase ROI by focusing on interested customers, and strengthen brand recall through repeated exposure.
Idea 5: Extend the Offer for a Limited Time Post-Cyber Monday
Don’t be afraid to extend Cyber Monday deals for a few extra hours or days to capture late online shoppers. This includes running those retargeting ads for up to a week after Cyber Monday or following up with an exclusive offer via email marketing (in case people missed the offer in the first place).
Real-time urgency is still key but using the time before/after Cyber Monday also gives you more room to stand out since most companies (including your competitors) won’t be active now. Tip: you can do the same for your Black Friday sales.
Idea 6: Try Influencer Marketing or Affiliate (or Referral) Marketing
Partnering with influencers or affiliates for Cyber Monday promo amplifies your reach and taps into trusted audiences. For example, Gymshark always turns to fitness influencers during their Cyber Monday sale to boost traffic and drive sales. Similarly, Amazon collaborates with affiliates to promote Cyber Monday deals, using personalized links that incentivize affiliates to drive more targeted traffic and conversions.
Idea 7: Create Exclusive Discounts for Email Subscribers
Providing email subscribers with discounts or early access to Cyber Monday exclusive deals encourages loyalty and increases conversions. For example, you can try to segment your audience based on past purchase behavior. Then, send a 30% off coupon to frequent buyers and a welcome offer to new subscribers.
This approach is likely to boost your conversions, as personalized incentives resonate more with specific groups, leading to higher engagement and increased sales during the high-traffic Cyber Monday period.
Idea 8: Prepare a Cyber Monday Challenge or Contest
It’s not always about selling. You can stand out and engage your audience by hosting a challenge or contest related to your online courses. Encourage participants to complete specific tasks or share their learning experiences for a chance to win exclusive prizes, such as free courses or significant discounts.
Idea 9: Turn to Your Current Customers or Users
Ask your customers to share their experiences and feedback about your online courses on social media or through testimonials. Highlighting User-Generated Content (UGC) builds trust and showcases the value of your offerings, making it a powerful tool for attracting new customers during Cyber Monday.
Idea 10: Host a Live Webinar, Class, or Workshop
This Cyber Monday, consider offering a live webinar or interactive workshop as a promotional event for your online courses. Promote exclusive access to the live session for customers who purchase courses during the event, providing them with valuable insights and a taste of what they can expect from your offerings.
You can use LearnWorlds to host a live meeting to connect with learners or set up one-on-one connections. The platform allows you to easily set up registration pages and manage participants, ensuring a smooth experience for you and your attendees.
Idea 11: Offer a Free Trial or Limited-Time Access
Provide potential customers with a free trial or limited-time access to your digital tool during the Cyber Monday event. This part of your marketing campaigns allows users to experience the full functionality of your product without any upfront cost, increasing the likelihood of conversions once the trial period ends.
Idea 12: Have a Dedicated Landing Page to Clarify the Offer
Use landing pages with a seamless user experience for your Cyber Monday promotion ideas to communicate the offer and drive conversions. This page (with a pop-up or not) should highlight the benefits of your product, the exclusive discounts available, and any time-sensitive elements of the promotion.
💡 Pro Tip: Use LearnWorlds to set up a website or dedicated landing pages to sell your online courses. You can also use this website to host your courses or create one-time courses for Cyber Monday. You can sell these for free or use them as part of a course bundle offer.
Idea 13: Start an Email Countdown Sequence with Exclusive Content
Set up an email countdown sequence (with a countdown timer) leading up to Cyber Monday, where each email reveals exclusive content or tips related to your digital tool. This strategy builds excitement and provides value to your subscribers, encouraging them to stay engaged and make a purchase.
A quick word of warning here from someone who’s used this technique a lot: It doesn’t always work. You need to diversify your messaging for the email campaigns and prep your audience for the offer well before Cyber Monday to get them excited to try out the deal.
Idea 14: Launch Something!
This is risky because email inboxes are likely to be cluttered during this time. So this is a Cyber Monday marketing idea to try in a couple of years in case nothing else works. The idea is to help you stand out by doing something no one else is doing.
But don’t jump into launching something big like a new course or feature. Instead, opt for a free tool, a rewards program for loyal customers, an ebook, a gift guide, a checklist, or maybe just a small course or preview of a larger learning program.
💡 Check this guide featuring a variety of digital downloads you can promote during Cyber Monday.
Idea 15: Move the Date
As I’ve already mentioned, the biggest hurdle during Cyber Monday is the sheer amount of messages, emails, and offers everyone will receive. This means your offer is at a high risk of simply not being seen. While you should have an offer ready for people who are excited to try out your product or course at a discounted price, you can also focus more on different sales times or the holiday shopping season.
For instance, you can host your Cyber Monday in the summer or in January when everyone’s re-analyzing their goals for the new year. Ultimately, it’s all about choosing what works best for your target audience, not what’s trending.
Idea 16: Do Nothing
I’ll be honest: I don’t always run a Cyber Monday campaign for my clients. Only because it’s not a fit for all products. While something like offering a freebie, gift cards, or bundles tends to be ok in most cases, an actual discount has been controversial in the marketing space.
In some cases, frequent discounts can lead customers to perceive your product as lower quality or not worth its regular price. Discounting may also attract bargain hunters who aren’t genuinely interested in your product or brand. To avoid this, it’s fine to skip Cyber Monday or simply keep the offer for your current customer base, students, users, email list, or community.
Key Takeaways for Cyber Monday Success
As Cyber Monday approaches, online businesses need to leverage this opportunity to enhance their visibility and boost sales. With many retailers reusing Black Friday promotions, brands that adopt a fresh, creative approach can significantly differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace.
To ensure your Cyber Monday campaign is a resounding success, here is a quick summary of what was discussed in this resource:
Remember, the efforts you put into this day can set the stage for ongoing success well into the holiday season and beyond.
Are you ready to tap into this unique opportunity to boost your business revenue?
LearnWorlds is a robust platform for selling digital products that comes with digital marketing tools, automation features, and increased flexibility. With LearnWorlds, you can effortlessly run your Cyber Monday promotions, particularly for digital courses and other educational content.
Sign up today for a free trial and start maximizing your sales this Cyber Monday!
Further reading
- 32 Best Marketing Tools to Sell Online Courses on Black Friday
- 55 Black Friday Marketing Ideas for 2024 to Skyrocket Sales
- 11 Successful Black Friday Landing Page Examples To Inspire You
- Black Friday Checklist 2024: Best Tips and Treats to Prepare Your Online School
- How to Prepare Your Business for Black Friday: A Complete Guide
Alexandra Cote
Alexandra Cote is a SaaS growth marketer and online instructor who's worked with dozens of brands in the MarTech, HR tech, and productivity space. She's also a strong supporter of staying happy at work and choosing a healthy career path.
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