How Can Saudi Companies Benefit From White Friday? Your Marketing Guide!

White Friday, the Middle Eastern equivalent of Black Friday in the US, has proved to be a huge shopping event in recent years, with many online and physical retailers offering massive sales and discounts.

If you’re a marketer or small business owner, you should also take advantage of White Friday. This blog post will explore how Saudi companies can benefit from White Friday. So read on to find out more.

What is White Friday?

Let’s start by first explaining what Black Friday is and how it comes to White Friday in the Middle East. Westerners celebrate the second most important holiday of the Christmas season – Black Friday. Although its origins are debatable, the most often repeated story can be traced to mid-twentieth-century retailers. Around this time, American merchants declared the Friday after Thanksgiving the official start of the Christmas shopping season. As a result, Americans started spending a lot of money on discounted items that stores offered on that special day. Shoppers spent so much; in fact, stores often moved out of the “red” (lost profits) and into the black (making profit). (By the way, the “red” and “black” come from the colors of ink accountants used when writing in the company’s ledger. Red was used when the company was in debt. Black for when the company was making a profit.) Thus, the day became known as “Black Friday” because the retailers made a significant profit.

White Friday was introduced in 2014 by CEO Ronaldo Mouchawa and co-founder of the largest e-commerce site in the middle east, Souq (now Amazon). Mouchawa got inspired by the US’s Black Friday sale phenomenon. After witnessing Americans going crazy about the deals and discounts, he wanted to try the wild sale event in the region through his e-commerce company. To create a successful, new regional phenomenon, Mouchawa had to resonate closely with the culture of the Middle East, so it’s been called White Friday.

Today, White Friday sales in the Gulf countries happen online and in traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Companies in the Middle East incentivize the use of credit cards and online money transfers with extra discounts. Some offer 0% interest and even a monthly installment option.

What Is the Significance of White Friday?

Google released a new Ipsos study highlighting consumers’ key shopping habits in the UAE and Saudi Arabia ahead of this year’s White Friday shopping season.

According to Google’s internal data, White Friday sales are among the most sought-after by consumers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, compared to Brazil, the UK, and the US. The Ipsos study also explores the key changes in the consumer journey when purchasing during the Black Friday season.

Fast facts:

• Consumers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt are among the most excited to search for White Friday.
• 33% who plan to participate in the sales season do not have anything specific in mind to purchase
• 60% in the UAE and Saudi Arabia look for new products and brands when browsing online during the sales season.
• 70% buy products for themselves on Singles’ Day.
• 41% prefer to shop both online and in-store during the shopping season.
• 61% expect to find the same deals online as they would in-store.

How Can Saudi Company Get Benefit From White Friday?

Now let’s get to the main point: how can your company take advantage of White Friday?

It’s an excellent opportunity to increase sales and traffic. Because people are already in the shopping mindset and looking for deals. Offering discounts and promotions make you more likely to attract customers and increase sales.

Furthermore, It is an excellent opportunity to build relationships with customers. You’re more likely to build loyalty and repeat business if you provide good customer service and create a positive experience.

Also, It is a great way to clear out old inventory. If you have excess items you need to get rid of; White Friday is the perfect time to do so.

Marketing Ideas for White Friday

The thing is, to take advantage of White Friday, you need to have a plan. You can’t just wing it and hope for the best; here’s where marketing comes in. Below are a few ideas to get you started.

SEO Services

If you want to see your website seen by people searching for deals, you must ensure your site is optimized for search engines. It means using the right keywords, having quality content, and ensuring your site is mobile-friendly.

It is an excellent way to stay ahead of your competitors because people are looking for good deals on this shopping day and need more time to save. And according to research, your website load time should be 4 seconds or less. So, if you have a slow website, this is the time to invest in some speed optimization.

Social Media Marketing

SMM is a powerful marketing tool because it allows you to reach a large audience relatively easily. On White Friday, people spend more time on social media, looking for deals and sharing their purchases with friends.

So, it’s the perfect time to promote your discounts and specials. You can also use social media to create a sense of urgency and encourage people to act quickly. But make sure to use the right platform for promoting your products or services because each platform has a different audience.

Email Marketing

Running email campaigns is a great way to reach your existing customers and let them know about your White Friday deals. The best part is that you can segment your list so that you’re only sending relevant information to people interested in what you’re selling.

If you have a loyalty program, this is a great time to promote it and incentivize people to buy from you. The best part is that you just have to create one email template and send it to your email list.

Content Marketing

If you want to attract new customers, content marketing is a great way to do it. By creating quality content, you can attract people who are interested in what you have to offer.

You can use this content to promote your discounts and specials. Also, you can use it to build customer relationships and create loyalty.

Influencer Marketing

Everyone loves a good deal, and when people see that their favorite influencers are using or recommending a product, they’re more likely to buy it; It is human psychology.

Take advantage and work with content creators who can promote your products or services. This way, you can reach a larger audience and increase your sales.

Start Referral Program

Most companies don’t use this strategy, but it is one of the most powerful marketing tools. And White Friday is the perfect time to start a referral program.

Suppose you offer customers a discount or an incentive for referring their friends. In that case, you’re more likely to increase sales and attract new customers.

Also, promote your referral program on social media and email campaigns.

New Branding For eCommerce

eCommerce is booming, and it is the future of shopping. When a new customer visits your site, you have a concise window of time to make a good impression.

This is even more important during White Friday because people are looking for deals and don’t have time to waste.

If you need more clarification about branding, now is the time to invest in professional help. You can contact us to help take your business to the next level.

Use Google Adwords

Search engine marketing is a great way to reach people who are already interested in what you’re selling. Like when people search for “White Friday deals” on Google, your ad can appear in the search results.

You’re more likely to get clicks and conversions if you offer a discount or special offers. So, make sure to invest in some search engine marketing.

Wrapping It Up

It must be challenging to stand out from the crowd with everything going on. But if you take advantage of White Friday and use it to your advantage, you can increase sales and attract new potential customers. Remember to focus on your marketing strategy and prepare for the rush.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.