How This Year’s BFCM Requires a New Ad Strategy

➡️This year, Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is different in terms of its extended duration. The sale runs from Nov 21 through Dec 2, offering a full 12-day window.

➡️All “Best Deal” or “Top Deal” promotions will start on Nov 21. Historically, these deals perform better than any other type, so it’s essential to optimize them for the best results.

➡️For sellers with limited budgets, this extended period could be challenging, potentially causing you to miss out on sales. A strategic approach is required—determine which days you'll allocate budget to run your deals. A 12-day run may not be feasible, as maintaining ad spend throughout could exhaust your budget early.

➡️Key Strategies for Optimizing Your BFCM Sales

✅Select Key Dates: Many sellers are focusing on the "Traditional 5" days from Nov 28 to Dec 2. You may want to align your deals and ad campaigns to this period if budget constraints limit a full 12-day run.

✅Monitor Initial Traffic: Analyze traffic from Nov 21 to adjust strategy as needed. A surge in traffic is expected around Nov 28, so plan accordingly.

✅Evaluate Day-Parting Needs: Trends indicate changing buying patterns, especially with Gen Z consumers, making day-parting more challenging. Review recent event data to determine if adjusting day-parting will enhance performance.

➡️Considerations for All Budgets

✅End Experimentation: Q4 is not the time to test new ad experiments. Instead, use insights from experiments conducted throughout the year. Identify which ad types, match types, and placements delivered the highest returns and focus on scaling those.

✅Prioritize High-Performing Campaigns: Invest more in campaigns that perform well during the sale. Avoid allocating additional budget to underperforming ones.

✅Adjust Strategies Daily: Adapt your strategy based on daily outcomes. If a "catch-all" campaign doesn’t perform on day one, give it another chance with adjustments on day two. Each day offers new opportunities, so treat it as a fresh start.

✅Optimize Bids by Placement: Regularly review placement reports and fine-tune bidding strategies until you find the best combination.

➡️Be Prepared for Buy Box Competition

✅The Buy Box has become more competitive with the introduction of the Automated Pricing tool, leading some brands to lose sales to resellers. To stay competitive, set up pricing rules in advance to keep your listings aligned with the market during the event.