We get it, it’s only September. But is there such a thing as being too prepared for your Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) strategy?
We didn’t think so.
Gift guides are a strong revenue driver for Shopify stores year after year. But they could be made even more effective with the power of your affiliate marketing program. Here’s why you should get as many influencers to promote your gift guides as possible, and all of the gift guide categories your business should have covered for the holiday season.
A gift guide is a highly curated list of product recommendations produced by businesses to help buyers shop more easily. Gift guides help people shop for specific individuals, interests, and occasions, effectively taking the stress out of shopping.
There are many ways to categorize your gift guides, but one of the most important factors that impacts success? How well and widely you promote them. That’s where your affiliates come in to play.
To put it simply, when influencers make effective affiliate posts, everyone wins. The affiliates earn more commission, and the businesses they work with generate more revenue. Here’s why affiliates should be focused on promoting gift guides in particular:
But before you spread the word of promoting gift guides to your affiliates, make sure you have all of the gift guide categories covered. Here are the guides your Shopify store should create this year.
Maybe the most popular gift guide categories are the ones for specific relationships. You’ve seen them. They include gifts for Dad, Mom, colleagues, girlfriends, babies, boyfriends, teachers, neighbours, and more. Shoppers like to be able to remove the mental load of thinking of something hyper-personal, and instead opt for something maybe a little more generic, but still spreads joy.
Of course, you’ll want to choose the recipient categories and make a guide for each, showcasing all of the applicable products and services you offer.
Shoppers can broaden those parameters slightly by shopping in guides categorized by gender. Gifts for him, gifts for her, and gifts for them. This creates a great starting point for those who struggle with giving, and within each individual guide, they can narrow their options down further.
Overspending? In this economy? Especially in difficult economic times, people want to stick to a budget. Now that doesn’t mean they don’t want to spend at all, but if a shopper knows they can find something in their price range at your store, they’re more likely to spend what they do have with you.
Create gift guides with price limits, such as gifts under $50 or $100. Whatever value makes the most sense for your products. Make two or three gift guides, so shoppers of any economic background can find what works for them.
Creating gift guides tailored to the recipient’s hobbies will further assist shoppers in finding the perfect, personalized gift. Of course, you’ll want to run with whatever your target audience is. Gifts for the makeup-a-holic, gifts for the golfer, gifts for the bookworm.
For those who are unfamiliar with the hobby and don’t know where to begin, a gift guide can be a valuable resource.
For those who are less product-oriented and more focused on justice or impact, create gift guides based on their impact. This means that the purchase of those gifts will support a specific cause, environment, or group.
For example, you could create a small business gift guide, an eco-friendly gift guide, or a gift guide for individuals seeking to support woman-owned or minority-made products. It’s a way for shoppers to give, but also to give back.
We’ve all been there. What do you buy for a new colleague, a paper boy, or your mother’s home nurse? These gift guides help the shoppers who want to purchase something more thoughtful than a mug, but maybe not too over the top.
Ensure you offer gifts at a range of price points, allowing shoppers to choose different gifts based on their level of gratitude or generosity.
Finally, we have gifts by age. If you’ve never had kids, how do you know what to buy for an 8-year-old? What do 17-year-olds like? And your 60-year-old neighbor? Who knows!
Create gift guides based on age, so your customers can find products that are suitable for them, or at least find inspiration based on how old they are.
And when it comes time to track affiliate performance, manage them, and pay them (automatically!), get Simple Affiliate. We’re a comprehensive solution for affiliate marketing programs to start and scale with ease.
Book a demo with our team today, and get prepared for the BFCM season around the corner.
