Black Friday is known for its incredible deals and massive shopping sprees, but for course creators, jumping into the sales madness isn’t always the smartest move. Offering a discount might seem like a quick way to drive sales, but it could also lead to unintended consequences that can affect your brand and bottom line in the long run.
In this article, I’ll list 10 reasons why you should reconsider running a Black Friday sale for your course and why holding off might be the best strategy for your business.
Before you decide, make sure you read “Should You Run a Black Friday Sale for Your Course? 10 Reasons to do it”
1. Risk of Brand Devaluation
One of the most significant concerns about running a Black Friday sale is the potential to devalue your brand. If you offer deep discounts too frequently, your audience may start to expect them and hold off on purchasing until the next sale. This can lead to a decrease in perceived value for your courses, which can be challenging to recover from.
2. High Competition
Black Friday is a competitive battlefield. You’re not just competing with other course creators but also with thousands of brands across various industries. The marketplace is crowded, making it harder for your offer to stand out. Without a strong and unique value proposition, your campaign might get lost in the noise.
3. Inbox Overload
During Black Friday, consumers’ inboxes are flooded with promotional emails. If you’re not consistently engaging your audience throughout the year, it can be difficult to break through the noise during this time. Even with a great offer, there’s a risk that your emails might not be seen, reducing the effectiveness of your campaign.
4. Pressure to Price Low
Offering significant discounts during Black Friday can put pressure on your profit margins. While the increased volume of sales can help offset this, it’s essential to ensure that your discounted prices still leave you with a healthy profit. Otherwise, you risk undermining your overall profitability.
5. Risk of Alienating Non-Buyers
While some subscribers will appreciate the discounts, others might feel overwhelmed or even annoyed by the aggressive sales messaging. This could lead to an increase in unsubscribes or a drop in engagement, particularly if your audience isn’t accustomed to receiving promotional emails from you.
6. Damage to Perceived Value
If not handled carefully, Black Friday discounts can lower the perceived value of your courses. Deep discounts might signal to your audience that your regular prices are inflated, or that your products aren’t worth their full price. Maintaining a balance between offering a deal and protecting your brand’s value is crucial.
7. Increased Workload
Planning and executing a Black Friday campaign is no small feat. It requires significant time, effort, and resources to do it right. From crafting the offer and writing compelling copy to setting up sales funnels and managing customer inquiries, the workload can be overwhelming, especially for smaller teams.
8. Potential Subscriber Fatigue
Sending multiple sales emails in a short period can lead to subscriber fatigue. If your audience isn’t used to frequent emails, the sudden influx of promotional messages could lead to a higher unsubscribe rate. It’s essential to balance your sales messaging with value-driven content to keep your list engaged.
9. Short-Term Focus
Focusing heavily on Black Friday can sometimes lead to a short-term mindset, where immediate sales take precedence over long-term brand building and customer relationships. It’s important to ensure that your Black Friday strategy aligns with your overall business goals and doesn’t detract from sustained growth efforts.
10. List Engagement Issues
If your email list isn’t well-engaged or warmed up before Black Friday, your campaign might not achieve the desired results. It’s crucial to prepare your audience in advance, building anticipation and engagement, so they’re ready to take action when your sale goes live.
This blog post in a nutshell
Running a Black Friday sale for your course or digital product comes with both opportunities and challenges.
The potential for high sales and increased brand visibility is significant, but so are the risks of devaluing your brand and getting lost in the competitive noise. Ultimately, the decision should be based on your business goals, brand values, and the readiness of your audience.
If you do decide to participate in Black Friday, plan carefully, craft a unique and compelling offer, and engage your audience well in advance. With the right approach, Black Friday can be a powerful tool to boost your sales and grow your brand—without compromising your long-term success.
Make sure you read the 10 reasons to run a Black Friday campaign before you make your final decision.
Ready to plan your Black Friday campaign?
If you want to run a successful Black Friday campaign but need some guidance, I’ve got something special for you. The Black Friday Playbook for Course Creators guides you through all the steps required to create an irresistible offer, optimize your sales funnel, and ensure your Black Friday campaign is a smashing success.