Black Friday and Small Business Saturday present a significant opportunity for microbusiness owners who might not be fully utilising the capabilities of Generative AI (GenAI).
Data from Venture Forward, GoDaddy’s multi-year international research initiative which analyses more than 680,000 UK microbusinesses, highlights the biggest challenges often faced by UK entrepreneurs when they first start their business. Of those surveyed, generating sales online was reported to be the biggest challenge*, emphasising the importance of and difficulties surrounding hallmark events like Black Friday for small and microbusiness owners.
However, nearly two in five (37%) of UK entrepreneurs surveyed reported that they don’t feel confident as a user of AI for their business*. With tools like Airo, GoDaddy’s latest GenAI experience, microbusiness owners can now harness the capabilities of GenAI quickly and simply to help maximise Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sales.
Help build anticipation and hype on social media
Creating content was found to be the most popular use of GenAI for UK microbusinesses surveyed (76%) *, which could include first drafts of text for social media posts.
GenAI could provide a potential marketing lifeline for business owners who may feel that they lack the time or resources required to promote their business online without a dedicated marketing team or access to digital marketing platforms. Venture Forward data shows that marketing their business online with social media, ads, promotions and so on was the second biggest challenge reported by UK entrepreneurs surveyed*.
For consumers, researching the best deals on Black Friday – a weekday when many will have work during the day – may prove tedious. Utilising social media to highlight upcoming Black Friday deals has the potential to attract consumers who are already set on purchasing a specific product or service and are simply waiting for the first available, appealing discount.
GenAI can help create videos and graphics, key to promoting products on visually-driven platforms like Instagram and TikTok. With built-in shopping features, these platforms enable microbusinesses to sell directly to consumers from a post, making GenAI an attractive tool for enhancing a business’ online presence.
Mastering your product descriptions
Similarly, GenAI can assist with drafting product descriptions to sit on your website or other marketplaces where you might sell, including but not limited to Amazon, eBay, Etsy and many more.
For microbusinesses, product descriptions offer an opportunity to step away from complicated, unengaging industry jargon, which can sometimes be difficult for consumers to understand, and instead tell the story of a brand, emphasise roots to the local community and speak to the real person buying your product or service. Just be careful to keep search engine optimisation (SEO) in mind.
Crafting compelling email newsletters
In the buildup to Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, email newsletters can offer a cost-effective method of repeatedly engaging with new or existing customers.
GenAI’s ability to draft text, such as catchy subject lines or compelling calls to action, and create graphics, makes it an attractive tool for enhancing newsletters with the objective to drive customer engagement, including encouraging purchases of products or services.
GoDaddy Airo uses GenAI to create a variety of email templates to match your brand and tone of voice, providing a launching pad for microbusiness owners to get started with email marketing and to help connect with customers in just a few clicks.
Help break through the noise with AI-powered SEO
Search engine marketing can help microbusinesses optimise site ranking, draw traffic and break through the Black Friday noise.
A large number of online purchases will often begin with a search – meaning if your website ranks higher for relevant searches, customers may be more likely to potentially choose your microbusiness over a lower-ranking competitor. For microbusinesses, finding small edges like these could be crucial to help break through the noise around a hallmark event like Black Friday.
Making your brand sing
In the cutthroat world of social media scrolling, first impressions can often count. A microbusiness’ branding is its first impression, serving as a flagpole to help attract new customers for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, deepen existing relationships and fuel overall brand growth.
*Statistics are taken from a survey conducted in May 2024 of 2,153 UK online microbusiness owners by Venture Forward, GoDaddy’s research initiative.
