Shop More Effectively on Black Friday With These Strategies

Whether you’re buying gifts for the holidays, stocking up on home decor or taking advantage of stores’ deals all for yourself, Black Friday is a great place to start. To make sure you get the best online deals available, here are four strategies to keep in mind.

1. Sign Up for Email Newsletters

An email campaign is often the first step a brand takes in its marketing efforts. A company’s emails give its customers insight into upcoming deals, and may even offer exclusive discounts and deals available only to subscribers.

Major retailers often use their email newsletters to drive sign-ups for their rewards programs and other benefits that can reward loyal customers and keep them coming back for more. Even if you rarely buy from a brand, it’s still worth signing up for its email newsletter to get clued into limited-availability items, special discounts and more on Black Friday.

2. Follow Brands on Social Media

Social-media marketing is another great way brands get the word out about their Black Friday deals. It’s almost unheard of for a company not to have a social media presence, since it’s among the best ways for brands to alert their customers to limited-time shopping events, special giveaways and promo codes — which means it’s also among the best ways for you to find out about them. Following a social-savvy brand like Target may help you save more during Black Friday and beyond. It’s a good idea to follow the brands you love on social media year-round, but it’s even more important when the biggest discounts of the year are on their way.

3. Bookmark Items and Brands Far in Advance

You never know when the absolute best deal on a specific product will drop, so it’s a good idea to check in on your favorite stores and items as much as a month in advance. The biggest discounts for a specific product or brand may not actually be on Black Friday, but instead on a different day close to it.

An early check-in is especially important with brands that traditionally haven’t done Black Friday sales, such as REI. The outdoors brand actually closes its brick-and-mortar stores on Black Friday, but you can often find exclusive deals throughout November outside of Black Friday.

4. Use Plug-Ins for Extra Deals and Discounts

One of the best ways to save money during Black Friday is to make sure you’re getting more than just the doorbuster sale. In some cases, you may be able to save even more just by downloading a plug-in that gives you access to special discounts you may not have otherwise known about.

The Rakuten Cash Back plug-in works even during Black Friday sales, which means you can get Black Friday discounts while also earning Cash Back. By stacking the discounts, you can be certain you’re getting the best deal every time you make a purchase — whether it’s Black Friday or not.