What we are doing right now is launching a UGC Countdown Series which I am very excited about. The reason we do this is that my sales team and I have discovered that authentic content resonates very well with the golf community. So during the ten days prior to Black Friday, we will be launching a new customer video daily on our social media. Each of the videos depicts a real golfer who fitted his BirdieBall putting green or practice balls in the comfort of his home. This will give incredible social proof on the eve of our biggest sales. We give a little preview of one of our impending deals at the end of each video, so it creates anticipation daily. This approach is more authentic compared to the typical influencer advertisements since it demonstrates the real-life experience of our customers with our products. It gets our audience prepared for the actual event and it helps us build trust.
What I'm doing this year to get ready for the holiday shopping season is launching our "Unconventional Use Case" challenge. We want our users to show us the strange or radically different ways they use their sit-to-stand desks and ergonomic furniture. This works very well for us, since it generates real user content which is vastly better than our normal marketing effort. My team looks at these submissions with incredible insight into how useful our products are in the real world. Basically, we encourage our customers to post a picture or a video using a certain hashtag. The most creative entry wins a $500 gift card and will be the first to see our new product line. This helps us build a strong community around our brand. For example, the winning entry from last year demonstrated a person using their Desky desk as a standing easel to stand and create their large canvases. That single entry had around 40% more engagement than our professionally produced content, illustrating the power of true customer creativity.
Our BFCM approach for this year focuses on creating a sense of calmness through deliberate actions instead of excessive noise. People now skip through commercial content because they seek authentic meaning during their shopping experiences. The company has adopted a strategy of creating quiet confidence through deliberate product bundles and touchable materials and individualized narratives. The approach focuses on building relationships instead of rushing through the process. The UGC campaign now asks our community members to present their Mermaid Way style choices while explaining their personal reasons for wearing specific items. Women reveal their experiences with specific pieces which brought them feelings of security and visibility and sensuality. Our marketing visuals now incorporate these shared moments through a format that resembles heartfelt letters. The goal of this approach is to capture genuine feelings rather than achieve a flawless position. The moment when emotions emerge during movement becomes the central focus of this approach.
This year, we've adjusted our BFCM strategy to lean heavily into authenticity and customer trust because we've noticed that shoppers are being a lot more selective and skeptical with their purchases. Big discounts alone aren't moving the needle like they used to. People want to see that the product works and hear from others who actually use it. That's where UGC has been huge for us. We're moving beyond standard influencer content and getting creative with how we display it. One of the best-performing tactics has been using interactive, shoppable video widgets on our product pages and gift guides, featuring real customers showing off their purchases, explaining why they bought them, and sharing what they'd gift to others. We're also re-engaging influencers who've posted in the past and turning their older content into curated "holiday picks" playlists, organized by use case (gifts under $100, first-time buyers, etc). It feels more personal, less like a paid ad. On top of that, we've added these videos to our abandoned cart emails, which has boosted recovery rates by over 20%. The key shift this year has been turning our customers and creators into *holiday shopping assistants*. People trust people, especially during a high-volume shopping season where every brand is screaming for attention. UGC makes the experience feel more human and that's exactly what cuts through the noise.
Hi there, I'm Aman Dwivedi from McKayn Consulting, where I help ecommerce businesses scale their operations and revenue. Adjusting BFCM strategy for current patterns: I'm advising clients to extend promotional windows beyond the traditional Friday through Monday because consumer spending is more dispersed now. High income shoppers aren't waiting for specific dates, they're buying when they discover products. We're focusing on early access deals for email subscribers and past customers rather than competing in the Black Friday noise where margins get destroyed. Using UGC creatively: The most effective approach I'm seeing is micro influencers creating comparison content showing why specific products solve problems better than alternatives, not just aesthetic lifestyle shots. Real usage scenarios with honest commentary convert better than polished promotional content because shoppers are skeptical of obvious ads. Implementation approach: We're building collections of UGC that addresses specific purchase objections rather than generic brand awareness content. When potential customers see real people explaining how a product solved their exact problem, it removes hesitation faster than any discount code. The goal is using UGC as social proof throughout the customer journey, not just top of funnel awareness. Strategic focus: Most brands treat BFCM as a discount competition when it should be a conversion optimization event using social proof to close buyers already considering purchase.
The new influencer strategy is simple: more faces, more formats, more trust. With Meta's Andromeda algorithm valuing creative diversity, we've moved from one hero ad to a mix of influencer videos, UGC, and internal clips. Each piece is intentionally different, focusing on unique value props or content formats to keep the feed feeling fresh. For Turtle Strength, that means working with real lifters who already use our gear and letting them show it in their own way. It builds trust, keeps the algorithm engaged, and turns authenticity into performance.
We're telling clients to ditch the mega-discount arms race and lean into trust instead. Shoppers are more skeptical this year—they want proof, not hype. That's where UGC and influencer content come in big. Instead of polished ads, we're pushing lo-fi, behind-the-scenes stuff: real customers unboxing, creators showing products in daily life, even bloopers. It feels authentic and scroll-stopping in a sea of sameness. The trick is using UGC not just as social proof, but as creative fuel—remixing it into emails, paid ads, and landing pages. It's cheaper, fresher, and converts way better because it looks like something your friend would post, not a brand trying too hard.
This year, we've adjusted our BFCM strategy to align with consumer preferences for more personalized and visual experiences, leveraging tools like UGC to increase engagement and trust. We're incorporating UGC from customers and influencers to showcase authentic uses of our products, particularly on social media and in ad campaigns. For example, platforms like Katebackdrop play a significant role in providing visually stunning and customizable backdrops that help creators and e-commerce brands stand out. By highlighting customer testimonials and real-life setup examples with these backdrops, we're aiming to build credibility and drive conversions more effectively this holiday season.
Our BFCM strategy has gravitated towards intentional, experience-based spending. Our market research data shows that the rate of impulse-buying among consumers is reducing. Instead, they spend more time on social media platforms researching and only invest in high-quality products that improve their lifestyle and deliver lasting value. For us, it means focusing less on discount-driven strategies and more on bundling meaningful upgrades. We are working around the clock to ensure our pool accessories, maintenance kits and custom covers make our pool experience richer and ownership easier. Our campaigns are leaning into genuine storytelling around "the tank pool that will transform your backyard," rather than promoting a flash-sale mindset. When it comes to UGC, we have gone all in on community-led storytelling. We are moving away from polished influencer campaigns and asking our happy clients to record and share short video clips of how they have personalized their tank pools. Our team curates the clips, adding informative commentary highlighting how the pools fit into different lifestyles and backyard spaces. The outcome and results have been outstanding because everything feels genuine and relatable. We could never script such a thing.
I don't track abstract consumer shopping patterns for holiday sales or "BFCM." My business is hands-on structural integrity, which is not driven by seasonal discounts. My strategy is always about proving long-term, verifiable quality. The major adjustment to my strategy is simple: We completely ignore the discount cycle and focus our hands-on communication on structural longevity. When other businesses are pushing short-term sales, we are pushing permanent peace of mind. We tell clients: "Structural integrity is not a Black Friday discount." We don't use abstract influencer content (UGC). We use Hands-On Verifiable Proof from trusted community members—our version of UGC. We partner with local, respected home inspectors, realtors, and insurance agents who are structurally verifying our work every day. The creative way we use this hands-on verification during the holiday season is by running a campaign that showcases our partners certifying the integrity of a roof installed five years ago. We publish a video of the home inspector doing a full check on a long-term job, certifying the flashing is still perfect. This proves our commitment is long-term. The impact is that we capture high-value clients who are not shopping for a deal. They are shopping for structural certainty during the winter storm season. The best business strategy is guided by a person who is committed to a simple, hands-on solution that always prioritizes long-term integrity over short-term sales.
As we head into this year's BFCM, edgeai.xyz is leveraging consumer shopping trends with an AI-first approach. We're seeing more discerning shoppers researching across channels before committing, and their expectation for both value and authenticity is at an all-time high. To reflect this, we focus on: Personalized Offers: Using real-time AI-driven analytics, we segment our audience and dynamically adapt BFCM promotions based on trending interests, predicted purchase behavior, and inventory insights. Trust-Building UGC: We collaborate with micro and nano-influencers whose audiences trust them for product recommendations. Instead of generic posts, we encourage influencers to share honest, behind-the-scenes UGC -- from live demos to "a day with edgeai.xyz" stories. Interactive Campaigns: UGC isn't static. This year, we're launching interactive campaigns on social (like "AI Gift Match" video challenges and review contests) to foster engagement and collect valuable content for retargeting throughout the holiday season. Transparency in Content: We make sure our UGC clearly discloses partnerships and delivers real value. Consumer trust is won by visible authenticity, especially during high-stakes shopping periods. Cross-Channel Amplification: UGC collected on social channels is repurposed across email, our site, and paid ads, maximizing reach and reinforcing credibility at each touchpoint. Influencer partnerships and creative UGC remain central in adapting to evolving buying habits--giving our community both the information and the social proof they need to shop confidently this BFCM.
I've launched products for Robosen (Transformers/Disney licensing), HTC Vive, and other tech brands where pre-orders and holiday windows make or break the year. Here's what we're doing differently for BFCM 2024. We're front-loading our content production to September/October instead of creating "holiday content" in November. For the Robosen Elite Optimus Prime launch, we shot all our 3D renders and unboxing sequences months early, then repurposed them into 47 different cuts for different funnel stages. The key shift: we're treating BFCM creative like movie trailers--multiple versions of the same core assets, not new content scrambles. On the UGC side, we're leveraging what I call "technical validation" content. For our tech clients, we identify the 3-5 friction points that kill conversions (like "will this actually transform smoothly?" for Robosen or "does this work with my setup?" for gaming PCs). Then we brief creators specifically around demonstrating those technical proof points on camera. It's not about reach anymore--it's about removing the last objection before checkout. The biggest pattern shift we're seeing: shoppers are researching in October but buying on actual Black Friday, not the week before. We're running low-budget awareness campaigns now with our best UGC proof content, then saving the promotional budget for November 29-December 2 when purchase intent spikes. Last year's gradual ramp-up approach left money on the table.
I run Rattan Imports, a furniture e-commerce brand sourcing from Southeast Asia. Our BFCM strategy completely flipped this year because we realized our core customers--baby boomers and older generations--don't actually shop on Black Friday the way younger people do. Instead of blasting discounts on Friday, we started calling customers who browsed our site the week before BFCM. My team literally picked up the phone and walked them through their cart. We closed 40% of those calls into sales before Black Friday even hit, and at full price. These customers weren't looking for deals--they wanted someone to confirm they were making the right choice for their living room. For UGC, we stopped chasing influencer content entirely. We ask customers to text us photos of our rattan furniture in their actual homes--on their patios with family, in their sunrooms. We then call them back to say thank you and ask if we can share it. That phone call turns into another sale 60% of the time because they're already thinking about what else they need. The photos aren't Instagram-perfect, but they show our furniture lasting in real homes, which matters more for $3,000 dining sets. The pattern we're seeing: older customers shop early, research heavily, and convert through conversation, not urgency. BFCM for us now means staffing phones in the weeks leading up, not discounting on the day itself.
With 75% of holiday shoppers beginning to research purchases before mid-November and 79% completing their buying over November-December, we're updating our BFCM game plan with early teaser ad campaigns and mobile-friendly flash sales. For my portable tent sauna business, this looks like "Winter Wellness Weeks" kicking off late October and promoting 15% off bundles with SMS to capture the mobile shoppers that account for 69% of traffic. The latter Black Friday attention last year left 20% of our early traffic on the table; this shift (tested Q3) brought an 18% increase in inquiries. Meet customers where they are, scrolling on their phones early — don't wait for the holiday rush. With UGC, we are tapping into the customer sauna stories with an Instagram "Wish List Challenge" in which users share photos of our tents as wish gifts to win a custom kit and turning UGC into urgency. A customer's viral backyard setup video last December lifted site visits by 12%; we're now curating 50 entries into a shoppable Reel carousel, boosting engagement in tests by 25%. Small businesses should spark UGC with clear prompts and repost with credit—it's like customers wrapping your marketing with a bow.
I'm coming at this from a different angle than traditional ecomm--I run Support Bikers, a directory connecting riders with motorcycle businesses and resources. We just wrapped our BFCM push and learned that the biker community shops completely opposite to typical consumer patterns. Our biggest move was ditching the "discount everything" approach and instead creating urgency around our "Small Biker Business Saturday" initiative we started back in 2020. We promoted specific small businesses in our directory--custom leather shops, independent mechanics, mom-and-pop gear retailers--and gave them featured placement during BFCM weekend. Traffic to those listings jumped 78% compared to our normal monthly average, and the businesses reported actual sales increases because buyers were specifically hunting for authentic, rider-owned shops instead of corporate deals. For content, we stopped trying to create polished marketing and just had our community members post photos of their actual gear purchases with #SupportBikers. One guy shared his new custom seat from a one-man upholstery shop in our directory, another posted her handmade leather saddlebags--we reposted those raw shots and they drove more clicks than anything we could've produced ourselves. Bikers trust other bikers' recommendations more than any influencer campaign, so we just got out of the way and let them talk. The lesson for any brand: if you've got a tight community, activate them as your megaphone instead of paying outsiders to fake authenticity. We didn't spend a dollar on ads and saw our best conversion weekend ever.
This year, I'm aligning my BFCM strategy with the growing preference for early shopping and personalized experiences. I've shifted budget towards mobile-optimized campaigns and predictive analytics to anticipate customer demands more effectively. User-generated content (UGC) plays a key role by amplifying trust and relatability—I'm collaborating with influencers to create authentic product reviews and using real customer testimonials in paid ads to drive conversions. By focusing on these tactics, I'm creating a stronger connection with my audience while maximizing the impact of influencer partnerships.
We're approaching BFCM with a more human touch this year. Customers scrolled past most of the endless advertisements and discounts that were everywhere last year, making it feel like a race. I therefore want our approach to feel more deliberate and serene this time. We're researching how people actually shop these days, which is more deliberate, slower, and driven more by trust than by urgency. This entails emphasizing genuine experiences over well-executed marketing campaigns. In order to encourage them to share genuine moments rather than staged advertisements, we have been collaborating closely with influencers who actually use our products. It's been eye-opening to watch the creativity flow back to us from those who have even asked their followers to recreate those moments. Because user-generated content tells stories that no ad copy could, it feels alive. Real people making real decisions is, in my opinion, the essence of this BFCM.
We work with influencers in healthcare that people already go to for advice. When we post their before-and-after videos on social media, we get more inquiries and clients start sharing their own stories. Mixing that content with real patient moments makes the whole thing feel more helpful and less like an ad. For Black Friday, I'd suggest focusing on those genuine reactions.
After 70 years in industrial ventilation, I've learned that even B2B buying patterns shift during BFCM. This year, facility managers had tighter budgets but couldn't delay critical maintenance. We focused on necessity over luxury. Instead of pushing new equipment, we highlighted replacement parts and maintenance supplies that keep systems running. Our messaging emphasized reliability and cost-effectiveness. For UGC, we asked longtime customers to share photos of Heinlein equipment that's been running for decades. These posts showed durability better than any spec sheet. We also featured customer stories about emergency repairs we helped with. The approach worked because we addressed real concerns. Customers needed to justify purchases to their bosses, and our content gave them the ammunition they needed.
This year, I am reshaping our BFCM strategy around authenticity and community-driven trust. Shoppers are more selective now; they want real voices, not polished marketing scripts. That is why we are leaning heavily into user-generated content from our customers who share their real experiences with our electric wheelchairs. We highlight genuine testimonials, unfiltered videos, and lifestyle photos showing how our products improve mobility and independence. It gives potential buyers a sense of confidence and connection that traditional ads cannot match. UGC has become our best-performing content because it blends storytelling with proof, turning satisfied customers into our most powerful brand ambassadors.