Remote (Must reside in North America) | Position Type: Full-Time Contractor
Avante IO is seeking experienced Django full-stack engineers interested in helping our team build out cutting-edge insurance underwriting technologies. We are building out exciting technologies (using Agile methodologies) at scale on AWS using some of the following technologies:
Your responsibilities will include working with underwriters and business associates in planning & building new features, fixing existing bugs, and working on performance problems. We are looking for engineers excited about working on hard problems and also feel comfortable with ownership of complicated technical problems.
Please submit applications to johnny@avante.io with the subject line: Full-Stack Engineer (Django) and include your place of residency. Include a CV when reaching out, as well as any GitHub links/projects you’re particularly proud of.
Your application will not be reviewed if you reside outside North America.
Visa | Senior Data Scientist | London, UK | Full-time | ONSITE
We’re looking for a passionate and ambitious Data Scientist to join the UK & Ireland Data Science team at Visa Europe. You’ll be working closely with Visa Consulting & Analytics in the co-development of data-driven solutions to help our clients grow their businesses.
The Department of Homeland Security says it is ready to reinstate the Trump-era Remain-in-Mexico policy by mid-November in response to a court order upheld by the Supreme Court – even as it works to abolish the program by a different method.
If you still think Facebook and Twitter are the be-all and end-all of social media marketing tools, think again. Say “Hi” to your business’s new best friend: business Pinterest accounts. Eighty percent of Pinterest pins are repins, which means this is a platform that values sharable content. The average lifespan of a pin is three … Continue reading How to Use a Business Pinterest Account For Marketing and Brand Growth
You have to pay your taxes. Not only is it illegal not to, but paying your personal and business taxes is a major factor in fundability. If you apply for business funding and a lender sees you have not been paying your taxes, it will likely result in denial. After all, if you can’t pay … Continue reading 11 Tax Write Offs for Small Business That May Surprise You
There’s no better time than the Black Friday season to boost your sales. From product launches to store-wide promotions, businesses ramp up their sales and marketing efforts during this time to match the high customer demand.
Not sure where to start? Black Friday ad campaigns are one of the quickest way to drive revenue.
Do Black Friday Ad Campaigns Make a Difference?
Don’t dismiss Black Friday as just another e-commerce trend. Shoppers still spend as much as $9 billion on Black Friday deals in a given year. You can leverage this audience interest to improve your revenue by using effective Black Friday ad campaigns.
Here’s how.
Top 8 Black Friday Ad Campaign Tips
Follow these simple yet powerful strategies to build successful Black Friday ad campaigns.
1. Make Your Sales Specials Clear
How would people buy from you if they don’t know what you’re selling?
If you’re launching a Black Friday ad campaign, make your offers clear. For example, look at this ad by First Hotels.
The first word makes it clear what the offer is about. Then, the rest of the ad copy is written in simple language to draw attention to the Black Friday ad.
Here is another example from the Clash of Clans Twitter account.
How do you make sure your Black Friday ad campaign makes your offers clear and attractive?
Add the words Black Friday in a large, eye-catchy font.
Make it easy to understand with simple ad copy like in the Clash of Clans image.
Use striking visuals, animations, and popping elements to draw attention.
2. Research Which Platforms to Run Campaigns On
The best strategies for creating a Black Friday ad campaign vary from platform to platform. Research the popular ad campaign platforms beforehand to make the most out of your time, money, and efforts.
This way, you’ll know which platforms work best for your audience and for the type of content you want to post. It’ll also help you tailor your marketing strategies to the unique features offered by the platform.
For instance, here are some points you need to consider:
Do you want your Black Friday ad campaign to be visually engaging? Then use social media platforms like Instagram. This can be great for fashion and food brands.
Do you want to hold the audience’s attention via engaging text? Then use social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn. This can be great for magazines, SEO services, and other text-focused businesses.
Do you want to create an ad campaign with both text and images? Then use social media platforms like Facebook. This can be great for most industries, from small home-based business owners to worldwide franchise businesses.
Your marketing (or ad spend) budget should also be a major consideration when deciding which platform you’ll use for your Black Friday ad campaign.
I recommend comparing the prices of all social media and advertising platforms to see how much money you would need to get similar results on different platforms.
Not all results are replicable, but this will give you a rough idea of which platform can help you take your dollar the farthest.
You can launch effective ad campaigns before your competition when there’s little to no bidding for similar products and services.
You save money by buying ads when they’re relatively cheaper.
You generate audience interest which can boost sales when your offers go live.
What’s the best way to start early?
First, plan what your Black Friday ads should contain well in advance. Use audience analysis (more on that below) to refine your plan further.
Second, use words like “upcoming,” “soon,” and “stay tuned” to build excitement and interest. Audience research is essential here too. If you’ve tried A/B testing with your frequent customers before, you’ll have the data to make informed decisions about the word choice and structure.
Finally, set an early launch date. Start your Black Friday ad campaign a few days before the average business would so you can leverage the lower competition time and attract audience attention.
Many businesses typically start advertising their Black Friday deals about a week in advance. However, I recommend considering the period around the first week of November to launch your Black Friday ad campaign.
4. Cash in on Cyber Monday
“BFCM” is a trending term around the Black Friday season. It stands for Black Friday Cyber Monday and refers to the time between the two days when most e-commerce stores offer massive deals.
This strategy works because the audience is already in a shopping mode during this season, and receiving combined ads can help increase e-commerce interest.
Here are some things to keep in mind when designing a BFCM ad:
Highlight both Black Friday and Cyber Monday in your ad copy.
Keep the ad copy clear. Don’t clutter it with too much content and colors.
Make your offers clear. Are you offering discounts, deals, free trials, etc.?
5. Understand Your Audience
You can design the best Black Friday ad, but if it isn’t tailored to your audience, it’s not going to be very useful.
Think about it: You don’t want to show a bicycle ad to someone who only travels by car.
For instance, data shows Millennials spent the most money on Black Friday deals. It might be more effective to market your products and services to this demographic if relevant to your business model.
Here are some tips that will help you understand your audience and craft a compelling ad copy:
Get hyper-specific about your target customer. What do they like and dislike? What gets their attention?
Create a buyer persona to make sure you’re looking at the complete picture. You can use HubSpot’s Make My Persona tool to do this more effectively.
Get direct customer feedback through surveys and feedback forms. Here’s a simple but effective example from QuickTapSurvey.
Experiment with different wording to see what best resonates with your audience. Switch up the pronouns from “you” to “we” and vice versa. You can also try using completely different copy to see what works well, which brings me to the next point:
Try A/B testing with graphics, images, and headlines. A/B testing will give you live feedback on whether your strategies are working or not. It’ll also help you pinpoint the areas where your Black Friday ad campaign is lacking and how to improve it.
6. Target Your Ad Campaigns
Now that you understand your audience, it’s time to make sure your Black Friday ads are targeted to them.
Social media platforms like Facebook can be helpful for this. For example, Facebook offers a wide selection of targeting and retargeting options so you can truly narrow down the customers you want to reach.
Refer to your buyer persona and create specific ad campaigns to appeal to your target buyer. This will ensure you are reaching the right people without wasting a lot of money.
7. Offer Options to Recover Abandoned Carts
Often people will visit your e-commerce store, browse through your products, maybe add a few to the cart, but leave without buying. Research shows e-commerce brands lose $18 billion in sales revenue each year because of abandoned carts.
You can offer options to recover abandoned carts. Here’s how:
Understand and Change
First, start by understanding why people are abandoning the process midway. For example, is it the shipping fees? If so, can you offer discounted or free shipping for Black Friday?
Offer Better Deals
Sometimes customers want to buy the product, but they want to check out competitor products or simply wait for a discount. As an e-commerce business owner, you can use this to your advantage by offering Black Friday discounts and exclusive deals to such customers.
For example, look at the abandoned cart recovery email below, shared by TargetBay.
Emails like this serve three primary purposes:
It reminds customers to complete the transaction if they’ve forgotten it while browsing.
It establishes a sense of trust and loyalty because you’re sending targeted offers right into their inbox.
It gives you an edge over competitors who aren’t offering such deals.
To ensure you get the best results from your Black Friday ad campaign, be mindful of the nitty-gritty details. To make this easier, keep the following checklist handy:
Budget: What’s your budget for the Black Friday ad campaign? How can you effectively distribute it across different advertising and social media platforms?
Copy: Is your copy clear and easy to understand? Double and triple-check for spelling and grammar mistakes.
Platform features: Are you using all the relevant marketing features the platform you chose has to offer? For example, are you using the right targeting tools on Facebook? Is your Instagram ad campaign visually appealing?
Platform limits: Be careful about the platform limits like word count, number of characters visible, image display, and page position. This can mess up how your ad is seen if not done right.
Black Friday Ad Campaign Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about Black Friday Ad Campaigns.
Is building a Black Friday marketing plan a good idea?
Yes, Black Friday marketing is essential. E-commerce shoppers collectively spend billions during the Black Friday season, making it one of the most lucrative times to up your marketing game.
How should I pick the keywords I target for my Black Friday tactical ad campaigns?
To pick the right keywords for your Black Friday ad campaign, you can use keyword research tools like Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, and Moz. Studying your audience’s needs and consumption habits can also help you understand which Black Friday ad keywords will and won’t resonate.
When should my Black Friday ad campaign start?
If you want to make the most out of your marketing efforts, I recommend beginning early. Start teasing and promoting your offers at the beginning of November to build curiosity and excitement. Plus, it’s cheaper than starting closer to the event.
What are the top tips for ad campaigns for Black Friday 2021?
The top tips for ad campaigns for Black Friday 2021 include audience research, using targeting and retargeting techniques, cashing in on the Cyber Monday sales, and offering abandoned cart recovery deals.
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “FAQPage”,
“mainEntity”: [
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Is building a Black Friday marketing plan a good idea? “,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: ”
Yes, Black Friday marketing is essential. E-commerce shoppers collectively spend billions during the Black Friday season, making it one of the most lucrative times to up your marketing game.
”
}
}
, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “How should I pick the keywords I target for my Black Friday tactical ad campaigns?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: ”
To pick the right keywords for your Black Friday ad campaign, you can use keyword research tools like Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, and Moz. Studying your audience’s needs and consumption habits can also help you understand which Black Friday ad keywords will and won’t resonate.
”
}
}
, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “When should my Black Friday ad campaign start?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: ”
If you want to make the most out of your marketing efforts, I recommend beginning early. Start teasing and promoting your offers at the beginning of November to build curiosity and excitement. Plus, it’s cheaper than starting closer to the event.
”
}
}
, {
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What are the top tips for ad campaigns for Black Friday 2021?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: ”
The top tips for ad campaigns for Black Friday 2021 include audience research, using targeting and retargeting techniques, cashing in on the Cyber Monday sales, and offering abandoned cart recovery deals.
”
}
}
]
}
Tactical Black Friday Ad Campaign Tips Conclusion
Black Friday can be a huge opportunity to attract customer attention, build brand awareness and boost revenue.
It may sound a little intimidating at first, considering the scale of the event, but I hope the tips above help you outline an effective Black Friday ad campaign strategy.
You have to pay your taxes. Not only is it illegal not to, but paying your personal and business taxes is a major factor in fundability. If you apply for business funding and a lender sees you have not been paying your taxes, it will likely result in denial. After all, if you can’t pay your taxes, how can they believe you will repay them? That said, there is no reason to pay more than necessary. There are several tax write offs for small business that can help. Many of them may surprise you.
Tax Write Offs for Small Business Can Save You Money
In truth, a tax professional is the best way to make sure you take advantage of all of the tax write-offs available. There are more than most realize. Below is a list of tax deductions for small business that can help. Remember, this is not a complete list, and not every business will be eligible for every deduction. Always work with a tax professional to ensure your business taxes and personal taxes are filed properly.
Check out this list of tax write offs for small business, and ask your tax professional if any of them are an option for you.
#1: Simplified Home Office Deduction
When it comes to business tax write offs, this one is pretty popular. Most everyone knows there is a way to deduct home office expenses on your taxes. If you work from your home, you can deduct the portion of that home that you use specifically for business purposes. However, you must have a dedicated office space that you only use for work. Then, you have to determine the percentage of home expenses that are associated with the business.
For example, if your home office space is ¼ of the total square footage of your home, you can deduct ¼ of the utilities, etc. as a business expense. As you can imagine, this calculation can get complicated and tedious quickly. As a result, a lot of home business owners do not take this deduction. They do not feel they can properly keep up with it. Some do not feel the deduction is worth the time it would take to keep up with all that is necessary for the calculation.
What you may not know is that there is a simplified calculation for this deduction. The simplified option is a quick and easy way to determine your home office deduction. You just multiply the total square footage of the space you dedicate to work only by $5. Remember, the maximum amount you can claim using this method is $1,500
#2: Qualified Business Income Deduction (QBI)
If you own a sole proprietorship, partnership, or an S corporation, you may be eligible for a qualified business income deduction. If so, you could deduct up to 20% of your qualified business income from your tax return.
That means if you have qualified business income of $100,000, you can deduct $20,000 and only pay taxes on $80,000.
#3: Bonus Depreciation
Depreciation tax write offs for small business are nothing new. Business assets like equipment are depreciated on the books over time at a set rate. That means you do not count the full cost of the item in the first year it is purchased. However, under bonus depreciation, you can deduct more than standard depreciation in the first year.
Before 2017 the bonus depreciation amount was 50% of the cost. Then, you would depreciate the remaining 50% of the cost over the life of the asset. However, the new law says that for anything purchased between September 27, 2017 and January 1, 2023, you can deduct 100% of the cost in the first year the item is put into service.
You don’t have to, but it could be advantageous to do so. Your tax professional can help you make that decision.
What types of items qualify for bonus depreciation? Tangible assets with a useful life of 20-years or less as dictated by the IRS.
Some items that fall into this category include:
Machinery
Equipment
Computers
Appliances
And furniture
#4: Business Related Legal and Professional Fees
If you use an attorney or an accountant for business services, their fees are deductible. Did you have an accountant prepare your taxes? That’s deductible. Using an attorney to help draft employment contracts or a writer to write a business plan? That is all deductible.
#5: Dues and Memberships
Fees paid to professional organizations for membership are deductible.So, a pediatrician could deduct any fees paid for membership to the American Academy of Pediatrics, or an architect could join the American Design Drafting Association (ADDA). If the business pays the fees, it is tax deductible on that business’s tax return.
#6: Interest on a Business Loan
Did you know you can deduct the interest you pay on a business loan? If you meet a few qualifications that is.
Qualifications include:
Funds come from an actual lender, not family or friends
You are liable for the debt, legally
Both you and the lender intend for the debt to be repaid
It’s also important to note that you have to actually spend the loan funds. You can’t just put them in an account and make payments. That’s considered an investment by the IRS, and therefore does not qualify as one of the tax write offs for small business.
#7: Bank Charges
Pay attention to your bank and credit card statements. All those little charges and fees are tax deductible. It may not seem like much, but they can add up. Especially when you consider all of the charges this can ecompass.
Costs such as:
Cash deposit fees
Merchant service fees
Late fees
Online banking fees
And even credit card convenience fees
These all count, so keep up with them.
#8: Continuing Education Expenses
As a business owner, you can pay for continuing education for your employee and yourself, and it could be tax deductible. The IRS says if the cost is related to training that maintains or improves skills required for the job, it is deductible. The deduction includes a number of education related expenses.
For example:
Course fees and tuition
Books
Supplies
Lab fees
And other similar items
#9: Business Animals
Animals that are used in the course of business are tax deductible. That means both the cost of the animal itself and the care and feeding of it. Of course, you can’t just buy a dog or cat and call it a business animal. However, if you have a dog and you use it as a guard dog in your business, some of those expenses could be tax deductible.
One fun example is a junkyard owner who bought cats to help with rats. The IRS ruled it was a legitimate business expense and therefore, deductible.
If you are an animal breeder, you can also deduct costs related to animals for breeding.
The costs associated with maintaining a website can be tax deductible. This may include hosting fees, design costs, and a number of other related expenses.
#11: Magazine Subscriptions
You can deduct the costs of some subscriptions, including those for professional journals, trade publications, and even technical journals. It’s important to note that you cannot deduct the cost of magazines for a waiting room.
Don’t Do It On Your Own
Want to know the number one sure fire way to pay more than you need to in business taxes? Try to do them yourself. Don’t do that. Hire a professional. After all, the fees are tax deductible. Then, you can know you are getting all the tax deductions for small business you are eligible for. Don’t let not paying taxes negatively affect business fundability. Want to know more about fundability and what may be affecting yours? Try a free consultation with one of our business credit specialists now.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
