Typically, brands whose websites aim to provide content rather than serve as an ecommerce platform are well versed in the benefits of ad monetization. After all, it can be the main—if not the only—source of income. But for retail companies whose main business relies on selling their products and services, ad monetization can be relegated to the background.

The truth is that with the right strategy in place, this monetization strategy can bring millions of dollars a year for big retailers. And yet, perceiving it as only a source of additional income is missing out on the other opportunities it presents to brands. Ad monetization can lead to new insights into your customers’ behavior and interests, elevate your first-party data strategy and even engage audiences by giving relevant recommendations that suit their needs. Here are some aspects to factor in as you delineate the optimal strategy. 

First-Party Data Reigns Supreme

The concept of ad monetization is closely tied to automation. When it comes to filling placements—whether in-app or on websites—most brands depend on third-party solutions like demand-side platforms (DSPs) or advertising SDKs. It’s easy to understand why: with little effort from the publisher, they manage everything from real-time bids to supply quality and viewability. The inventory is diverse, and it saves the brand from having to reach individual agreements with different vendors.  

For those reasons, DSPs can be quite profitable. But with increased awareness of the importance of data privacy and the imminent death of the cookie, the benefits of a strategy that relies on one’s first-party data come into sharper focus.

In opting for first-party ad monetizing solutions, brands may find that not only do they provide better results for advertisers but that in return, monetization also helps them learn more about their audience. “Visitors have the option to share with us what they do inside our website—including the ads they clicked on and the ones they chose to ignore,” explains Daniel Diniz, VP of Business Development. “Packed with the right data management platform, brands can draw valuable insights into what they can do to improve each customer’s experience.”

It’s a Win-Win Solution for Publishers and Advertisers

Retailers know—and care for—their consumers better than any external DSP ever will. They are more likely to know what products genuinely interest them, and how to present them without disrupting the experience. For advertisers, this means that establishing direct relationships with them equals higher click and conversion rates. “Applying our insights into what our consumers would be interested in seeing can yield better results for the brands we offer advertising space to,” says Diniz. “While we won’t be sharing the data our consumers trusted us with, they will witness an improvement in performance.”

In that process, it’s only natural for certain advertisers to get better results than others—something that publishers should identify as a source of knowledge. “If the brand you’re promoting is not seeing great results, it may be time to direct your audience to others,” says Diniz. Far from indicating that one’s placement is not valuable, or that ad monetization is not the way to go, a lack of performance simply means your consumers are not that interested in that particular advertiser.

Winning the Fight Against Ad Fatigue

On occasion, retailers worry that monetizing their website will only add to the existing ad fatigue. While this is a real issue, it’s oftentimes caused by the unregulated use of automated tools, as opposed to a personalized, data-driven strategy. As Teixeira explains, “Consumers are in constant pursuit of new recommendations and solutions to their existing needs. When done right, ads don’t have to be a nuisance—quite the opposite. They complement the experience.”

If a consumer is browsing through an ecommerce website, chances are they are already in shopping mode, meaning they are more open to ads—as long as they don’t seem forced. It all boils down to how we’re presenting them. “Showing visitors an ad they’ve seen a million times or a product they bought two days ago will surely leave a negative impression,” adds Teixeira. “Which only reinforces the importance of an ad monetization strategy that’s built on data-driven decision-making. That way, both the publisher and the advertiser can rest assured that the consumer is seeing a reasonable number of ads that match their interests.”

While there are no magic solutions when it comes to ad monetization, one thing is certain: having a dedicated team capable of creating data processing models and acting upon their findings will benefit all parties. There’s a lot to be gained from monetizing one’s website, as long as we’re factoring in the consumers’ preferences as well as the brand’s. “There’s no one-size-fits-all approach,” concludes Diniz. “Many opt for a dual model in which they save the premium placements for the advertisers they’ve established direct relationships with and manage the rest through a DSP, and that’s perfectly fine. It all depends on their ultimate goal.”

Each one of these events has attained international relevance, playing a fundamental role in the sales of brands everywhere. Yet in the race to capitalize on them, many campaigns fall short of their true potential—whether they know it or not. The fact is, Black Friday can be much more than a one-off event to boost your sales for a few days. It’s a priceless opportunity to establish a lasting relationship with consumers all year long. 

Experiences That Stand on Their Own

A lot has been said about how to gear up for Black Friday—and with good reason. Its massiveness has turned the event into an advertising frenzy that spans a myriad of categories, products and services, which make it increasingly hard for a brand to stand out. As a response, sales are now popping up weeks before the event—to the point where some argue that Black Friday has long moved beyond its original meaning. 

But if anything, these changing dynamics stress the importance of enhancing the customer experience and establishing a relationship that will last far longer than the event itself. “You’re not only competing with other brands; you’re also competing against ad fatigue,” explains Platforms Lead Brook Downton.

A good example of this is what Tmall did for Singles’ Day. In the lead-up to the event, the Chinese website for online retail launched an immersive art exhibition where they showcased eight limited-edition collections from leading brands in the form of NFTs. In putting these experiences together, it’s not imperative to keep Black Friday at the center of it all. The ultimate goal is to provide an added value for consumers, so approach it with a customer-first mindset and let the event be merely the amplifier of an experience that stands on its own. 

Getting to Know Your Consumers

By the start of the Black Friday season, you should have a clear idea of who your consumers are, their behavior and nuances. But if your marketing efforts go according to plan, you can expect a significant influx of new data during these days—both from new and existing consumers. Knowing how to leverage the new data can help you carry this momentum forward, and provide tools you’ll fall back on in the quieter months of the year.

“At this stage, good data management is the equivalent of remembering our conversations with people,” says Gastón Fossati, VP of Data Growth, LATAM at Media.Monks. Having control over this data will bring your consumers’ needs into sharper focus. And when it comes to new shoppers, don’t look at Black Friday as the end of something; rather, as the start of an ongoing strategy. “In this scenario, the conversion already happened, it’s the opposite of what we’re used to,” says Downton. “Have a follow-up moment, acknowledge that new engagement and start building from there.”

That first touchpoint after Black Friday can take many forms, but Downton recommends giving consumers the opportunity to reconfirm their desire to connect with your brand and exchange information. In doing so, it’s important to demonstrate the value exchange that you offer—that is, the more personalized suite of services and benefits that having accurate data can lead to. 

Paving the Way for an Ongoing Relationship

Once the consumer has shown true enthusiasm about engaging with your brand, you can move forward with other marketing efforts, such as a cross-selling strategy. “Considering the products that your consumer already bought to recommend others is a great way to better serve your audience with a more personalized experience,” says Fossati. “It can also be helpful to have a model in place to predict their lifetime value, which will help you focus on the consumers with more potential.”

This point illustrates that the difference between a brand that waits for Black Friday to see their sales ramp up and one that builds on this date to maintain a consistent cycle lies in data management. In order to continue to reap the benefits of Black Friday weeks after the event, it’s important to nurture your relationship with consumers—something you can’t do unless you show up for them and provide real value.

Traditional data practices are en route to disappearing—and while working on a first-party strategy may feel daunting, that shouldn’t be the case. For most brands, the only thing preventing them from truly regaining control over their data is a matter of priorities. Knowing that Google will block third-party cookies in 2023, there’s still a misconception that developing a first-party data strategy is not urgent, when in fact, it’s never been more relevant. 

Now is the time to invest in modern solutions that provide valuable insights. While planting the seeds of anticipation with marketing campaigns and exclusive sales is essential, there’s as much to be done—if not more—after Black Friday. This year, aim at making data-driven decisions that incentivize consumers to keep coming back for more, and you’ll have the key to a consistent sales cycle.

There’s been much ink spilled about emerging consumer behaviors of the new digital era, and of the spending mindset brought about by the proliferation of ecommerce. From the fear of missing out on in-demand products as they run out of stock to the popularity of retail therapy, consumers are changing why, how and when they buy—and online shopping has become an essential part of the equation. This shift spans a plethora of categories, from luxury items to grocery delivery, and will continue to expand as ecommerce expands to more industries.

These changes were accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic—which, for instance, came with a steep increase in mobile online shopping. Although the possibility to shop from anywhere is not necessarily new, the comfort level reached during lockdown surely is—and it has caused old habits to go the way of the horse and carriage for most consumers. With Cinderella Shopping growing strong and steady in Asia and beyond, it’s time to reassess our strategies and consider the new opportunities that are opening up.

The Rise of a New Trend 

Before Shopee’s Midnight Mega Sale, the brand had already noticed a not-so-subtle tendency toward late-night shopping. It was their curiosity about this pattern that prompted them to do a midnight sale in the first place—a bid to target those audiences with flash deals that were available only during the first two hours of the day. Surprisingly, the sale recorded six times more purchases than on any average occasion, which incentivized the ecommerce platform to keep on rewarding these late-night shoppers with more benefits. 

This trend is not limited to any region or industry. As Global Head of Innovation & Social, I’ve witnessed the phenomenon first hand with one of the world’s largest producers of electronics. Not long ago, we supported a live event in Italy to promote the brand’s new product offerings, and saw the highest conversion rates between 10 and 11 PM, seven hours after the livestream had ended. At first, I was surprised by the stats, but with consumers being able to access on-demand content anytime and anywhere, it’s only natural that they will do so when they see fit. Moreover, it’s fair to assume that consumers may want to take their time to research the product before buying.

This isn’t to say that your efforts should exclusively focus on the wee hours of the night. Peak timings in general stand between 8 and 9 PM, but if consumers are skewing towards new routines, looking into—and rewarding—these late-night shoppers can be worth it. After all, all uncharted territory is a good opportunity to stand out among your competitors.

You Can’t Put the Same Shoe on Every Foot

When we think about the reasons that may have led to this sudden rise in late-night shopping, many different factors come to mind. One thing, though, is key: where it would normally be impossible to go to a store after a certain hour, the proliferation of online shopping made it feasible for consumers to purchase at any time.

Although late-night shopping can be commonly associated with impulsive purchases that are cancelled the morning after, this is not always the case. For some, the frenzy of the work day prevents them from finding the time to sit down and fill the shopping cart, or research the products they’re interested in buying. At midnight, though, when the household is asleep and the phone has stopped ringing, it’s easier to focus. At the same time, checking something off the to-do list helps people sleep more soundly, which explains why some may feel the urge to click the ‘order’ button before hitting the sack. 

You can’t put the same shoe on every foot, but you can try and see where the footprints lead to. That is, take the time to get to know your audience. By following their patterns, you’ll be able to provide a customer experience that adapts and responds to their habits—whether with online shopping, virtual events or any kind of content.

How to Be the Belle of the Ball

Once you’ve gotten familiar with your consumers, their behaviors and nuances, it’s important to deliver experiences that will reward and incentivize them. One way to do this is by offering special flash deals for night owls—but you can move further up in the funnel, too. After witnessing how our livestream views scaled later in the day, my team and I decided to complement future day-time streams with additional content for our audiences to enjoy later if they had missed the action live. 

Seeking new partnerships can also expand your reach. This includes marketplaces that can add visibility and sales, but also celebrities and content creators that will allow you to tap into their fanbase. It’s not merely about capitalizing on their followers; with creators that consumers already love, you can make shopping a more innovative and social experience that connects the dots across the entire customer journey. For their Mega Midnight Sale, Shopee offered users a unique experience with K-pop girl group Mamamoo, who performed through Shopee Live. 

This serves as a great example of how you can draw new audiences into your existing deals and benefits. Even when consumers are not necessarily in shopping mode, the right content and the right time can set the mood. Think about it: if audiences are leveraging the last couple of hours before going to sleep to make purchases, they must be using the time to watch other types of content, too. We know revenge bedtime procrastination is real, so take the opportunity to interact with your consumers when it works for them. That is, when they actually have the time to engage.  

Cinderella Shopping is still an emerging trend, but just like with any new audience, it’s never too soon to build a relationship. To do so, start by making sure you’re familiar with your consumers’ behavior, and give yourself the opportunity to experiment with new ways to target, incentivize and reward those with new habits. You can’t just wave the magic wand to engage with late-night shoppers, but the more equipped you are, the higher the chances of delivering a successful strategy that supports emerging behaviors while rewarding your most loyal customers.