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Your guide to making the most of Afterpay Day 2023. Discover tips, tools and insights to boost your bottom line.

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Whether you’re a brick-and-mortar shop or an online business (or a mix of both), it’s time to start planning your Afterpay Day strategy.Why? Because this year, Afterpay Day is set to be bigger than ever, according to <a href="https://business.afterpay.com/rs/539-RJA-633/images/Afterpay_Day_Unlocked_Report_August_2023.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a new survey</a> of more than 1000 Australians and New Zealanders*.<h2>Afterpay Day is a big deal – literally.</h2>Not only is awareness of Afterpay Day at a record high, with two-thirds of consumers aware of the event, but 81% of those are planning to shop.And they are serious shoppers, with 72% spending up to $500 in previous years, and 36% planning to spend more than ever in 2023. In fact, Afterpay Day has the highest conversion rate of any major sale including Black Friday. The bottom line? This is a sale merchants shouldn’t miss.<h2>Prep starts soon.</h2>Planning is more important than ever this year. As consumers continue to feel the economic squeeze, more shoppers (one in two) are researching and planning their sale purchases than ever.What does that mean for merchants? Not only is this a huge sales moment, where prices will drop but sales will soar, but retailers need to start preparing now. Start by putting the sale date – August 17 – in your calendar; we know Australia Post has. The next step is to <a href="https://form.jotform.com/231011123458341" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">submit</a> your offer (by August 2) and start planning your promotional strategy.<h2>What you need to know about shoppers’ plans.</h2>The vast majority of people will be shopping Afterpay Day to take advantage of discounts (70%) and get value for money (54%). Fewer people than in previous years will be buying treats for friends and family (16%).Fashion, beauty and wellness continue to top shoppers’ wish lists, but electronics, tech, furniture and homewares have shot up in popularity.About three-quarters of shoppers will shop at least partly online, but 51% will shop at least partly in-store and there was also a sizeable growth in people planning to do their shopping in person.<h2>How to create an offer that converts.</h2>Most shoppers (80%) prefer fixed discounts – ideally 20-30% off. Spend and save (66%), a free gift with purchase (64%) and buy one, get one at a discounted price (63%) are also popular, according to our survey.Once you’ve decided on your offer, it’s time to start spreading the word – on our channels and yours. Your first step should be <a href="https://form.jotform.com/231011123458341" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">submitting your offer</a> so it appears on Afterpay’s Shop directory (after all, 67% of shoppers will be looking there).After that, the fun really begins; from August 14 it’s time to build hype.&nbsp;Remember that Afterpay customers are looking for great deals; make it easy for them to find yours. Ensure your Afterpay Day offer is visible on your homepage (85% of e-commerce shoppers will look there) and social media channels (29% will be looking there). And if you’re a brick-and-mortar merchant? Start stocking up on visual merchandising assets.<h2>Consider us your sale support team.</h2>At Afterpay, we want you to enjoy your best Afterpay Day yet.&nbsp;To help you promote Afterpay Day, we’ve created a suite of customisable marketing templates, from social media posts to website banners and in-store print assets.Whether you want ready-to-go assets or the option to customise your images or offers we’ve got you covered. Discover our marketing toolkits for <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants/marketing-toolkit-online" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">online</a> and <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants/marketing-toolkit-instore" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in-store</a> promotion and learn the best ways to use Afterpay Day creative assets with our <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1no1ursQQAkK_TLdToPQg8c1gWteiBxIJK-_MgZ9ZcFU/edit#slide=id.g111fc88946c_2_34" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">merchant guide</a>.&nbsp;Our support doesn’t stop there. We’ve asked merchants who have seen their sales soar during Afterpay Day for their tips for success so you can learn from their experiences. You can also read the full <a href="https://business.afterpay.com/rs/539-RJA-633/images/Afterpay_Day_Unlocked_Report_August_2023.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay Day Unlocked</a> report for extra insights.&nbsp;From August 14, merchants are encouraged to start promoting their offers. It’s time to get excited! We know your customers will be.&nbsp;

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*Source: All data has been taken from Afterpay Day Research ANZ August 2023.

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All references to any registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Afterpay does not endorse or recommend any one particular supplier and the information provided is for educational purposes only.

Your guide to making the most of Afterpay Day 2023. Discover tips, tools and insights to boost your bottom line.

How retailers can make more sales during Afterpay Day 

Unlock more sales this Afterpay Day.

Afterpay Day Unlocked August 2023

How design company Orbitkey landed on the perfect approach to Afterpay Day – and quadrupled its revenue as a result.

Announcing when a brand is having a sale is a fine art: do it too early, and you won’t be able to meet daily sales targets as people wait for the sale to begin; but do it too late, and you’ll miss out on a slew of new customers.For <a href="https://www.orbitkey.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Orbitkey</a> e-commerce and marketing lead Hans Suhartanto, there’s a magic number, which he figured out in the third year of participating in <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay Day</a>.&nbsp;“Three to four days is a good time to announce that we’ve joined the event,” he says. “If we promote earlier, people will hold back. Three to four days strikes a balance between the customer knowing about Afterpay Day and also maintaining consistent daily sales.”

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Preparation and clear communication are key. Suhartanto says his team prepares for Afterpay Day two months before the event, collecting assets and creating stories, videos, email content and posts that will be unleashed a few days before the event.“We do it mostly through our social channels, such as Instagram and Facebook, and we try different things each year,” he says.Afterpay gives brands <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants/marketing-toolkit-online" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a banner to use during the promotion</a>, but Suhartanto believes companies must use their own style in order to differentiate themselves.“There are a lot of brands that participate in the event, so while useful, that makes the Afterpay asset similar. What works best for us is to combine the look and feel of Afterpay Day branding with our own style, such as our images and videos, so that the customer can understand our products and recognise them straight away.”

Suhartanto recommends promoting a brand’s distinct offerings clearly and prominently. “Make it easy for the customer to know which product is discounted. What works for us is a site-wide promotion using a single discount value of 15 per cent for most stock, except the newest releases.”

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"What works best for us is to combine the look and feel of Afterpay Day branding with our own style..."

Because the event is short (four days), Suhartanto says it’s important to have a varied strategy, which includes paid advertising on social media alongside a brand’s own unique content.“There’s no room to test and learn on the day – you have to have it all organised beforehand to get the most value out of the event.”

The company also stands by <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/email-marketing/how-to-build-an-email-list-from-scratch" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">email marketing</a>: converting a person who’s already signed up to the brand’s emails is much easier than someone who just “stumbles” on Orbitkey, Suhartanto advises.“Brand awareness means a potential pool of new customers, and we tend to target that group during Afterpay Day.”

Afterpay Day has not only increased awareness of the brand, with referrals from the Afterpay Shop Directory increasing by 7000 per cent, but quadrupled Orbitkey’s total revenue. &nbsp;“Afterpay is widely recognised by Australian consumers: it’s a trusted brand, and helps drive awareness online and offline,” Suhartanto says. "It's also similar in nature to Black Friday. It gives us a lot of impact.”

How design company Orbitkey landed on the perfect approach to Afterpay Day – and quadrupled its revenue as a result.

Orbitkey's perfect suite of marketing tactics tools enabled it to quadruple its revenue during Afterpay Day.

How Orbitkey approached - and won -Afterpay Day

Orbitkey’s three-pronged approach to Afterpay Day

How Orbitkey landed on the perfect suite of tools to promote Afterpay Day

The founder of All Things Golden shares her tips to make the most of Afterpay Day.

When Olivia Coleman launched her fashion label <a href="https://allthingsgolden.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">All Things Golden </a>(A.T.G) in 2016, she was determined to build a brand that would be the antithesis of fast fashion. That meant long-lasting, everyday essentials that customers could wear and love for years.In keeping with this ethos, Coleman is scrupulous about the promotions that A.T.G participates in. “We are very selective when it comes to <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/smarter-discounting/retail-discount-strategy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">discounting</a> and sales.”However, there is one event the brand has taken part in every year for the past three years – <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay Day</a>, which last year drove $200,000 in revenue.Here are A.T.G’s tips for success with <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay Day</a>:

<h2>Plan early</h2>Coleman’s hard-working team of 10 starts planning their Afterpay Day strategy two months in advance.“We tend to go pretty hard and make sure we’re across everything," Coleman says. "We start with creating a really strong visual campaign that flows across from our site and then through all of our marketing channels. Specifically, we do a lot with both paid and organic platforms on both Meta and Instagram."

<h2>Try SMS and emails to reach loyal customers</h2>Although Afterpay Day attracts new customers, it’s the brand’s existing customers who are most likely to purchase during the event. To reach its loyal customer base, A.T.G sends text messages and email, and carefully considers the timing.“We don't typically like to do any lead-up campaigns for sales as I know some other brands do,” Coleman says. “We like to keep our sales limited and exclusive, so we really only let our database know the night before and explain they have exclusive early access.”“We generally use Afterpay Day as an opportunity to provide extra value to our existing customer base."Sending emails and text messages allows these customers to shop before everybody else, "and as we produce in limited quantities this means there's less chance they'll miss out on the things they love.”

<h2>Make your offer obvious</h2>As for the execution of the email creative, Coleman keeps the messaging simple and straight to the point.While she says she tries not to overthink the creative assets too much, she does have one golden rule regarding the actual placement of the discount: the email subject line and preview should hint or tease the discount but the actual offer should be revealed when subscribers open the email.“Some businesses put their offers and discount codes in their subjects which we don't do because you want people to open the email and to click the assets within it."

<h2>Try new channels</h2>For A.T.G's most recent Afterpay Day in August 2022, Coleman experimented with promoting the offer on TikTok – and says she is still fine-tuning her approach.“We started by using the same kind of content that we would generally use for video reels and advertising on Instagram. We did that as a starting point and we did see success once we built hot and warm audiences. But when it comes to converting cold audiences through TikTok ads, it's a lot harder."

<h2>A golden result</h2>The team’s hard work and months of planning paid off in a major way. All Things Golden’s participation in Afterpay Day last August saw an increase of $55,000 in sales. Across the four days of the sale, the brand saw an overall revenue of over $200,000.And while the sales alone are a major achievement, Coleman says it’s the team camaraderie that really stands out as a personal highlight from the event.“It creates a collaborative buzz around our office and warehouse. Working in the lead up to an event like Afterpay Day, it’s just a really fun time of year for us and customers as well! For them to be able to purchase things they've been holding out for… it’s really special."

In 2023, the brand has some exciting plans on the horizon, including an upcoming denim collection and expanding both local and <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/international-commerce/selling-internationally" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">international markets</a>.“Over the past two years, we’ve been selling into the US and it’s now over 50 per cent of our revenue. We have lots of amazing opportunities at our fingertips. I want to continue to grow sustainably while maintaining the values of our business.”

The founder of All Things Golden shares her tips to make the most of Afterpay Day.

The founder of All Things Golden Liv shares her tips to make the most of Afterpay Day.

How Afterpay Day helped this fashion brand drive $200k

How this fashion brand drove $200k during Afterpay Day

Don’t overlook your most loyal customers this Afterpay Day. Here’s how to promote your offer.﻿

There’s no doubt that <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay Day</a> is an excellent way to reach new customers. After all, every year Afterpay Day gets bigger and bigger – which means even more coverage from the media, retailers and Afterpay itself, and more exposure to new audiences.&nbsp;(Last year Afterpay Day messaging was viewed an astounding<a href="https://business.afterpay.com/rs/539-RJA-633/images/Afterpay%20Day%20Unlocked%20-%20March%202022.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> 19 million times</a>.)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But while attracting new customers is always exciting, it pays to consider how you’ll promote Afterpay Day to your existing customer base. Not only are they already familiar with your brand – and therefore more likely to convert – but there are usually fewer costs involved in reaching them.

<h2>Get their attention with email</h2>Email is a simple and free way to let existing customers know you’re participating in Afterpay Day.Consider sending an email before Afterpay Day begins to announce <a href="https://afterpayteam.typeform.com/apd-march-23?utm_source=landing-page&amp;utm_medium=main-hub-page&amp;utm_campaign=submit-cta-button&amp;typeform-source=www.afterpay.com " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">your offer</a>, and then create a sense of urgency by sending another email when the event is in its final hours.Fashion brand <a href="https://allthingsgolden.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">All Things Golden</a> offers its loyal subscribers early access to Afterpay Day by sending an email on the eve of the sale.“We generally use [Afterpay Day] as an opportunity to provide extra value to our existing customer database,” says founder Olivia Coleman.

<h2>Post your promo on social media</h2>One sure-fire way to promote Afterpay Day is to post about it on social media. Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are all obvious ways to reach your audience. When considering your creative, ensure your offer (or discount) is clear and easy to understand.Smaller marketing teams may find the <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants/marketing-toolkit-online" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay Day social media templates</a> supplied by Afterpay to be valuable resources.<h2>Use paid posts to target your customers</h2>&nbsp;Another option is to invest in paid amplification of your posts and to target your existing customers. You can create ads that specifically target:<ul><li>Your existing social media followers</li><li>Shoppers who have visited your e-commerce website recently</li><li>Your email subscribers</li></ul>Another option is to create “lookalike” audiences, which are new audiences that are based on the characteristics of your most engaged or loyal customers.

<h2>Spread the word with SMS</h2>The immediacy of SMS makes it the perfect way to create a sense of excitement and anticipation – and to ensure your promotion is seen. In fact,<a href="https://www.tatango.com/blog/90-of-text-messages-are-read-within-3-minutes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> 90 per cent of SMS</a> messages are read within three minutes.&nbsp;Try to personalise your SMS marketing as much as possible, and experiment with images, emojis and videos (but remember that these extras can incur more costs).

4 strategies to convert existing customers this Afterpay Day

Tips and tactics to let your loyal and long-term customers know you’re taking part in Afterpay Day.

4 strategies to convert existing customers during Afterpay Day  

Discover tactics and tips to boost awareness and drive sales this Afterpay Day.

The countdown is on until <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay Day </a>– and this year it promises to be better and bigger than ever.For retailers, Afterpay Day is the perfect opportunity to boost sales and reach new customers. But registering to participate isn’t enough; the secret to success – and driving sales – is in the way retailers promote their offer.To help you plan your strategy, we spoke to several retailers – from fashion brands to furniture retailers – who found success with Afterpay Day last year and uncovered their tips and tactics to making the most of this key sales event.

<h2>Plan in advance</h2>One universal tip when it comes to Afterpay Day?&nbsp;Planning your promotion strategy well in advance.“We work Afterpay Day into existing planned sales periods,” says Vanessa Chui of children’s nursery furniture brand, Boori, who explains that she takes Afterpay Day into account when planning her annual marketing activities.Olivia Coleman, the founder of fashion brand <a href="https://allthingsgolden.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">All Things Golden</a>, begins mapping out her organic and paid social media campaigns two months in advance.&nbsp;“There’s no room to test and learn on the day,” adds <a href="https://www.orbitkey.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OrbitKey </a>marketing manager Hans Suhartanto.&nbsp;“You have to have it all organised beforehand to get the most value out of Afterpay Day.”

<h2>Promote with paid media</h2>Amplify your brand’s participation in Afterpay Day with organic and paid social media posts. Last year, All Things Golden posted across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.Meanwhile <a href="https://boori.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Boori</a> found success with pay-per-click Google search advertising. “During promotional periods we put a lot more budget towards PPC Google ads,” says Chui, “which we’ve found can be really good for short-term events like sales.”In fact, 361,000 shoppers searched for Afterpay on Google during the last Afterpay Day event.

<h2>Utilise Afterpay’s marketing templates</h2>Overwhelmed by the prospect of creating social media assets for Afterpay Day? Don’t forget to download <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants/marketing-toolkit-online" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay’s social media templates</a>, which make creating social media posts simple. These templates allow retailers to add their own product imagery or brand colours and post straight to social media.“[The templates] make it easier for us to take part,” says Chui. ‘They’re really helpful.”<h2>Turn to influencers</h2>Another tactic to boost awareness of Afterpay Day? Social media influencers. In fact, last year, UGG Express, which saw a 42 per cent lift in sales during Afterpay Day, reached out to micro-influencers to help them spread the word.

<h2>Drive the message home</h2>Make your Afterpay Day offer unmissable with a home-page takeover that lets anyone who lands on your website aware they can spend and save.All Things Golden, UGG Express and e.l.f cosmetics all promoted Afterpay Day across their website and home page.&nbsp;<h2>Don’t overlook existing customers</h2>&nbsp;Afterpay Day is a great way to reach new customers, but don’t forget to communicate your offer to your loyal fans, too.All Things Golden used SMS and email to give loyal customers a sneak preview of their Afterpay Day offer. “We generally use [Afterpay Day] as an opportunity to provide extra value to our existing customer database.”“[Sending emails and text messages] allows them to shop before everybody else,” says Coleman, “and as we produce in limited quantities this means there's less chance they'll miss out on the things they love.”

Discover tactics and tips to promote Afterpay Day which boost awareness and drive sales.

Want to promote Afterpay Day? Discover tactics and tips from real retailers explaining how to advertise Afterpay Day and boost awareness and drive sales.

Real retailers reveal how to win at Afterpay Day

Nursery furniture brand Boori saw a 36 per cent bump in sales last Afterpay Day. This year, they’re taking part again.

When nursery furniture brand Boori took part in Afterpay Day last year it enjoyed a 30 per cent rise in sales.This year, the beloved Australian brand will be promoting the event even more heavily. After all, as online manager Vanessa Chui explains, participating in sale events like Afterpay Day is more important than ever in periods of economic uncertainty.“Consumers are more price-conscious, especially with so much talk of a potential recession looming. Offering similar deals or prices to your competitors is really important right now,” she says, adding that value-added promotions and offering products across a range of price points is imperative.

The secret to driving sales with Afterpay Day comes down to a clear promotional plan, Chui says. Here are Boori’s tips for maximising Afterpay Day marketing…&nbsp;<h2>Make use of Afterpay’s marketing templates</h2>For Chui, one of the most appealing aspects of Afterpay Day is how easy it is to take part.&nbsp;“Our marketing team isn’t that big,” she says, explaining that, last year, Boori made use of social media templates supplied by Afterpay to support Afterpay Day. These templates include assets – all sized to the correct dimensions for each social media platform – featuring Afterpay’s brand colours and logos. Retailers can then customise the assets with their own product imagery – reducing the need to create assets from scratch or employ a graphic designer.“[The templates] make it easier for us to take part,” says Chui. ‘They’re really helpful.”You can find templates and assets for this year’s Afterpay Day <a href=" https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants/marketing-toolkit-online" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.

<h2>Communicate Afterpay’s value to customers</h2>&nbsp;When promoting Afterpay Day, Boori chooses impactful images of products, and ensures that ads clearly communicate the savings that customers can make.&nbsp;“The average Boori order is for around $500 usually, which for a lot of people is not a small amount,” says Chui. “So, letting customers know that they can purchase the products they want with the option of Afterpay is really important for us.”&nbsp;Social media ads run at the start of Afterpay Day, in the middle and then during the final hours of the sale.&nbsp;<h2>Incorporate Afterpay Day into your annual marketing calendar</h2>&nbsp;For Boori, planning for Afterpay Day starts early – when the brand plans its marketing calendar for the year.&nbsp;“We work Afterpay Day into existing planned sales periods, which means we didn’t get bogged down with too many sales throughout the year, but are still offering a unique incentive to customers,” she says. In 2022, for example, Afterpay Day sat within a longer-running sale period, which is something Boori plans to repeat this year.

<h1>Consider pay-per-click advertising&nbsp;</h1>As well as social media, Boori also found success with pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.“During promotional periods we put a lot more budget towards PPC Google ads,” says Chui, “which we’ve found can be really good for short-term events like sales.”Combining all these tactics – from <a href=" https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants/marketing-toolkit-online" rel="noopener noreferrer">templated ads</a> to careful preparation and paid amplification of Afterpay Day offers – helped Boori reach 21 per cent more Afterpay customers in 2022.

Boori’s sales soared 36 per cent during Afterpay Day. Here’s how.

“Afterpay Day is really important right now”

The secrets to driving sales during Afterpay Day with Boori

UGG Express’ sales soared by 42 per cent during Afterpay Day. Here's how they did it.

When Australian ugg boot company <a href="https://uggexpress.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UGG Express</a> first took part in <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/afterpay-day-merchants" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Afterpay Day</a> four years ago, it barely promoted the event. It was only when the brand started marketing it on its own social channels that they truly saw success.“You have to use all your own marketing channels,” advises UGG Express marketing manager Laura Li.

UGG Express started as a family business in 1970, focused on creating high-quality, reasonably priced ugg boots. Now, it’s a thriving Australian footwear, and accessories retailer, online and offline, with 30-plus brick-and-mortar stores and just under 100 staff – but their devotion to quality and comfort remains.&nbsp;‘We use premium Australian sheepskin to craft our uggs, and Australian sheepskin lasts for years. Plus, we offer the best price in the market,’ explains Li, who adds that warehouses in Sydney and Melbourne mean the brand can offer fast delivery.

Last year the business’ Afterpay Day strategy resulted in a revenue increase of 42 per cent, as well as a 27 per cent increase in new customers<h2>Set a competitive offer</h2>“Afterpay Day is now pretty well known in Australia,” says Li. “Which is a good thing – but also means your competitors will likely be involved. Do some research to set a competitive price and diversify your product offer – that can really help to attract more customers.”<h2>Time it right</h2>UGG Express drives promotion across multiple channels, including email, leading in, right before and during the event but “no longer than a week before the event, with three to four days before being the best lead time to foster that sense of urgency”.<h2>Use urgency</h2>In fact, emphasising urgency is another key tip from Li, who explains that UGG Express’ omnichannel marketing strategy focuses on creating a sense of urgency, with a simple message: It’s Afterpay Day … 15% Off Storewide … 4 days only.

<h2>Take an omnichannel approach</h2>The company’s multi-pronged approach includes Google ads, email campaigns, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and a home page takeover.While Google and EDMs drive the most direct website traffic, the team learnt that using all digital channels delivers the best results.UGG Express invested in Google ads in 2022, and Li advises that one tactic merchants could try is a lead generation funnel – i.e. getting customers to sign up to your email list so that you can let them know once the offer is live. Or even offer early access.<h2>Instagram, Meta, Pinterest</h2>UGG Express posted 3-4 paid and organic posts in the lead-up to, right before and during Afterpay Day.

<h2>Try influencers</h2>UGG Express also utilised their regular micro-<a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing-examples" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influencers</a> by providing them with product and a clear briefing on key messages to post just prior.<h2>Consider customer experience</h2>Remember it’s not just about the pre-event marketing.‘This event will drive a lot of sales so businesses should use it to build a strong relationship with the customer. They need to provide outstanding customer service, especially during the after-sale service’ advises Li.<h2>Create after-sales funnels</h2>Communicating after the event and creating after-sale funnels are more likely to convert the new customers into regular customers – for example: thank the customer, encourage them to sign up to your newsletter or follow you on social media, or even offer them a special discount for their next purchase.

‘Afterpay Day works really well, it’s great for sales. No business should miss out.’

&nbsp;Li recommends, ‘Analyse all data sets – use everything from your own platforms, and the report that Afterpay provides. Assess and analyse customer behaviours and patterns so you can optimise and perform even better in the future.’

UGG Express’ sales soared by 42 per cent during Afterpay Day. Here how they did it.

UGG Express' sales increased by 42 per cent on Afterpay Day. Here's how the Australian retailer did it.

How Ugg Express leveraged influencers and urgency to win Afterpay Day 

How influencers and urgency helped UGG Express win Afterpay Day

Afterpay Day Ugg Express

The <a href="https://www.smartinsights.com/email-marketing/email-communications-strategy/email-marketing-evolution/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first marketing email</a> was sent in 1978, resulted in $13 million in sales, and kicked off what has become one of the most highly used marketing channels even to this day. Given its early beginnings, email isn’t as shiny as some newer channels like messaging and social, but it is an effective way to build an owned audience that gets results.<a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/email-marketing/what-is" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Email marketing</a> isn’t just about you, or your company. It’s about your customer. This Afterpay Day, you can use email to speak to those customers about your sale offer in the right way, targeting those eager to shop with you, who are ready to convert.To help you create emails that stand out this Afterpay Day, we turned to email guru <a href="https://www.hubspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">HubSpot</a>. We chatted with HubSpot’s APAC Marketing Director Kat Warboys on the best ways merchants can use email this Afterpay Day.

1. Kat, email is a powerful channel, but it’s also a cluttered one. What are the best approaches merchants can take when sending emails this Afterpay Day that can help them cut through the noise and get noticed?

While many have speculated that email is dead, we’ve witnessed the opposite at HubSpot. We wanted to understand how the pandemic was impacting the way bands communicated with their audience so we analysed the aggregated data from over 70,000 HubSpot customers globally. We found that Aussie companies were staying more connected with their customers than ever before. In May 2020, Marketing email sends were at 24% above pre-COVID levels and, encouragingly, open rates were also up by 34%. Fast forward to today and email remains a powerful tool for marketers and a valuable medium for your customers.Today’s consumer values interactions with your brand that are personal, helpful and authentic. When applied to your email strategy, these principles can help drive revenue for your business.

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2. Do you have any tips on subject lines? For example, should merchants be including their offers directly in the subject line?

We all know first impressions are important and for email, that’s your&nbsp;subject line. We only have to&nbsp;take a look at our own inbox to see how&nbsp;cluttered it can get so having a subject line that earns people’s attention is key.&nbsp;Including offers in the subject line is fine and since most email marketing platforms allow for smart personalisation tokens where you can pull in the recipient’s information you have the power to get clever with your subject lines, from product recommendations to reminding the recipient of their <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/marketing/customer-loyalty-program" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">loyalty program</a> rewards.

Social proof is fast becoming a non-negotiable in the shopping experience and your subject line can be a great opportunity to provide that validation.

If your offer is going to&nbsp; be the focus of your subject line, limited-time offers&nbsp;are highly effective at getting consumers to take action. If you want to capture&nbsp;the attention of your recipients, use your subject line to highlight what they&nbsp;stand to lose if they don’t open the email.&nbsp;For more subject line inspiration, we pulled together <a href="https://offers.hubspot.com/hubfs/Email-Subject-Lines.pdf?utm_campaign=Q1%20ANZ%20SB&amp;utm_source=afterpayday" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">100 email subject lines that we couldn’t&nbsp; help but click</a>.

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3. There are two key phases to Afterpay Day: the hype phase and the live event phase. How should merchants look to differentiate their emails and messaging across the two phases?

<a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/email-marketing-guide?utm_campaign=Q1%20ANZ%20SB&amp;utm_source=afterpayday" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">78% of consumers have unsubscribed from lists because a brand was&nbsp;sending too many emails</a>. My advice is only send when you have&nbsp;something valuable to say. A well thought our <a href="https://offers.hubspot.com/email-marketing-planning-template?utm_campaign=Q1%20ANZ%20SB&amp;utm_source=afterpayday" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">email schedule and plan</a> will&nbsp;ensure your communications are consistent and feel conversational as&nbsp;opposed to sporadic and clumsy.&nbsp;The hype phase should be all about education and relevancy. What can your&nbsp;audience expect?&nbsp; How can you make it relevant to them? Consider using&nbsp;segmentation to focus on categories you know the customer is interested in.&nbsp;Curate a wishlist category for your customers based on their interests that they can save. Provide education and social proof to truly engage the customer so they are ready and waiting for the live event! Subject lines that focus on pain points can be a great way to earn attention during this time.If you have done the hype phase well, your audience won’t require any more education and your emails will be optimised for conversions. If they created a wish list your email should link straight to it, making the shopping experience easy and enjoyable. Use this time to communicate the key offer dates to create urgency.&nbsp;

4. Personalisation is always really important when it comes to email marketing. What are some of the ways merchants can segment their lists to drive stronger personalisation across their email campaigns?

We’ve all heard of abandoned cart emails and welcome offers, but these are&nbsp;just the tip of the iceberg. Merchants can get really creative when it comes to personalising the&nbsp; experience for buyers and email can sit at the heat of this.&nbsp;Each person who signs up to receive your emails is at a different level of&nbsp;readiness to convert into a customer. The way you engage with a new subscriber vs your most loyal, repeat customer should be very different. If you send a discount code for your product to new subscribers that don’t even know how to diagnose their problem, you’ll probably lose them.&nbsp;

5. HubSpot offers so many great tips and best practices for email marketing success. To finish us up today, what’s the most important thing merchants need to remember when it comes to running a successful email campaign this Afterpay Day?

Focus on delivering experiences that are personal, helpful and authentic&nbsp;within your email strategy. Provide value before you extract value. Personalisation at scale is only possible if you have the behavioural and demographic data available to segment and deliver great experiences via email or any other channel. Assess your tech stack and the data required to enable you to segment your audience and drive valuable moments to your customers..If you keep these principles in mind, your subscribers will not only read your emails, but they will look forward to hearing from you every time.

Kat Warboys

To help you create emails that stand out this Afterpay Day, we turned to email guru HubSpot. We chatted with HubSpot’s APAC Marketing Director Kat Warboys on the best ways merchants can use email this Afterpay Day.

Getting it write: Email best practices from HubSpot you can use this Afterpay Day

Email best practices you can use this Afterpay Day

Discover how customers will be spending, and what merchants need to do to ace this major sale moment.

The countdown is on until Afterpay Day, and this year’s event (March 17-20) has the potential to be bigger than ever.This year, Afterpay commissioned dedicated research - Afterpay Day Unlocked - with reserach agency Kantar, looking into how Australasians are planning to shop and spend during Afterpay Day. The survey was in field between 17 January and 21 January 2022, collecting a total sample size of 943 respondents, and the results offer valuable insights for retailers.The good news? Most of the shoppers surveyed (54 per cent) are excited about Afterpay Day, and 60 per cent plan to take part.&nbsp;And even better, shoppers are ready to spend. Last year, most customers (67 per cent) spent between $100-$500; this year 41 per cent plan to spend even more.<h2>What they’ll buy</h2>Fashion, including apparel, jewellery and accessories, is the top priority for Australasians, with 61 per cent planning to update their wardrobes, followed by the health, wellness and beauty category (50 per cent).However, electronics, homeware, hobbies and outdoor have seen the biggest increase in engagement compared to last year, so merchants in these categories should be prepared for a surge in customer interest.<h2>Where they will shop</h2>Online always plays a major role in Afterpay Day, with 73 per cent of customers shopping exclusively online during previous Afterpay Day sales.&nbsp;However, name of report TK found that Covid-19 restrictions have affected customers’ past shopping preferences, and, this year, 50 per cent of shoppers say that in-store will play some role in their Afterpay Day shopping.<h2>What they want from retailers&nbsp;</h2>When asked what types of discounts hold the most appeal, the response was clear: an overwhelming majority of shoppers (73 per cent) want fixed discounts.&nbsp;This was followed by free gifts with purchase (41 per cent), tiered discounts (38 per cent) and buy-one, get-one-free discounts (33 per cent).<h2>How you can maximise sales&nbsp;</h2>Afterpay’s name of report TK offers a wealth of insights into consumer behaviour for Afterpay Day 2022. Here’s what it means for you:Take your store online.Don’t have a digital presence yet? With 73 per cent of customers historically taking part in Afterpay Day by shopping exclusively online, launching an online store will help you take advantage of this major sales moment.<a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/operations/take-bricks-and-mortar-store-online" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Read more: How to take your store online</a> Set an attractive offerExcitement around Afterpay Day is building, and 49 per cent of shoppers will be researching offers in the lead-up to the event. Start planning your offer now (remembering that fixed discounts will be most popular), register to take part by March 8, 2022.Let customers know you’re inThe next step? Reminding your customers that Afterpay Day is approaching, and pre-promoting the sale. Consider encouraging customers to sign up to your newsletter to be among the first to know what’s on sale. Then, from March 14, you can reveal your specific offer or discount.&nbsp;Consider visual cues.Although online is a key sales channel during Afterpay Day, half of all shoppers say that physical stores will play a role in their planning. That means that visual merchandising will be important for capturing and sustaining customers’ attention.Get staff on boardDon’t forget to ensure your team understands the sale, and roster on extra staff to match trading flows.&nbsp;Check stockWhen the sale begins, the last thing you want is to run out of stock and miss out on valuable sales. Check inventory levels against previous sales days to forecast demand and stock up accordingly.&nbsp;&nbsp;Get more tips and read the report in its entirety <a href="https://business.afterpay.com/rs/539-RJA-633/images/Afterpay%20Day%20Unlocked%20-%20March%202022.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">here</a>.

How customers will be spending, and what merchants need to know

How customers spend and shop during Afterpay Day, plus the tips and inside advice on how to drive more sales