Black Friday marketing can get stressful — we get it. There’s a lot to cover for the weekend. But what if we tell you that the effort you put in now will do more than just boost BFCM sales? It’ll give you a head start for the holiday season, especially Christmas.
In this blog, We’ll break down 16+ Black Friday marketing strategies to help you make the most of this opportunity and finish the year on a high note.
Why is Black Friday Marketing Important?
We dug into some data, and the results are hard to ignore—Black Friday has been the busiest shopping day in the U.S. since 2017.
With billions spent each year on the day, you should definitely plan an online Black Friday marketing campaign.
Here are some more reasons:
- Shoppers spent $9.5 billion on Black Friday in 2023;
- 75% of respondents are planning to shop online over physical stores this Black Friday;
- 42% of shoppers will spend about the same amount during Black Friday/Cyber Monday that they did in 2023;
- Shoppers spent $256 on Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined in 2023;
- The average conversion rate for online stores during Black Friday is 4.3%, significantly higher than the annual average of 2.5%;
- Promotions and sales (81%) are the most important factors that drive buyers to purchase something during Black Friday/Cyber Monday.
Black Friday Marketing Strategies
Feeling short of inspiration for Black Friday promotion ideas? Don’t worry; we’ve curated some interesting Black Friday promotions and marketing ideas for you.
Here are Black Friday content ideas you can do to power your strategy this year:
- Crafting Black Friday Sale Emails
- Teasing Black Friday Deals via Email
- The Power of a Free Gift Offer
- Social Promotions for Black Friday
- Lead Collection With Popups
- Building Pre-Sale Buzz for Black Friday
- Early Access: Give VIPs a Sneak Peek
- Perfecting the Abandoned Cart Approach
- Upselling & Cross-Selling Bundle Deals
- Timing Your Black Friday Emails for Best Impact
- Setting Up a Landing Page for BFCM
- Provide Conditional Free Shipping
- Utilizing Influencers to Attract Customers
- Rewarding Loyal Customers on Black Friday
- Flash Sales to Boost Black Friday Engagement
- SMS Strategies for Black Friday
Let’s look at each of these marketing ideas for Black Friday, one by one.
Crafting Black Friday Sale Emails
Sending the perfect Black Friday email marketing campaign can feel like a challenge.
One great example that comes to our mind is from Freshly, a food startup that nailed it with this approach:
A value-oriented email like this can make your Black Friday campaign popular and close sales on autopilot.
Why we love it?
- A clear $60 OFF offer upfront with a detailed breakdown of benefits;
- Simple, action-driven CTA that’s easy to follow;
- Subtle urgency with “this week only” messaging;
- Clean design with plenty of white space to keep it uncluttered.
Teasing Black Friday Deals via Email
Teasing your Black Friday deals early can build excitement.
We’ve seen firsthand how anticipation emails can dramatically boost sales by keeping potential buyers on the edge.
Take Apple, for example, with its perfect Black Friday teaser email.
They didn’t need flashy graphics—just a simple mention of an Apple Store gift card worth up to $200 was enough to create buzz.
Why we love it?
- Mention upcoming offers without revealing everything;
- Minimal yet clear message;
- Offers incentives like exclusive early access or gift cards.
- Simple yet attention-grabbing design aesthetic.
Create outstanding Black Friday emails with Sender! It’s child play when you have an easy-to-use tool and responsive pre-made templates.
Looking for Black Friday subject lines to boost open rates?
The Power of a Free Gift Offer
Giving away a freebie is one of the easiest ways to drive sales without overcomplicating your Black Friday strategy.
During the holiday season, this can tip the scales in your favor. One great example comes from Sephora, which has mastered the art of offering a gift with a purchase.
Why we love it?
- Clever copywriting in the header;
- A minimum purchase amount to set the right expectations;
- Beautiful product image to create a sense of desire.
Social Promotions for Black Friday
Social media can be a goldmine for Black Friday sales when used correctly.
We’ve repeatedly seen businesses thinking outside the box during Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend.
One example we recall is from a closed Facebook group named Ken Moo’s SaaS Lifetime Deals Group, boasting nearly 11K group members.
The post racked up hundreds of comments and likes, boosting visibility for Black Friday deals, right when it was needed the most.
Why we love it?
- Use of private group (existing connection) for announcing exclusive offers;
- Easy and fun task (sharing a GIF) to increase engagement;
- Use of emojis and formatting made the post scroll-stopping.
- Clear post focused on benefits;
Lead Collection with Popups
Black Friday shoppers are already primed to buy, so capturing leads before the big day is essential.
We’ve noticed how lead collection through popups can set you up for success for the holiday season.
Take Ruggable, for example. They used a popup to tease exclusive Black Friday deals, offering early access in exchange for an email signup.
Simple, clean popups like this help build anticipation while growing your email list before the event.
Why we love it?
- Placed on a high-traffic page for maximum visibility;
- Making the reader feel extra special with mention of VIP access;
- Clean design and copy to avoid overwhelming visitors.
Find more effective newsletter signup examples & popup forms for your Black Friday campaigns.
Building Pre-Sale Buzz for Black Friday
We’ve noticed that a pre-sale buzz before Black Friday generates the desired impact in the audience’s minds.
When brands focus on building curiosity, shoppers are eager to jump on the deals once they drop.Google did this in a Black Friday email campaign teasing a big sale.
It sparked interest and created an “I can’t wait to grab the offers when they’re live” feeling.
What you can do this season?
- Tease your offers without giving away all the details;
- Use mystery to build excitement (e.g., “Stay tuned for something big”);
- Send countdown emails to build anticipation;
- Keep your messaging short and intriguing.
Exclusive Access: Give VIPs a Sneak Peak
VIP previews before Black Friday create a sense of exclusivity that excites people to utilize discount codes and shop before the rush.
We discovered that Brooklinen got inspired by this idea. They started their Black Friday sale early with a simple yet powerful message: “Black Friday on a Monday? Yup. Deals start now.”
By giving early-access to their customers, they made those shoppers feel valued and special.
Why we love it?
- Early access to VIPs or loyal customers reduces shopper’s overwhelm;
- Relatable and meaningful copy for a personalized appeal;
- Clean layout with tags on new products to attract clicks.
Perfecting the Abandoned Cart Approach
Abandoned cart emails are a great way to win back lost revenue, especially during high-traffic events like Black Friday.
We’ve seen abandoned cart emails recovering lost sales, especially when paired with a timely offer.
With a simple yet effective abandoned cart email, Pulp & Press leveraged this tactic well.
They reminded shoppers of their cart and added an incentive to buy soon.
Why we love it?
- Use of clever copywriting to push the shopper to checkout soon;
- Words like ‘expiring soon’ and ‘don’t miss out’ to induce FOMO & urgency;
- Additional offers to make the offer even more tempting for the buyer.
Upselling & Cross-Selling Bundle Deals
Black Friday is a prime opportunity to increase average order value through upselling and cross-selling.
Bundle deals encourage shoppers to add more to their carts, which has worked wonders for Nordstrom. They offer curated bundles to complete the look on their website:
A simple yet effective way to nudge shoppers into purchasing more without feeling pushy.
Why we love it?
- Themed-bundle makes it easier to pick complementing products;
- Multiple options to pick from instead of just one suggestion;
- Highlighted savings if someone picks from suggestions.
Timing Your Black Friday Emails for Best Impact
The timing of your Black Friday email will affect its results.
We’ve repeatedly observed it with holiday marketing emails — hitting your audience at the right moment triggers positive action.
For example, Amazon often sends teaser emails a week before Black Friday (and Prime Day), followed by daily reminders to the day, and then flash sales through the day.
This strategy keeps shoppers engaged and ready to act when the deals go live.
- Start sending teaser emails a week or more in advance;
- Use a countdown to build anticipation for your main offers;
- Send flash sale alerts or last-chance emails on Black Friday itself;
- Don’t forget to extend your campaign into Cyber Monday for extra sales.
Setting Up a Landing Page for BFCM
Setting up a clean, focused landing page for Black Friday helps you convert traffic into sales faster.
From our experience, creating a dedicated landing page should be the primary action item when planning your BFCM marketing strategy.
Best Buy consistently gets this right by crafting Black Friday-specific landing pages featuring top deals and clear categories.
This simplicity allows shoppers to find what they want quickly, while the countdown creates urgency to buy before time runs out.
Why this works?
- A single page dedicated to Black Friday deals keeps shoppers on track;
- Easy navigation (like product categories) makes the shopping experience better;
- Highlighted savings tags grab instant attention to the best deals for impulsive purchases.
Provide Conditional Free Shipping
Free shipping during Black Friday is an easy way to increase your sales volume and customer satisfaction.
You should offer free shipping only for customers who spend a certain amount to increase average order value, like Milk Street. They ran Black Friday promotions providing free shipping on orders over $50.
Why we love it?
- Clear promise with terms & conditions right in the headline;
- Product images to give an idea of what to shop;
- Letter from the founder to make the email more personalized.
Utilizing Influencers to Attract Customers
Social media influencers and creators can help boost sales during Black Friday as 20% of shoppers buy based on their recommendations.
We saw Glossier working with influencers to promote their Black Friday sales in the past.
The influencer’s authentic voice and trust make this promotion feel genuine, not pushy.
Examples of how you can work together with influencers and creators for your Black Friday promo:
- Engage influencers for user-generated content ideas;
- Collect endorsements and social proof;
- Offer outrageous and unique influencer-only discounts;
- Promote curated gift wishlists and guides;
- Put up collaborative posts with them on social media.
Rewarding Loyal Customers on Black Friday
Black Friday is a perfect time to show your loyal customers some extra love.
Starbucks does this well with its rewards program. During Black Friday, they offer shoppers extra cash or loyalty points.
The extra benefit encourages customers to spend more and makes them feel valued for their continued support.
Why we love it?
- Offering extra rewards motivates loyal customers to make more significant purchases;
- Recognizing repeat customers with exclusive perks deepens their connection to your brand;
- Simple terms and offer structure encourage everyone to take advantage.
Flash Sales to Boost Black Friday Engagement
In our years as an email marketing solutions provider, we’ve noticed that Flash sales excite customers and create a sense of urgency to act fast before time runs out.
Sources claim these short, high-impact sales events can lead to an increase of 35% in transaction rates. We’re not surprised when we look at flash sales announcement email examples like the one below:
Flash discount strategies for Black Friday, with a limited-period reminder, like the one above, induce urgency and increase conversions.
Why we love it?
- Direct and on-point copywriting;
- Shows the ‘extra benefit’ by mentioning extra savings over the existing offer;
- Contrasting CTA button directly takes the reader to “buy now” page.
SMS Strategies for Black Friday
Including SMS marketing in your Black Friday campaign is a surefire way to increase conversions and multiply sales.
If you haven’t thought of Black Friday SMS marketing tactics, here’s something you can execute quickly:
- Optimize signup forms to accept mobile numbers;
- Set up website popups with exclusive discounts for SMS opt-ins;
- Automate SMS for post-purchase confirmation, post-buy upsells, cart abandonments, and others;
- Personalize your SMS with information specific to your subscribers;
- Avoid being pushy in your texts during the Black Friday period;
- Use a clear tone over a witty one when texting your customers;
- Give your customers a way to opt out of your SMS messages.
Planning Effective Black Friday Campaign
After analyzing different Black Friday email campaigns and tactics above, it’s clear that planning a winning Black Friday marketing strategy takes some serious work.
Here’s everything we understood about utilizing any Black Friday marketing tactic for success as a brand:
Set Clear Goals
Before planning the Black Friday advertising campaign, outline exactly what you want to achieve.
Too many Black Friday marketing ideas fail because they lack focus. Your goals should be specific and measurable so you can track your progress and pivot if needed.
- Define what success looks like (e.g., sales, email signups, website traffic);
- Set a realistic revenue target based on previous data;
- Track progress daily to make adjustments during the Black Friday season;
- Ensure your entire team is aligned with these goals.
Understand Your Target Audience
A few weeks ago, we discussed this in our community — how knowing your audience is key to tailoring your message and offers.
We’ve noticed that the more personalized the campaign, the better the results.
- Segment your audience based on past buying behavior;
- Create tailored offers for different customer groups;
- Use customer feedback from last year to refine your approach;
- Build personas if you’re targeting new segments this year.
Develop a Multi-Channel Plan
Relying on a single channel can limit a campaign’s potential. Successful Black Friday strategies leverage multiple platforms to reach their audience wherever they are.
- Use email marketing, social media, and SMS for wider reach;
- Coordinate consistent messaging across all channels;
- Schedule posts and emails ahead of time to stay organized;
- Ensure customer support teams are ready to handle inquiries across all platforms.
Create a Sense of Urgency
Urgency is a powerful motivator during the holiday shopping season and on Black Friday.
We’ve noticed that Black Friday campaigns with limited-time offers or countdowns drive more conversions.
- Use countdown timers in emails or on your website;
- Highlight limited-time deals or low-stock products;
- Send “last chance” reminders before your online sales end;
- Plan flash sales to encourage immediate action.
Optimize for Sales and Traffic
All the planning means nothing if your website can’t handle the traffic or convert visitors into buyers.
From our experience, technical glitches or slow loading times can cost you sales during peak hours.
- Ensure your website can handle increased traffic;
- Streamline the checkout process to minimize cart abandonment;
- Improve your website speed and optimize images for faster load times;
- Use A/B testing to optimize your landing pages.
Do Not Forget Mobile Optimization
Optimization is non-negotiable, as most customers now shop on their mobile devices.
We’ve been pretty vocal about mobile responsiveness when interacting with our users, as campaigns often miss the mark simply because their mobile experience wasn’t smooth.
Here’s what you should do:
- Ensure your Black Friday marketing campaigns are mobile-friendly;
- Test the entire buying process on mobile devices;
- Use larger buttons and simpler navigation for mobile users;
- Optimize load times for mobile traffic.
Also read: Black Friday Statistics: Worldwide Trends and Sales Data
