Black Friday marketing can get stressful. I get it—there’s a lot to cover for the weekend. But what if I tell you that the effort you put in now in your Black Friday branding will do more than just boost BFCM sales? It’ll give you a head start for the holiday season, especially Christmas.
In this blog, I will be breaking down 20+ Black Friday marketing tactics to help you make the most of this opportunity and finish the year on a high note.
What is Black Friday Marketing?
Originating as a term for an 1869 stock market crash, “Black Friday” later described post-Thanksgiving shopping chaos in 1950s Philadelphia and was rebranded in the 1980s as the day retailers went from losses (‘red’) to profits (‘black’)—eventually earning a reputation for an annual shopping extravaganza where people go crazy for limited-time bargain hunting.
Today, it has become one of the most important dates in every marketer’s calendar.
Why is Black Friday Marketing Important?
After digging into some data, and the results are hard to ignore—Black Friday has been the busiest shopping day in the U.S. since 2017. And with billions spent each year on the day, should I even say the other part out loud? Yes, you should definitely plan an online Black Friday marketing strategy.
Here are some more reasons:
- Shoppers spent $10.8 billion on Black Friday in 2024;
- 80% 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;
- On average, shoppers spent $340 on Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales combined in 2024;
- 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.
20 Proven Black Friday Marketing Strategies
Feeling short of inspiration for Black Friday promotion ideas? Don’t worry. I’ve curated some interesting Black Friday content ideas for you:
- Crafting Black Friday Sale Emails
- Strategic Promotion Ideas
- Social Promotions for Black Friday
- Lead Collection With Popups
- VIP Early Access & Pre-Launch Campaigns
- 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
- Utilizing Influencers to Attract Customers
- Flash Sales to Boost Black Friday Engagement
- SMS Strategies for Black Friday
- Use Black Friday Spin to Win Wheel
- New Arrivals Right Before Black Friday
- Black Friday Advertising Campaigns
- Black Friday SEO Content Strategy
- Mobile Checkout Optimization
- Black Friday Social Shopping Campaigns
- Post-Black Friday Follow-Up Strategy
- Real-Time Campaign Performance Tracking
Let’s look at each of these Black Friday marketing ideas, 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 my 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 I 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.
Create outstanding Black Friday emails with Sender! It’s child’s play when you have an easy-to-use tool and responsive pre-made templates.
Looking for Black Friday subject lines to boost open rates?
Strategic Promotion Ideas
Black Friday is one of the most competitive shopping events of the year, which means a well-planned strategy can make all the difference. One of the key components of this foolproof strategy is offering a freebie.
A thoughtfully chosen gift can be the extra nudge shoppers need to complete their Black Friday purchase—and can even encourage a future purchase by leaving a positive impression. Think market basket black friday gift cards or ‘+1’ deals when they buy something with the provided link. During the holiday rush, this small gesture can shift the decision in your favor.
Sephora has become a master at this approach, frequently offering free gifts with purchase to create excitement and encourage higher spending. Check it out:
While offering a free gift with their purchase is great, there’s another Black Friday promotion alternative that works like a charm—free shipping.
You should offer free shipping only for customers who spend a certain amount to boost the perceived value of the order—take example from Milk Street. They ran Black Friday promotions providing free shipping on orders over $50.
Not all discounts need to be storewide to be effective, however. Offering targeted Black Friday discounts allows you to focus on specific customer segments or products that drive the highest value. In fact, by the Monday before Thanksgiving, more than 40% of email campaigns in 2024 were already promoting Black Friday deals.
This strategy helps protect your profit margins while making existing customers feel valued. By tailoring deals to the right audience, you increase conversion rates and create a sense of exclusivity that encourages quick decision-making.
Social Promotions for Black Friday
Social media marketing can be a goldmine for Black Friday sales when used correctly.
I have repeatedly seen businesses thinking outside the box during Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend.
One example I 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 I 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 from potential customers by including lead collection in your Black Friday marketing strategy before the big day is essential.
I noticed how lead collection through popups can set you up for Black Friday success.
Take Ruggable, for example. They used a popup to tease exclusive 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 I 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.
VIP Early Access & Pre-Launch Campaigns
Creating pre-sale buzz before Black Friday is one of the most effective tricks in Black Friday marketing strategy playbook in capturing shopper attention. Building curiosity primes your audience so they’re ready to buy the moment deals go live.
Google executed this brilliantly with a Black Friday teaser email, sparking excitement and leaving customers thinking, “I can’t wait to grab the offers when they’re live.” Check it out below:
VIP early access adds a layer of exclusivity that makes shoppers feel special. Brooklinen nailed their Black Friday marketing strategy by launching their sale early with the clever message: “Black Friday on a Monday? Yup. Deals start now.” This approach drives urgency while rewarding engaged customers.
Finally, Black Friday is the perfect opportunity to give loyal customers something extra while also creating a VIP experience that entices new customers to join your list early. Starbucks, for instance, uses this tactic by offering bonus rewards points to reward customer loyalty during the shopping season.
These perks not only increase spend but also deepen brand loyalty, ensuring your best customers feel recognized and appreciated. See how it’s done in the example below:
Why I 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.
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.
I’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 I 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 by implementing upselling and cross-selling in your Black Friday marketing strategy.
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 I love it?
- Black Friday 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 email campaign plays a huge role in the success of your Black Friday marketing efforts.
I 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 helps engage customers and be 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 (or even run a full Cyber Week campaign) 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 my experience, creating a dedicated landing page should be the primary action item when planning your Black Friday 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.
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.
I 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.
Flash Sales to Boost Black Friday Engagement
In my years as an email marketing solutions provider, I 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. I’m not surprised when I 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 I 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 the “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.
Use Black Friday Spin to Win Wheel
Gamify your Black Friday promotions with a spin-to-win wheel to engage visitors and boost conversions. These interactive popups encourage customers spin for exclusive prizes—tiered discounts, free gifts, or shipping upgrades—making the experience fun while growing your email or SMS list.
Many brands, including The Body Shop and Approved Vitamins, use this strategy often and see higher engagement and opt-ins because it turns shopping into a game. Make sure your offers are exciting enough to motivate customers to spin and claim their rewards.
New Arrivals Right Before Black Friday
Dropping fresh products right before Black Friday keeps your campaign feeling exciting and relevant. It gives customers something new to look forward to and can reengage shoppers who might otherwise wait until the sale itself.
Check out how Nice Laundry expertly teased its limited edition socks:
Highlighting limited inventory or early access to these arrivals can create urgency and encourage repeat site visits. This also sets the stage for stronger Black Friday sales by building anticipation and keeping your brand top of mind in the days leading up to the event.
Black Friday Advertising Campaigns
Black Friday advertising campaigns work best when they build anticipation, not just announce discounts. This Black Friday marketing strategy helps tease your deals early through email, social, and retargeting ads to get online shoppers thinking about your brand before the rush. Use countdowns, sneak peeks, and “coming soon” messages to build hype.
Here’s an early VIP Access offer from Scotch & Soda:
Also, don’t forget to layer in urgency with limited-time offers or exclusive early-bird deals. This approach keeps your audience engaged, drives repeat visits, and ensures the hype for Black Friday is spilling over by the time the event finally kicks-off.
Black Friday SEO Content Strategy
A strong Black Friday SEO content strategy starts weeks in advance. Refresh last year’s pages with updated deals, dates, and keywords so they’re indexed before peak search traffic hits. Create gift guides, supporting blog posts and comparison articles to capture shoppers in research mode. Internally link these pages to your main sale page to funnel authority.
Furthermore, optimizing meta titles, descriptions, and schema helps you stand out in SERPs. Done right, this builds visibility, drives organic traffic, and boosts conversions when sales go live.
Mobile Checkout Optimization
Mobile checkout optimization is crucial during Black Friday, when most shoppers browse and buy on their phones. Streamline the process with autofill, guest checkout, and as few steps as possible to reduce friction. Ensure pages load fast, buttons are thumb-friendly, and payment options like Apple Pay or Google Pay are available.
Keep in mind that even a miniscule one-second delay can hurt conversions by up to 7%, so speed matters. A smooth mobile checkout keeps customers from abandoning their carts and maximizes last-minute impulse buys.
Black Friday Social Shopping Campaigns
Black Friday social shopping campaigns turn platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook into direct sales channels. Showcase products with shoppable posts, live shopping events, and influencer collaborations to create a sense of urgency and community. Use countdown stickers, limited-time offers, and exclusive social-only deep discounts to drive action.
To bring things to another level, encourage user-generated content by asking followers to share their hauls or tag friends. This approach keeps engagement high, builds social proof, and turns scrolling into shopping right when purchase intent is at its peak.
Post-Black Friday Follow-Up Strategy
A post-Black Friday follow-up strategy keeps momentum going after the sales frenzy ends. Send thank-you emails to buyers, highlight complementary products, and offer exclusive “after-sale” discounts to drive repeat purchases—while acquiring precious feedback on users’ Black Friday experience to use in next year’s Black Friday marketing strategy.
Here’s how Quip extended their Black Friday sale:
Use segmentation to personalize messaging for different customer segments based on browsing or purchase behavior. This approach turns one-time shoppers into loyal customers and extends the revenue boost beyond Black Friday weekend.
Real-Time Campaign Performance Tracking
Real-time campaign performance tracking lets you adjust on the fly and maximize ROI during time-sensitive occasions like Black Friday. Monitor key metrics like CTR, conversion rates and cart abandonments as they happen to spot what’s working and what’s underperforming.
Pause weak ads, boost winning creatives, or shift budget to high-performing channels in minutes. Pair live dashboards with automated alerts so your team can react fast. This agile approach keeps campaigns optimized throughout the day, helping you squeeze the most out of every advertising dollar.
Black Friday Marketing Strategy Examples from Big Brands
Inspiration for your Black Friday marketing campaign doesn’t end here, however. While plenty of stunning examples are laying around every digital corner for you to discover and be amazed—same goes for all those nifty templates at Sender ready to plug in and go—I collected some of my favorites from big brands to wrap this guide up. Enjoy!
Cyber Monday Final Call by Yellowbird
Weren’t satisfied with your Black Friday campaign’s conversions? No worries. Yellowbird shows how you can use Cyber Monday as the perfect final push after Black Friday to squeeze the most out of your sales.
What I loved about it:
- Clever Branding & Theme. The play on words (“Cybird Monday” + retro video game style) ties perfectly with the brand name Yellowbird and makes the sale memorable;
- Urgency & Scarcity. Clear messaging like “ENDS TONIGHT” and “game over” reinforces that the offer is time-limited, pushing readers to act fast;
- Fun & Playful Copywriting. Phrases like “Spice is Nice” and “game over on Cybird Monday” keep the tone quirky and on-brand, making the email enjoyable to read.
Black Friday Weekend Kick-Off Campaign by World Market
While you can prep for Black Friday how much you want, it all comes down to the big day. That said, World Market keeps it simple and effective with this Black Friday campaign.
What I loved about it:
- Bold Headline. “Black Friday Starts Now” is straightforward, urgent, and leaves no doubt that deals are live;
- Immediate CTA. The “Shop All Deals” button is front and center, making it easy for shoppers to jump right in;
- Extra Incentive. Offering an additional 10% off with in-store pickup gives customers another reason to act quickly.
Black Friday Sneak-Peek Campaign by Happi
Happi, a vegan-friendly oat milk chocolate company, is a real treat when it comes to showing how Black Friday campaigns should be done. Here’s one of their sneak-peak campaigns that’s hard not to love:
What I loved about it:
- On-Brand Tone. The casual, fun language (“choccy offer”) perfectly fits Happi’s cheerful, playful personality;
- CTA Placement. The button is positioned just after the teaser and product shot, ready for readers who want to click through right away;
- Product-Focused Imagery. Featuring the chocolate bars upfront reminds customers what they love about the brand while reinforcing the product they’ll soon get a deal on.
Black Friday Sale Campaign by Fly By Jing
With all that pre-Black Friday excitement reaching its peak when the big day arrives, you must have stored something spicy your subscribers can’t resist. And Fly By Jing certainly knows how to dial up those crave-worthy discounts.
What I loved about it:
- Product Showcase. Hero products are highlighted with striking photography, including a callout for a new item, which adds excitement;
- Strong Brand Identity. From the lightning bolt graphics to the bold fonts, the campaign feels unmistakably Fly By Jing;
- Playful Copy. Phrases like “That’s hot” tie into both the product and the excitement of the deal.
Black Friday Sale Campaign by Headspace
Too often, brands cram their Black Friday kick-off campaigns with product shots, when all you really need is a brand-aligned illustration, a clear CTA, and a discount that speaks for itself.
Check out how masterfully Headspace does this in their campaign:
What I loved about it:
- Urgency Built-In. Phrasing like “our best offer of the year” and “while supplies last” makes the deal feel time-sensitive and exclusive;
- Clear Value Proposition. The headline “Our best price for happier days” directly ties the discount to the benefit of the product—improved well-being;
- Bold Discount Highlight. The big 50% OFF graphic makes the offer unmissable and visually appealing.
Now, take these ideas, mix in your brand’s unique personality, and watch your campaigns stand out from the Black Friday noise. All the best in executing your Black Friday marketing strategy!
