17 proven Black Friday marketing strategies for your success

Black Friday is more than just a shopping day. It’s a high-stakes showdown for brands aiming to capture the spotlight and boost sales. Whether you’re a small business or a big retailer, a well-planned Black Friday campaign can maximize your impact and help you reach your goals.

Ready to turn browsers into buyers? With the right marketing ideas, you can stand out from the frenzy, win over new customers, and have your best Black Friday yet. 

This blog discusses the 17 creative, tried-and-true strategies to help you cut through the noise, drive serious sales, and make this season unforgettable! Let’s dive in!

What is Black Friday marketing?

Let’s walk you through the inception of Black Friday marketing.

It all began in the U.S. back in the 1950s. It was a beautiful Friday after Thanksgiving, and a shopping storm was brewing in the U.S. As holiday lights started to sparkle, stores across the U.S. opened their doors with irresistible deals, marking the official start of Christmas shopping. Thus, Black Friday was born, a day when retailers rolled out jaw-dropping discounts, and shoppers raced to grab the best bargains before anyone else.

Fast forward to today, and Black Friday has grown into a global shopping sensation. It starts one month before Christmas, after Thanksgiving Day. 

For retailers, it’s the perfect chance to boost sales and connect with new customers, while for shoppers, it’s a golden opportunity to score that dream item at an unbeatable price. 

Why is it called “Black Friday”?

Black Friday was first used in 1869 when two investors, Jim Fisk and Jay Gould, crashed the market by dropping gold prices. As a result, foreign trade stopped, the stock market dropped by 20%, and farmers witnessed an unfortunate drop in wheat and corn values.

From 1950 to 1960, the term was used again for a day between the Army-navy game and Thanksgiving; the event summoned crowds of tourists and shoppers, requiring an extra few hours of effort by law enforcement to moderate the traffic. 

In 1980, the term associated with shopping was used when retailers used the Black Friday term to reflect the backstory of accountants who used red ink for negative earnings and black for positive earnings. 

Black Friday became the day when stores turned their profitability.

Since then, the term “Black Friday” has been in use. It has evolved into a season-long event that has spawned more shopping holidays like “Cyber Monday” and “Small Business Saturday”. 

Successful Black Friday marketing strategies

1. Build your Black Friday email list
2. Send personalized Black Friday advertising emails
3. Boost Black Friday sales via Social Media
4. Roll out a Black Friday SMS marketing campaign
5. Upsell and cross-sell with discounts
6. Offer multiple gift-giving opportunities
7. Prevent cart abandonment using exit-intent popups
8. Go for influencer partnerships
9. Use hashtags to reach a new audience
10. Create a sense of urgency
11. Use retargeting ads
12. Use bio links to direct people to your store
13. Use deep links to direct people to the app store
14. Use branded links
15. Optimize checkout process
16. A/B test campaign pages
17. Use CTAs to track clicks and conversations

Black Friday is one of the most anticipated events for sellers and customers in the e-commerce business. 

After the Pandemic, 80% of people switched to online shopping in the U.S. This makes it essential for e-commerce businesses to adopt smart, customer-centered strategies that attract and engage eager buyers. 

Ready to know the secrets of successful Black Friday marketing? Here are the strategies that can make your store the go-to spot for Black Friday deals!

1. Build your Black Friday email list

About 40% of people open their emails to see about Black Friday offers. This makes building an email list essential for connecting with customers. You can entice them with irresistible sales promotions by landing in their inboxes.

Don’t just focus on existing subscribers; invite new visitors to sign up for your email list by promoting your upcoming sales. Make your sign-up forms easy to fill by asking for their name and email address.

You can also use customer surveys and quizzes to grow your list. Consider offering incentives, like discount points, for those who subscribe and invite friends.

So, to nail your Black Friday marketing campaign, an email list is absolutely crucial. Your customers need to know that you’re offering those limited-time, unmissable deals!

Here is what boss business has to say about email list strategy:

You may also like: Email marketing best practices for 2024

2. Send personalized Black Friday advertising emails

Statistics show that 63% of people open emails specifically to find discounts. For businesses, this makes email marketing a no-brainer for Black Friday.

Here’s how you can build and send personalized Black Friday to promote your big sale in three easy steps:

Step 1: Create curiosity by sending an email one week before Black Friday to your customers and potential leads, informing them about the exciting upcoming event.

Step 2: Send a second email at the start of Black Friday to inform you about all discounts and offers. It will create fear of missing out. 

Step 3: Send a third email to remind customers about the end of the sale and create a sense of emergency.

A customized email will make your customers feel important and exclusive. You need to post reminders on all social media channels along with an email campaign. 

Here are some examples: 

The famous SaaS platform Semrush and how it uses emails to promote its Black Friday sale. The marketing team creatively makes use of a catchy subject line, clickable images that lead to their Black Friday offer, and captivating images to entice its subscribers:

Here’s another example of Headline Studio by CoSchedule, an all-in-one AI Marketing Calendar platform. The highlights of this Black Friday marketing campaign include the use of an emoji in the subject line, a CTA button, and a visual representation of the price slash:

3. Boost Black Friday sales via Social Media

Top examples for Social Media Black Friday marketing campaigns:

TikTok: Amazon gets weird

Facebook: KFC launches Finger Lickin Good deals

Instagram: Pro Direct Soccer drops the price (and the beat)

YouTube: IKEA buys back old furniture on Black Friday

Social media is the best platform to inform customers and users about your attractive discount offers and deals by sharing pro ads. According to stats, the most used social media platforms based on active users are Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, and TikTok. 

By providing information about upcoming offers before Black Friday, you can engage and excite your customers to check out all the deals on Black Friday. You should plan your offers and discounts wisely and share ads (paid and organic) to make people curious and excited about these offers. 

You can also post stories, reels, posts, and videos or go live to introduce your Black Friday discounts and vouchers. Sponsored posts and stories are also a great source to gain an edge over the competition. 

When scheduling your Black Friday content, make sure to use all social media features for maximum conversions wherever possible to maximize engagement and sales. Here are some excellent examples:

TikTok: Amazon gets weird

Amazon, the biggest e-commerce brand, took a weird and unusual take for its TikTok Black Friday marketing campaign:

@amazon

Whether you’re shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, the best deals are at Amazon.

♬ Robocats – Amazon

Facebook: KFC launches Finger Lickin Good deals

KFC always has Finger Lickin’ Good deals for Black Friday. If that 50% discount doesn’t excite you, you’re probably missing out on life’s best flavors! Here’s an example of their Black Friday Marketing campaign on Facebook:

Instagram: Pro Direct Soccer drops the price (and the beat)

Pro Direct Soccer got a little swaggy with its huge price drop on Black Friday. Their Instagram reel took us on a jog with some upbeat music, cool visuals, and irresistible prices:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pro:Direct Soccer (@prodirectsoccer)

YouTube: IKEA buys back old furniture on Black Friday

IKEA got us a little emo with its #BuybackFriday on YouTube. They didn’t offer a huge discount or anything; instead, they decided to take back old furniture and give it another life:

4. Roll out a Black Friday SMS marketing campaign

A Black Friday campaign isn’t complete without a solid SMS campaign.

But why SMS? Well, it’s immediate, super accessible, cost-friendly, and gets way more attention than email. When an SMS pops up on a customer’s phone, they’re way more likely to open it—especially during the busy Black Friday rush. Plus, you can send a quick, clear message with a link to all your deals.

Here’s how to make it work:

1. One week before: Send a sneak peek to get your customers curious about what’s coming. Build that excitement!
2. Black Friday morning: Hit them with the big news! Tell them that your discounts are live! Make it clear and action-oriented to get them shopping.
3. Last call: Remind them the sale’s almost over. Create some urgency to get those final clicks.

Another cool part about SMS marketing is that you can easily send loyalty and referral program invites, survey and feedback forms that can help you do better next year, and abandoned cart reminders.

It’s always better to use advanced SMS automation tools for your campaign. Some top SMS marketing software that can come in handy during the Holiday season are Insider, Textla,  Birdeye, SlickText, Close, Ez Texting, and Salesmsg. 

Here’s an example of how Function of Beauty understood the Black Friday marketing assignment:

If done right, SMS marketing can be a game-changer for your marketing strategy!

5. Upsell and cross-sell with discounts

Upselling and cross-selling are the best strategies to improve your Black Friday marketing.

In this, you can sell multiple products together to increase your earning potential. 

An example of upselling could be that instead of selling a burger separately, you can make it a deal at a discount and at a better price by adding fries and drinks to attract customers. 

Here’s an example of “Complete The Look” cross-sell offer with discounts by Adidas:

Source: Adidas

People prefer package deals over individual items. They won’t mind slight price fluctuation on deals – it can drive more sales and increase the number of products sold!

6. Offer multiple gift-giving opportunities

To craft a successful Black Friday marketing campaign, you should have multiple gift-giving opportunities to attract customers.

• Give bundle discounts: You can attract more traffic to your stores by giving bundle discounts on your products. People buy more at a discount, which can increase sales in return. 

Here’s how Shein is doing it:

Source: Shein

• Give your VIPs an exclusive Black Friday discount: To increase your earning potential, VIP customers receive exclusive discounts to appreciate their loyalty. 

Here’s how Beninca Group is nailing it:

Source: Beninca Group UK

• Focus on gift cards: To increase earning potential, you can distribute gift cards to your customers with attractive and special discounted offers and deals. 

Here’s an example of Chuck E. Cheese, a famous restaurant chain in the United States:

Source: Chuck E. Cheese

• Give a free gift with a purchase: To make your Black Friday sale attractive, make deals by announcing a buy-one-get-one offer. For example, if the customer buys a burger, offer a free drink. It will increase customers and urge them to buy more. 

Here’s an example of the famous beauty brand Bobbi Brown:

Source: Bobbi Brown

• Use coupon codes and vouchers: Boost your Black Friday sales with exclusive coupons and vouchers! Customers love a good deal, and these incentives can drive traffic, increase conversions, and make your offers stand out. 

Check out this fantastic Black Friday offer by Kohl’s, where they offer a coupon code upon checkout for an additional discount:

Source: Kohl’s

7. Prevent cart abandonment using exit-intent popups

Cart abandonment occurs when an online shopper adds items to their cart but leaves the site without completing the purchase. This happens frequently, with customers leaving their carts full of products before finalizing checkout.

An exit-intent popup is a message that appears when a user is about to leave the site. These popups are highly effective at encouraging users to complete their purchases. Studies show that the average conversion rate for card abandonment popups is 17.12%

Exit-intent popups are especially powerful on Black Friday. They can showcase limited-time discounts and exclusive deals or even offer free shipping, reducing cart abandonment and boosting conversions.

Here’s an example of the exit intent popup of Usermaven, a website and product analytics tool:

Source: Usermaven

8. Go for influencer partnerships

Influencer partnerships are crucial for your Black Friday success. In fact, according to Influencer Marketing Hub, 24.2% of respondents intend to spend more than 40% of their marketing budget on influencer marketing in 2024.

Influencers help extend your reach to a wider audience, build trust, and create buzz around your deals. Their authentic recommendations can drive traffic, increase conversions, and boost brand visibility during the highly competitive Black Friday period. By collaborating with influencers, you tap into their loyal follower base, which can lead to a significant surge in sales.

Back in the picture again, we have Amazon. They used the famous TikToker Charlie D’Amelio to promote their Black Friday deals. Check it out:

@charlidamelio

grwm featuring my fav products from @Amazon black friday deal page! #founditonamazon #ad

♬ Flight of the Mitoglider – Myriad of Trees

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9. Use hashtags to reach a new audience

Hashtags are essential for maximizing Black Friday visibility and engagement. They help categorize content, making it easier for shoppers to discover your deals among the flood of holiday offers. 

Using popular and relevant hashtags, like #BlackFridayDeals or #HolidaySales, your posts reach a larger audience, attracting potential customers actively searching for discounts. Hashtags boost brand exposure and make it easy to join trending conversations, keeping your brand top-of-mind during the shopping season.

You may also like: 21 Instagram story hacks To boost your engagement

10. Create a sense of urgency

Creating a sense of urgency is key to boosting Black Friday sales. 

Countdown timers, deal counters, and “limited time” alerts build anticipation before the sale starts and drive action once it begins. When shoppers see a countdown or “only hours left” message, they’re more motivated to act fast, knowing the deal won’t last forever. 

By adding these urgency elements, you can maximize conversions and keep customers engaged right up until the final moments. 

Here’s an example of Walmart’s “Limited time only” Black Friday offer:

Source: Walmart

This is how ContentStudio, a powerful social media management platform, uses a countdown banner on its landing page for its Black Friday software deal:

Source: ContentStudio

11. Use retargeting ads

Retargeting ads are a powerful way to reconnect with customers who have previously visited your website and are especially useful for Black Friday promotions. 

There are two main types of retargeting:

1. Pixel-based retargeting: This allows you to redisplay content to any anonymous site visitor who left without completing a purchase.
2. List-based retargeting: Here, you can upload a contact list to target individuals whose information you already have in your database. The platform will identify these users and show them relevant ads.

For Black Friday, where competition is fierce, a smart retargeting strategy is crucial to stand out. Using tools like Replug, you can add retargeting pixels to optimize reach and bring back potential customers. Replug’s features make it easy to track visitors and keep your brand visible.

Add social proof, like customer reviews, to your retargeting ads to increase trust. 

12. Use bio links to direct people to your store

Bio links are clickable URLs added to the profile section of a page on social media channels such as Instagram or TikTok. They can direct customers to a website page or online store. 

Before and on the Black Friday sale, you can put these bio links to direct people to your store to increase their promotions and customers. This can also save your customers time and give them a better experience.

Source: Ulta 

13. Use deep links to direct people to the app store

Deep links are URLs that take users directly to an app store or specific app content, streamlining the journey for a faster, more convenient experience. 

For Black Friday promotions, deep links can guide your audience straight to your app store, making the customer journey shorter and smoother while boosting engagement and retention. By bringing customers closer to the ultimate goal—conversion—deep links have increased conversions by up to 66%.

With deep links, customers can seamlessly purchase all their desired products in one app. Here’s an example of Waves Audio’s deep-linking ad for Black Friday:

Source: Waves Audio

You may also like: What are app deep links? Here’s why marketers love them!

14. Use branded links

Branded links are short, custom URLs unique to a brand. They offer a sleek alternative to long, generic links. These personalized links boost brand recognition and awareness, helping to build trust and credibility with your audience.

For example, Coca-Cola often uses branded links in tweets to make its posts instantly recognizable and catch people’s attention. For Black Friday promotions, branded links can enhance trust, attract more customers and increase sales:

Source: Coca-Cola

15. Optimize checkout process

Optimizing the checkout process is essential for improving conversion rates. 

For Black Friday sales, ensure the checkout process is streamlined to boost positive reviews and customer satisfaction. A well-optimized checkout should display all costs upfront, including shipping, taxes, and product price. This transparency leaves a positive impression on customers and encourages them to complete their purchase.

If the checkout process isn’t optimized, unexpected costs can lead to cart abandonment. Shoppers are eager to buy, but hidden fees often cause them to leave without completing their purchase. 

An optimized checkout process enhances your e-commerce site’s user experience, helping maximize Black Friday sales. 

For instance, this is what you’ll see upon checkout on Temu:

Source: Temu

All the additional costs are clearly mentioned, leaving you with no confusion.

You may also like: Abandoned cart Email examples & tips that actually convert

16. A/B test campaign pages

A/B testing, almost known as split testing, compares two versions of web pages or apps against each other to see which one performs the best.

In your Black Friday sale, you can use an A/B test to see the results of all ongoing marketing strategies. 

You can check which strategies are working best and giving results by using advanced link management tools. Running an A/B test can have significant effects on your site or mobile app, such as:

• It increases engagement
• It reduces the bounce rate
• It increases the conversion rate
• It minimizes risk
• It helps you create content effectively

Through this test, you can check the effectiveness of your strategies and can modify your ideas for better results.

Source: Replug.io

17. Use CTAs to track clicks and conversations

A call-to-action (CTA) is crafted to encourage the audience to take a specific action, guiding them through the customer journey. For Black Friday promotions, a well-placed CTA on a button or link can prompt users to check out the latest discounts and offers, helping to increase leads and conversions.

Using a tool like Replug makes it easy to create custom CTAs. Its built-in canvas allows you to design CTAs from scratch, whether a button, link, or form. This tailored approach ensures your Black Friday promotions are engaging and effective.

For this Black Friday 2024, Lululemon, a famous Athletic clothing brand, creatively uses a “SHOP WE MADE TOO MUCH” CTA button. Upon clicking the button, the user is led straight to the Black Friday discount page:

Source: Lululemon

Wrap-ping it up

Black Friday is a massive opportunity, but standing out requires more than just slapping a discount on your products. From building excitement early to leveraging data-driven insights and creating a seamless shopping experience, each strategy can help you connect with customers who are ready to buy. 

Remember, Black Friday success is all about planning, flexibility, and staying ahead of trends. So, as the big day approaches, put these strategies into action, keep a pulse on customer feedback, and watch as your efforts turn into a holiday season win. 

Happy selling!

FAQs about Black Friday marketing ideas

When should I start Black Friday promotions?

You should start your Black Friday promotions in the last week of October or the first week of November, as many people start looking for Black Friday in October. All the strategies for Black Friday should be managed before this day.

What types of promotions work best on Black Friday?

Discounts are popular, but there are many other successful strategies. Consider offering bundle deals, such as “Buy One, Get One” (BOGO), which offers gifts with purchase and limited-time discounts to create urgency. Make sure your promotions align with your brand and appeal to your specific audience.

What is the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

Both events offer a worldwide shopping experience. Black Friday belongs to the retail shopping arena, while Monday Cyber is designed for online shopping. 

Black Friday follows the Friday after Thanksgiving. Monday cyber follows in the trail of Black Friday. It is one of a kind when online shoppers pick their online bargain without going to the retail stores. 

How can I stand out from competitors on Black Friday?

Personalize your marketing wherever possible. Use segmented email campaigns, tailor social media ads to different audience groups, and emphasize what makes your brand unique. Excellent customer service and fast, easy checkout options can also set you apart.

How important is email marketing for Black Friday?

Email marketing is a must for Black Friday. With targeted, well-timed emails, you can build excitement, remind people about your sale, and re-engage customers who left items in their carts. Start with teasers, offer sneak peeks, and follow up with last-chance reminders.

How can I prevent my website from crashing due to high traffic?

This can definitely happen if you have a Black Friday sale. To optimize user experience, prepare your website ahead of time. Speak with your hosting provider to ensure it can handle a spike in visitors, and consider enabling a content delivery network (CDN) for faster load times. Reducing large image files and optimizing your website’s backend can also help.

What should I do if my Black Friday campaign doesn’t perform as expected?

It’s okay! If things don’t go as planned, use real-time data to adjust. Maybe you can add a flash sale, extend the promotion, or promote popular products more heavily. After the season, review analytics to learn what worked and what didn’t so you can improve for next year.