Black Friday Marketing: Proven Strategies for 2025

Ecommerce shops nailed Black Friday advertising and marketing in 2024, with customers spending $10.8 billion (supply: Adobe), up 10.2% from the earlier 12 months. Much more unbelievable is the five-day Cyber Week, which generated $41.1 billion in whole.

We count on these figures to be larger in 2025. The query is, how will you take a slice?

Your share is dependent upon preparation, timing, and execution throughout electronic mail, SMS, and social channels — beginning months earlier than November (or weeks, in the event you’re studying this sooner) and persevering with by way of January with retention campaigns.

This information covers planning timelines, electronic mail methods, SMS ways, social media approaches, retention methods, and the automation workflows that tie every part collectively.

Plan your Black Friday advertising and marketing like a professional

Black Friday success is dependent upon preparation months earlier than November. July planners seize market share whereas October scramblers struggle for leftovers. BFCM runs for 4 to 6 weeks now, not 24 hours.

Early planning dodges inflated advert prices and crowded inboxes. Your campaigns land when prospects nonetheless have consideration and funds to spend, and also you get time to check what works as a substitute of guessing on recreation day. The end result? A larger return on investment (ROI).

When do you have to begin planning for Black Friday?

The desk beneath offers a timeline for Black Friday planning:

The way to set clear Black Friday targets

Income targets are apparent, however profitable campaigns observe a number of metrics. Set targets that construct what you are promoting past November:

• Record progress: Add electronic mail seize kinds and popups to your web site and supply early fowl signups and gated gives
• AOV (common order worth): Bundle complementary merchandise and create minimal buy incentives
• Buyer reactivation: Ship unique previews to prospects who purchased final 12 months however went quiet
• New buyer acquisition: Monitor new buyer numbers and section them for applicable focusing on
• Stock targets: Set baselines for gross sales numbers throughout all classes

Monitor these metrics weekly throughout your marketing campaign. What will get measured will get optimized.

Why you need to audit your web site and tech stack

Your web site will face its highest site visitors throughout BFCM. One crash throughout peak hours can price you 1000’s in misplaced gross sales. Run this audit by September:

• Cellular optimization: Most site visitors arrives by way of telephones. Take a look at your total buy move on cellular gadgets to make sure a seamless expertise. Repair any parts that require zooming or horizontal scrolling.
• Web site velocity: Gradual pages kill conversions. Compress pictures, take away unused apps, and improve your internet hosting plan in case your present plan struggles to deal with common site visitors.
• Checkout move: Take away pointless steps. Visitor checkout must be outstanding. Cost choices ought to embrace digital wallets for sooner completion.
• E-mail capability: Affirm your electronic mail service can deal with elevated quantity. Some suppliers throttle sends, which delays time-sensitive campaigns.

Key information to research from final 12 months’s Black Friday

Your personal historic information beats trade benchmarks. Pull these stories from final 12 months:

• Product efficiency: Which gadgets offered finest? What had the best margins? Construct promotions round confirmed winners.
• Low cost effectiveness: Did 20% off outperform BOGO? Test which gives drove probably the most income per buyer.
• Site visitors patterns: Observe the occasions and days prospects shopped. Time your emails and posts to match their habits.
• Channel attribution: Map the place gross sales originated to information this 12 months’s funds allocation throughout electronic mail, social, and adverts.
• Cart abandonment charges: Excessive abandonment charges reveal checkout issues. Repair friction factors earlier than this 12 months’s rush.

Lacking final 12 months’s information? Analyze your best-performing Black Friday advertising and marketing concepts from any time interval. Previous buyer habits predicts future actions higher than guesswork.

Should you’re a brand new ecommerce retailer with none previous information, start building your email list and create BFCM campaigns as early as attainable to gather information.

A confirmed Black Friday electronic mail technique that converts

E-mail generates extra BFCM income than every other channel, however solely if you ship the best message to the best buyer on the proper time.

Generic blasts waste your finest alternative of the 12 months and danger dropping subscribers as your prospects obtain irrelevant and badly-timed promotions.

Why you need to section your Black Friday viewers

Totally different prospects want totally different approaches. Your VIPs, who spend rather a lot yearly, shouldn’t obtain the identical electronic mail as somebody who subscribed yesterday. Segmentation multiplies your conversion charges by matching gives to buyer worth and habits.

Right here’s a three-step Black Friday technique for segmenting your viewers:

1. VIP prospects

Give your high 20% of spenders early entry 48 hours earlier than public gross sales launch. They get the primary decide of stock and unique bundles unavailable to others. These prospects already belief you — reward that loyalty earlier than opponents steal them with mass-market offers.

2. Earlier BFCM customers

Final 12 months’s Black Friday patrons already know your gross sales sample. Ship them a “you really liked this final 12 months” marketing campaign that includes complementary merchandise to their earlier purchases. Your previous prospects are prepared to purchase once more in the event you remind them of why they selected you earlier than.

3. New subscribers

Current signups want warming up earlier than promotion. Run a welcome collection introducing bestsellers and model tales, constructing towards your advertising and marketing Black Friday preview. Create explainers and make clear gives and advantages earlier than the primary occasion.

Do not forget that some prospects solely need sale notifications, not each day emails. Others unsubscribe in the event you electronic mail greater than as soon as per week. 

Respect these preferences and contemplate letting new prospects select their electronic mail frequency throughout November’s high-volume interval.

Finest Black Friday promo concepts to strive in 2025

Black Friday promotions ought to clear up enterprise issues, not simply slash costs. Every tactic right here targets a distinct objective — decide primarily based on what your retailer wants most.

Finest Black Friday promos to extend income

Discounting cuts into income except you construction gives to extend order values, transfer lifeless inventory, or entice prospects who purchase repeatedly past November.

Listed below are some confirmed advertising and marketing concepts for Black Friday that enhance income:

1. Tiered reductions

Spend $100, get 15% off. Spend $200, get 25% off. Spend $300, get 30% off.

This construction pushes prospects so as to add “only one thing more” to succeed in the following tier. Your common order worth will increase as prospects persuade themselves they’re saving by spending extra. Set thresholds simply above your present AOV to maximise the stretch.

VidAngel sends tiered low cost messages to prospects who’re closing in on subscription renewal. The e-mail beneath gives 50% off:

2. Product bundles

Package deal slow-moving stock with bestsellers. Skincare manufacturers bundle cleansers with moisturizers. Electronics retailers pair telephones with instances and chargers.

Bundles clear up two issues directly — clearing extra inventory and introducing prospects to merchandise they may not purchase individually. Worth the bundle 15–20% beneath particular person merchandise to create apparent worth.

Grooming model Manscaped offers extra gross sales ways you should use in your bundles, together with VIP member costs and “Finest Vendor” labels:

3. Purchase one, get one (BOGO)

BOGO works finest for consumable merchandise that prospects already repurchase often. Supply BOGO on gadgets with excessive margins the place giving freely one nonetheless leaves revenue on the pair.

Variations like “purchase two, get one free” or “BOGO 50% off” allow you to management margins higher. Use BOGO to maneuver seasonal gadgets earlier than they change into lifeless inventory.

Right here’s an instance of a Black Friday SMS providing BOGO:

4. Freebies with purchases

Add a present when orders hit $75, $150, or your goal threshold. The present ought to price you little however really feel priceless to prospects — pattern sizes, unique gadgets, or overstock merchandise work effectively.

You management the price whereas prospects give attention to the bonus worth. You may as well use items to introduce new merchandise that may change into future purchases.

Hair progress retailer Adegen creates Black Friday campaigns with freebies. The e-mail beneath gives two items with the acquisition of its three-month Regrowth Equipment:

Finest Black Friday promos for engagement

Your CLV (buyer lifetime worth) grows with experiences price returning for, corresponding to unique entry and gamified procuring, as a substitute of one-time offers and gives that prepare your prospects to attend for gross sales.

Contemplate these Black Friday promo concepts for optimum buyer engagement:

5. Thriller reductions and gamification

Create Wheel of Fortune web site popups for reductions, or reveal them robotically after including gadgets to the cart.

The picture beneath reveals a Wheel of Fortune popup created in Omnisend — discover the second picture, exhibiting the prize? It seems after submission: 

Even a slight low cost, corresponding to free delivery, can enhance gross sales, and a portion of your prospects will respect the anticipation greater than realizing each low cost upfront.

6. Flash gross sales by hour or day

Monday will get 40% off equipment. Tuesday options 30% off bestsellers. Wednesday brings free delivery on every part.

Rotating each day offers retains prospects checking again all through the week. Hourly gross sales work effectively for high-traffic shops, however they’ll exhaust smaller audiences. Time-limited gives and countdown timers create urgency with out devaluing your total catalog.

Rockstar Authentic creates Black Friday flash sale emails, with the one beneath main with the topic line, “👖 Fireplace Flash Sale: As much as 90% OFF Denim.”

7. VIP and subscriber unique offers

Your electronic mail subscribers get entry 24 hours early. SMS subscribers get an additional 10% off. Loyalty members get free delivery on any order worth.

Exclusivity makes prospects really feel particular and justifies becoming a member of your listing. Promote these perks throughout Black Friday to develop your subscriber base for future campaigns.

For instance, take a look at this electronic mail from Vape Jucce, which makes use of the topic line “The Countdown Continues… Are You In? ⏳” to advertise its VIP listing:

8. Free delivery thresholds

Additional prices at checkout are the first reason behind abandonment rates in 2025, so it pays to supply free delivery thresholds that reward bigger purchases.

“Free delivery on orders over $75” typically outperforms “15% off every part” for conversion charges because of encouraging engagement.

Add your free delivery supply to a high banner in your web site, and create SMS campaigns selling it, like this one:

Calculate your threshold primarily based on present order patterns. In case your AOV sits at $60, let out delivery at $75 to encourage that additional buy with out making the objective unreachable.

Skilled ideas for selecting promotions

Take a look at totally different gives on smaller segments earlier than BFCM to see what resonates. What works for vogue retailers would possibly fail for electronics shops. Your buyer information tells you which ones promotions to run, not what opponents do.

Stack gives fastidiously — mix free delivery with tiered reductions, add thriller financial savings to VIP early entry, or bundle merchandise with gift-with-purchase. However keep away from complexity. Confused prospects don’t convert.

Monitor efficiency by promotion sort, not simply general income. Know which gives attracted new prospects versus which solely appealed to low cost hunters.

Why SMS is a must have for Black Friday advertising and marketing

SMS cuts by way of Black Friday inbox chaos. Your prospects test one electronic mail inbox crammed with competing messages. They test their SMS app with far fewer distractions. That speedy visibility turns into your benefit when each hour counts throughout BFCM.

Try these statistics from SMS marketing in 2024:

• SMS quantity grew 31% year-over-year
• Click on charges for SMS automations had been 147% larger than these of campaigns
• Conversion charges for SMS automations had been 118% higher than campaigns
• Automated SMS accounted for 18% of orders whereas making up simply 9% of all sends

The takeaway: automated SMS is your most energetic channel and among the many most worthwhile when that you must attain prospects instantly.

Creating urgency — SMS vs. electronic mail

BFCM 2023 information tells an attention-grabbing story. E-mail open charges hit 25.4%, a decent determine for the vacation rush. However SMS? Click rates soared to 5.58%, crushing electronic mail’s 1.41%. Why such a niche? As a result of textual content messages demand speedy consideration.

Your electronic mail would possibly say “24-hour flash sale” and hope prospects test their inbox right this moment. Your SMS says “Flash sale ends at 2 PM, solely three hours left,” and reaches prospects instantly. One creates passive consciousness, the opposite speedy motion.

SMS marketing additionally bypasses frequent electronic mail obstacles, corresponding to spam folders hiding your message, promotional tabs burying your supply, and media failing to load.

The character restrict additionally forces you to make use of urgency. You’ll be able to’t bury the lead in SMS. “40% off every part + free delivery right this moment solely, [LINK]” is ideal for fast decision-making.

The way to design mobile-first Black Friday campaigns

Observe these Black Friday advertising and marketing tricks to construct profitable cellular campaigns:

Select SMS for time-sensitive messages

Construct standalone SMS campaigns for time-sensitive communications. Flash gross sales beginning in two hours want SMS, not electronic mail. Low inventory alerts work higher as texts when solely 5 gadgets stay. Early entry feels extra unique by way of SMS than electronic mail.

Time campaigns round procuring patterns

Omnisend analysis reveals automated SMS achieves 9.4% click-through rates between 5 PM and 9 PM. Schedule promotional messages throughout this window. Morning slots (9 AM–12 PM) work higher for transactional updates and order confirmations.

Make your messaging clear

Maintain the SMS copy targeted on one express motion. Choose your finest deal and make it apparent. “Black Friday: 30% off sitewide ends midnight” is efficient. Including free delivery, gift-with-purchase choices, and loyalty factors might confuse issues.

Mix channels to cowl your buyer journey

Add SMS to your electronic mail automations. Cart abandonment flows would possibly begin with an electronic mail exhibiting deserted gadgets, adopted by an SMS two hours later if no buy happens. Your welcome collection might ship low cost codes by way of SMS for speedy impression.

Omnisend helps you to create standalone SMS campaigns and electronic mail and SMS automations that cowl the above. Plus, you’ll be able to add push notifications to automations.

Leveraging cross-channel automation for Black Friday success

Automations ought to match how prospects store. For instance:

• Your buyer browses on their cellphone throughout lunch
• They abandon their cart
• Your advertising and marketing device triggers an deserted cart move
  • An electronic mail goes out after half-hour
  • A textual content message triggers after an hour
• Your buyer clicks the hyperlink within the textual content message, which opens a tab of their browser with their saved cart
• They then test their electronic mail after work, are reminded of their procuring session, and bounce again into their browser to finish the acquisition

Single-channel automation misses these pure transitions.

Browse abandonment works equally. E-mail showcases the considered merchandise with suggestions. SMS creates urgency, “Nonetheless occupied with [product]? Solely three left in inventory.”

Order confirmations profit from each channels as effectively. E-mail offers full particulars and monitoring data. SMS sends simply the necessities, corresponding to “Order confirmed! Monitor your Black Friday haul: [LINK]”

The large deal is how every channel enhances the opposite. SMS works finest for speedy motion wanted. E-mail handles something requiring extra consideration or element. Every channel performs to its strengths with out duplicating efforts.

Social media ways to beat rising advert prices

Social media promoting will get dearer yearly as competitors intensifies.

In response to Kenshoo Skai, advert spend on social media jumped 35.1% during Black Friday 2024, marking the channel’s first double-digit progress throughout Cyber Week since 2019.

You want Black Friday promoting ideas and platforms that ship outcomes with out requiring huge budgets to win. Right here’s the place you need to focus:

Platform-specific social media methods that work

TikTok Store grew from $1 billion Gross Merchandise Worth (GMV) in 2021 to $33 billion in 2024, so to say it’s one in every of your finest social commerce alternatives is an understatement.

For Black Friday, create shoppable movies exhibiting merchandise in motion. Accomplice with micro-influencers who already use your merchandise — their demonstrations convert higher than static product pictures.

Instagram Procuring wants totally different ways. Use feed posts for product discovery and Tales for flash gross sales. The 24-hour restrict on Tales creates pure urgency for Black Friday gives.

Fb works finest for retargeting. Dynamic Product Advertisements present prospects the gadgets they browsed in your web site. You’re reaching individuals who already expressed curiosity, which prices lower than discovering new audiences.

The way to handle rising social media advert prices

Price range allocation issues greater than whole spend. Put 40% towards retargeting heat audiences, 30% on lookalike audiences primarily based in your finest prospects, and solely 30% on broad prospecting.

Run Black Friday advert concepts when your viewers retailers, not 24/7. In case your prospects purchase between 7 and 10 PM, focus on spending there, and pause adverts throughout low-conversion hours.

Take a look at advert codecs as a substitute of competing on worth. For example:

• Video usually prices extra however converts higher
• Carousel adverts showcase a number of merchandise
• Assortment adverts mix video and product catalogs

Run a number of Black Friday marketing campaign concepts and see which generates the very best outcomes. Drop these with the bottom engagement and conversion charges.

The way to run efficient influencer collaborations for Black Friday

In response to SocialCat, nano-influencers (1K–10K followers) generate 49.7% higher engagement than micro-influencers, and micro-influencers (10K–50K followers) outperform mid-tier influencers by 46%.

The smaller the next, the higher your ROI as a result of:

• Increased engagement charges with their audiences
• Decrease prices per partnership
• Extra trusted suggestions
• Area of interest audiences that match your goal prospects

Create clear briefs that embrace:

• Key messages and gives
• Required hashtags
• Posting dates and occasions
• Low cost codes distinctive to every influencer
• Efficiency bonuses for gross sales, not simply posts

Start influencer partnerships in October for correct planning and execution. November rushes result in poor content material and worse outcomes.

Let influencers adapt your message to their type. Scripts lack authenticity and may negatively impression your advertising and marketing efficiency.

Utilizing user-generated content material (UGC) for Black Friday engagement

UGC prices nothing and may have interaction your prospects throughout a number of touchpoints, together with natural, paid, and social commerce.

Techniques you should use now embrace reposting and sharing buyer photographs carrying or utilizing your merchandise, including quotes to advertising and marketing pictures, and sharing suggestions in social procuring listings.

One other high concept is launching branded hashtags in October with small incentives. Mix this with review request emails, and by Black Friday, you’ll have content material libraries prepared to make use of.

Opinions also can change into social posts. Pair five-star suggestions with product pictures to deal with the analysis section of Black Friday procuring.

Share buyer success tales past product options. When individuals see issues solved or experiences improved, they justify purchases as investments, not simply offers.

Retention ways to show Black Friday customers into loyal followers

Black Friday brings new prospects, however retaining them as patrons year-round is what determines what you are promoting progress. The work on customer retention begins instantly after their first buy.

The way to arrange speedy post-purchase electronic mail sequences

Your post-purchase sequence comes into play the second somebody completes checkout. Begin with the order affirmation — it’s anticipated and needed, making it a first-rate alternative for engagement.

Embrace these parts in your affirmation electronic mail:

• Order particulars and monitoring data
• Subsequent steps for supply expectations
• Product care directions or utilization ideas
• Hyperlinks to complementary merchandise they could want

The following message in your sequence must be a thank-you electronic mail acknowledging them as a valued buyer. It’s finest to have this set off 48 hours post-delivery.

After your thank-you electronic mail, your post-purchase sequence might embrace:

• Day three-five: Overview requests. Ship your overview request whereas the acquisition expertise is recent. Embrace one-click star rankings straight within the electronic mail. Supply 10% off their subsequent buy for accomplished opinions.
• Week one: Academic content material. Ship content material that helps prospects get extra from their buy — trainers? Ship coaching guides. Skincare? Share morning routines. Electronics? Present setup tutorials.
• Week two to 3: Cross-sells. Suggest merchandise that enhance their authentic buy, ideally inside an analogous worth bracket to keep away from scaring them away.

Efficient Cyber Monday methods to increase Black Friday momentum

Cyber Monday is Black Friday’s second act. Clients who purchased on Friday typically return on Monday, in search of gadgets they initially hesitated to purchase.

Create segments for Black Friday purchasers. Ship them totally different Cyber Monday emails than non-purchasers. They already belief you with their cash, so supply unique entry or bundles that complement their Friday purchases.

Use searching information from Black Friday to personalize Cyber Monday emails. Somebody who considered however didn’t purchase deserves a focused reminder with that product. Add urgency with inventory ranges or lengthen their Black Friday low cost for yet another day.

SMS works significantly effectively for Cyber Monday. Black Friday electronic mail fatigue peaks by Monday, however textual content messages nonetheless get speedy consideration. Ship your finest supply by way of SMS to prospects who engaged however didn’t buy over the weekend.

Bundle merchandise primarily based on Black Friday gross sales information. If prospects purchased merchandise A, information reveals they typically want merchandise B. Create Cyber Monday bundles that clear up full issues quite than promoting particular person merchandise.

The way to run January reactivation campaigns that convey prospects again

January reactivation begins with segmentation. Divide Black Friday prospects into teams:

• One-time purchasers who haven’t returned
• A number of purchasers exhibiting loyalty alerts
• Excessive-value prospects (greatest spenders)
• Engaged non-purchasers who browse however don’t purchase

Every section wants totally different messaging:

• One-time purchasers get “we miss you” campaigns with unique comeback gives
• A number of purchasers obtain loyalty program invites
• Excessive-value prospects deserve VIP perks, corresponding to unique entry and freebies

Time your reactivation emails for various audiences and keep away from sending promotional emails earlier than the flip of the New 12 months to provide prospects an opportunity to chill off over Christmas.

Early January catches resolution-makers. Late January targets these recovering from vacation spending. February addresses Valentine’s procuring. March prepares for spring. Every touchpoint builds on earlier engagement.

Use progressive discounting to enchantment to cut price hunters:

• Begin with content material and worth, not reductions
• If no response, add a small incentive
• Solely escalate to bigger reductions for priceless prospects exhibiting no engagement after a number of touchpoints

Monitor what brings prospects again. Product launches might outperform reductions for reactivation. Unique entry makes prospects really feel valued. Private suggestions primarily based on buy historical past present you keep in mind them.

Each post-purchase interaction both builds loyalty or wastes acquisition prices. Flip single purchases into sustained income progress by pondering past the preliminary sale.

Your remaining Black Friday advertising and marketing prep guidelines

Black Friday requires months of coordination throughout electronic mail, SMS, and social channels. Right here’s what that you must do for achievement:

• Begin planning now — Analyze final 12 months’s information, set targets, start inventive improvement
• Construct electronic mail and SMS lists — Launch signup campaigns with early-bird incentives
• Create buyer segments — Divide your viewers by worth, buy frequency, and engagement degree
• Arrange automations — Construct electronic mail and SMS workflows that set off primarily based on buyer habits and section exercise
• Add urgency parts — Countdown timers, inventory indicators, and delivery deadlines throughout applicable channels
• Monitor and retain — Monitor advertising and marketing efficiency, nurture new prospects, plan January campaigns, and give attention to CLV

Prepared to show these Black Friday methods into gross sales? Omnisend combines electronic mail and SMS advertising and marketing with pre-built automations, buyer segmentation, and ecommerce templates that prevent weeks of handbook setup.

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