It is that time of the year again, and you have to be ready with a Black Friday marketing strategy to win big.
Customers are flooded with deals from every corner, and the last thing you want is to be just another Black Friday email they delete.
What you really need are the best Black Friday marketing ideas that cut through the noise – a way to attract customers, keep them engaged, and actually convert that traffic into sales.
In this blog, we explain,
- 15 Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing strategies for 2024
- How to plan a Black Friday marketing campaign?
Automate your Black Friday email campaigns with Retainful’s easy-to-setup email automation.
15 Best Black Friday Marketing Strategies for 2024
The best Black Friday marketing strategies are:
- Start early with Teaser campaigns.
- Send targeted email campaigns.
- Provide exclusive early access for VIP customers
- Utilize free shipping
- Optimize your website for mobile
- Create Black Friday exclusive products
- Offer bundle discounts
- Use SMS marketing
- Optimize your checkout process
- Plan abandoned cart email sequence
- Leverage UGC campaigns
- Use gamification for discounts
- Use Facebook and Instagram Stories with Countdown Stickers
- Setup a Mystery Offer campaign
- Run last-chance or extended Black Friday deals
Let’s see how to implement these best Black Friday marketing strategies in detail.
1. Start early with teaser campaigns
People love suspense. Black Friday teaser campaigns leverage this by giving just enough information to get your audience intrigued without revealing everything.
How to do it?
The best Black Friday email marketing idea is to start sending teaser emails 2-3 weeks before Black Friday.
The pre-Black Friday email campaigns like “Coming Soon” campaigns should hint at the upcoming deals without revealing too much.
Here is an example of a Black Friday teaser email campaign.
2. Send targeted email campaigns
You can’t plan a Black Friday marketing strategy by leaving out email marketing out of the equation.
Email marketing has THE highest ROI of all the marketing channels out there, giving you $40 for every dollar spent.
Sending the same Black Friday marketing emails to your entire list assumes everyone’s the same, with the same needs and the same motivations. Spoiler: they’re not.
Targeted campaigns use email segmentation to solve this problem.
The successful Black Friday email marketing strategy is to segment your email list – based on their behavior, purchase history, preferences, or geographic location instead of blasting one-size-fits-all messages.
How to do it?
The best Black Friday Cyber Monday email marketing strategy is to segment the customers into:
- New Customers: Offer a special discount to first-time buyers to incentivize their first purchase during Black Friday.
- High-Value Customers: Create VIP segments for customers who spend the most and offer them premium or exclusive products at a discount.
- Low AOV Customers: Encourage customers who typically make smaller purchases with bundle deals or promotions to increase their average spend.
- Local Promotions: A Black Friday idea for ecommerce is to offer location-based discounts or promotions, such as free shipping for certain regions or country-specific deals.
3. Provide exclusive early access for VIP customers
VIP customers are your brand advocates, the ones who keep coming back. A Black Friday marketing campaign idea is to give them early access and make them feel valued.
Early access creates buzz. People love feeling like they’re part of something exclusive, and VIPs getting the first shot at your Black Friday deals creates anticipation.
The successful Black Friday eCommerce strategy is to provide exclusive early access for your VIP customers.
How to do it?
- Segment your VIP list based on spending history, purchase frequency, or membership in a loyalty program.
- Send a series of automated emails leading up to Black Friday, offering VIPs the first chance to shop.
- Provide VIP customers with a private link or early access code that allows them to browse and buy before everyone else.
- The Black Friday marketing tactic is to make the early access even more appealing – whether it’s a higher discount, free shipping, or a gift with purchase.
Here is a pre-access BFCM email campaign example.
4. Utilize free shipping
In Black Friday ecommerce marketing, shipping costs are one of the top reasons customers abandon their carts. They find a great deal, load up their cart, and then get hit with shipping fees that suddenly make the purchase less attractive.
Black Friday is a battleground. Every eCommerce store is competing for attention and sales.
The best Black Friday marketing tactic is to offer free shipping and gain a competitive edge.
How to do it?
- Set a minimum purchase threshold.
- Promote free shipping everywhere.
- Include it in the abandoned cart emails.
5. Optimize your website for mobile.
Customers don’t have the patience to pinch, zoom, or wait for slow pages to load.
It is found that 74% of visitors will leave a site if it doesn’t load within 5 seconds on their smartphone.
The best Black Friday digital marketing strategy is to design a mobile-optimized website that provides a smoother and faster experience for users.
How to do it?
- Use a responsive design.
- Optimize page load speed.
- Simplify navigation
- Optimize checkout for mobile.
6. Create Black Friday exclusive products.
In Black Friday ecommerce marketing, exclusive products often carry a higher perceived value because they are limited and only available for a short time. Customers are willing to pay more for items they can’t get elsewhere or at any other time.
The successful Black Friday marketing strategy is to create exclusive products for the Black Friday season.
How to implement this Black Friday idea for ecommerce?
- Customize existing products
The Black Friday marketing tactic is to offer limited-edition versions of popular products – a special colorway, adding exclusive packaging, or bundling items together in a way that’s only available on Black Friday. - Introduce a new product line.
The best Black Friday marketing strategy is to launch a new product line exclusively for Black Friday. This can generate buzz and make customers feel like they’re getting early access to something special.
Related Reading: Prepare ahead for BFCM 2024 with our 24-point Black Friday Checklist. The only checklist you need to avoid stress and win big.
7. Offer bundle products
Bundling products encourages customers to buy more than they originally planned.
The best Black Friday marketing strategy is to offer a deal that makes multiple items cheaper together than they would be individually.
How to do it?
Complementary product bundles
Example: If you run a skincare store, the Black Friday marketing strategy is to offer a bundle of face cleanser, toner, and moisturizer.
Buy More, Save More
Example: For a clothing store, offer tiered discounts like “Buy 1 shirt for $20, 2 for $35, or 3 for $45.” The more the customer buys, the more they save, but you increase the total order value.
Cross-Sell bundles
Example: If you sell electronics, bundle a laptop with essential accessories like a case and a wireless mouse.
Here is an example of a Frequently bought-together cross-sell Black Friday campaign.
8. Optimize your checkout process.
A complex or slow checkout process is one of the top reasons for cart abandonment. Customers often leave their carts if they face too many steps, unclear payment methods, or a lack of trust during the checkout.
Optimizing the checkout is the best Black Friday marketing strategy to reduce cart abandonment.
How to do it?
- Enable guest checkout
- Minimize form fields
- Offer multiple payment options
- Show a clear progress indicator
9. Plan abandoned cart email sequence.
Nearly 70% of the abandoned carts are abandoned, which is more than half of the revenue slipping away.
A successful Black Friday eCommerce strategy is to send multiple abandoned cart emails at well-timed intervals.
Here is the ideal abandoned cart email sequence:
- Email 1: The Initial Reminder (After 1-3 hours of cart abandonment)
- Email 2: Offer an incentive (After 24 hours of cart abandonment).
- Email 3: Add a sense of urgency (After 48 hours of abandonment).
- Email 4: Social proof or asking for feedback (After 3 days of cart abandonment).
- Email 5: The last chance to grab the offer (After 5-7 days of cart abandonment).
How to implement this Black Friday marketing strategy:
- Install an abandoned cart recovery app.
- Setup email automation.
- Customize the abandoned cart email template.
- Schedule it.
Related Reading: Increase your open rate of abandoned cart emails with these subject lines: Best Abandoned Cart Email Subject Lines
Recover up to 30% of abandoned carts with Retainful’s one-click cart recovery.
10. Leverage UGC campaigns
It is tempting to fall into the trap of slashing the prices and hoping for the best. You don’t always have to throw discounts to score big.
People trust other customers’ reviews, photos, and testimonials more than flashy brand promotion content.
The best BFCM marketing strategy is to run user-generated content campaigns that showcase customer reviews.
How to implement this Black Friday marketing strategy?
- Develop a unique, branded hashtag for your Black Friday campaigns.
- Showcase UGC prominently across your website and social media channels as a part of eCommerce Black Friday promotions.
- Send automated email campaigns leading up to Black Friday, highlighting user-generated content.
11. Use gamification for discounts.
Gamification cuts through the noise and makes the shopping experience enjoyable and interactive. Games can incentivize customers to spend more to unlock bigger rewards or discounts.
As part of standard eCommerce Black Friday promotions, gamify your offers to drive engagement.
Black Friday marketing ideas for increasing sales are to offer discounts like:
- Spin the wheel discounts
- Progress based rewards
- Digital scratchcards
- Loyalty points system
12. Use Facebook and Instagram Stories with Countdown Stickers
Countdown stickers create a sense of urgency by visually showing how much time is left before an event, sale, or special offer. This taps into the psychology of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and motivates followers to take action quickly.
To drive traffic with Black Friday marketing campaigns using social media, consider using countdown stickers.
How to do it?
- When crafting a story, use the “Sticker” option and select the Countdown sticker.
- Start posting the countdown sticker in your stories several days ahead of Black Friday.
13. Setup a Mystery Offer campaign
During Black Friday, customers are bombarded with similar sales from countless brands. A mystery offer sets you apart from the standard discounts and promotions.
The Black Friday marketing tip is to give mystery offers in many forms – such as a hidden discount, a free gift, or a percentage off a purchase.
How to implement this Black Friday idea for ecommerce?
- Email Campaigns: Send a mystery offer email where the discount is revealed once the customer clicks through.
- Pop-Ups: Use pop-ups on your website that reveal a mystery discount once the customer enters their email or clicks the button.
- Social Media: Tease the Black Friday offer on social platforms, encouraging users to click through to your website for their mystery deal.
- Checkout surprise: Reveal the mystery discount at checkout, keeping customers in suspense until the last step of their purchase.
14. Run last-chance or extended Black Friday deals.
Not all shoppers plan ahead. Many customers wait until the last minute to make purchasing decisions.
The Black Friday marketing campaign idea is to target these procrastinators by running last-chance or extended Black Friday deals and give them one more opportunity to take advantage of the sale.
How to do it?
- The best Black Friday strategy is to send a follow-up email the day after Black Friday to let customers know they still have time to shop.
- Extend the offers through the weekend and into Cyber Monday, or even create a full “Cyber Week.” Offer new deals each day to maintain excitement and draw in repeat customers.
Here is a Black email marketing campaign example to announce last-chance deals.
Related Reading: Learn how to plan your Cyber Monday email campaigns in our blog: 10 Best Cyber Monday Emails + Tips
15. Use exit-intent popups
During Black Friday, when competition is fierce and customers are overwhelmed with choices, an exit-intent popup gives you one last opportunity to engage visitors before they click away.
The best Black Friday Cyber Monday marketing strategy is to use exit-intent popups and prevent cart abandonment.
How to implement this Black Friday marketing strategy?
- Create a popup that triggers when a user is about to leave the site, offering them a discount that’s valid for a limited time.
Example: “Save 10% if you complete your purchase in the next 10 minutes!”
- Use the popup to remind users of free shipping or offer an extra bonus if they complete their order before leaving the site.
Here is an exit-intent popup example for preventing cart abandonment during Black Friday.
How to plan a Black Friday marketing campaign?
A well-executed Black Friday marketing campaign can lead to significant revenue spikes, and it is the only way to implement all your Black Friday marketing strategies.
Here’s a breakdown of the key steps to drive traffic with Black Friday marketing campaigns.
Step 1: Choose the Right Marketing Channels
Not all channels are created equal, and what works for one audience may not work for another.
The great Black Friday marketing idea for small businesses is to identify where your audience spends time.
- Email Marketing – Best for High ROI
- Social Media – Best to create buzz and increase excitement
- Influencer marketing – Expanding reach through authentic recommendations
- Paid advertising – Targeted customer acquisition
Related Reading: Check out the 10 best email marketing software and our analysis of features and pricing: 10 Best Email Marketing Software for 2024
Step 2: Create compelling offers
The Black Friday marketing strategy is to offer limited-time discounts, bundle deals, or free shipping to attract shoppers.
The best Black Friday marketing campaign idea is to consider tiered discounts (e.g., 10% off for $50+ purchases, 20% off for $100+), flash sales, and exclusive deals for loyal customers.
Other best offers for Black Friday marketing to consider are:
- BOGO
- Free shipping
- Bundle deals
Step 3: Build hype in advance
The successful Black Friday eCommerce strategy is to start promoting your deals early. Use teaser emails, countdowns, and social media posts to build anticipation.
Offering VIP early access to loyal customers adds exclusivity and motivates immediate purchases.
Step 4: Create a Marketing Timeline
Timing is everything for Black Friday.
The Black Friday marketing strategy is to generate buzz before the event, ramp up during the day, and extend promotions post-sale for those who missed out.
Develop a timeline for all Black Friday marketing campaigns like:
- Teaser campaigns 2–3 weeks before Black Friday.
- Early access offers for loyal customers a few days before.
- “Last chance” emails during Black Friday to push hesitant buyers.
- Post-Black Friday promotions for Cyber Monday or a “Cyber Week.”
Step 5: Optimize Your Website for Black Friday Traffic
High traffic on Black Friday can slow down your site or cause crashes, which can lead to lost sales.
Black Friday marketing tips to optimize your website are:
- Test and improve the loading time of your website.
- Ensure your site is optimized for mobile users.
- Check if your inventory levels are updated.
- Check your website analytics for improvement.
Send personalized Black Friday email campaigns and convert 2X more with Retainful.
Onward to a successful BFCM 2024
Each Black Friday marketing strategy is your cheat sheet to achieve your dream sale mark this BFCM.
The best BFCM marketing strategy isn’t about throwing discounts everywhere – it’s about being thoughtful and customer-focused.
Prepare your store and Black Friday marketing campaigns ahead for a successful BFCM 2024 with these Black Friday marketing ideas.
Attract customers by offering time-sensitive discounts, exclusive deals, and early access to sales. Use email marketing and social media promotions to generate excitement and create a sense of urgency around limited-time offers.
Announce your Black Friday sale with teaser email campaigns and social media posts. Create anticipation through countdowns, sneak peeks, and early-bird deals, ensuring your audience knows when and where to get the best offers.
Businesses promote Black Friday deals through multi-channel marketing strategies like email newsletters, influencer partnerships, and social media.
Retain customers post-Black Friday by following up with personalized emails, offering loyalty rewards, and continuing special promotions.
Boost Black Friday sales by offering free shipping, bundling products, creating tiered discounts, and utilizing upselling techniques. Use exit-intent popups and retargeting ads to recover abandoned carts and maximize conversion rates throughout the event.
A successful Black Friday sale requires clear goal setting, planning compelling offers, optimizing your website for high traffic, and using email marketing.
Send Black Friday emails early in the morning (6 AM–9 AM) when customers are likely to start shopping. You can also send an email the evening before to build excitement and capture night shoppers looking for early deals.
To run a Black Friday campaign, start with a clear strategy: build excitement with teasers, segment your email lists, and send personalized email campaigns. Offer time-limited deals and personalized promotions, and create a sense of urgency to encourage immediate purchases.
Sell more on Black Friday by creating scarcity with limited-time offers, using upsells and cross-sells.
Typically, Black Friday sales run for 24 hours, but many businesses extend the sale to include Cyber Monday or even create a “Cyber Week”.
