Black Friday marketing 2024: Top tips and strategies

Black Friday is a prime chance to boost your sales through smart marketing strategies. The goal is to stand out and simplify shopping for your customers to maximize benefits during the busy holiday season.

In this article, we’ll explore 10 actionable Black Friday marketing strategies to prepare your store for the Black Friday rush. Let’s get started!

10 Black Friday marketing strategies to increase sales

With these marketing strategies in your back pocket, you’ll make sure your Black Friday campaigns are all set to turn visitors into happy customers:

• Prepare your store for a traffic surge. Ensure your site can handle higher traffic by optimizing for speed, mobile-friendliness, and security.
• Capture email leads. Build an email list in advance to engage potential buyers directly and build anticipation for Black Friday deals.
• Run Black Friday social media campaigns. Use social media to build anticipation, run contests, and engage followers with live content.
• Audit the product pages. Ensure product descriptions, images, and stock information are clear and up-to-date for a seamless shopping experience.
• Create a holiday marketing calendar. Organize your campaigns with a detailed calendar, scheduling promotions and reminders leading up to Black Friday.
• Increase conversions with urgency tactics. Implement countdowns, low-stock alerts, and limited-time offers to encourage purchases.
• Implement cross-sells and upsells. Boost order values with relevant product recommendations and bundles.
• Reduce cart abandonment rates. Address shopping cart abandonment by simplifying checkout, offering transparent pricing, and sending cart reminders.
• Offer personalized Black Friday deals. Tailor your offers based on the customers’ browsing and purchase history for a more relevant shopping experience.
• Create a referral program. Encourage existing customers to refer friends and family in exchange for special rewards, widening your reach and attracting new buyers.

1. Prepare your online store for traffic increase

During Black Friday, online traffic spikes as shoppers hunt for the best deals, so your website must be prepared to handle this influx. A slow or unresponsive site can turn eager buyers away, costing you potential sales.

Here’s how to optimize your online store for peak performance during this high-demand period:

• Enhance page speed. Page load time is crucial for a positive user experience. Implement caching mechanisms, compress images, and consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to deliver faster loading times. These steps can significantly reduce bounce rates, especially during high-traffic events.
• Optimize for mobile. With more and more users shopping from mobile devices, it’s important to ensure your site is fully responsive. Test your mobile site layout and buttons to ensure an easy-to-navigate site. Avoid pop-ups that obstruct mobile users, as they can cause frustration and lost sales.
• Simplify the checkout process. Complicated checkouts lead to cart abandonment. So, if possible, reduce the number of steps and fields that customers need to fill out. Adding options like guest checkout, express checkout, and multiple payment methods (including digital wallets like Google Pay and Apple Pay) can improve conversion rates.
• Strengthen security measures. During major shopping seasons, cybersecurity threats increase. Ensure your site has up-to-date SSL certificates, secure payment gateways, and reliable fraud detection tools to protect customer data and maintain trust.

These adjustments will help create a smooth shopping experience that accommodates the influx of Black Friday shoppers. For more tips, check out our in-depth website speed optimization guide.

2. Capture leads with Black Friday email signups

Building a targeted email list ahead of Black Friday is one of the most effective ways to drive sales. By collecting email signups, you can reach potential customers directly and keep them informed about upcoming deals.

Here’s how to capture leads and prepare them for Black Friday shopping:

• Place eye-catching signup forms on your site. Use prominent signup forms on your website, such as a pop-up or banner, to encourage visitors to join your list. 
• Offer compelling signup incentives. Give potential subscribers a reason to join your list. Promising exclusive deals, discounts, or early access can make your email list more appealing. For example, a “Sign up now for a sneak peek at our Black Friday deals” message can be a powerful motivator:

• Segment your email list. Segmenting your list by factors like past purchase behavior, browsing history, or customer location lets you send more personalized messages. When Black Friday arrives, you can send tailored offers that resonate with specific groups, increasing your chances of conversion.
• Send engaging countdown emails. Build anticipation by sending countdown emails leading up to Black Friday. Through these emails, you can remind subscribers of upcoming sales, offer sneak peeks, and provide tips to maximize their Black Friday savings on your store.

If it’s your first time doing email marketing, we have a comprehensive guide on how to write email newsletters to help you get started.

3. Strengthen your social media marketing with a Black Friday campaign

Use social media to build anticipation and engage your audience in the days leading up to Black Friday. By creating focused, engaging campaigns, you can drive more traffic to your store and maximize conversions:

Post teasers and countdowns

Get a head start with teaser posts to build excitement around your Black Friday deals. Use eye-catching visuals and captions to hint at upcoming discounts or exclusive offers, sparking interest without giving everything away.

Run giveaways and contests

Generate buzz by hosting Black Friday-themed contests or giveaways. For instance, you could ask followers to share their favorite products or tag friends for a chance to win early access or a discount code. This not only boosts engagement but also expands your reach as your followers share your content with their communities.

Go live on Black Friday

Use live video on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok to create real-time excitement. Showcase limited-time offers, do product demonstrations, or answer customer questions live. This immediacy helps drive a sense of urgency, prompting viewers to take advantage of deals before they’re gone.

Leverage paid ads for maximum reach

Paid ads can help you reach a wider audience instantly. Make sure to target ads to users interested in Black Friday deals or specific products in your store. Dynamic retargeting is also effective for those who have previously visited your site or added items to their cart.

Use Black Friday-specific hashtags

Incorporate trending Black Friday hashtags, such as #BlackFridayDeals or #HolidaySavings, to reach a broader audience. Adding these to your posts increases their visibility, allowing you to attract new customers who are actively looking for deals.

4. Audit product pages

Before the Black Friday rush, take the time to review and optimize your product pages. Clear, accurate, and enticing product information can significantly improve the chances of conversion when visitors land on your site. Here are key areas to focus on during your audit:

• Update product descriptions. Ensure your descriptions are clear, concise, and highlight the main benefits of each product. Emphasize features that would make the product an ideal Black Friday buy, like limited-time discounts, money-saving bundles, or their gifting potential for the holiday season.
• Check image quality. High-quality images help customers better understand the product, so make sure that each product has multiple high-resolution images from various angles. If possible, add zoom-in capabilities and lifestyle images to help customers envision using the product. Check our guide on image optimization for more tips.
• Add customer reviews and ratings. Reviews provide social proof and help boost buyer confidence. So, highlight positive reviews and ratings on product pages, as this can make a big difference for new customers visiting your site during Black Friday.
• Update stock information. Black Friday sales can lead to quick sellouts. Include real-time stock information so customers know if an item is low on stock. This can encourage quicker purchases and prevent customer frustration when items run out unexpectedly.

5. Create a holiday marketing calendar

A well-planned holiday marketing calendar is essential to keep your campaigns organized and on track for Black Friday and the entire holiday season. By scheduling your activities in advance, you can coordinate promotions across channels and ensure a smooth, cohesive marketing strategy.

Use planning tools for efficiency

Tools like Google Calendar, Trello, or marketing-specific platforms like HubSpot can help you organize your campaign schedule. With these tools, you can assign tasks, set reminders, and visualize your marketing flow, from social media posts to email blasts.

Define key campaign dates

Start by identifying important dates leading up to and beyond Black Friday. To build anticipation, include dates for email blasts, social media posts, and ad campaigns. Consider planning early-bird promotions, teaser posts, and reminders on key days to keep your audience engaged.

Assign tasks and responsibilities

For teams, designate roles and responsibilities for each part of the campaign. Assigning specific tasks ensures accountability and helps prevent last-minute issues, allowing your team to focus on execution rather than planning as Black Friday approaches.

Coordinate cross-channel promotions

Map out how you’ll promote each deal across various channels, including your website, social media, and email. Consistency across channels is crucial for a unified brand message, so use your calendar to schedule when and where each content will be published.

Monitor performance and adjust

While planning in advance is key, make room for improvements. Track the performance of your Black Friday campaigns in real time and adjust your strategy as needed. A calendar helps keep everything organized so you can make quick changes without derailing the rest of your plans.

6. Increase conversions with urgency tactics for Black Friday

Discounts alone don’t always motivate customers to make a purchase. In this case, creating a sense of urgency during Black Friday can attract shoppers to your site and encourage quicker purchasing decisions.

For example, entrepreneur Marcus Taylor used urgency tactics to impressive effect, increasing his Black Friday sales by 332%. Here’s how you can aim for the same effect in your Black Friday marketing campaigns:

• Launch a flash sale. Flash sales are discounts and deals that last for a short time, typically between a few hours and a day. To urge online shoppers to buy, highlight the start and end times and display a countdown timer on the website:

• Display the stock level when the quantity is low. This helps create the sense that the product will be gone soon. For example, H&M uses this tactic for their last-chance items:

• Use time-sensitive language. Keywords like “Now”, “Today only”, “Final sale”, or “Last chance” are good examples of this. Consider including them in the marketing email subject lines to increase the open rate.
• Use a color that stands out to highlight the offer. Use a color that contrasts with the dominant shade of the page. For example, use bright red on a predominantly monochrome website. For more tips, check out our web design best practices guide.
• Reward the fastest customers. For example, offer free shipping, early access to exclusive deals, or an exclusive gift for the first hundred customers.
• Show how many customers have bought the item. Create a fear of missing out, encouraging visitors to follow other Black Friday shoppers to buy the product. For example, J. Crew’s product page shows how many customers have added an item to their cart in the last hour:

7. Implement cross-sells and upsells in your Black Friday communication

This Black Friday strategy is all about getting customers to add more items to their cart, which increases the amount they spend without needing to bring in new shoppers. It’s a smart way to make more profit from each order.

Here are some easy ways to increase your average order value this Black Friday:

• Set a free shipping threshold. Offer free shipping only when customers spend over a certain amount to encourage them to add more items.
• Suggest related products. Show add-ons or matching items on product pages or at checkout. If a customer is buying a shirt, suggest pants or an accessory to go with it.
• Create bundle deals. Offer discounts on bundled items, like “Buy two, get one free” or “Buy one, get one 50% off.”
• Give a gift card with larger purchases. For orders over a certain amount, include a gift card as a token of gratitude. This leaves a positive impression on shoppers and can encourage repeat purchases.
• Highlight savings. Show customers how much they’ve saved with Black Friday discounts. If customers are aware they’re getting a great deal, it may prompt them to buy more.

8. Reduce the cart abandonment rate

Cart abandonment is a common challenge, especially during high-traffic periods like Black Friday. Shoppers may add items to their cart but leave before completing the purchase, costing you potential sales. Implementing a few simple tactics can help reduce abandonment and improve your conversion rate.

Send cart abandonment reminders

Use automated emails or SMS reminders to re-engage customers who have left items in their cart. A well-timed reminder with an enticing subject line like “Did you forget something?” can prompt customers to return and complete their purchase. Consider including a discount code to further encourage them to finalize their order.

Be transparent about extra costs

Unexpected fees, such as shipping, taxes, or handling charges, are frequently cited reasons for cart abandonment. Display all additional costs upfront in the shopping cart so customers know how much they’ll pay before the final checkout step. This level of transparency can increase trust and reduce cart abandonment.

Simplify checkout

Speed and convenience are crucial during Black Friday, as customers often want to move quickly between deals. To streamline the shopping process, enable guest checkout and request only the most essential billing and shipping information. Don’t forget to offer quick payment options like Google Pay or Apple Pay, if you can.

Use exit-intent popups

When a customer is about to leave the checkout page, show an exit-intent popup offering a reminder or an additional incentive, like a discount code or free shipping. This last-minute prompt can recapture their interest and reduce the likelihood of cart abandonment.

Add trust badges at checkout

Display trust symbols and badges, such as trusted payment provider logos, to reassure customers about the security of their transactions. This can help alleviate concerns about payment safety, which is another common reason for cart abandonment.

9. Offer personalized Black Friday offers

Personalized offers can make customers feel valued, increasing the chances of conversion and encouraging repeat purchases. By tailoring your Black Friday deals to individual customers, you can create a more engaging shopping experience that resonates with their specific interests.

Here’s how to make Black Friday deals feel more personal:

• Leverage purchase history. Use past purchase data to create personalized deals for returning customers. For example, if a customer previously bought a specific product category, offer a related product or bundle at a discount. Personalized recommendations show customers that you understand their preferences and make it more likely they’ll buy again.
• Segment your email list. Create targeted segments within your email list based on factors like browsing behavior, purchase frequency, or location. For instance, you could send a special thank-you discount to your most loyal customers or offer exclusive deals to those who haven’t purchased in a while. This can make your email offers more relevant and impactful.
• Display personalized product recommendations. On your website, use dynamic content to display personalized product recommendations based on browsing history or saved wishlists. This approach can lead customers to discover more items they may want and add to their cart, boosting your overall sales.
• Send exclusive offers. Make customers feel like VIPs by sending exclusive Black Friday offers just for them. Highlighting the exclusivity of these deals through statements like “Only for you” or “As a loyal customer” adds a personal touch and can encourage quicker decision-making.
• Use retargeting ads. Retargeting ads based on customers’ previous interactions with your site can be a powerful way to reengage them during Black Friday. Whether they viewed specific products or abandoned their cart, a retargeted ad with a personalized offer can draw them back to your site to complete their purchase.

10. Create a referral program

A referral program can help you reach new customers through word-of-mouth, which is particularly effective during Black Friday when shoppers are already looking for deals. By offering incentives for referrals, you can encourage your current customers to spread the word about your products.

Start by making it clear to customers that referring friends or family will earn them a reward, such as a discount or cashback on their next purchase. For example, offer a 10% discount on their next order if they refer a friend who makes a purchase during Black Friday.

For greater appeal, make your referral program benefit both the referring customer and the new customer. For instance, the referrer might receive a discount, while the new customer gets a special Black Friday welcome discount. This dual-incentive approach motivates both parties to participate.

Begin promoting your referral program a few weeks before Black Friday. Use email, social media, and on-site banners to inform customers about the program and its rewards. Highlight that it’s a limited-time opportunity to encourage participation.

The easier it is to share referrals, the more likely customers will participate. So, make sure to set up a straightforward process where customers can quickly refer friends via email, SMS, or social media. Provide a unique referral link or code they can share with just a click.

You can use referral software or integrate referral tracking into your website to automate the process. Last but not least, ensure that rewards are delivered promptly after the referred customer makes a purchase – quick fulfillment builds trust and satisfaction.

Best Black Friday marketing campaigns for your inspiration

Ready to roll your sleeves and get to work? Here are a few standout examples of successful Black Friday marketing campaigns to inspire you:

Hostinger – Up to 85% off discounts

For the 2024 Black Friday campaign, Hostinger offers a discount of up to 79% off for all web hosting products.

This campaign taps into several Black Friday marketing strategies to attract new customers and reward loyal users:

• Deals for both new and returning customers. The discounts appeal to both first-time customers and existing users. New clients enjoy a hosting discount with free domain registration, while returning customers get special pricing on upgrades and renewals, making the campaign appealing to all.
• Seasonal landing page design. The landing page embraces the holiday spirit with Black Friday-themed colors and visuals while staying true to Hostinger’s branding. This mix of festive design and brand consistency creates a memorable, on-brand shopping experience.
• Create urgency with a countdown timer. Adding a countdown timer to the landing page build urgency, encouraging shoppers to act quickly before the deals expire. This strategy helps drive conversions, as customers are less likely to hesitate with a visible timer ticking down.

Etsy – Holiday gift guides

Etsy’s gift guides are a fantastic example of how well-organized, year-round gift suggestions can make holiday shopping easier for customers while encouraging repeat visits to your store.

Here’s how you can create similar gift guides that are both helpful and effective for your Black Friday marketing efforts:

• Create a holiday-ready gift guide landing page. Just as Etsy customizes its guides for various occasions, you can design a landing page that feels festive and welcoming during Black Friday. Add categories like Budget-Friendly Finds or Personalized Gifts to help customers quickly find what they want. Updating the page’s visuals and descriptions to reflect seasonal vibes (like festive banners or holiday colors) will also help create a memorable shopping experience.
• Organize by occasion and recipient. Consider setting up separate guides for specific occasions like Christmas or birthday gifts. Within each guide, you can create sub-categories for recipients (for example, for him, for her, and for kids) or themes (like eco-friendly or luxury). This setup not only attracts holiday shoppers but also keeps your guides relevant all year round.
• Offer detailed filtering options. Make it easy for customers to narrow down options with filters based on price, arrival time, color, and other specific product attributes. For example, if you sell candles, you can include a scent filter with options like floral, fruity, or woody, like Etsy. These details help customers personalize their shopping experience, leading to faster and more satisfying purchases.
• Let visitors favorite products. Let customers save items items they love for later, much like Etsy’s heart icon feature. This option can help shoppers who might not be ready to buy immediately, allowing them to revisit their favorite finds when they’re ready to purchase. Saved items also provide insights into popular products, helping you plan future promotions and inventory restocking.

REI – Opt Outside Black Friday marketing campaign

REI’s Opt Outside campaign is a great example of how a brand can break away from traditional sales tactics and make a lasting impression through their values. Instead of offering Black Friday discounts, REI closes all stores and pays employees to spend the day outside, encouraging customers and communities to do the same.

For online store owners, here’s how you can draw inspiration from this Black Friday marketing campaign:

• Align your campaign with your core values. Think about what your brand stands for and consider how you can turn those values into a meaningful Black Friday initiative. For instance, if your brand focuses on eco-friendly products, a Green Friday campaign where a portion of sales goes toward environmental causes can resonate deeply with customers who share similar values.
• Engage customers beyond just discounts. Offer an experience or initiative that builds community and loyalty. For example, if you sell wellness products, you might create a campaign that encourages customers to focus on self-care through sharing tips or hosting a live Q&A on wellness. This approach strengthens your connection with customers and builds a community around your brand’s purpose.
• Create a unique experience that sets you apart. Even if you’re a small business, you can stand out by offering something different. Consider offering free resources, like exclusive guides or virtual workshops that add value to customers’ lives. This approach gives your brand depth beyond discounts and positions you as a thoughtful, customer-focused business.

Ready for this holiday shopping season?

Thoughtfully implementing Black Friday marketing strategies can give your store an edge, drive more sales, and strengthen customer loyalty during the holiday season.

From optimizing your site for traffic to running social media teasers and offering well-timed discounts, there are many ways to entice both new and returning customers to shop at your store.

Always remember that the main goal is to create a smooth, engaging experience that keeps shoppers coming back. With the right preparation, you’ll be ready to maximize your Black Friday sales and set the stage for a profitable end to the year.

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