Black Friday Marketing Ideas

With just shy of155M Americans grabbing a bargain last year (2021), Black Friday remains one of the biggest events on the retail calendar.

How do you cash in on this shopping bonanza?

By pulling inspiration from these 25 Black Friday marketing ideas, of course.

25 Black Friday Marketing Ideas

Feast your eyes.

Here are 25 Black Friday marketing ideas that are sure to give you a head start over the competition this holiday season.

1. Start Promotions Early With a Countdown Timer

As Black Friday approaches, retailers are scrambling to come up with ways to stand out from the competition. By starting your promotions early, you’ll capture the attention of shoppers who are already in the holiday shopping mindset and prep those yet to think ahead to the upcoming sales.

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Offering early bird specials, creating social media posts about your special discounts, and sending out promotional texts or emails are all examples of using effective marketing channels to get your audience in the shopping mood. An embedded countdown timer in your promotional material, like that used in the example above, is a nice touch and it also adds a sense of urgency—motivating customers to jump in and make the most of the holiday discounts while they still can.

2. Develop Exclusive Discount Codes for Your Email Subscribers

An exclusive discount coupon or code are a great way to show your email subscribers that you appreciate them. A simple thank you is sometimes all it takes to encourage your most loyal customers to shop with you on Black Friday.

What’s the best way to develop discount codes?

The process doesn’t have to be difficult. There are many code-generation tools available online that will do all the hard work for you. For instance, Shopify has an in-house feature that can generate a special discount code. To do so, simply navigate to the Discounts page from the Shopify admin. For WooCommerce users, from your WordPress admin, navigate to Marketing > Coupons > Add coupon > General.

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Once created, let your subscribers know how they can access a price discount and what savings they can expect. Don’t forget to promote the discounts via your email list and use it to incentivize email sign-ups through social media channels.

3. Take Advantage of Upselling Opportunities

Don’t let the opportunity to increase your sales and profits slip by. Instead, take advantage of every chance to upsell your customers on Black Friday. To do so, identify what products or services would be most beneficial for your customers and most relevant to their prospective purchases.

There are several ways to accomplish this. One of the most effective is to offer complimentary products in a customer’s shopping cart. This means offering products that complement the item the customer is interested in, in order to make the purchase more enticing. For example, if a customer is looking at buying a cordless drill, you could try to upsell them a set of drill bits or impact drivers.

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Pop-ups can also be used to upsell products, by showing customers related items they may be interested in. When used correctly, pop-ups can be a valuable tool for boosting sales and generating revenue.

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4. Award Early Access Discounts and an Extended Sales Period

Not every shopper revels in the opportunity to fight off other Black Friday Shoppers for that new TV set—we’ve all seen the videos online. Nope, most shoppers would now rather avoid the Black Friday craziness, if they can.

That’s where offering your customers early access discounts will not just align with their shopping preferences but also allow you to cash in on an extended sales period.

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This may mean going beyond Black Friday and even Cyber Monday sales. For instance, some online stores run their sales from Thanks Giving. If you are really in the spirit of the holiday season, you could even push your Black Friday sales into the beginning of December to encourage customers to do a little Christmas shopping as well.

5. Offer Store Credit

Sometimes an exclusive discount code or extended sales period isn’t enough to secure business from potential customers. Nope. In order to take advantage of the opportunities presented by Black Friday sales, many online retailers offer store credit via email or other marketing materials.

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Here are a few tips on how to offer store credit on Black Friday:

1. Include an offer for store credit in your Black Friday email blast.
2. Mention the store credit offer in your Black Friday ads and other marketing materials.
3. Offer a bonus amount of store credit if customers spend a certain amount of money in your store on Black Friday.

6. Lean Into Being Green

Granted, it’s not for every audience. But recent global sentiment shows that shoppers are more aware of the potential impact their shopping habits have on the environment than ever before. This offers you the perfect opportunity to align with green initiatives while also boosting sales.

For example, last year, Everlane based their Black Friday campaign around raising money for the Rodale Institute. An organization that helps US farmers adopt regenerative organic farming practices.

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Of course, you don’t have to be so extravagant in your approach to going green. Companies like1% for the Planet make donating to green initiatives extremely easy.

1% for the Planet is an organization that encourages businesses and individuals to donate 1% of their sales or earnings to environmental causes. The organization provides a platform for businesses and individuals to connect with environmental nonprofits and also offers resources and support to help them maximize their impact.

7. Create a Dedicated Black Friday Landing Page

Retailers are preparing their strategies for the busiest shopping days of the year. For many ecommerce businesses, that means creating a dedicated Black Friday landing page.

A Black Friday landing page is a stand-alone web page that’s separate from your regular website design. It’s typically used to promote special deals and promotions, and it can be a powerful tool for driving traffic and sales on what is typically the busiest shopping day of the year.

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If you’re considering creating a Black Friday landing page for your business, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure your deals and promotions are prominently featured on the page. You’ll also want to ensure your page is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate, as many shoppers will be using their smartphones to do their holiday online shopping.

8. Employ Timely Pop-Ups

With the holiday period comes an increased amount of online store visitors. To prepare your online business for the busy period and align with search (and shopping) intent, why not use pop-ups?

Black Friday pop-ups can be used to promote special deals and sales, highlight new products, or bring awareness to your upcoming online sales.

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There are a ton of third-party pop-up applications that can be used to promote your Black Friday marketing campaigns, no matter which content management system (CMS) you are using.

Just be careful.

Sure, a pop-up can be a great way to increase conversion rates on your website. However, if they are not used properly, for some online shoppers, they can become annoying and intrusive. With this in mind, make sure that your pop-ups are relevant and offer something of value to your visitors. Otherwise, you run the risk of turning them away from your online store for good.

9. Use Retargeting to, Well, Retarget Prospective Customers

When it comes to Black Friday bargains, the early bird gets the worm—or in this case, the doorbuster deal. But for those shoppers that show interest but inevitably leave without converting, all is not lost. Retailers can use retargeting ads to bring online shoppers back and recoup some of those lost sales.

What is retargeting?

Retargeting is a form of online advertising that allows retailers to show ads to people who have already visited their website or mobile app. When someone visits a site or an app and proceeds to leave without making a purchase, they become a “retargetable” shopper. Retailers can then use retargeting ads on social media platforms or on third-party websites to reach out to these shoppers and bring them back into the fold.

10. Recoup Abandoned Carts With an Email Marketing Campaign

Abandoned cart emails are one of the most effective ways to recoup lost sales on this highly competitive day.

To be successful, retailers should be sending targeted emails that are relevant to the shopper and offer a compelling incentive to complete their purchase. Timing is also critical—abandoned cart emails should be sent within 24 hours of abandonment for maximum effectiveness.

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Most, if not all, email marketing services offer their users the ability to send automated cart abandonment emails, making it very easy to recoup abandoned carts and sales.

11. Use Conditional Free Shipping (With a Minimum Spend)

Offering free shipping with a minimum spend can be a great way to lure shoppers to your store.

There are a few things to keep in mind when offering free shipping. Make sure to set a minimum spend threshold that will cover the cost of shipping. This will not only increase AOV (average order value) but you’ll also avoid eating into your profits.

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Also, be clear about any exclusions or restrictions. For example, if you only offer free shipping on orders over $34.99, like Groupon has here, make sure that’s prominently displayed on your website and in any ads or promotional material. That way, there’s no confusion. Allowing online shoppers to take advantage of your Black Friday deals with peace of mind.

12. Discount With Minimum Purchase

Similar to incentivizing spending more for free shipping, you can also offer deals when a shopper spends a specified amount within your store. When setting a minimum purchase amount for your discount, be sure to consider your AOV. You don’t want to set the bar too high and discourage customers from taking advantage of the offer on hand.

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One way to do this is to use a tiered discount model. For example, to boost their average order value, Bonobos offered their email subscribers 30% off of their total order amount if they spent $250 or more and 25% off if their order totaled more than $150.

13. Run a Social Media Black Friday Giveaway

A social media giveaway is a great way to increase engagement and followers, while also giving back to your loyal customers. Plus, it’s a great way to attract attention to your business and get people talking about your products or services.

How do you run a social media Black Friday giveaway?

First, decide what you’re going to include as a giveaway. It could be a discount on your products or services, or a free product or service. Then, create some buzz around the promotion by posting about it on your social media channels.

Oh, and don’t forget to use Black Friday hashtags.

14. Curate Attention Grabbing Subject Lines

When it comes to Black Friday, the most important thing for retailers is to make sure their email subscribers are paying attention. The best way to do this is by crafting subject lines that are attention-grabbing and relevant to the products or services being offered.

Here are some tips for creating Black Friday subject lines that will stand out in your subscribers’ inboxes:

1. Use strong verbs or phrases that convey a sense of urgency: save, limited-time, and bargain.
2. Be specific about what’s being offered: discounts, doorbusters, and free shipping.
3. Incorporate holiday themes into the subject line: festive, merry, and jolly.
4. Make use of emojis to add some visual interest: 🎄❄️🎁🛍️

Black Friday subject line examples (feel free to copy and paste):

• “Black Friday has come early!” 🧾🛒📦
• “Get a jump on your Xmas shopping.” 🎄🎁🎅🏻
• “Time to save big with free shipping!” 🤑
• “Black Friday deals are here!” 🥳🎊🎉
• “Limited-time sales. Don’t miss out!” 📺🎮📷

15. Provide Access to Payment Installments

Payment installments, like Klarna or Afterpay, help shoppers budget for big-ticket items and spread out the cost of their purchase over time. This can be a helpful option for customers who may not have the cash on hand to pay for a purchase all at once.

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Offering payment installments helps online retailers and brick and mortor stores boost sales and attract new customers.

16. Add More Payment Options

Major retail stores offer multiple payment options to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers. And you should too.

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Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Samsung Pay are all popular methods of payment that allow customers to make purchases quickly and easily. By offering multiple payment options, you can provide a better shopping experience for all customers—no matter what payment method they’d prefer.

17. Team Up With a Charity

Black Friday offers you the perfect opportunity to partner with a local or national charity and offer your customers a way to give back.

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By teaming up with a charity, you can offer your customers a way to contribute to a worthy cause while taking advantage of Black Friday sales. So this Black Friday, instead of just offering discounts, offer your customers a way to give back by partnering with a charity.

18. Integrate a Chatbot Into Your Online Store

The holidays are a busy time for everyone, which can make it difficult for online retailers to provide the level of customer service many online shoppers have come to expect. This is where chatbots shine. By integrating a chatbot into your online store, you can provide quick and easy assistance to your customers without having to hire additional staff.

A chatbot will answer common questions, such as product availability and shipping times, freeing up your customer service team to handle more complex issues. You can also use a chatbot to upsell and cross-sell products based on the items your customers are viewing or have purchased in the past.

If you’re not sure where to start, there are many companies that offer chatbot development services, like Tidio and Chatfuel. By working with an experienced team, you can ensure that your chatbot is properly integrated into your existing systems and provides the best possible experience for your customers.

19. Sell Directly Through Social Media Accounts

While brick-and-mortar and online stores are still the preferred shopping destination for many consumers, more and more shoppers are turning to their favorite social media platforms to find deals and make purchases.

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Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms for shopping, with over70% of users using the app to visit an Instagram Shop. With the platform currently having some1.44B users, that’s around 1B users that use Instagram to shop eCommerce stores.

So if you aren’t taking advantage of selling directly from social media accounts this Black Friday, you’re likely missing out on the opportunity to reach a gigantic market.

20. Launch a New Product

Black Friday is the perfect time to launch a new product. This strategy can create a sense of excitement and encourage customers to visit your online store or website.

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There are a few things to keep in mind when launching a new product for Black Friday. For one, be certain the product is ready to be released. It should be high quality and well-tested so that there are no issues when it goes on sale. Also, promote the product in advance so that shoppers know what to expect.

Use social media, email marketing, and other channels to generate buzz. Oh, and make sure you have enough inventory on hand to meet demand. There’s nothing worse than selling out of a hot new item on Black Friday.

21. Cultivate a Sense of Exclusivity

As the most anticipated shopping day of the year, Black Friday is the perfect opportunity for businesses to boost sales by creating a sense of exclusivity. Offering exclusive deals and discounts to targeted groups of shoppers will entice them to spend more.

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For example, businesses can offer VIP access to their store or website for a limited time, or provide special coupons that can be used only on Black Friday. By making shoppers feel like they are part of an exclusive club, they are more likely to be motivated to take advantage of the deals on offer.

22. Leverage Black Friday Flash Sales

Another way to prepare your store for Black Friday is by leveraging flash sales. A flash sale is a short-term promotion where products are sold at a heavily discounted price. This type of sale is usually only available for a few hours or days, which creates a sense of urgency and encourages customers to buy items quickly.

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Black Friday is the perfect time to offer flash sales because people are already in the mindset of looking for deals and bargains. By offering deep discounts on popular items, retailers can entice shoppers to visit their store and make purchases.

Just keep in mind, flash sales are an effective method to boost sales and clear out inventory, but they should be used sparingly so as not to devalue your products or brand.

23. Make Use of Gift Cards

Gift cards are one of the best Black Friday marketing strategies you can use to entice shoppers to spend big. After all, who doesn’t love receiving free money or a free gift?

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Retailers can also use gift cards as a way to reward their best customers. For example, shoppers who spend a certain amount of money on Black Friday can be given a gift card that they can use at a later date. This is a great way to keep your best customers coming back year after year.

24. Write a Helpful Gift Guide

Creating a helpful gift guide can be a great way to attract customers. By taking the time to put together a guide that showcases some of the best deals and gifts available, you can help shoppers save time and money while still finding the perfect presents for their loved ones this holiday shopping season.

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Here are a few tips for creating an effective Black Friday gift guide:

1. Do your research. In order to put together a helpful guide, you’ll need to do your homework and find out what’s hot this holiday season. Research popular items and offer your own products that are most relevant to current trends.
2. Be organized. An organized guide is a helpful guide. Create sections or categories to help shoppers find what they’re looking for quickly and easily.
3. Include a mix of items. A good gift guide should have something for everyone on your list. Include items that are popular as well as unique finds that will surprise and delight recipients.

25. Optimize Your Website for Google Shoppers

Search engine optimization (SEO) endeavors to improve the visibility and ranking of your website on search engine results pages (SERPs). This can be done by optimizing your website content, structure, and on-page elements, such as titles, metatags, and anchor text.

By optimizing your website for Google shoppers, you can improve your chances of being found by potential customers who are using the search engine to find products or services like yours this shopping season. A well-optimized website will also help you rank higher in SERPs, which can lead to more website traffic and greater profits.

Summary

These 25 Black Friday marketing ideas are sure to make your business stand out from the crowd this holiday season.

If you need further help to develop a killer Black Friday marketing strategy, be sure to reach out to us here at Loganix.

Our digital marketing services are some of the most comprehensive in the industry. Our in-house team of experts will work with you to create a customized plan that fits your specific needs and goals, and we’ll help you execute it flawlessly. From SEO and content marketing to social media and paid advertising, we’ll make sure you’re more visible to your target audience than ever before.

See our full range of marketing services here.