If you’re in marketing, then you know that Black Friday isn’t just a day for shopping — it’s a retail phenomenon that, when done correctly, can set the stage for your entire holiday season!
And that means that, as marketers, it’s one of the biggest opportunities of the year to connect with your customers, drive more sales, and build brand loyalty.
But with so many businesses all scrambling for attention, how can your brand expect to stand out?
By learning from the best, that’s how. Major companies like Amazon, Apple, Target, Best Buy, and more have taken Black Friday marketing campaigns to an art form, using strategies that keep their customers engaged and excited to start shopping!
Which is why today’s blog is diving into the best Black Friday marketing strategies inspired by big-name brands. Whether you’re looking to boost awareness, sell a certain product, or just create some urgency, the following tips will help you create a Black Friday campaign that drives sales and has your customers coming back all holiday season!
Let’s dive in!
Why Your Brand Needs Effective Black Friday Marketing
So, why is Black Friday so important?
It’s because it’s more than a busy shopping day, it’s an opportunity for brands to make a lasting impression, drive more sales, and set the tone for your holiday season. And not just for retailers — brands across all industries can benefit from a well-planned Black Friday campaign!
Here are a few reasons why:
- Maximize Your Revenue Potential — As one of the highest-grossing shopping days of the year, Black Friday offers brands a chance to capture a significant share of holiday spending to boost their revenue in a short period of time.
- Build Brand Loyalty — A positive Black Friday experience can turn first-time buyers into loyal customers. Personalized deals, exclusive offers, and exceptional customer service go a long way toward encouraging repeat purchases and brand affinity.
- Stand Out in a Crowded Market — With countless brands competing for attention, a creative and targeted Black Friday campaign helps your business stand out. Unique promotions or engaging content can make your brand memorable amidst the noise.
- Increase Customer Engagement — Black Friday is a great time to connect with customers looking for deals through social media, email, and other channels. Campaigns like countdowns, flash sales, and interactive contests can keep your audience excited and engaged.
- Set the Tone for the Holiday Season — Christmas is just around the corner, right? A successful Black Friday campaign can create momentum for the rest of the holiday season, boosting sales during Cyber Monday and throughout December.
Black Friday Marketing Tips to Inspire You
Ready to drive even more excitement into a day that already has customers excited to shop?
Check out our 10 tips below to hype up your products and ensure that this Black Friday is the start of a profitable holiday season!
1. Start Early
Don’t wait until the last minute to roll out your Black Friday campaign!
Start early, building anticipation with a pre-Black Friday teaser campaign that gradually reveals awesome deals, offers, or exclusive perks.
This strategy will keep your brand top of mind as customers start planning their purchases early before any of your competitors’ Black Friday campaigns even pop up!
Example: Retail titan Amazon is a master of early Black Friday campaigns. It doesn’t just start teasing deals weeks in advance, it launches full “Amazon Early Black Friday” shopping promotions that give discounts on a huge range of products. By keeping customers notified via email updates and app notifications, Amazon builds excitement and gives shoppers a chance to browse deals ahead of time.
2. Create Urgency with Limited-Time Offers
Limited time offers are a classic way to drive action no matter what time of year.
And while Black Friday itself is a time-limited event, you can still amp up the urgency by layering on additional time-sensitive offers!
You can stagger your deals throughout the day with flash sales, hourly discounts, or “while supplies last” offers that create mini-deadlines and encourage customers ready to spend to check back frequently so they don’t miss out.
When your customers know an offer isn’t likely to last long, they’re more likely to make quick decisions and jump on deals like they can!
Example: Target’s Black Friday “doorbuster” deals are announced well ahead of Black Friday to make sure customers know exactly when and where to shop for the hot-ticket items they’re looking for. Target also ramps up excitement during Black Friday with hourly deals and sales to keep customers checking back and drive a sense of urgency into a day that’s already urgent!
3. Use Mobile-First Design and Shopping
Black Friday is, of course, a day where shoppers line up at all hours of the night, ready to work off their Thanksgiving dinners with a shopping frenzy.
But not all shoppers care for the crowds! With so many shoppers browsing and purchasing on mobile devices from the comfort of their couch, it’s essential that your website and checkout process are mobile-friendly, so you don’t miss out on sales!
Black Friday is a fast-paced day so make sure that your site is optimized in the following ways:
- Fast Load Times — Make sure your site loads quickly on mobile to prevent potential customers from dropping off due to delays or other hiccups.
- Simplify Navigation — Make it easy for shoppers to browse, search, and find key deals on their mobile screens without unnecessary clutter.
- Streamline Checkout — You need a fast checkout process with options like autofill, guest checkout, and minimal steps so your guests can complete a purchase quickly and move on with their day.
- Use Mobile-Specific Offers — Consider offering exclusive app-only deals or mobile discounts to incentivize shopping on your mobile site or app.
- Optimize for Thumb-Friendly Design — Place all necessary buttons and navigation elements in easy reach for a comfortable browsing experience on any screen size.
Example: Walmart does a great job prioritizing mobile-friendly shopping, especially during Black Friday. By offering app-exclusive deals, they can incentivize more customers to download and use the Walmart mobile app for their shopping. And, with a streamlined and hassle-free checkout process with app-exclusive discounts, Walmart’s Black Friday campaign makes it incredibly easy for mobile users to snag the best deals on the go.
4. Personalize Recommendations and Offers
Personalized recommendations make customers feel seen and increase the chances of conversion on any day of the year.
On Black Friday, however, they can net you immediate sales by helping customers quickly find deals that best match their interests! Use data to tailor product suggestions, targeted emails, or in-app promotions based on past purchases or browsing history. You can even start building up hype in advance by offering early access to exclusive Black Friday deals on the products your audience has shown interest in to give them a head start before the rush!
Example: Nike always offers personalized product recommendations on its website and app based on browsing and purchase history. For Nike’s Black Friday deals, they enhance the experience by highlighting discounted products in each customer’s favorite categories to make sure they see the deals on items they’re most likely to buy. This level of personalization makes Nike customers feel valued and much more likely to purchase during
5. Social Proof and Customer Reviews
During Black Friday, when customers are making rapid purchase decisions, social proof — like customer reviews, ratings, and best-seller labels — can help build trust and sway buyers who are on the fence between yours and a competitor’s similar products.
So, highlight reviews on popular items, showcase your top-rated products, or add “best-seller” tags on your hot items to show shoppers that others are buying your products, and they should too!
Example: Cosmetics brand, Sephora, prominently displays customer reviews, star ratings, and “community favorites” on their product pages. During Black Friday, Sephora’s marketing campaigns double down on this strategy, showcasing top-rated items in their emails and social media posts. Trusted recommendations make shoppers feel more confident in their purchases, especially on Black Friday when they’re looking to make quick but smart buys.
6. Social Media Contests and UGC
Social media contests and user-generated content (UGC) campaigns are powerful tools for engaging your audience, especially during the lead-up to Thanksgiving and Black Friday!
Contests with giveaways, “share to win” campaigns, or challenges that encourage customers to post about your brand are excellent ways to boost visibility and drive traffic to your website.
Here are some great ways to get your followers in on the fun:
- Run a Hashtag Campaign — Encourage customers to post pictures of their purchases or holiday preparations using a branded hashtag for a chance to win a prize.
- Create a Voting Contest — Have followers vote for their favorite products or Black Friday deals to drive engagement and excitement for your sale.
- Collaborate with Influencers — Partner with influencers to kickstart UGC by showcasing your Black Friday deals to their followers.
- Showcase Customer Stories — Highlight real customer experiences on your page to encourage more UGC and inspire others to share their stories.
Example: Adobe often runs social media challenges to encourage designers to share their creative work using specific tools like Photoshop or Illustrator. This is particularly effective on Adobe Black Friday when they typically provide discounts on Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions!
7. Incentivize It
Nothing makes your Black Friday deals more irresistible than offering exclusive incentives to your loyal customers!
Incentives can range from early access for loyal customers to value-add perks or whatever you think your customers will value. Unique incentives like these not only attract more customers but also encourage larger purchases and more brand loyalty!
If you’re looking for ideas on how to offer exclusive incentives to Black Friday shoppers, here are some of our favorites:
- Early Access to Deals — Reward loyalty members or email subscribers with early access to sales to create a sense of exclusivity.
- Free Gift with Purchase — Offer a complimentary product for orders over a certain dollar amount. This will give customers an added reason to spend more!
- Extra Rewards Points — If you have a loyalty program, provide bonus points for Black Friday purchases to entice customers to choose your brand over your competitors.
- Tiered Discounts — The more they spend, the more they save! For example, “Spend $50, save 10%; spend $100, save 20%.”
Example: Nordstrom offers early access to Black Friday deals for Nordy Club members (Nordstrom’s reward program), creating an exclusive experience. They provide free shipping on all orders, which is a great incentive to encourage customers to shop without hesitation!
8. Holiday Bundles and Gift Sets
Holiday bundles and gift sets are a great way to add value and encourage larger purchases during your Black Friday sales.
Bundling products together at a discounted price makes shopping easier and more convenient for your customers and also helps you clear out some inventory while boosting your average order value!
Consider offering wrapped gift sets as well to appeal to those shoppers who are looking for ready-to-go presents for their friends and family!
Here are some ideas for bundling:
- Themed Bundles — Combine complementary items into packages designed for specific needs, such as DIY tools for homeowners or tech accessories for gadget lovers.
- Gift Sets — Pre-packaged items designed for easy gifting, ideal for customers looking for a hassle-free shopping experience.
- Buy More, Save More — Offer discounts that increase as customers add more items from a set or category to their cart.
Example: Best Buy’s Black Friday deals often include holiday bundles like laptops with accessories (i.e., wireless mouse, headphones) or bundling gaming consoles with popular games and controllers. These bundles save shoppers money while providing everything they need in one purchase! Best Buy also heavily promotes these valuable bundles in their email campaigns, social media ads, and on their website to let Best Buy shoppers know exactly what to look for.
9. Stay Late
Black Friday might be the biggest shopping day of the year, but it’s not a law that it has to end once the clock strikes midnight!
Extending your sales beyond Black Friday lets you grab last-minute buyers and keeps the momentum going well into the holiday shopping season!
Here are some ways to keep the excitement going after Black Friday:
- Extended Sales Periods — Continue Black Friday deals for a few extra days to attract shoppers who missed out during the initial rush.
- Post-Black Friday Promotions — Introduce new discounts or bundles to keep customers engaged during Cyber Monday and the following week.
- "Last Chance" Messaging — Create urgency by emphasizing that extended deals are about to end, encouraging shoppers to act quickly.
Example: Home Depot’s Black Friday deals will run through December 4th this year, giving customers more time to shop and take advantage of holiday discounts. By keeping their promotions active after Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, Home Depot’s strategy not only boosts their overall sales but also captures those customers who prefer to avoid the Black Friday rush.
10. Retarget Abandon Carts
Abandoned carts are an inevitable part of any shopping season but during Black Friday, the stakes are a bit higher.
You don’t have much time, so retarget shoppers who leave items in their carts with personalized reminders and incentives to complete their purchases. Use email, SMS, or even social media ads to grab their attention and coax them over to finish the job!
Here are a few strategies for your retargeting:
- Abandoned Cart Emails — Send reminders highlighting the items left in the cart along with countdown timers and an urgency message like “Hurry! Items are selling fast.”
- Exclusive Incentives — Sweeten the deal with a small discount or free shipping to nudge customers to complete their purchase.
- Countdown Messaging — Remind shoppers how much time is left in the sale to create some urgency.
Example: Kohl’s Black Friday season often includes retargeting strategies to recover abandoned carts. They send personalized email reminders to customers along with incentives like limited-time discounts, special offers, and free shipping offers to motivate customers to come back and complete their purchase! Kohl’s also uses SMS notifications (for customers who have opted in) and social media retargeting ads to reconnect with potential buyers and remind shoppers who might have otherwise forgotten all about their purchases.
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Looking to Get a Black Friday Campaign Going?
If you’re looking at this list and wishing you had started sooner in planning your Black Friday marketing campaign, then don’t worry!
All is not lost, friend. There are still a few weeks to go and time to implement the tactics you saw above.
Did you know that Designity is an innovative Creative as a Service platform that has a talent pool made up of only the best of the best (only the top 3% of all who apply!) in fields like graphic design, digital marketing, copywriting, video, motion graphics, web design, landing page design, digital ad design, and more?
If you’re thinking that sounds like all the folks you need to whip up a Black Friday or Cyber Monday campaign to set up your holiday season for success, then you’re right! And with a designated Creative Director to lead your account, source your talent, and make sure that you have all the assets you need when you need them, you can get it done faster than you ever thought possible!
Why not make this your best Black Friday yet and book your demo call today? We’ll get you started with a two-week, no-obligation trial so you can test drive our 100+ marketing and design services and see why Designity is the holiday partner your brand has been looking for!
Is your brand ready for this holiday season?
