Black Friday is a high-stakes shopping event for e-commerce businesses. Whether you're leading marketing for a fast-growing online brand or managing performance for a multi-category retailer, this guide brings together proven tactics and new ideas to help you win across the entire Cyber Week, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday.
This year, shopper expectations are higher while attention spans are shorter. Black Friday 2025, on Friday 28 November, is projected to generate $10.8 to $11.9 billion in online sales in the U.S. alone. Mobile commerce is also expected to reach 73% of sales, up from 69% in 2024.
At the same time, 36% of consumers say they’re less interested in Black Friday compared to previous years. That makes personalisation and value-led messaging more important than ever. Instead of competing solely on price, brands that stand out will combine data-driven storytelling, frictionless UX, and meaningful reasons to buy.
Key steps to consider:
Rather than treating Black Friday and Cyber Monday as separate pushes, consider a week-long narrative arc. Early access Black Friday deals, extended promotions, and mid-week surprises can stretch engagement.
Not every promotion needs to involve deep discounting. In 2025, shoppers are responding to creativity and relevance as much as price cuts. What can move the needle is how well the promotion is timed, packaged, and positioned. Here’s a breakdown of ideas that can drive meaningful conversions by creating urgency, rewarding loyalty, or boosting perceived value…
|
Promotion type |
Description |
Why it works |
|
Flash Sales |
Discounts available for a short time or specific hour |
Builds urgency and creates "act now" behaviour |
|
BOGO or Product Bundles |
Buy One Get One or curated package deals |
Increases average order value and cross-sell volume |
|
Free Shipping Thresholds |
Free delivery for orders over a certain amount |
Encourages shoppers to add more to their basket |
|
Loyalty Boosts or Gift with Purchase |
Offer extra points or free limited items with orders |
Rewards high-value customers and boosts brand stickiness |
|
Countdown Timers & Stock Alerts |
Visible indicators of limited-time deals or low inventory |
Triggers FOMO and urgency to complete purchase |
|
VIP or Early Access |
Exclusive Black Friday previews or limited drops for repeat or high-value customers |
Strengthens retention and customer lifetime value |
Mix and match these based on your product type, fulfilment capacity, and target segment. The goal is not just to push volume, but to create moments that feel valuable and intentional.
Your website doesn’t just support your campaign. It is your campaign. When deals go live, every second of page load and every click matters. Holiday shopping is a sport and consumers don’t wait for slow pages or unclear offers. That means now is the time to refine every interaction across your site, from landing page to checkout.
Focus on:
Add subtle social proof like "X people bought this today" or "Only 5 left" to build confidence and reinforce popularity without overselling. We’ve written more about improving ecommerce conversion rates.
Black Friday may start with product offers, but it builds momentum through conversations. Social media is where that conversation happens in real time. It’s where anticipation turns into action and where customers go to confirm value, authenticity, and relevance.
Done well, social media drives reach and builds intent. That means your content needs to be more than announcements. It needs to be useful, exciting, and recognisable, especially in high-traffic moments when consumers are scrolling and you need to cut through the noise.
Ideas to test:
Use pinned posts and Stories to anchor your campaign narrative. Make sure every format has a purpose: to inform, to prompt, or to reinforce.
With so many promotional messages competing for attention, your email and SMS strategy needs to be clear, timely, and personalised. Black Friday inboxes are crowded, but targeted, well-sequenced communication can break through. Done right, these channels drive high intent traffic and recover potentially lost sales.
Approaches to consider:
Match the look, feel, and structure of your messages across email and SMS. Visual consistency improves recall, while a unified call to action supports smoother decision-making.
This year, AI-powered and immersive experiences will separate leaders from the rest. These approaches aren’t experimental anymore—they’re part of how top e-commerce players convert attention into action.
Use real-time browsing data to automatically present custom offers based on what the shopper is viewing or has viewed recently. For example, show a limited-time discount on an item a user has looked at twice, or suggest a bundle featuring their most browsed product category. Timing and relevance increase the likelihood of conversion.
Move beyond basic recommendations by using AI to predict what a customer is likely to buy next based on order history, cart behaviour, or even search trends. This improves upsell accuracy and can reduce decision fatigue for high-intent shoppers.
Let customers explore how products will look or fit before they commit. This is especially effective for fashion, beauty, or homeware categories. Virtual try-on tools or augmented previews reduce return rates and help users feel more confident in their purchase.
Monitor what’s working and adjust quickly. Use live data to track performance by device, region, channel, or segment. When a product is overperforming or an offer is stalling, act immediately swap in new creatives or adjust placement without waiting for end-of-day reports.
Shoppers are increasingly selective about where they spend, especially during high-volume sales periods. For many, price is only part of the decision. Values matter too. That’s why cause-based campaigns are becoming a factor in conversion.
But it’s not about virtue signalling. It's about offering customers a chance to take part in something that feels aligned with their priorities. During Black Friday, when marketing tends to focus on urgency and scarcity, ethical promotions offer a refreshing counterbalance. They connect purchase decisions to broader impact.
Approaches that resonate:
These campaigns not only help differentiate your brand but also deepen long-term loyalty. When a purchase feels meaningful, it doesn’t just convert, it sticks. And that’s something worth building into your Black Friday plan.
It’s tempting to focus only on revenue during big campaigns, but understanding why a campaign did or didn't succeed starts with tracking the right signals. Metrics give you a window into behaviour, channel performance, and operational execution. They’re also essential for post-campaign learnings and planning for Q1.
|
Metric |
How to measure |
Why it matters |
|
Conversion rate |
Track user flow from product view to completed checkout |
Identifies where users drop off and which pages need improvement |
|
Average order value (AOV) |
Calculate total revenue divided by number of orders |
Reveals effectiveness of upsells, bundles, or minimum spend incentives |
|
Cart abandonment rate |
Measure the percentage of users who exit after adding to cart |
Pinpoints checkout friction or unclear shipping, pricing, or payment options |
|
Customer lifetime value (CLV) |
Track repeat purchases and order value over time |
Helps evaluate whether Black Friday customers become long-term buyers |
|
Channel attribution & engagement |
Use analytics tools to trace conversion back to source campaigns |
Shows which traffic sources and campaigns are delivering revenue, not just clicks |
|
Refund and return rates |
Monitor post-purchase actions by SKU or category |
Ensures promotional sales aren’t driving high return volumes or fraud |
|
Time to checkout |
Measure time from cart add to payment confirmation |
Highlights if there’s unnecessary friction in the final purchase step |
After Black Friday, block off time for structured post-sale analysis. The best insights often come once the rush is over, and understanding these will help shape a stronger campaign for next time.
The most successful brands treat Black Friday not as the end of a campaign, but as the start of a longer relationship. After the final order is placed, the next goal is retention. That means building touchpoints that turn one-time shoppers into regulars, and deal-seekers into loyal customers.
Start with gratitude. A well-timed thank-you email that includes a product recommendation or reorder option feels thoughtful and proactive. It shows you value their purchase and encourages continued engagement.
Next, use the post-Black Friday window to introduce follow-up offers. Think "holiday encore" promotions that feel like a natural extension of the shopping experience. These don’t have to be as aggressive as Black Friday pricing, but they should reward quick return visits.
This is also the ideal time to gather feedback. Ask for reviews and ratings on recent purchases. Frame it around helping others find the right fit, not just helping you. And when possible, offer a small incentive for participating.
If you run a loyalty programme, now is the moment to activate it. Remind new customers of what they’ve earned or what they’re close to unlocking. Double points campaigns or tier-based benefits can give them a reason to shop again before the end of the year.
Black Friday buyers are often first-time customers. The way you follow up can turn a seasonal shopper into a long-term one.