Black Friday is one of the few moments each year when customer attention peaks. Instead of treating it as a stressful weekend to survive, brands can use it as a chance to shape perception, strengthen loyalty, and spark momentum that lasts beyond the holiday rush.
Shoppers are not only looking for discounts. They are looking for brands that feel relevant, trustworthy, and worth coming back to. When your offers and storytelling work together, BFCM becomes a decisive moment to grow both revenue and long-term brand equity.
This guide breaks down 10 plug-and-play strategies you can use right away, from VIP early access to gifting ready-made bundles and limited-edition drops. Each one is designed to help you win now while building value that lasts beyond the weekend.
Let’s get started.
Black Friday performance now depends on strategic timing, value architecture, and full-funnel execution, meaning brands win when they master four core plays:
- Start before the crowd: Early access and VIP momentum capture high-intent buyers and build revenue ahead of Black Friday.
- Design offers that guide behavior: Tiered deals, bundles, and limited-edition drops increase AOV and keep shoppers engaged longer.
- Engage across the full funnel: Omnichannel messaging, creators, and interactive experiences reduce friction and boost conversions.
- Extend the momentum: Cyber Week offers and post-purchase flows turn one-time BFCM buyers into loyal, returning customers.
What Drives Consumer Behavior During Black Friday?
Black Friday continues to shape how modern consumers discover, evaluate, and make purchasing decisions. The 2024 season alone saw 197 million U.S. shoppers participate across the Thanksgiving weekend (NRF, 2024), a reminder that when incentives are precise and well-timed, shoppers move quickly.
Several forces consistently guide how people decide what to buy, and when:
- Urgency & scarcity: Limited-time deals, countdown timers, and low-stock alerts trigger psychological drivers like FOMO and loss aversion, pushing shoppers to act fast during high-pressure shopping windows.
- Value-driven expectations: 68% of consumers now seek meaningful value, such as bundles, loyalty perks, and VIP access, in addition to big discounts. Experience-led offers significantly influence purchase confidence.
- Earlier buying cycles: Nearly 45% of holiday shoppers begin purchasing before November, turning Black Friday into a multi-week buying journey. Brands offering early previews or VIP early access capture demand before competitors.
- Hybrid shopping behavior: In 2024, 42% of shoppers used both online and in-store channels to research and buy, making consistent omnichannel messaging and pricing more critical than ever.
Black Friday buying decisions are shaped by psychology, timing, perceived value, and cross-channel consistency. The brands that win aren’t the loudest; they’re the most prepared for how modern shoppers actually behave.
What Are the Best Black Friday Marketing Strategies for Your Businesses?
1. Early Access and VIP Momentum
Early access remains one of the most reliable ways to capture revenue before the Black Friday rush begins. By opening your sale first to your most loyal customers, you create exclusivity while also easing the pressure on your public launch.
VIP shoppers convert quickly, spend more, and appreciate brands that recognize their loyalty, which is why a well-structured early-access window consistently outperforms a single-day drop.
To turn early access into real revenue, focus on the five pillars:
- Prioritize customers with high lifetime value, multiple purchases, or top-tier loyalty status. This ensures early access feels earned, not random.
- Create a private early-access link or a hidden landing page so only qualified customers can shop ahead of the crowd, reinforcing the experience's exclusivity.
- Warm them up before launch by sending a teaser 24-48 hours in advance to build anticipation and improve open rates.
- Use SMS or push notifications at go-live, as timing is crucial and VIP engagement peaks within the first 10–15 minutes.
- Offer a small bonus to VIP shoppers, such as priority access to limited-edition items, complimentary samples, or additional loyalty points, to enhance the overall experience.
As you scale this process, the biggest challenge is not the strategy - it's maintaining clean, consistent VIP segmentation during peak traffic.
This is where a loyalty platform helps. Joy: Loyalty & Rewards Program app automatically assigns customers to VIP tiers based on purchases or points, ensuring the right people always receive early access without manual filtering. It keeps your early-access rollout accurate and smooth, even during the busiest moments of BFCM.
2. Smart Offer Mechanics That Drive Conversions
Clever offer mechanics transform your Black Friday sale from a simple discount into a guided shopping experience. A mix of tiered savings, bundles, and timed deals gives shoppers a sense of choice, keeps them engaged longer, and naturally lifts cart value.
When customers can see clear ways to save more, they browse deeper, return for new drops, and feel more satisfied with their purchase. This structure is what drives higher AOV and repeat visits during the peak weekend.
Here’s how to make this strategy work effectively:
- Choose 2–3 offer formats that serve different goals. For example: tiered discounts for increasing AOV, flash deals for repeat visits, and a BOGO for product discovery. Avoid offering everything at once, or you risk overwhelming shoppers.
- Set clear, easy-to-understand thresholds (e.g., $60 / $120 / $180 tiers). Shoppers convert faster when the reward is obvious: “Add $18 more to unlock 30 percent off.”
- Promote each offer via SMS. Clear cycles encourage shoppers to return multiple times throughout the weekend.
Integrate the offer logic inside the cart so customers can see progress (“You’re $22 away from the next tier”). This single UX touchpoint often increases AOV immediately.
3. Bundles and Seasonal Gifting Kits
Curated bundles help shoppers cut through the overwhelm of holiday choices by offering a ready-made solution. A well-designed bundle feels intentional: each product complements the others, the value is clear, and the theme fits a gifting occasion.
When you position bundles as “holiday-ready”, customers perceive them as higher value even if the discount isn’t steep. This strategy is especially effective for beauty, wellness, home, and lifestyle brands, where shoppers naturally search for thoughtful gifts.
A “Self-Care Night Kit” or “Coffee Lover Essentials” is easier to purchase than choosing individual items. Bundles also help you introduce new products without extra marketing effort and move slower inventory without making it obvious.
Here’s how to make this strategy work effectively:
- Create 3–5 themed bundles tailored to real customer needs. Examples: “For Him,” “Under $50 Gifts,” “Holiday Self-Care Set.” Customers shop faster when they see clear intent.
- Use strong visuals that show everything included, ideally photographed together. This reduces hesitation and increases perceived value more than listing items separately.
- Show value comparison transparently, such as “$112 value for $78.” This simple side-by-side comparison significantly boosts conversion during the gifting season.
- Feature bundles prominently in your navigation and homepage, not tucked away in a sub-category. Shoppers often choose the first option they see.
- Create bundle-exclusive perks, such as gift wrapping or handwritten notes, to enhance the emotional appeal and give the set a more premium feel.
4. Limited-Edition Drops That Create Real Scarcity
Limited-edition products consistently outperform standard SKUs during BFCM because scarcity increases urgency. A Shopify study shows that exclusive drops convert up to 2.5 times faster than regular items.
Brands like Glossier, ColourPop, and Gymshark rely heavily on limited BFCM editions to spark FOMO and drive early sellouts. Customers don’t just buy the product; they buy the moment - the feeling of being part of something special.
To bring these black friday ideas to life, you need to:
- Create a limited variant or packaging exclusively for BFCM. For example, a holiday scent, a metallic edition, a collector’s box, or a micro-collab with a local artist. Even small changes significantly increase desirability.
- Build anticipation with a short pre-launch tease that shows only partial visuals (e.g., “Coming 11.28”). Case in point: Glossier teased its limited “Black Friday Pink” set for 72 hours and generated thousands of sign-ups for its waitlist.
- Make quantity truly limited, such as “Only 300 units”, and display low-stock indicators. Transparency boosts credibility and drives conversions without feeling manipulative.
- Announce a precise launch time across email + SMS to create a coordinated traffic spike. Drops with synchronized timing often create the “mini hype” effect that fuels fast sellouts.
- Share behind-the-scenes content (sketches, packaging choices, moodboards). Customers feel a closer connection to the brand story, which increases both emotional attachment and willingness to buy.
5. Interactive Experiences That Boost Engagement
Interactive experiences invite customers to actively engage with your brand rather than simply scrolling through products. This Black Friday marketing strategy helps you stand out by turning passive browsing into hands-on interaction.
Shopify’s 2024 data showed that gamified elements, such as spin-to-win wheels, scratch cards, or short quizzes, can double email sign-ups and significantly increase time on site compared to static pop-ups. This approach works exceptionally well for mobile shoppers, who now make up more than 70% of BFCM traffic.
To implement this strategy successfully, focus on:
- Choosing one simple, high-impact mechanic, such as spin-to-win or a 5-question quiz. Ensure the experience loads quickly on mobile and doesn’t interrupt the checkout process. A beauty brand, for example, might offer a “Find your perfect shade” quiz that ends with a personalized discount.
- Offering rewards that feel attainable and useful, such as a sample-sized product, free shipping, or a $5 store credit. These perks cost little but have high psychological value.
- Setting clear time limits, like “Play once per day” or “Game available for the next 8 hours.” Time-bound mechanics create urgency and encourage return visits.
- Integrating email/SMS capture inside the interaction, not after. Gamified opt-in experiences typically see much higher conversion because customers receive a reward immediately.
- Encouraging social sharing, especially on TikTok or Instagram Stories. Customers love posting their “score,” “spin result,” or “unlocked gift,” giving your brand free organic reach.
6. Carrying the Momentum Through Cyber Week
Cyber Week is the extended phase of Black Friday, during which brands sustain demand through a second wave of targeted offers. Instead of closing the sale after Black Friday, you continue the excitement with Cyber Monday and a curated set of promotions lasting several days.
This Black Friday marketing strategy is effective because many shoppers intentionally wait for Cyber Monday, particularly tech-savvy consumers and price-comparers. In fact, it accounts for up to 35% of total BFCM revenue, which typically arrives after Black Friday. A structured Cyber Week plan ensures you don’t lose customers who hesitated earlier.
To make this strategy work effectively, you should:
- Create a fresh Cyber Monday hero offer, such as a limited-time bundle, a digital-only deal, or a value-add bonus (“Free gift with purchase today”). Avoid simply repeating your Black Friday discount.
- Retarget Black Friday window-shoppers with personalized reminders. Example: “Still thinking about the Cozy Gift Set? Your Cyber Monday perk is waiting.” This increases conversion rates without further discounting.
- Organize your homepage around clear shopping paths, like “Gifts Under $30,” “Staff Picks,” or “Best Sellers Back in Stock.” Shoppers respond well to curated guidance during the later shopping window.
- Use SMS to capture late-stage buyers, especially on Cyber Monday evening. Many brands see strong spikes between 6 PM and 10 PM as customers make final decisions.
- Extend the momentum with a short Cyber Week finale, such as “Three more days of curated picks,” to smooth the transition from Black Friday into the holiday gifting season.
7. Full-Funnel Omnichannel Marketing
Full-funnel omnichannel marketing involves coordinating your messaging across every platform where customers interact with your brand, including email, SMS, social media, paid ads, influencer marketing, and on-site communication.
Shopify reports that the average shopper interacts with 5–7 touchpoints before making a BFCM purchase. Consistency across those touchpoints builds confidence: customers see the same offer, the same expiry window, and the same product benefits wherever they land.
This increases trust and reduces friction in the decision-making process. A connected funnel also ensures that, regardless of where your customers start (TikTok, email, Google search, Instagram, or SMS), they all receive a coherent experience that leads to checkout.
To put this Black Friday marketing strategy into action, you should:
- Build a unified creative theme for BFCM, consistent visuals, tone, taglines, and offer structure. This makes your campaign instantly recognizable across every channel.
- Segment your audience by behavior, such as first-time visitors, high-intent browsers, VIP customers, and past purchasers. Each group should receive messages tailored to their stage in the funnel.
- Use creators strategically to warm up demand with content like “What I’m buying this Black Friday,” which you can then repurpose for paid ads and retargeting. Creator-led ads often outperform polished brand creatives during BFCM.
- Sync email and SMS timing so messages complement each other instead of overwhelming customers. Take instance: email for details, SMS for urgency.
- Monitor channel-level performance daily and adjust frequency based on engagement. If TikTok is driving more top-of-funnel traffic, consider increasing retargeting efforts there to capture conversions.
8. Conversion-Focused Messaging and On-Site Communication
Conversion-focused messaging is how your website communicates value, urgency, and clarity the moment a shopper lands on your page. During Black Friday, customers browse quickly and make decisions even faster. They won’t sift through long product descriptions or confusing offer structures.
This strategy is about removing hesitation. When your homepage, product pages, and checkout highlight your biggest offers, core benefits, and trust signals, shoppers feel more confident.
To execute this strategy well, focus on:
- Leading with your biggest offer immediately, using a bold top banner or hero section. Make it unmistakably clear: “25 Percent Off Sitewide – Ends Tonight.” Shoppers should understand your best deal within two seconds.
- Prioritizing mobile-friendly layouts, such as short benefit bullets, simplified product descriptions, and clear CTAs. Example: move “Free Returns” and “Ships in 24h” above the fold.
- Reinforcing trust with social proof, including top-rated reviews, customer photos, and badges (“Best Seller”, “Award Winning”). Research shows that adding even one customer review block increases add-to-cart rates.
- Using urgency cues wisely, like low-stock indicators or countdown timers on key products. These work best when they reflect real availability rather than generic pressure tactics.
- Clarifying all policies upfront, including shipping cutoffs, return windows, and delivery expectations. Reducing uncertainty can significantly decrease cart abandonment on high-traffic days.
9. Creator and Influencer Amplification
Creator and influencer amplification is the practice of using creator-made content to boost reach, credibility, and purchase intent during Black Friday. Shoppers trust recommendations from real people more than brand ads, especially during BFCM, when every brand is shouting for attention. Campaigns powered by UGC tend to convert about 28 percent better than those built solely on branded content.
Creators also help your brand reach new audiences without relying solely on paid ads. Micro-influencers, in particular, offer strong engagement rates and cost-effective content that can be repurposed across multiple channels.
If you want this strategy to perform well, concentrate on:
- Choosing creators whose audience matches your customer profile, not just those with high follower counts. A micro-influencer with a strong niche (e.g., beauty, fitness, home decor) often drives higher conversions than a macro-influencer with a broad reach.
- Giving each creator a simple brief that focuses on one product story or one BFCM message. Example: “Show how you use our Cozy Set as your nightly routine.” Over-directing kills authenticity; keep it loose.
- Providing trackable discount codes or custom landing pages so you can measure performance accurately. This also turns each creator into a measurable channel.
- Repurposing creator videos into TikTok ads, Reels ads, PDP galleries, and email headers. UGC used in paid ads frequently lifts ROAS because it blends naturally into social feeds.
- Featuring creators during your BFCM countdown, such as “What I’m buying this Black Friday.” This format builds anticipation and feels like a genuine recommendation, not a promotion.
10. Post-Purchase Retention and Community Building
Post-purchase retention is the strategy of nurturing customers after they make a purchase, turning a one-time Black Friday shopper into a long-term, repeat buyer. During BFCM, many customers are shopping from unfamiliar brands for the first time. This creates a significant opportunity.
Retaining just 5 percent more customers can increase profits by 25–95 percent. A thoughtful post-purchase experience ensures buyers don’t forget your brand once the sales frenzy ends.
This strategy is effective because customers appreciate reassurance and follow-up, especially during the holidays when order volumes are high, and patience is low.
To execute this strategy well, focus on:
- Sending a personalized thank-you email within hours, not days. Keep it simple: acknowledge their purchase, confirm shipping expectations, and highlight the value they just unlocked. This small gesture boosts trust immediately.
- Adding a bounce-back incentive for December shopping, such as a $10 credit or early access to your holiday restock. Brands like Bombas and Brooklinen use this tactic to convert BFCM buyers into December repeat customers.
- Collecting UGC or reviews quickly, ideally within 5–7 days. Provide a direct link and a small perk (e.g., bonus loyalty points). This enriches your social proof for future customers.
- Sending a helpful post-purchase flow, such as product care tips, styling ideas, or “how to use” videos. Educational content increases product satisfaction and reduces returns.
- Inviting customers to join your loyalty program or follow your brand channels, positioning it as an exclusive community rather than a marketing list.
What Mistakes Should You Avoid During Black Friday?
Black Friday presents a significant opportunity for growth, but many brands unintentionally undermine their results by focusing solely on discounts and traffic spikes. The most successful brands protect their margins, optimize the experience, and think beyond the sale day. Avoiding these common mistakes will help you maximize revenue without compromising long-term brand equity:
- Over-discounting that harms your brand: Heavy markdowns may create a short-term spike but can dilute your perceived value, train customers to wait for sales, and reduce profitability. Instead of going “as low as possible,” focus on value-driven offers like bundles, loyalty perks, or limited-edition sets that protect your brand positioning.
- Ignoring mobile UX and checkout performance: More than 70% of Black Friday traffic now originates from mobile devices. Slow load times, confusing layouts, or clunky payment flows lead to instant abandonment. Ensure your mobile homepage is clean, your add-to-cart process is frictionless, and your checkout can handle traffic surges without delays.
- Failing to nurture leads after the sale: Black Friday attracts a wave of first-time shoppers, but many brands stop communicating once the sale ends. Post-BFCM is the moment to turn new buyers into long-term customers through thank-you flows, onboarding content, loyalty incentives, and December bounce-back offers.
FAQ
When should I start promoting my Black Friday deals?
Most brands now begin warming up their audience 2–4 weeks before Black Friday. The strongest results come from an early-access sequence:
- Week –3 to –2: Tease upcoming deals, build your email/SMS list, and highlight VIP perks.
- Week –1: Announce early access for loyalty members or subscribers.
- Week of Black Friday: Open the main sale, then retarget and send reminders. Shoppers begin researching earlier each year, so starting early helps you capture demand before competitors.
What are the top 3 selling items on Black Friday?
Based on recent U.S. and global Black Friday data, the most consistent top sellers include:
- Electronics: TVs, headphones, laptops, gaming consoles.
- Apparel & footwear: especially winter wear, sportswear, and basics.
- Beauty & personal care: skincare sets, fragrance bundles, and gift-ready kits
These categories perform strongly because shoppers look for high-value purchases and ready-made gifts.
What advertising or branding strategies are commonly used for Black Friday?
The most effective Black Friday strategies combine urgency with value and omnichannel reach:
- Teaser campaigns & early-access previews
- VIP or loyalty member first access
- Limited-edition drops or bundles
- Countdown ads and time-sensitive messaging
- Retargeting warm visitors via email, SMS, and paid social
What is a common tactic retailers use on Black Friday to attract customers?
One of the most common and effective tactics is offering doorbusters or time-limited flash deals. These create urgency, drive early traffic, and help brands sell through key products quickly. Many retailers pair these with:
- Early-bird discounts
- Free gifts with purchase
- Exclusive bundles
- Loyalty-only perks
Final thought: Choose Strategies that Fit Your Business!
The most effective Black Friday marketing strategies are the ones you match to your business model, not copy from someone else’s playbook:
- If you rely on repeat customers (beauty, lifestyle, DTC), lean into early access, VIP tiers, loyalty rewards, and post-purchase flows so Black Friday becomes a relationship accelerator rather than just a revenue spike.
- If your margins are tight or you’re protective of brand positioning, focus on clever offer mechanics, bundles, gifting kits, and limited-edition drops that increase perceived value.
- If your brand wins through content and community, double down on creator collaborations, interactive experiences, and social-led countdowns to turn attention into trust and sales.
- If you operate online and offline, or omnichannel, treat Black Friday as a connected journey with consistent messaging, a strong mobile UX, and Cyber Week extensions that follow shoppers across devices and store formats.
Choose the strategies that align with how you sell and how your customers actually shop, then execute them with discipline.
