15 Black Friday marketing strategies to boost sales in 2025

Last Black Friday, a family-run jewelry brand pulled off what most businesses only dream of: a 29% revenue boost and a 1017% return on ad spend in just one weekend.

Their secret wasn't bigger discounts. It was smarter preparation: early VIP access, personalized email campaigns, and a multi-channel ad strategy.

That's the real shift we are noticing in holiday shopping season marketing tactics. Holiday shoppers now prioritize value, speed, and trust over pure discounts.

In this guide, you'll find 15 Black Friday marketing strategies for 2025 that show how to win sales, protect profits, and keep customers coming back long after the holiday rush is over.

15 Black Friday marketing strategies that you should implement

Black Friday success is not about last-minute deals. It's about building momentum early with smart preparation, clear goals, and tested campaigns.

Here are the 15 Black Friday strategies you should implement in 2025:

1. Start preparing early (September is the new start line)

September is no longer "too early." Shopify reports that merchants generated $11.5 billion in holiday sales during BFCM 2024, with more than 76 million shoppers buying across the platform.

That scale illustrates why competition is fierce weeks before the event; by November, the brands that start warming up their audiences in October already hold the advantage.

Some tips for Black Friday early preparation:

• Inventory mapping tied to sales forecasts: Identify which products generated the most revenue in Q3 and forecast stock against realistic growth targets. Running out of your top 5 SKUs by Black Friday is one of the fastest ways to lose customers.
• Ad account readiness: Meta and Google tighten approval windows as demand spikes. Brands that set up new audiences and creative approvals in September report 20–30% fewer campaign delays.
• Creative calendar pressure-testing: Start testing headlines, hooks, and ad formats in October when CPMs are lower. Use those insights to double down on the best-performing angles during the holiday rush.
• Revenue and margin checkpoints: Define not only sales targets but also acceptable discount ranges. The smartest brands treat Black Friday as a profit-protected growth campaign, not just a revenue spike.

Black Friday prep isn't just about 'getting ready,' it's about locking in an advantage before others. Early movers don't just survive the Black Friday period; they set the benchmark.

2. Build a VIP early-access list

One of the smartest ways to drive higher conversions is by creating a VIP list of early-access shoppers.

These subscribers feel special, cut through the noise, and often convert at rates 2–3x higher than regular traffic.

Here's how to build a VIP list for Black Friday sales:

• Run lead-gen ads in September–October to collect email and SMS signups with a simple value promise: "Join our VIP list and shop early."
• Layer in perks like early shopping windows, free shipping, or small freebies that increase perceived value without killing margins.
• Use both email + SMS to ensure maximum visibility. SMS is especially powerful on Black Friday, with open rates above 90%.
• Track cost per signup. If you spend $500 on ads and generate 400 signups, your CPS is $1.25. Against an AOV of $65, even a 10% conversion makes this list highly profitable.

Case in point: OnceWas also utilized VIP campaigns to reactivate existing customers ahead of the Black Friday rush.

They rewarded VIPs with an additional 5% discount and a complimentary gift, such as a leather belt, for first-time buyers. This boosted conversions while strengthening loyalty.

When you run an early-access Black Friday campaign, your VIP list becomes the backbone of a successful Black Friday marketing campaign that drives early conversions.

3. Create Black Friday hype in October

The brands that win on Black Friday start engaging Black Friday shoppers weeks before November. By October, shoppers are browsing, comparing, and creating their lists.

Your brand's job is to stay top of mind as shoppers research and compare.

Brands like Gymshark have famously teased Black Friday drops weeks in advance, using cryptic social posts and email teasers to stir community excitement.

By the time the sale launches, buyers are already lined up digitally, driving record conversion rates.

Here's how to do it right:

• Teaser emails: Send "something big is coming" messages to your list. Keep it vague but intriguing. Use subject lines like "Your exclusive holiday surprise is almost here" to spark curiosity.
• Social countdowns: Run Instagram or TikTok countdowns and use Stories to give sneak peeks. Early social buzz helps create a sense of urgency and FOMO among Black Friday shoppers.
• Sneak peeks: Show part of a product, packaging, or bundle. Offer limited-edition or gift sets that will be available exclusively on Black Friday.
• Warm-up messaging: Offer tips, gift guides, or early holiday checklists to build value without selling too hard. Warming your audience improves ad engagement and lowers CPMs before competition spikes in November.

4. Focus Black Friday promotions on best-sellers

One of the biggest mistakes brands make during Black Friday is spreading promotions too thin across their entire catalog.

Shoppers are flooded with choices, and attention spans are short. Instead of trying to discount everything, focus on your proven best-sellers.

These are the products that already drive the bulk of your revenue and enjoy strong customer trust.

Highlighting them during Black Friday not only boosts conversions but also protects your margins since these items already have high demand.

Here's how to execute a best-seller–driven Black Friday strategy:

• Promote your top 5–10 products: These are the items that consistently deliver the highest sales throughout the year. Put them front and center in your campaigns.
• Bundle with complementary products: Pair your best-sellers with accessories or add-ons to increase cart size without relying on deeper discounts.
• Showcase reviews and UGC: Add customer testimonials, ratings, and real-life usage content around best-sellers to amplify trust.
• Create urgency with messaging: Use copy like "Our most-loved product, at its lowest price of the year" to drive fast decisions.

Focusing your promotions on best-sellers reduces decision fatigue for shoppers and ensures your ad spend is concentrated on products that are most likely to sell out.

5. Keep Black Friday offers simple and auto-applied

Shoppers are busy and impatient when browsing Black Friday deals, so keep your offers simple and auto-applied to maximize their impact.

Here's how to design them:

• Sitewide discounts: Offers such as "20% off everything" or "Extra 15% at checkout" work because they leave no room for confusion.
• BOGO (Buy 2 Get 1 Free): Encourages larger orders and is instantly understandable.
• Free shipping thresholds: Automatically applied when a customer reaches the minimum cart value.

To add excitement without adding friction, try these creative twists:

• Gift with purchase: Surprise shoppers with a complimentary small product when they spend over a specified amount. It feels like added value, not just a discount.
• Mystery deal reveal: Auto-apply a "surprise discount" (10–30%) at checkout. The unknown element builds anticipation without complicating the offer.
• Tiered cart rewards: "Spend $75, get a free tote. Spend $150, get a premium gift." Customers instantly see the benefit of adding more to their cart.

When it comes to simple Black Friday discounts, clarity wins the sale, but a little creativity keeps it memorable.

Also explore: AI marketing boosting customer engagement and ROI.

6. Use bundles, freebies, and free shipping thresholds

One of the most effective ways to increase sales and encourage customers to spend more is through bundles and smart perks.

Instead of offering deeper discounts, you provide customers with more perceived value while protecting profitability.

• Product bundles: Package complementary items to encourage bigger baskets and make gift-buying easier.
• High-margin freebies: Offer low-cost items that feel premium, like totes, samples, or branded accessories.
• Free shipping thresholds: Set clear spend targets ("Free shipping on orders over $75") to increase average order values.

Black Friday bundle & freebie ideas by industry

Smart bundles not only boost average order value but also improve customer lifetime value (CLV) by encouraging repeat usage.

Bundles shift the focus from discounts to added value. They lift cart size while strengthening brand loyalty.

7. Run a structured Black Friday ad campaign

One proven Black Friday marketing tactic is to follow a structured ad campaign setup with clear testing, retargeting, and budget rules.

Tailor ad creatives to your target audience segments, VIPs, cart abandoners, or high-value past buyers.

Here's a proven structure you can apply:

• Use Campaign Budget Optimization (CBO): Let the algorithm allocate spend across ad sets. Pair broad audiences (interest + lookalike) with retargeting segments (site visitors, cart abandoners, past customers).
• Ad format testing: Run both image and video ads. Video often wins in terms of engagement, but static creatives tend to perform better for urgency-driven messages, such as countdowns.
• Retarget with intent-based ads: Serve dynamic product ads to shoppers who have viewed but not made a purchase. Black Friday CPMs are high, so focusing the budget on warm audiences increases ROAS.
• Keep the operator structure simple: Two to three campaigns are enough — one for broad prospecting, one for retargeting, and one for VIP/loyalty campaigns. Avoid over-segmentation that spreads the budget too thin.

8. Scale ad budgets aggressively

With competition at its peak, brands that scale budgets early and decisively capture the largest share of conversions before CPMs skyrocket.

The key is scaling strategically, not recklessly.

Brands working with ROImonks scaled aggressively during Black Friday 2024, reallocating spend dynamically.

The result: 205% revenue growth while reducing overall ad spend by ~38%, proving that scaling smartly outperforms blanket spend increases.

Here's how to approach it:

• Start higher, scale down if needed: Enter Black Friday with bigger budgets ($5k–$15k/day if possible). It's far easier to reduce spend if performance dips than to scale up mid-day when costs are highest.
• Front-load into peak windows: Allocate more spend during the first 24–48 hours. That's when buyer urgency is strongest and your creative is still fresh.
• Monitor in real time: Check spend vs. conversions every 3 hours. Pull budgets from underperforming ad sets and allocate them to winners.
• Set guardrails: Define acceptable CAC and ROAS thresholds in advance so your team knows when to adjust or scale back.

Must check: How to prepare the sales team for Q4 success with a CRM.

9. Reuse and adapt top-performing creatives

If an ad has already proven its ability to convert, it's far more likely to perform under the pressure of Black Friday traffic.

Reuse your best-performing ads, adapting them with seasonal Black Friday overlays.

Here's how to execute it:

• Overlay seasonal offers: Take your top ads from Q2–Q3 and add Black Friday elements like "20% Off Today Only" or countdown timers. Keep the core hook, product angles, and visuals the same.
• Maintain brand consistency: Don't lose your identity in generic sale graphics; layer urgency on top of what already works for your brand's aesthetic.
• Keep 10–20 backup creatives: Even the best ads fatigue quickly during Black Friday. Having a library of fresh variations (images, videos, carousels) ready ensures you can swap soon without downtime.
• Mix urgency + authenticity: Use proven formats like UGC videos or testimonial-based ads with Black Friday overlays; they blend trust with urgency.

10. Leverage authenticity and social proof

69% of shoppers trust peer reviews over brand messaging. That makes social proof one of the most powerful levers for converting traffic into online sales.

Here's how to put it into action:

• Use UGC (user-generated content): Feature real customers using your products in Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, or Facebook ads. Authentic content outperforms polished studio ads during high-noise seasons.
• Highlight reviews and testimonials: Showcase star ratings, video reviews, or quotes from happy buyers directly on product pages and in your emails.
• Create community-driven hype: Share behind-the-scenes stories, customer spotlights, or repost fans counting down to your sale. This turns buyers into advocates.
• Run influencer-lite campaigns: Micro-influencers with niche followings often deliver stronger engagement than celebrity endorsements, especially when positioned as "real users."

11. Publish curated Black Friday gift guides

A well-curated Black Friday gift guide simplifies buying decisions, positions your products as thoughtful gifts, and helps you capture sales before shoppers bounce to competitors.

Here's how to make them work:

• Organize by shopper intent: Create sections like "Gifts under $50", "For moms", "For tech lovers," or "For hard-to-shop-for friends." This makes guides skimmable and purchase-ready.
• Distribute everywhere: Don't stop at a blog post. Push guides via email campaigns, paid ads, SMS links, and feature them across online stores to capture more buyers.
• Tie to urgency: Use countdown banners ("Only 3 days left to grab these gifts") to drive faster action.
• Use it as an SEO play: A well-optimized holiday gift ideas 2025 guide can pull organic traffic during peak shopping season.

12. Optimize your store for mobile speed and UX

During Black Friday, seconds matter. A site that loads in 1 second converts 3x better than one that takes 5 seconds. With more than 70% of holiday shopping traffic now on mobile, every ecommerce business must optimize site speed and UX.

Here's how to get it right before the holiday rush:

• Run speed audits: Use tools like GTMetrix, Google PageSpeed Insights, or WebPageTest to identify and fix performance bottlenecks.
• Compress and optimize images: Heavy visuals are the top reason sites slow down. Use next-gen formats like WebP and enable lazy loading.
• Streamline the checkout process: Offer guest checkout, auto-fill options, and digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay. The fewer steps, the fewer drop-offs.
• Test on real devices: Check your site on multiple phones, browsers, and networks to see the experience customers will actually have.
• Add urgency-focused UX: Use mobile-friendly countdown timers, sticky "add to cart" buttons, and clear banners to reinforce scarcity.
• Automate customer support: Set up AI Co-pilot or AI Chatbots during peak hours so shoppers get instant help without overwhelming your team.

The best Black Friday site optimizations aren't just technical tweaks; they directly drive conversions. If your store isn't mobile-ready, even the best ads and offers won't be enough to save you.

13. Activate your VIP list with exclusive campaigns

Activating the VIP list with exclusive deals, discounts, and tailored messaging is where sales originate.

Exclusive Black Friday deals not only convert faster but also create a sense of privilege that drives loyalty long after the holiday season.

Here's how to put it into action:

• Countdown emails: Start with teasers ("3 days to go") and move into daily reminders as the sale approaches. Include a bold CTA that clearly states VIPs receive priority.
• SMS reminders + urgency updates: SMS has open rates above 90% on Black Friday. Send reminders like "Your VIP window ends in 3 hours, shop now before doors open to all."
• VIP-only shopping windows: Give your top subscribers 12–24 hours of early access. Not only does this drive conversions, but it also makes them feel like insiders.
• Stack exclusivity: Offer perks such as a gift, an extra % off, or limited-edition products exclusive to the VIP group.

The best VIP campaigns do two things: they maximize urgency and make your most valued customers feel exclusive.

14. Differentiate Cyber Monday from Black Friday

Too many brands treat Cyber Monday as just an extension of Black Friday, when the real opportunity lies in maximizing the full Cyber Week window.

Smart operators use it to create fresh urgency with a different hook, rather than relying on leftovers.

Here's a proven positioning strategy:

• Black Friday = Bestsellers: Push your proven, high-demand products. These are the items that drive volume and maximize AOV. Keep the message simple: "Shop our most-loved products at their best prices of the year."
• Cyber Monday = New or Limited Drops: Launch exclusive products, bundles, or digital add-ons that weren't available on Black Friday. Frame it as "one day only" to capture FOMO.
• Refresh the creative: Change banners, subject lines, and ad creatives to avoid fatigue. The shift in visuals signals a new campaign, even to the same audience.
• Extend urgent discounts: Instead of simply extending Black Friday offers, create a fresh angle, like limited-time gifts, extended warranties, or exclusive Monday-only perks.

When staged correctly, Black Friday and Cyber Monday together turn the biggest shopping weekend into a four-day revenue engine.

Explore: 25 Best AI marketing tools (by category) to use in 2025.

15. Track KPIs & nurture customers post–Black Friday

Black Friday shouldn't end at checkout; it's the beginning of a long-term commitment to customer loyalty.

Tracking the right KPIs, such as repeat purchase rate, average order value, and customer retention, helps you see how many one-time buyers are becoming loyal customers.

KPIs to monitor

• Average Order Value (AOV): Measure the impact of bundles, thresholds, and freebies.
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): High ad costs necessitate a balance between spend and actual profit per order.
• Blended ROAS: Track returns across paid and organic channels to see the true efficiency of your campaigns.
• Repeat Purchase Rate and Customer Lifetime Value: Critical KPIs that show how well you convert seasonal buyers into long-term fans.

Post-Black Friday retention strategies focus on turning seasonal shoppers into loyal customers. Start by offering loyalty rewards, such as double points or holiday credits, to encourage repeat purchases during the holiday season.

Tailored onboarding emails for new customers help convert them into repeat buyers after the Black Friday period.

Add referral programs, such as "Give $10, Get $10," to turn happy buyers into brand advocates. Tap into the year-end self-gifting trend by sending personalized "treat yourself" campaigns to shoppers who return to buy for themselves.

Finally, use segmented follow-ups by customer segments to tailor messaging, nurture first-time buyers, and retain VIPs.

Conclusion

The brands that prepare early for the holiday season, engage their VIPs, and offer simple yet high-value promotions, will capture attention in a crowded market and retain customers long after the weekend ends.

From VIP lists and hype campaigns to bundles, mobile optimization, and post-sale retention, these strategies give you a complete Black Friday marketing 2025 playbook.

Brands that execute these strategies turn Black Friday from a one-weekend spike into a year-round growth opportunity.