How to Plan Your Black Friday Marketing Strategy

It’s that time of year – the end of September, the beginning of October – when it’s time to start planning your Black Friday marketing strategy. I know, I know, it seems to come earlier and earlier every year. 

But that’s a good thing because your business deserves more than a few posts thrown together at the last minute. 

And because as your business grows you’ll outsource tasks (like photography and social media) that’ll require more lead time than if you were to do the job yourself. 

For example, if you’re investing in product photography for your holiday gift boxes, you might need to book your photographer 1-3 months in advance. If you’ve hired a social media strategist, they’ll have other clients and will need enough time to ensure every client’s deliverables get completed on time. 

Now that you have a couple reasons to plan your Black Friday marketing strategy early, let’s get into the “how”. 

Step 1: Prepare the Details of Your Black Friday Promotion

There are two parts to a successful Black Friday marketing campaign: the promotion itself and how the promotion is marketed.

If the promotion is lackluster, no amount of brilliant marketing can save it. On the flip side, if the promotion is an enticing offer, crappy marketing can cause it to flop. If nobody sees it, nobody can shop it.

Before we get to the marketing, use my 3-step process to create your promotion.

• What is the discount? 
• Can you include “bonuses” like a free gift? 
• What are the dates of the sale? 

Step 2: Fill out Your Black Friday Campaign Template

Now that you’ve decided on your Black Friday promotion, it’s time to plan the marketing.

There’s a variety of ways to promote your sale. You can use Instagram reels, graphics, carousel posts, Instagram stories, email newsletters, not to mention Facebook or TikTok. 

I highly recommend using a variety of post formats to reach as many people as possible.

Instagram reels are a strong way to launch the sale because they’re shown to Instagram accounts that don’t follow you. Graphics and carousel posts can help you educate and nurture your customers by showing off each on-sale product, the benefits of your products, or customer reviews.

Memes are a simple way to engage your customers and remind them of your sale. They’re also shareable, so they’ll get more eyes on your sale! But you can’t forget Instagram stories because that’s where your most engaged Instagram followers are. Share your posts to stories, hop on camera and talk about your sale, and repost any relevant user generated content to show customers what it’s like to use your product. Don’t forget the link buttons! 

Step 3: Create Your Social Media Posts and Email Newsletters

Once you’ve planned your promotion and have your assets from your photographer or designer, it’s time to create your social media posts and email newsletters. 

If you need help coming up with strong hook sentences, check out this free guide.

Step 4: Review Your Campaign Performance for Next Year

You’ve hit publish on your posts, scheduled your emails, and are ready to pack your orders. But the marketing doesn’t end there.

Once your campaign is complete and your promotion has ended, it’s time to review what worked so you can get even more sales next year.

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Wait, Who Am I?

Hiiii! 👋🏻 I’m Sarah, an online entrepreneur & marketer of over 10 years. I went from starting a clean beauty blog right out of high school to managing social media for Canada’s largest wellness retailer. Now I live in the middle of nowhere in North Carolina, helping high-growth entrepreneurs get SEEN so they can build a crazy fun life their business supports, and not the other way around.

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