Black Friday lands on 27 November this year. If that’s the day your plan kicks off, you’re already behind.
Your customers are hunting for deals weeks before then. Your competitors are warming up their audiences, booking ad space and filling inboxes. By the time the big day arrives, most shoppers have already decided where they’ll spend.
Back in 2023, we shared our Black Friday strategy guide. Much of it still holds true, but the playing field has moved. Ad costs are higher, AI is reshaping how people shop, and customers expect every message to feel relevant to them.
So we’ve rebuilt the guide from the ground up. Here’s how to plan, prepare and profit from the busiest season in ecommerce, and how to keep those customers long after the discounts end.
Part 1: Win before the rush
1. Treat Black Friday as a season, not a day
Black Friday is no longer a single day. It’s a month-long event. Brands that spread their activity across November consistently outperform those that cram everything into one weekend.
Map out the whole season: teasers in late October, early access in mid November, peak deals over the weekend and a strong finish on Cyber Monday. Fight for your audience early, and build towards the day itself.
2. Capture data before the event
Your best Black Friday customers are the ones you already know. Start growing your list now with a “be first to know” sign up, a simple pop-up or a social campaign that captures emails in exchange for early access.
Every address you collect now is a customer you can reach for free later. That beats paying peak prices to win them through ads in late November.
3. Start early and create excitement
Build anticipation before you reveal a single price. Countdown emails, sneak peeks on social and “coming soon” banners on your site all get people talking.
A dedicated Black Friday mailing list works brilliantly. It tells you exactly who is ready to buy, so you can focus your energy where it counts.
4. Segment your CRM and email
Sending one email to your whole database is a missed opportunity. Split your audience by what they’ve bought, what they’ve browsed, how much they spend and how recently they’ve engaged.
A loyal customer should get a different message from someone who signed up last week. Lapsed customers might need a stronger nudge. Relevant emails earn more clicks, more sales and fewer unsubscribes. Good segmentation is one of the fastest, most cost-effective wins available to you.
5. Reward loyal customers with early access
Your loyal customers deserve a head start. Give them early access to your best deals before everyone else.
It makes them feel valued, drives sales before the noise peaks and gives your mailing list real meaning. When being on your list pays off, people stay on it.
6. Line up affiliates, influencers and creators
Affiliates are a powerful Black Friday channel because you only pay when a sale happens. Brief your partners early, share your deals in advance and give your top performers exclusive codes or boosted commission.
Influencers and user-generated content add a layer of trust that ads can’t buy. Real customers unboxing, reviewing and styling your products give hesitant shoppers the confidence to click “buy”.
7. Plan your paid media wisely
Ad costs soar over Black Friday weekend, so timing matters. Build your audiences and retargeting pools in October and early November while clicks are cheaper. Then use your peak budget to convert people who already know you.
Set clear return targets before you start, and be ready to switch off anything that isn’t earning its keep. Spending the most rarely wins. Spending the smartest does.
Part 2: Get your website battle ready
8. Optimise your website and checkout
Every extra click between “add to basket” and “order confirmed” costs you sales. Cut unnecessary form fields, add express payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and show delivery costs early.
The best part is that these changes keep paying off all year round. Black Friday is simply the perfect deadline to get them done.
9. Don’t forget mobile
Around 80% of your visitors on Black Friday, just like any other day, will arrive on a mobile device. Make sure your site loads quickly, your buttons are easy to tap and your checkout works smoothly on a small screen.
Grab your phone, buy something from your own site and see how it feels. You might be surprised what you find.
10. Have a Plan B
Traffic spikes can push websites to breaking point. Load test your site in advance and talk to your hosting provider about extra capacity.
Prepare a backup landing page with data capture that you can switch to if things go wrong. It explains the situation to customers and collects their details, so you can win them back when you’re up and running again.
Hope for the best. Plan for the worst.
11. Be clear about returns
Shoppers are more confident buying when they know they can send something back. Set a clear, fair returns policy well before launch and make it easy to find.
If you’re offering extended returns for Christmas gifts, shout about it. It’s a simple reassurance that can tip a hesitant shopper over the line.
Part 3: Stay sharp during the event
12. Stagger your deals, slowly but surely
Keep a core range of deals live throughout the season, then roll out new offers in waves. Daily deals, weekend specials and flash sales all give customers a reason to come back.
Fresh offers keep people talking about your brand and give you new content for every email and social post.
13. Personalise with AI
AI tools make personalisation possible at a scale that used to need a full team. Use them to recommend products based on browsing history, tailor email content to each customer and adjust on site offers for returning visitors.
The goal is simple: show each shopper the deals they actually care about. Relevance wins attention, and attention drives sales.
14. Use social proof and urgency honestly
Reviews, star ratings and “bestseller” badges help shoppers decide faster. Low-stock alerts and countdown timers create genuine urgency.
Keep it honest, though. Fake scarcity and timers that reset damage trust and can land you in trouble. Real urgency works because it’s real.
15. Don’t be afraid to change
If something isn’t working, don’t sit on your hands. Watch your data daily, double down on the promotions that perform and rework the ones that don’t.
One weak offer shouldn’t cost you the whole season. Speed and flexibility are your biggest advantages.
Part 4: Win beyond the weekend
16. Extend into Cyber Monday
This year, Cyber Monday falls on 30 November. Treat it as a second wave, not an afterthought. Bring in fresh deals, re engage people who browsed but didn’t buy and give abandoned baskets one last nudge.
Many shoppers wait for Monday to see what’s left. Make sure your brand is still front of mind.
17. Turn bargain hunters into loyal customers
Black Friday brings in a flood of new customers. The real value lies in keeping them.
Set up a post-purchase journey with a warm thank-you, helpful product tips, a review request and a well-timed reason to return. Promote Christmas gifting, then January offers. A customer who buys twice is worth far more than one who disappears after a single discount.
18. Track everything
When the dust settles, dig into your results. Which channels drove the most sales? Which deals flopped? Where did customers drop off?
Write down your findings while they’re fresh. Next year’s planning will be faster, sharper and far more profitable for it.
Make this your strongest season yet
Black Friday rewards the prepared. The brands that win aren’t always the ones shouting loudest or spending most. They’re the ones who plan early, know their customers and waste the least.
Pick three or four points from this guide and start on them this week. Small changes now can deliver serious results in November, and they’ll keep paying off long after the sale banners come down.
And if you’d like an extra pair of hands, we’re here to help. At Hot Dog Solutions, we work as an extension of your team, from CRM and affiliate marketing to website performance. With our pay-on-results approach, we only win when you do. Let’s make this your best Black Friday yet!
