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 manager, 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? 

Download my Black Friday Promotion Checklist here (for free!) to learn how I help my clients create the strongest, most exciting Black Friday promotion. 

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 UGC to show customers what it’s like to use your product. Don’t forget the link buttons! 

Download my Black Friday Campaign Template here (for free!) to get the exact campaign template I’ve used to secure record sales for my clients. 

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 Instagram reel. 

Take a look here to  review common mistakes I see during Black Friday campaigns (and how to fix them, of course!). 

Download my Black Friday Social & Email Newsletter checklists here (for free!) to get the checklists I use when creating my client’s Black Friday marketing content. 

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. 

Download my Black Friday Campaign Review worksheet here (for free!) to get the worksheet I use with my clients to review their campaign performance. Save this for next year so you’ll know what worked well and what didn’t, and can adjust accordingly! 

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First things first, hi! I’m Sarah—social media manager for food & wellness brands. If you liked this blog post and want more marketing tips, tricks, and bev recs, here are a few ways to do just that:

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