Want your biggest Q4 sales ever? Then you can’t afford to make the same Black Friday marketing mistakes most brands do.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are massive revenue drivers—but most businesses focus on flashy discounts and forget the real levers that drive conversions.
After managing millions in ad spend for eCommerce clients, I’ve seen what works (and what falls flat). In this post, I’m sharing 6 overlooked Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing tips that can seriously boost your sales, improve customer retention, and give your brand a strategic edge.
So grab your coffee and notebook—because these insights could transform your holiday sales game.
1. Make Sure To Change Your Hero Image On Your Website
The hero image is the main image that everyone sees when they go to your homepage. It is the top image there that really drives a lot of traffic. Usually, we suggest focusing on your top-selling product image but when Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale starts, we definitely want you to change the messaging and promotion all-around your Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale because it’s the biggest sale you will have for the year. It is important to keep a consistent message across your website. Make sure to:
- ✔️ Plan ahead.
- ✔️ Get a hero image.
- ✔️ Create a hero image that promotes the Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale.
My suggestion is to overlay some text and great imagery to really make the image pop and draw attention to your Black Friday promotion.
If you have a Black Friday or Cyber Monday collection or if you have a certain product, you can direct them to that specific collection by adding a Shop Now button on your hero image in order for them to take advantage of your Black Friday or Cyber Monday offers. Using specific Black Friday ad strategies in your hero image, like showcasing your top Cyber Monday images, can instantly capture attention and set the tone for your sale.
2. Use Strategic Pop-Ups to Promote Your Black Friday Marketing
Pop-ups can be one of the most effective Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing tools—when done right. The key? Make sure your pop-up aligns exactly with your holiday promotions.
Most businesses forget to replace their regular lead-gen pop-ups during this critical period. If your standard newsletter opt-in is still showing, and it doesn’t match your Black Friday messaging, you’re creating confusion—and missing conversions.
Here’s what to do instead:
Pause your regular pop-up and replace it with a holiday-specific one that promotes your Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale.
Remove the email opt-in requirement. The goal here is visibility and urgency—not list growth.
Use consistent visuals from your hero banners and emails.
Add a strong CTA like “Shop the Sale” that links directly to your Black Friday or Cyber Monday collection.
Why ditch the lead magnet pop-up? Simple: your Black Friday offer is often better than your regular discount. Running both creates mixed messages, confusing email flows, and potential discount stacking issues you want to avoid.
If someone opts into your newsletter, receives an automated welcome discount, and then gets a Black Friday cart abandonment email, your messaging will clash. Plus, if your CRM isn’t throttling emails properly, they could get bombarded.
This is your chance to focus 100% on one clear, compelling offer. So turn off your usual pop-ups and make your Black Friday message impossible to miss.
3. Change Your Abandoned Cart and Browse Abandonment Email Flows
Crafting a Black Friday abandoned cart strategy tailored to holiday shopping behavior can drastically improve recovery rates, especially when combined with targeted Cyber Monday email marketing campaigns. Often overlooked by business owners, it’s important to change out your abandoned cart and browse abandonment email flows in preparation for Black Friday. If you have Klaviyo, you can easily do this.
It is important to duplicate your regular abandoned cart email flow and replace it with some of the messaging and images promoting your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. This will help prevent mismatching messaging around promotions that are going out in your email marketing flows. Oftentimes, businesses will add a coupon cart to their abandoned cart and their browse abandonment email sequences and we don’t want this to be different than what we are promoting for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so a simple workaround is to:
- ✔️ Duplicate your email flows for abandoned cart and browse abandonment.
- ✔️ Turn off your regular email flows during that sale period.
- ✔️ Turn on your Black Friday and Cyber Monday abandoned cart and browse abandonment email flows.
4. Make Sure To Change Your Website Banner To Reflect Your Black Friday or Cyber Monday Sale
Many business owners don’t take advantage of their website banner for pushing out promotions. I often see website banners used to promote the name of their business or for branding purposes or use as a tagline, but this is not how you should use the banner.
The website banner should always reflect the best promotion that you have going on. Be specific on your banner. Offering free shipping? Say it clearly. Running a “Buy 1, Get 1 50% OFF” deal? Highlight that. Giving 50% off sitewide? Make it bold and unmissable. And if you’re using a coupon code, lead with something like:
Black Friday Sale!
Save 50% Sitewide Through 11:59 PM EST on Monday
Use Code 50OFF
Applying Black Friday banner tips like this one, as well as eye-catching designs and strategic placement, can reinforce your Black Friday Cyber Monday ad strategies and drive more clicks.
5. Preplan Your Email Campaign For Black Friday & Cyber Monday
Preplanning often alleviates a lot of stress that comes along with the busy holiday sales period. Make sure to preplan sending out emails for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotion. Oftentimes, businesses are actually sending out too few emails. It’s a good rule of thumb to always send out an email on the first day of your sale (or earlier if you are doing early bird access to your Black Friday sale to a certain segment of your email list). Make sure to have that planned out and send an email every day throughout the sale.
A tip to not make it too salesy and spammy is to incorporate blog posts throughout your sales period and then suggest the Black Friday sale below the blog post introduction in your email so that you are just continuing to add value during that sales period.
On the day before the sale ends, send out an email that says something like:
“Only one day left! Hurry! Our sale ends soon.”
Then on the final day of the sale, we recommend sending out two emails:
1. An email in the morning that says something like:
“Final Day! Take advantage of our Black Friday Sale!”
1. Another one in the afternoon that says something like:
“A few hours left make sure to check out our Black Friday Sale!”
As an expert tip, make sure you are excluding purchasers over the sales period from receiving those emails. Segment your email list so that you are not over sending emails to contacts who may not want to receive them.
6. Post Your Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sale on Social Media
Take Instagram Advantage
Take advantage of organic Instagram and Facebook marketing during your sales period. A tip you can use is to do a sneak peek into the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale before the actual sale starts. This will get people excited about it and increase their interest by putting it on your stories and feed on Instagram
Pre-Schedule Facebook Post
If you pre-schedule a Facebook post, you can actually ask your ad agency to schedule that post in an ad in advance. That way, those ads are ready to go as soon as the sale starts. Once all your pre-planning is all good, you don’t really have to worry about doing any actual marketing during the sale thanks to all the work you did ahead of time. Maximizing Black Friday social media marketing through captivating Cyber Monday sale images is essential to drive engagement across your platforms.
Preplan for Busy Holiday Sales
I hope you enjoyed my top 6 Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing tips that most business owners forget. Make sure to take advantage of this busy holiday sales period. Don’t forget it is unlike any other time of the year where you have a unique opportunity to bring new customers into your business and ecosystem with whom you can build long-term relationships with as you introduce them to your brand. Your mindset around Black Friday and Cyber Monday should not solely focus on the revenue or profit you are going to make, but rather the unique opportunity to get new customers into your brand ecosystem at the lowest cost possible all year.
For eCommerce businesses
Following these Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing tips can be the difference between a good holiday season and a record-breaking one. Remember, Black Friday marketing for small businesses doesn’t have to be complex; with the right internet marketing software deals and a clear strategy, even smaller brands can compete effectively. Keep these Cyber Monday business strategies in mind to build momentum and attract loyal customers, year after year.
I hope these tips are helpful. If you found them helpful, make sure to share this post online and follow me on Instagram at @toccarakarizma for more expert marketing tips designed to help you quickly grow and scale your business online.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the best Black Friday marketing tips for eCommerce businesses?
The best Black Friday marketing tips for eCommerce include planning early, updating your website’s hero image, using targeted pop-ups, customizing your email flows for holiday promotions, and maximizing social media engagement. Focus on consistent messaging across all platforms and highlight your best deals with compelling visuals.
What is a good abandoned cart strategy for Black Friday?
To create effective Cyber Monday email campaigns, start by segmenting your audience based on previous behavior and purchase history. Send multiple reminder emails throughout the sale, update your abandoned cart flow with Cyber Monday-specific offers, and use urgency-based language to encourage quick action. Including a countdown timer or a limited-time discount code can also boost conversions.
How do I create effective Cyber Monday email campaigns?
A good Black Friday abandoned cart strategy involves creating a specific email flow tailored to the holiday sale. Offer an exclusive Black Friday discount code, showcase popular sale items left in the cart, and send reminder emails more frequently than usual. Ensure your messaging highlights the urgency of the sale to encourage immediate checkout.
How can I use social media to boost my Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales?
Use social media to promote sneak peeks of your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Post teasers, create countdowns, and share customer testimonials to build anticipation. During the sale, leverage Instagram Stories, Facebook posts, and paid ads to reach a larger audience. Consistent branding and eye-catching graphics will help you stand out in crowded social feeds.
What are some Cyber Monday marketing ideas to attract new customers?
To attract new customers on Cyber Monday, consider offering a first-time buyer discount, bundling products for added value, or creating a “Buy More, Save More” promotion. Use targeted ads to reach new audiences and leverage influencer marketing to expand your reach. Additionally, ensure your website and email promotions are optimized to capture leads, such as offering a small incentive for joining your email list.
