31 Slightly Different Black Friday Email Examples (That Actually Get Attention)

In 2025, with tariffs fluctuating, nearly 42% of shoppers in the US are looking for better deals more than ever before.

That’s a huge market waiting for you to crack.

Plus, Black Friday's right around the corner.

Which is why, here are 31 examples of the best Black Friday emails from eCommerce brands to inspire your Black Friday campaign strategy.

31 Amazing Black Friday Email Marketing Examples to Inspire Yours (+ some strategies)

JUMP TO:

👉 PRE BLACK FRIDAY SALE EMAILS

1. Kyte Baby reminds shoppers to mark their calendars for early Black Friday deals

2. Swoveralls shows the true perks of loyalty to VIP shoppers

3. Last Crumb gives the gift of gift cards on Black Friday

4. Crate & Barrel shows a shipping cutoff in time for Thanksgiving Dinner

5. REI helps shoppers spend Black Friday better

6. Melanie Casey shares early Black Friday preview passcodes

👉 ON BLACK FRIDAY SALE DAY

7. Paire’s Black Friday campaign offers tiered free gifts

8. Cards against Humanity asks for $5 in their clever Black Friday email

9. Casper flips the script with anti-urgency for BFCM email campaigns

10. Stiksen adds a back-up Black Friday deal

11. Samuelsohn Factory Direct creates ready-to-shop carts for BFCM

12. Steve Madden shows alternate shopping paths

13. Fab Fit Fun lets em’ choose their own gift for Black Friday

14. Athletic Greens upgrades their welcome email on Black Friday

15. Destination XL sends a price drop alert for items on sale during Black Friday

16. Dewey offers a one-time only Black Friday subscription alternative

17. Spiceology sends daily Black Friday deals

18. Birddogs frames a free gift as a ‘giveaway’ during BFCM

19. Pangaia makes the Black Friday purchase really count

👉 DURING BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND

20. Third Love offers a limited-time compensation for outages

21. Craighill continues Black Friday Savings over Small Business Saturday

22. Cotopaxi sends ‘Selling Fast’ alerts

23. Altitude Sports reminds that Black Friday savings continue with extended returns

👉 ON CYBER MONDAY

24. GFDA spills over Black Friday excitement to Cyber Monday

25. Onebone offers an opportunity to earn the order value back

26. Glossier lets purchasers know about possible delays

27. NOCS Provisions shows how to unlock last-chance bundles

👉 POST BFCM EMAIL CAMPAIGNS

28. Lou & Grey amps up urgency

29. Cocoon reminds about expiring gift cards

30. Vintage Frames Company keeps the momentum going with surprise rewards

31. Dungarees sends a 1:1 alert email about Black Friday sales closing

PRE BLACK FRIDAY SALE EMAILS

These are the warm-up emails. Sent between 1st and 27th November, this section covers some of the best pre Black Friday sales emails:

1. Kyte Baby reminds shoppers to mark their calendars for early Black Friday deals

Black Friday can get intense. For you and your shoppers. A ready-made guide, in advance, helps – like the one Kyte Baby sends in their Black Friday email newsletter. 

This way, shoppers are prepped, in terms of what to expect from the brand during November (and actually get notified when sales drop):

Key takeaways to inspire your Black Friday newsletter template:

👉 Cut clutter – like this newsletter campaign example does. Start with a teaser headline, layer in a quick explanation, a CTA leading to a pre-sell blog, and then show image blocks (quickly summarize the blog, sale FAQs, and past launches).

👉 Show what works best as gifts (or are ideal for gifting). With the holiday season right around the corner, people look to buy gifts – the right kind of inspiration is exactly what helps seal the deal

Pro Tip: Send two gifting guide newsletters – one before Black Friday begins and one between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This way, shoppers can accordingly adjust shopping lists.

Need more Black Friday inspiration? Check out 25 last-minute Black Friday deal ideas (+ actual examples)

2. Swoveralls shows the true perks of loyalty to VIP shoppers  

Most shoppers get just 2 days of Black Friday deals, but Swoveralls gives VIPs the full experience early, and that too, twice. They unlock their exact Black Friday sale (with bonus perks) for 3 days on Halloween:

Key takeaway from this Black Friday VIP customer email example:

Ensure your actual Black Friday email copy lets VIP shoppers know their deal is simply better than the standard Black Friday deal – or else, you risk losing trust. 

For example, Swoveralls doesn’t offer cashback on standard orders, and the limited-time early access to Black Friday is a perk itself.

3. Last Crumb gives the gift of gift cards on Black Friday 

The best steal deals on Black Friday stay with shoppers beyond Black Friday.

Last Crumb’s loud yet minimal Black Friday marketing email shows you exactly how. With a discount on gift cards on Black Friday, they make it feel like a reward:

Key takeaways from this pre-Black Friday email:

👉 Show the lasting value and utility of recommendations made in your Black Friday sale copy – like Last Crumb turns a $1000 gift card (offered at 20% off) into an even sweeter deal by promising to send a free cookie dozen

👉 Ensure your Black Friday email copy addresses objections – call out cash shortages before ‘payday’ issues – consider throwing in brand benefit icons to promise easy, quick returns with a lifetime warranty and free shipping (and maybe some support options)

4. Crate & Barrel shows a shipping cutoff in time for Thanksgiving Dinner 

Thanksgiving always falls right before Black Friday – so take a cue from Crate and Barrel: use your Thanksgiving Day email to grant early access to Black Friday deals, while promoting fast fulfillment options like BOPIS.

Key takeaway to increase Black Friday conversions from your emails:

Free shipping helps, but arrival time should always be mentioned in your Black Friday emails, as it sways last-minute shoppers. Adobe reports a sharp spike in expedited shipping near the end of November, as shoppers rush to avoid delays.

Do something different this Thanksgiving. Check out:

i. eCommerce Marketing Strategies (and Brilliant Examples) for Thanksgiving

ii. 35 Thanksgiving Email Examples For 2025 (eCommerce)

5. REI helps shoppers spend Black Friday better 

Black Friday is better spent burning Thanksgiving dinner calories instead of chasing deals. 

Which is exactly what REI calls to do: spending quality time with the family:

Key takeaway from this anti-Black Friday sale email example:

If you don’t participate in Black Friday, offer up services in your pre-Black Friday emails – say something like “Lock in Black Friday prices, so you spend Black Friday chasing life, not deals.” This way, shoppers trust you more + you don't have to send more Black Friday emails than needed.

You must also read: Top eCommerce Email Marketing Trends For 2025

6. Melanie Casey shares early Black Friday preview passcodes 

Got product launches planned for Black Friday?

Take a cue from Melanie Casey’s Black Friday Collector’s Sale email, which essentially separates levels of access by giving VIPs password-protected early access:

Key takeaway to create successful Black Friday product launch strategies:

Make sure shoppers know well in advance about product launches during Black Friday. This way, shoppers can actually sign up to get notified. Take Melanie Casey’s example; they started an email sequence called ‘Diamond Fridays’ near the end of October, leading to the Collector’s Sale on Black Friday as the peak event.

ON BLACK FRIDAY SALE DAY 

Sent between 12:00 AM and 11:59 PM on 28th November – this section covers some of the most unique Black Friday email campaigns.

7. Paire’s Black Friday campaign offers tiered free gifts 

Confident customers make better and more purchases, according to research from Google. 

But the true genius of this Black Friday email isn’t how the gifts are explained, it’s how it avoids putting the focus on the amount of discount – Paire instead nudges shoppers to unlock gifts on different spend tiers (and maintain AOV in one go):

Key Black Friday email ideas from this example:

Find smart ways to frame offers in your Black Friday email templates. Note how Pair keeps it extremely engaging, with an animated GIF, handwritten fonts, and crisp descriptions, showing why each free gift is awesome. 

BTW: You can use this idea for your Product Page too. Want to know more? Check out 26 best product page design examples (+ expert advice)

8. Cards Against Humanity asks for $5 in their clever Black Friday email

While every email screams “get x% off”, Cards Against Humanity flips the script by saying “give us $5” – instead of saying “$5 sitewide sale”, which is guaranteed to not only drive opens but also to be actually read:

Key takeaway to create clever Black Friday email subject lines: 

Be funny, but not at the cost of being direct – use humor to make your Black Friday campaigns stand out – use outrageous subject lines like “you wouldn't last 9 seconds with 60%.”  

9. Casper flips the script with anti-urgency for BFCM email campaigns

While most brands push urgency with countdowns and early-bird offers, Casper flips the script, with just two words, “Choose snooze.” 

They stay perfectly on-brand, encouraging shoppers to relax and wait, with the reassurance that the deal will last through Cyber Monday.

Key takeaway from this anti Black Friday campaign:

You don’t always need urgency – use calm, clever copy to stand out and build trust, especially when it aligns with your brand’s voice and promise. Also, it shows that you can empathize with shoppers.

10. Stiksen adds a back-up Black Friday deal 

Running low on stock during Black Friday? Take a cue from Stiksen. 

When their 2-for-1 deal started to sell fast, they sent an email nudging shoppers to act fast and quietly introduced a fallback: 25% off.

Key takeaway to craft your Black Friday messaging in emails:

Hide the price in your Black Friday emails and simply state the offer to drive click-throughs like Stiksen does – note how none of the product listings display the price; instead, they simply show pairings. 

11. Samuelsohn Factory Direct creates ready-to-shop carts for BFCM

Instead of making shoppers search for the perfect fit, or just saying “Buy More Save More”, Samuelsohn Factory Direct backs up the purchase decision with three ready-to-shop carts. They just don’t stop there; they also show the exact percentage of discount on each item:

Key takeaway on how to increase Black Friday conversions from emails:

Shorten the decision path by offering ready-to-checkout bundles in your Black Friday emails – like Samuelsohn Factory Direct does (note how each bundle describes why each “cart” in the email is a great choice).

12. Steve Madden shows alternate shopping paths

Most Black Friday emails start looking the same after a while, but Steve Madden’s one doesn’t. Instead of flashy design, they focus on value. 

Note how this Black Friday email shows unique products for each foot size. This way, a shopper can just click on the size to get the product displayed above in the required size, or click on the product to select a size:

Key takeaway to create high-converting Black Friday sale emails:

Help shoppers skip the disappointment of not finding products on sale in their size. Segment or dynamically populate emails based on the sizes a shopper shopped before.

Pro Tip: If you collect geographic location in your lead capture pop-ups, use it to offer personalized shipping timelines in Black Friday emails.

13. Fab Fit Fun lets 'em choose their own gift for Black Friday 

Ever wondered how to test two Black Friday offers at the same time?

Take inspiration from how Fab Fit Fun does it by offering two types of offers on their subscription options – one a BOGO offer, and the other a slashed price: 

Key takeaway to create Black Friday marketing campaigns like this one:

Make sure every Black Friday email blast has offers for: shoppers who’ve upgraded and those who haven’t – just like this email does (we also love how the email design neatly divides the two offers using colors and neat visuals).

Pro Tip: Retarget shoppers who didn’t take up either offer, with an automated Black Friday SMS – ask if they saw the email, and if they want support.

Do check: How to Increase Email Marketing ROI (Updated 2025)

14. Athletic Greens upgrades its welcome email on Black Friday

Got shoppers who’ve joined your welcome email flow, but haven’t converted yet? 

Send an email like Athletic Greens does, to give new shoppers the taste of your Black Friday offers:

Key takeaway to create successful Black Friday campaign emails:

Don’t forget to modify your welcome emails during Black Friday. 

Use this email format to offer discounted subscription options, with free samples. 

For example, if this email doesn’t perform, you can test a longer version explaining why each free gift is great.

15. Destination XL sends a price drop alert for items on sale during Black Friday 

People who’ve browsed a product before or signed up for price drop alerts are already in the middle of the funnel. 

All you have to do, during Black Friday, is send an email like this one from DXL – which shows multiple recommendations based on a category a shopper browsed previously:

Key takeaway from this browse abandonment Black Friday email:

Always modify your automated and triggered Black Friday email sequences (you can always modify your bulk emails to include dynamic blocks). Use those to show abandoned carts – here’s a great example of a block showing an abandoned cart with a countdown and BNPL offer:

Also read: BFCM Pricing Strategy: 6 Amazing Real-world Examples (+ Proven Psychological Tactics)

16. Dewey offers a one-time-only Black Friday subscription alternative 

Budgeting is a huge issue for shoppers (+ the 2025 tariffs) 🙂

This is why Black Friday email examples like this one, from Dewty, offering a one-time subscription alternative, are perfect. Note how it offers the pricing of a subscription with per-use pricing:

Key Black Friday email marketing tips from this example:

Create separate emails (like the one above) for existing purchasers who haven’t purchased for a while, during Black Friday. This way, you can reactivate them quite easily. Make sure your subject line reflects the same thing too, say something like, “since you haven’t been here a while.”

Pro Tip: Highlight your social media channels and partner influencers in your BFCM emails, like Dewty does (note the UGC and the TikTok banner). Why: Nearly 89% of shoppers who completed shopping before the holidays claimed they discovered holiday deals on their socials.

17. Spiceology sends daily Black Friday deals

A great Black Friday sequence – adjust it as needed, highlight a new member of your staff each day, their recommendations and choices for Black Friday, as Spiceology does:

Key takeaway from this Black Friday mailer sequence:

Daily sends let you avoid cramming everything into one email—perfect for Black Friday week, when inboxes are overloaded. Just tell one small story per email (like Spiceology’s staff pick). Adds personality without going all “SALE SALE SALE.”

Pro Tip: Start your Black Friday email sequence with your biggest discount or limited bundle (early shoppers always snag the best value deal) and end with discounts for products across your range (which creates the effect of payoff for those who stuck with you all week).

Want to plan something exciting? Check out Limited Time Offer: 10 compelling examples + how to copy them

18. Birddogs frames a free gift as a ‘giveaway’ during BFCM

Black Friday sales are great for giveaways. 

Only if you can show how you’re offering really unique Black Friday gifts, as Birddogs does, with their 'Bird Protector' giveaway, for all orders of their 'multi-pair' product:

Key takeaway from this Black Friday email example:

Shoppers won’t care about what kind of gift they’ll receive, unless there’s a story that backs up the purchase decision. Whether it’s towards a cause or a hilarious story, your Black Friday messaging still has to sell shoppers on the gift. Also, humor paired with storytelling always works. 😂

Read further: How To Use "Giveaways" In eCommerce (Without Looking Desperate)

19. Pangaia makes the Black Friday purchase really count 

Nearly 50% of shoppers in the US don’t trust Black Friday offers. Most think the amounts on discounts are just not worth it, plus there’s this perception that it’s just a ploy to clear dead stock – here’s a Reddit thread as proof.

Pangaia reverses the script by making shoppers donate to any of the charities mentioned in the email to unlock the Black Friday discount:

Key takeaways to inspire your Black Friday email strategy:

👉 Give your discounts meaning. Show shoppers that the products they receive actually make an impact – and that the products they receive are ethically sourced (note how the email talks about offering an extra discount for purchasing recycled product ranges)

👉 Once the weekend arrives, show a quick recap of the Black Friday purchases made – the impact mainly – and how shoppers who haven’t converted yet can still contribute to the cause

DURING BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND

Sent between 29th November and 30th November, these post Black Friday email campaigns show you how to maximize conversions before Cyber Monday arrives.

20. Third Love offers a limited-time compensation for outages  

Outages can happen. Especially on Black Friday, for stores with large lists. 

When ThirdLove’s site went down post-launch, they quickly sent a follow-up email offering $20 off to make up for it:

Key takeaway from this Black Friday email campaign:

Always prep a fallback email sequence for site issues during Black Friday. Retarget those on your list who clicked but couldn’t convert (or just visited your site during that period).

Pro Tip: Segment out shoppers who were able to place an order during the launch – but, reframe it as, “In case you wanted to grab more, here’s FLAT $20 off on any orders above ${AOV}.”

Also read: How To Retarget Abandoned Carts During BFCM: 15 Proven Strategies

21. Craighill continues Black Friday Savings over Small Business Saturday

Tariffs are going to impact Black Friday sales in 2025. According to eMarketer, 43% of adult shoppers in the US have already seen increased prices, and imported goods are unlikely to become any cheaper.  

But shoppers are willing to support brands that manufacture locally. 

So use Small Business Saturday like Craighill does to shift the spotlight to your values, your craft, and how you're still showing up with a discount:

Key takeaway from this Small Business Saturday email:

On Small Business Saturday, show what goal you’ll need to hit so you can keep serving ‘pre-tariff prices.’

Pro Tip: Most BFCM emails are built with dark colors and opened on phones—so always test for dark mode and make sure your font sizes & colors don’t impact readability.

Hey, have you seen this? 25 Tips to Increase Sales Through Email Marketing (+ Amazing Examples)

22. Cotopaxi sends ‘Selling Fast’ alerts  

Research says nearly 57% of shoppers like being notified about deals in time. So, it’s always good to have ‘alert’ emails as part of your Black Friday email campaigns – like this example from Cotopaxi:

Key Black Friday inspiration from this email:

You can also use this Black Friday email design to showcase back-in-stock products during Black Friday – just make sure you add stats like ‘sold in x minutes last Black Friday.’

Pro Tip: If a shopper interacted with out of stock products during Black Friday, you can also use this email format to send alternatives at a discount.

23. Altitude Sports reminds that Black Friday savings continue with extended returns 

After Small Business Saturday, you can either:

Give early access to Cyber Monday on Sunday evening to your VIP shoppers.

Or you can send an email like Altitude Sports does, to handle customer objections. Let em’ know that the Black Friday sale continues – note how the email shows a price match guarantee claim along with extended returns till January 10th:

Key takeaway to create the best Black Friday email campaigns:

👉 Use this email template for those new to you and those on your email list who haven’t converted on your previous Black Friday emails. See how Altitude Sports shows how members can also get more off their orders

👉  Always focus on the level of service, especially during Black Friday – note how the email offers options for membership discounts, dates for holiday delivery, and extended returns

Pro Tip: Always cover shipping news in your Black Friday emails, because they are that important – note how the example covers an update about how orders will be on time, despite strikes in Canada. 

ON CYBER MONDAY

Meant to be sent on December 1st, here are some types of Cyber Monday email marketing examples:

24. GFDA spills over Black Friday excitement to Cyber Monday 

Who says you can’t match your email campaigns for Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Take this hilarious yet extremely Cyber Monday email example from GFDA – all they do is slash stuff out and use text inserts wherever necessary:

Key takeaway from this Cyber Monday email example:

You need not reinvent an entire personality for Cyber Monday – all you can do is simply let shoppers know “Black Friday now has a Cyber Monday upgrade – grab it while it’s still here.”

Don't forget to read Cyber Monday eCommerce: 12 *Last-Minute* Hacks to Boost Conversions

25. Onebone offers an opportunity to earn the order value back  

During the final hours of your Black Friday Cyber Monday sale, do what Onebone does: pair personalization (shows a featured deal) with a reward tease (like a $100 gift card).
The idea? Trigger impulse buys, while keeping support on standby to nudge hesitant shoppers across the line.

Key takeaway from this post-Black Friday email example:

Personalization in emails during Black Friday isn’t just about product recs and a support option. Onebone makes the email feel one-on-one by including a fit calculator and linking to their podcast. 

26. Glossier lets purchasers know about possible delays

This way, you earn trust and not risk order cancellations. 

Glossier plays with humor about shoppers not knowing what to do with order confirmations, but also lets shoppers know that, because of Black Friday, shoppers may just not see all emails from Glossier:

Key takeaway from this Black Friday order confirmation email example:

If you run into delays on Black Friday/Cyber Monday, let shoppers know early on and offer ready support options in your emails, like live chat or call number – or opt for alternate shipping options, like pick up in store.

Pro Tip: Always add an option like “sign up for text, to not miss any order updates and an extra $X off on your next order.”

27. NOCS Provisions shows how to unlock last-chance bundles 

If shoppers haven’t converted on your Black Friday offers, send an email like Nocs Provisions does. Apart from mentioning ‘last chance,’ they walk shoppers through visually, on exactly how to unlock bundle items:

Key takeaway from this Cyber Monday email example:

A last chance email doesn’t always need a ticking clock. You can subtly explain how good the products are, with a tinge of social proof. You can also show when prices go up (and by what extent).

POST BFCM EMAIL CAMPAIGNS

Meant to be sent after both Black Friday and Cyber Monday end, these email examples offer last-minute Black Friday deals (with some twists).

28. Lou & Grey amps up urgency

The moment you see this Black Friday marketing email from Lou & Grey, you’re hooked into the ticking clock.

People, by nature, like being a part of things and do not want to miss out—a ticking clock plays on that by creating a sense of urgency.

Key takeaway from this Black Friday marketing email example:

Use your final sale closing email to recap – say something like, “Here’s what you missed. But here’s what you can still grab,” and then show a clean visual grid of products and bundles that sold really well, and then show variants or similar products that are still in stock. Note how Lou & Grey’s CTA is “find a store.”

29. Cocoon sends reminders for expiring gift cards 

Ever wondered how gift cards can drive referrals as well as sales? Check this Black Friday email example from Cocoon, where they remind shoppers that their infinitely shareable e-Voucher worth $100 is expiring:

Key takeaway from this Black Friday email example:

Use this Black Friday email’s e-voucher as a tactic to re-engage shoppers who’ve not purchased for a while. 

Don't forget to read: 30 Best Email Marketing Examples In eCommerce (2024)

30. Vintage Frames Company keeps the momentum going with surprise rewards 

We’ve seen how featured deals with surprise rewards can help close sales after Black Friday. Here’s another example from the Vintage Frames Company, where they not only send daily deals on collections, but also share an opportunity to win a complete refund of orders:

Key takeaway on ways to keep the momentum going after Black Friday:

Tie your Black Friday email and social strategy together—like Vintage Frames Company, use your email to drive traffic to live events (like an IG livestream), while using your community to grow your list and build loyalty.

31. Dungarees sends a 1:1 alert email about Black Friday sales closing

Not everyone buys during the weekend, or for that matter, see your emails. But here’s how you ensure they open your email and remember you – send a “going off comms now” email, like Dungarees does. 

They use a very transactional email like subject line “a quick update from the team” to drive opens, and within it contains a thank you note, with some really cool updates and perks:

Key takeaway from this Black Friday email example:

When Black Friday ends, do what Dungarees does: send a plain-text email that cuts the fluff, acknowledges the mayhem inboxes go into, and gives shoppers a genuine heads-up on what to expect next. We really dig the weather updates 🙂

10 Black Friday Email Subject Lines That Convert Like Crazy

1. Our Black Friday Deals are 🔥🔥🔥

2. Black Friday: 20% off all your favorites ❤️

3. Early Access on Black Friday Sale 😍

4. Btw, our bestsellers are in Black Friday.

5. 🦷 Save up to 50% off for Black Friday!

6. Your Personal Black Friday Starts NOW 🔥

7. Black Friday pricing without the wait

8. 🚨 We're starting our Black Friday Sale crazy early 🚨

9. Plan Ahead. Prepare your Black Friday Cart

10.⏰ Less than 30 days to go! 💨

Black Friday Email Marketing Strategy 101

1. How to prep early to create the best Black Friday email marketing strategies?

a) Hold surveys before Black Friday 

People plan what they want for Black Friday, even before it’s on the horizon. 

This is exactly why Estée Lauder smartly asks shoppers about their holiday shopping plans in late September, tapping into early Black Friday demand before it peaks:

b) Ask if they wanna join the VIP Queue for Black Friday Deals

Once you know shoppers' Black Friday plans, follow up like Aquatru does. Offer early access in exchange for a simple text signup – tap into the need for timely alerts.

The idea is to isolate brand loyalists and eager buyers within your email list:

c) Create a queue for your Black Friday sale landing pages

VIP shoppers get early access, but you can also incentivize on-store early birds to get in on the action too.

Create a queue for on-store shoppers to get them to sign up for ‘Early BFCM Flash Deals’, as Kirrin Finch with their Black Friday pop-up:

Use ‘Unlock mystery gift’ or ‘scratch to reveal deal’ email formats to create teaser emails and drive clicks to your.

d) Start your Black Friday early, as early as October

The best Black Friday shoppers buy early, so while most brands wait till November, getting a head start in mid-October is always a good idea. Per Bazaar Voice, October is also the best month to kick off early Black Friday deals.

Here’s an awesome “Black Friday in October” email example from Lume:

‍

Pro Tip: You can also start early access to Black Friday deals in late July. Term it ‘Black Friday in July’, this way, you can tap into back-to-school as well as end-of-summer momentum.

2. How do you write an email for Black Friday? 

Apart from the 31 killer Black Friday email examples, here's an awesome Black Friday email checklist that gets the conversions: 

a) Write a subject line that makes heads turn 

Convey urgency, surprise, or curiosity in your Black Friday subject lines.

For instance, Columbia Sportswear’s subject line for a Black Friday sale sounds so much like an alert that shoppers are compelled to click: 

“Price drop on your favorites”  

Another example focusing on the theme and the occasion. Doesn’t sound salesy, so customers are highly likely to click. 

“The North Face Gets Vibey + Early Black Friday Deals Not to Miss”

Remember to include words such as “Last day”, “Last call”, “Exclusive”, “free shipping”, and “easy returns”, etc, that grab a shopper’s attention among a ton of emails in their promotions tab. 

b) Make the Black Friday email copy appealing (Use the PAS framework) 

Use copy that follows the Problem-Agitation-Solution framework. This’ll ensure that the click-through rate for your Black Friday email campaigns is high. 

Here is an example of Withings using the PAS framework in its Black Friday email strategy. 

Let us break it down for you. 

Tomorrow is too late refers to the problem. It conveys that last-minute shoppers need to hurry because the offer ends soon. 

Thought you’d want to know that our best deals of the year end in a few hours. Is the agitation. It provokes a shopper to take action. 

Now is your last chance to enjoy them! is the solution. The email is using reciprocity where it's making it easy for shoppers to grab the offer with just a click.

You might also like: eCommerce Email Copywriting: 20 Game-Changing Tips

c) Use nudges + visual cues 

While nudges like free shipping, price guarantee, and easy returns are effective persuasive tactics, images bring products to life. Adding visuals with bright colors increases customers' desire to read by 80%. 

Here is a Black Friday email marketing example from Article. 

It offers 45% off plus free shipping on $499 and above. Percentage discounts work well for prices under $100, while free shipping on minimum order fulfillment encourages customers to spend more to qualify for free shipping. 

A free shipping baseline should be 30% more than the AOV. This covers the shipping costs, along with driving the customers to qualify for free shipping. 

3. How do you announce Black Friday sales through email marketing? 

Announcing Black Friday sales needs to be a step-by-step process. Here are a few things that you can do — 

a) Offer a glance into Black Friday sales

Consider you’re a few days away from Black Friday. The ideal way to get started is to offer a glance at the Black Friday sales to build excitement. 

b) Give them something to look forward to (New Product Launch)

Like a new product launch, free gifts, limited edition bundles, or you can always make it a mystery. 

Mystery and new things get humans excited. This Black Friday, why not release a new product to help build excitement and buzz? 

You'll love to read: 25 Product Launch Email Examples That Drove Massive Sales (+Templates)

c) Make them a part of an elite group (Offer VIP discounts) 

When they get special benefits, they are most likely to make use of it. Offering VIP benefits is a persuasive tactic to get customers to buy.

4. When should you send Black Friday email campaigns? 

Your Black Friday email marketing strategy should be divided into phases — 

a) The lead-up  

Customers start shopping for Black Friday as early as October. They are in the primary stage of their search and are open to recommendations and suggestions. 

This is a good time to open the conversation with early access deals or early bird offers. 

b) The craze 

During the two weeks leading up to Black Friday, customers look for specific products and brands. 

This is the right time to use it to send behavioral and personalized emails. Make sure to offer in-time delivery before Black Friday. 

c) Final call 

With the holiday gifting season around the corner, customers start looking for last-minute deals and Cyber Monday offers. In the last decade, Cyber Monday has become a Cyber Week. 

Ready to ship and in stock are the two nudges that work well. 

Hush Puppies sends a Black Friday gifting email that offers 40% and 20% off in select styles and sale items. The promo code BLACKFRIDAY will compel customers to purchase, as promo codes equal happiness for customers. 

5. When should I start promoting for Black Friday? 

Your Black Friday email marketing campaign should start at least in mid-October or in early-November. The best shoppers have started shopping 1 to 2 months in advance, according to research from Numerator. 

Before that, you need to group and segment your highest spenders, cart abandoners, and discount-only shoppers to put the Black Friday email marketing strategy into motion.  

Be it emails, social media, push notifications, or paid ad campaigns, this segmentation data can be used to personalize your Black Friday campaigns. 

The goal must make enough conversions from the highest AOV customers for your Black Friday campaigns so you have a decent ROI. 

6. How many emails should be sent during Black Friday? 

Honestly, there’s no absolute number. You’d want to decide after a mix of emails, including: 

a) Early access offers

‍ Send these emails in late October. You’d want to take a look at your open rates and click-through rates, which are unsurprisingly lower than the average. It’s interesting to note that the Black Friday email open rates saw a 6% increase while the clickthrough rates grew by 4%. 

Analyze what went wrong. Take a look at last year’s data and draw inferences. 

b) Teaser emails‍

Send teaser Black Friday emails in the first week of November. Build anticipation. 

c) Limited-time offer emails

‍ Start generating customers’ interest with your limited-time offer emails. Use a countdown timer, led by copy. 

d) Cart abandonment emails

‍Cart abandonment emails have a great shot at reclaiming lost sales. With a 34% open rate and 9% click-through rate. Plus, the cart abandonment rate of 79.88% was slightly lower than the average rate of 80.68%. 

7. What is the best time to send out Black Friday emails?

Winding up, we recommend you send at least 3-4 emails by spacing them out by a week. 

Remember, the best time to send Black Friday emails is between 4:30 AM to 10:00 AM during the Black Friday weekend – or between 10 AM to 4 PM on normal workdays, on the weeks leading up to BFCM. 

Research shows 1 in 3 shoppers kickstart their Black Friday shopping between the hours of 5AM and 10 AM.

8. How to know if you’ve created a successful Black Friday campaign?

The measure of a successful campaign includes whether you achieve your KPIs. Here are the key metrics you need to analyze — 

a) Online conversion rate 

Your online conversion rate is a good indicator of the sales you were able to make during the campaign. If you measure the conversions your campaign has been able to make on average. 

Here are three questions you should ask yourself: 

• Were you able to meet your target? 
• Were you able to sell all the inventory? 
• What’s the ROI you spent on these campaigns? 

b) Top traffic sources 

Your top traffic sources will help you understand if they were able to generate relevant traffic to your store. If the number is on the higher side, you have scored a win. 

Here’re a few questions you need to ask — 

• What’s the CAC? Has it increased or decreased? 
• What’s the ROAS for paid campaigns

c) Average Order Value 

Your average order value should be able to cover shipping costs. Either way, you need to ask which geographical region contributed the most to your AOV. It’s worth noting that even regions with AOV can help you assess the things you are getting wrong and what you can do to improve the same.

Transform Black Friday Email Marketing Into A Revenue Machine

Most eCommerce store owners don’t see email as a serious revenue stream.

Ask them about the importance of email marketing, and you'll hear: “we don’t really have a major strategy,” “we mostly use generic templates,” or “we just send emails to people on our list.”

BUT AT THE SAME TIME:

There are stores out there that drive 30%+ of their revenue from email marketing.

Engage can help you do the same - Book a free demo.

We’ll show you:

• workflows we can create for your store,
• proven ways to drive 30% or more $$ from email alone, and
• successful templates and strategies from your industry (and others).