10 email marketing tips for successful Black Friday

Why Black Friday is so important for your business

Black Friday is the busiest shopping weekend of the year. Your customers have a budget and are looking for the best deals. Send the right offer at the right time. Then customers will choose your business instead of the competition.

The big challenge: your customers' inbox is packed with promotions. Emails get clicked away faster and people have become more critical. They spend more money on experiences than on things, and sustainability plays an increasingly important role.

The benefits are still significant:

• Your business becomes part of a major online shopping event
• Perfect moment to clear old inventory
• You reach customers who are already in buying mode
• Opportunity to attract new customers
• Ideal for cross-selling and up-selling

But there are also challenges:

• Inbox overload: Customers are flooded with promotional emails
• More competition than ever
• Higher expectations for speed and service
• Sustainability pressure: Growing criticism of overconsumption
• Your website must be able to handle the traffic

1. Determine the right strategy

The days when you could start preparing two weeks in advance are over. Start planning at least 6-8 weeks ahead.

First, you need your deal. Which products or services will you offer a discount on? And how high will that discount be? 10% is no longer perceived as a real discount in 2025. Think of at least 20-30% for impact. How long will your campaign run? And what will you do if your inventory runs out?

Modern offers that work:

• Bundle packages: Combine multiple products for a lower price
• Early access: Give your best customers a head start
• Experiences: Add a workshop or service with purchase
• Sustainable choices: "Green Friday" with eco-friendly products
• Free shipping above a certain amount

For service providers without physical products:

• Free month with an annual subscription
• Extra service free with main assignment
• Workshop or course as a bonus
• Bundle package of different services together

2. Send smart instead of sending a lot

The old advice "send more emails during Black Friday" no longer works. Smarter segmentation delivers better results than higher volume to everyone.

Your customers receive dozens of Black Friday emails. Address your contacts personally instead of shouting louder. Divide your audience into groups and send each one the right message.

How to divide your contact list:

• Early buyers: Send this group your deals first
• Loyal customers: Receive exclusive offers + personalized deals based on purchase history
• Cart abandoners: Receive a targeted reminder (with special code)
• Non-openers: Try a different subject line
• Big spenders: Receive premium deals and personal service

A smart email sequence looks like this:

Week 4-6: Early announcement
Message: Announce that something big is coming for early subscribers
Goal: Build list and create anticipation

Week 2-4: Exclusive preview / VIP access
Message: Exclusive preview for loyal customers
Goal: Show appreciation and generate early sales

Week 0-1: Official launch
Message: Official launch with clear deadline
Goal: Create FOMO and trigger immediate action

During Black Friday: Cross-channel reminder
Message: Refer to social media content and user-generated content
Goal: Increase engagement across platforms

After Black Friday: Last chance
Message: Final hours with accessibility-focused design
Goal: Last-minute conversions with inclusive design

At Rapha, as a member you not only get earlier access, but you can also view in advance which items will be in the sales:

3. Subject lines that stand out

Your subject line determines whether your email gets opened. In the Black Friday chaos, it's even more important that you're different from the rest.

What works in 2025:

4. One clear call-to-action per email

Don't confuse your readers. One email, one main message, one action they need to take. Keep your content focused and short, but make sure your email is accessible to everyone.

Make sure everyone can read your email (Accessibility)

• Good colors: Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background
• Readable letters: Not smaller than 16 pixels
• Buttons: Large enough for thumbs (minimum 44 pixels)
• Alt text: Describe all images for screen readers
• Color blindness: Don't use only color to indicate important information

Your call-to-action button:

• Use action words: "View deals", "Shop now", "Claim discount"
• Make it eye-catching but fitting with your brand identity
• Place it both at the top and bottom of your email
• Test different colors and texts

iKhokha says: we keep it short and simple, this is our promo.

5. Design: simple and mobile-friendly

The design of your Black Friday email may stand out, but must above all work well. We're seeing a major shift from busy emails to sustainable and calm design.

New design trends:

Orangewood sends a simple email with minimalist design where the message is immediately clear.

Tip: Test in dark mode:

More and more people use dark mode on their phone. Make sure your email also looks good in dark mode.

6. Test what works for your audience

Test in advance what works for your audience. Use A/B testing to test your subject line, send time, button color, personalization level, and message. Important: test 1 item per campaign, otherwise your results won't be clear.

After your campaign, measure effectiveness through open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, and unsubscribe rate.

7. Make it personal (without overdoing it)

Personalization goes beyond "Hello [First Name]" in your email. Do you know about specific preferences or favorite items of your customers? Then personalize your content in such a way that they can't possibly pass up your temporary deal. Through dynamic content, you determine per block in your email which target group gets to see it.

Effective personalization tactics:

• Purchase history: "Because you bought [product X], you might also find this interesting"
• Location-based: "Free delivery in [City] when ordering before 4 PM"
• Behavior-based: Different emails for regular versus occasional openers
• Timing preferences: Send based on when they usually open

Make sure you don't get too personal, privacy is important. Keep it natural and relevant and give people control over their preferences.

8. Combine email with other channels

Your Black Friday campaign doesn't live only in the inbox. With cross-channel integration, you expand your reach and strengthen your message.

Social media
Show your Black Friday preparations in your Instagram Stories and show your products or services in short videos on TikTok. On Facebook you can give more explanation about products or share customer reviews and testimonials, and on YouTube you show longer product demos.

SMS marketing
Via WhatsApp or SMS send short messages for last-minute deals, reminders for cart abandoners, or exclusive codes.

Influencer partnerships
Use local influencers who truly fit your brand. Let them honestly talk about your product as real ambassadors and give them a unique discount code to measure results.

Coordinate everything:
Place social media buttons in your emails, refer to exclusive social content, and use a consistent style and message across all your channels.

9. Focus on value instead of discount

More and more customers are tired of endless discounts. They want real value and are willing to pay more for quality and service.

Value-driven offers:
Instead of always offering higher discount percentages, you can create added value that is often more valuable than a discount. Such as free shipping, extended warranty, free installation, or other extras.

Sustainable Black Friday alternatives:
More and more businesses are choosing a conscious approach to Black Friday. This appeals to customers who value sustainability.

• "Green Friday": Focus on sustainable products
• "Quality Friday": Emphasize the lifespan of your products
• "Local Friday": Support local suppliers and producers
• "Mindful Friday": Help customers make conscious choices

Anti-sale approaches:
Deliberately go against the stream. Donate a percentage to charity, plant a tree for every purchase, offer repair services, or close your store and your website (like Dille & Kamille). This differentiates you from the crowd and appeals to conscious consumers.


At Huckberry, they launch a new collection in limited edition without discount during Cyberweek.

10. After Black Friday: from bargain hunter to regular customer

The real work begins after Black Friday. You've attracted new customers, but how do you ensure they stay?

Welcoming new customers:

• Welcome email series: Especially for Black Friday shoppers
• Onboarding: Help them make optimal use of their purchase
• Community: Invite them to a customer group or forum
• Extra offers: Complementary products after a few weeks

Retaining existing customers:

• Check satisfaction: "How do you like your purchase?"
• Complementary products: What else fits with their purchase?
• Early access: They get priority again for the next campaign
• Referral program: Reward them when they bring friends

Measure your success on these points:

• Customer Lifetime Value of Black Friday customers vs regular customers
• Repeat purchases within 90 days after Black Friday
• Net Promoter Score after the campaign
• Return rate and customer satisfaction scores

Follow-up email planning:

• Week 1: "How's your purchase going?" + useful tips
• Week 3: Suggest complementary products
• Week 6: Invitation to customer club or newsletter
• Week 12: Satisfaction survey with small reward
• Next year: Early access to new Black Friday deals

Your Black Friday success starts now

Black Friday email marketing has fundamentally changed in recent years. It's no longer about shouting the loudest in an overcrowded inbox, but about communicating smarter with your customers.

Remember these core aspects:

• Plan at least 8 weeks ahead for optimal results
• Segment smart instead of sending volume to everyone
• Design mobile-first because 70% open on their phone
• Test systematically what works for your specific audience
• Combine channels for maximum reach and impact
• Focus on value instead of just discount percentages
• Invest in retention because that's where your real profit lies

You don't have to apply all tips at once. Start with the points that best align with your current situation and build from there. Every improvement counts.

Success with your Black Friday campaign!