Top 5 Black Friday Email Campaigns & Strategies

Explore additional trends across holiday email campaigns.

Adopting a Mobile-First Email Design

Recent studies reveal that during the holiday season, over 44% of emails were accessed via mobile devices. As a result, businesses are prioritizing mobile-specific strategies, ensuring their CTAs are optimized for touch devices with larger buttons.

Mobile commerce has surged, with mobile devices accounting for 69% of sales in 2023, as detailed by Experian. This underscores the necessity for seamless mobile experiences.

Ensuring mobile optimization is no longer optional. Implement responsive templates to provide consistent viewing across devices, enhancing consumer satisfaction.

Challenging Traditional Black Friday Norms

Brands like Patagonia and REI are pioneering anti-Black Friday campaigns, prompting reflection on societal issues and appealing to younger audiences who seek brands with a conscience.

According to a Deloitte survey:

• 63% of Gen Z and millennial respondents believe businesses can drive social equality.
• 62% of Gen Z and 59% of millennials are concerned about climate issues.
• 25% of Gen Z and 24% of millennials have adjusted their spending to avoid unsustainable brands.

With a growing emphasis on sustainability, these unconventional campaigns are resonating—inviting consumers to reflect on gratitude rather than consumption.

Designing Dark Mode-Friendly Emails

Dark Mode offers both accessibility and aesthetic appeal through its clean, monochrome approach. Originally, email designs mirrored web pages with extensive graphics. Now, the trend is shifting to substance over flair.

Since 35.4% of emails are opened in Dark Mode, emails designed to align with this setting improve readability and engagement.

Using contrasting typography ensures that messages remain clear. Additionally, designers are incorporating digital sustainability for a more eco-friendly experience.

Leveraging Countdown Timers

Countdown timers foster urgency and harness the fear of missing out (FOMO) as time and deals are limited. This feature is anticipated to see continued use as a significant trend this year, especially in eCommerce.

Visual cues, like a ticking clock, galvanize customers, prompting dynamic interactions with ongoing promotions.

Launching Early Access Campaigns

Retailers are predicted to amplify Black Friday promotions with early access teasers and sneak peeks to engage consumers and build exclusivity.

The National Retail Federation notes that many shoppers initiate their holiday purchases before November for reasons like budget management and stress avoidance.

• Budget management
• Stress avoidance
• Crowd avoidance

October sales also influence early buying behaviors. As reported by the NRF in 2023, seven in ten holiday shoppers explored October deals for key holiday items.

The Shift towards Early Black Friday

Amazon’s October Prime Day, scheduled for October 7 and 8, signifies the onset of the holiday shopping season, with competitors like Walmart and Target following suit with their own promotions.

However, with consumers expecting significant Black Friday deals, timing becomes crucial.

Maximizing Black Friday Campaign Success

Align with Company Objectives

Your Black Friday email strategy should mirror broader organizational goals. Be it revenue growth, inventory clearance, or new customer acquisition, clarity is key.

Understand Audience Through Segmentation

There’s a misconception about sending too many emails—it’s often about poor segmentation. Tailoring campaigns to specific audience sectors can greatly enhance engagement.

Successful Black Friday strategies require astute segmentation. Use insights from your email service provider (ESP) or tools like Litmus Email Analytics for more nuanced data, such as read rates and popular email clients.

Segmentation can include:

• Purchase history. Recent buyers or frequent customers
• Engagement level. Active openers or dormant subscribers
• Demographics. Age, job role, or location
• Preferences. Product and content interests
• Zero-party data. Voluntarily shared customer insights
• First-party data. Direct customer interactions
• Event attendance. Link to hosted event participation
• Timing. Analyze historical data to determine optimal send times. During high email volume periods, even minor timing differences can impact engagement. Ensure readiness accompanying time-sensitive sales, like noon offers, with timely reminders.

Introduce email personalization within your defined segments. Automation and product feeds elevate tailored content, especially crucial in eCommerce personalization.

Design Irresistible Offers

Beyond catchy Black Friday subject lines, your offer must captivate. Craft phenomenal discounts, exclusive bundles, and early access deals that resonate with core customers.

• Highlight top discounts. Offer significant savings like 30% off sitewide or free shipping.
• Create exclusive bundles.. Offer unique product combinations for Black Friday, such as “buy one, get one free.”
• Offer early access. Give loyal customers VIP sales access.
• Include time-limited flash sales. Heighten urgency with brief deep discounts.
• Emphasize deadlines. Include end-of-offer messaging in your emails.
• Gifts with purchase. Offer a free gift with purchases above a threshold.
• Incentivize bigger spends. Use tiered savings on larger purchases, like 20% off orders over $100.
• Leverage all shopping days. Coordinate Black Friday and Cyber Monday as part of a multi-day promotional plan.

For instance, Grammarly’s Black Friday promotion offered 55% off annual plans, prominently highlighted alongside an eye-catching hero image.

The Washington Post takes a similar route, with early-access Black Friday specials vividly displayed in the hero section, driving urgency with “Act now” CTAs.

Streamlining Operations

Most teams require over two weeks to construct a single email, encompassing everything from strategy to approval. Operating efficiently within this framework is essential for campaign success, not just during Black Friday.

Simplifying email workflows streamlines every step, yielding benefits throughout the year.

Audit workflows to identify time drains, then explore solutions for time and resource efficiency.

According to The State of Email Workflows, gathering feedback significantly impedes progress. Streamlining feedback processes can alleviate frustrations.

Enhance workflow efficiency with these tips:

• Pre-design Black Friday templates. Ensure templates are tested, Dark Mode-ready, and thoroughly QA’d.
• Centralize feedback channels. Use collaborative software like Litmus Proof to systematize feedback and reduce fragmented communications.
• Leverage ESP integrations. Integrations with tools like Litmus facilitate seamless operations.
• Use an email pre-send checklist. This ensures comprehensive email preparedness.

Prioritize Testing and Optimization

Despite the promising opportunity that Black Friday presents, a malfunctioning email can drastically compromise potential gains, leading to unsubscribes or spam reports. Considering 86% of consumers abandon brands after just two negative interactions, diligence in testing is vital.

Avoid these pitfalls with thorough email testing. Given that email clients often update, employing tools like Litmus Email Guardian offers 24/7 monitoring, providing peace of mind.

Additionally, leverage analytic insights from your ESP or tools like Litmus Email Analytics to refine engagement strategies based on audience data, device preferences, and behavior trends.

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