The art of Black Friday email marketing

For many digital marketing teams, Black Friday is the most important day in the retail calendar. 

And it’s easy to see why. Along with Cyber Monday, Black Friday generated around $10.8 billion in revenue in 2024. However, while Black Friday brings in the crowds, it isn’t necessarily a guarantee of marketing success. That means digital content marketers still need to understand how to fight for, and win, their customers’ attention, every year, in what is always a retail landscape saturated with competing voices. 

One of the best ways to do that is with email marketing. 

Why email on Black Friday?

Research from Salesforce suggests that email marketing accounted for over 20% of online sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2024. The figure demonstrates  the power of well-crafted Black Friday and holiday email campaigns to significantly boost online sales and customer engagement. 

Among an array of marketing channels, email still represents that critical first impression for many customers on Black Friday (and other occasions in the marketing calendar). It’s the hook that gets them through the door, or onto the website, and into the digital experiences that brand content teams have worked hard on. 

Essentially, in an age of constant technological innovation, despite the abundance of competing marketing messages across various digital channels, email still cuts through and drives consumer decisions. 

While statistics and data guide your content strategy, email makes it personal.

With that in mind, brands shouldn’t underestimate the role that email can play in their Black Friday campaigns — and should think hard about how they’re going to use the format to drive engagement and increase conversions from shoppers keen to find deals. 

To help you up your marketing game this season, we’re going to explore some key strategies for optimizing Black Friday emails — before, during, and after the big day. And we’ll drop in plenty of examples as we go. 

Let’s get started. 

The three phases of Black Friday email marketing

Before we jump into the emails themselves, let’s set out the phases of Black Friday, and how you should shape your email campaigns around them. 

1. Email marketing before Black Friday

The lead-up to Black Friday can start weeks in advance, and presents a strategic opportunity for marketers to build anticipation and prime their audience for upcoming promotions.

Many companies adopt a Black Friday countdown approach. They plan a schedule of Black Friday emails in timed sequences before the day itself, teasing exclusive deals and creating a sense of urgency among subscribers. 

Example: An apparel brand might utilize email sequences to unveil sneak peeks of their Black Friday collections, promote Black Friday events in newsletters, or offer early access to special Black Friday deals or sales, in the days and weeks before the day itself. 

2. Email marketing during Black Friday

When Black Friday arrives, the focus shifts to executing real-time Black Friday email campaigns that drive immediate conversions.

When creating a Black Friday email, consider using urgency and scarcity tactics to encourage quick customer action. Many brands choose to send out time-sensitive offers and flash Black Friday sale alerts presented in a visually compelling way, both pre-empted with an attractive Black Friday email subject line (more on subject lines below).

Example: An electronics retailer might adopt a Black Friday email strategy featuring hourly, limited-time deals on popular gadgets. Each email would feature striking visuals and clear calls to action in order to increase click-through rates and prompt rapid conversions.

3. Email marketing after Black Friday

Post-Black Friday, emphasis shifts to nurturing customer relationships and maximizing post-sale opportunities. Marketing teams should aim to continue engagement via follow-up emails that express gratitude, provide order confirmations, and suggest related products based on customers' purchase histories. These touchpoints not only enhance the shopping experience but encourage repeat purchases and foster brand loyalty.

Remember: You can extend your Black Friday shopping momentum in Cyber Monday campaigns, where you can re-apply all the techniques that you used in the previous days (and weeks) of the campaign. 

Example: An audiobook subscription service sends personalized thank-you emails to customers who made purchases on Black Friday. These emails feature all the purchased products and include a "You Might Like These Listens" section with additional audiobook recommendations.

Black Friday teaser emails

The build up to Black Friday is where a lot of the season’s marketing magic happens. This is the moment to capture customers’ attention and make sure they click through to your campaigns, and the digital content experiences that you’ve worked so hard on. 

Well-crafted teaser emails can help you do that. 

Why send teaser emails?

Build anticipation

Teaser emails create a sense of urgency. When customers are aware that major discounts are on the horizon, they’re more likely to hold off on purchases beforehand and wait for your Black Friday sale — which should result in a spike in traffic and sales on the day. 

The psychological impact of anticipation can also make the shopping experience more enjoyable, leading to increased brand loyalty and customer satisfaction.

An anticipation-building teaser email doesn’t have to be complicated: it could simply announce the dates of the shopping event weeks in advance, and include details of your biggest promotions. 

Increase engagement early

Starting your Black Friday campaign early by sending out teaser emails not only builds anticipation but also increases engagement. That early engagement allows your brand to stay top-of-mind as consumers plan their upcoming Black Friday shopping.

When sent ahead of time, teaser emails can result in higher open rates and click-through rates because they reach potential customers before competitor brands start joining the promotional storm closer to the day. 

Similarly, by sparking curiosity and providing hints about upcoming deals, your teaser email can create a pathway for ongoing audience interaction, which, in turn, can improve email deliverability rates, and ensure your messages reach more inboxes during the critical shopping period.

What to include in a teaser email

Sneak peek offers

Providing a glimpse of your best deals in your teaser email can significantly boost excitement and engagement. Exclusive sneak peeks create a sense of privilege and exclusivity, making customers feel valued and special. 

You could, for example, offer a preview of limited-time deals available only to email subscribers. This not only builds hype but incentivizes sign-ups to your email list. Similarly, your teaser could include an exclusive voucher code and a chance for email subscribers to shop early. 

Countdown timers

Countdown timers — essentially, ticking clocks — are a powerful tool for creating urgency.

By displaying a countdown to your Black Friday sale, you remind customers of the limited time they have to take advantage of your deals, encourage immediate action, and boost conversions. 

Think about displaying your countdown timer prominently in the email design, to capture attention quickly. A large, bold timer at the top of the email, for example, typically has a strong visual impact.

Brands frequently use countdown timers in their Black Friday email marketing to emphasize the fleeting nature of their deals.

Teaser videos and GIFs

Multimedia elements such as videos and GIFs typically make teaser emails more engaging and dynamic. They not only showcase products more comprehensively than text and images, but can create an emotional connection with audiences, enhancing the overall impact of the email.

Video content may cheerlead a key Black Friday deal, reference a product review, or offer a behind-the-scenes look at your Black Friday preparations. GIFs are shorter form, but can be used to add visual humor to emails or serve as shorthand for some element of your marketing message. 

Black Friday email subject lines

As subscribers to your mailing list browse their inboxes, their first impression of your email — your subject line — will have a huge impact on whether they click “open,” or move on. And so, with most inboxes flooded with promotional emails during this peak shopping period, you’ll need to make yours stand out.

Now let’s explore how to pick the best subject lines to create an impact this Black Friday weekend. 

1. Create a sense of urgency

Ticking clocks are good motivators.

People respond to phrases like "Limited Time Offer" or "Shop NOW" because active words and calls to action in subject lines typically instill urgency and encourage immediate action. On Black Friday that sense of urgency can make a big difference to open rates.

• "Black Friday Deals End Tonight — Don't Miss Out!"

• "24-Hour Black Friday Blitz: Shop Now Before it's Gone!"

• "Last Chance for Black Friday Savings! Act Fast!"

2. Highlight exclusivity

Everyone loves to feel special.

With that in mind, it’s worth using subject lines that include the words "Exclusive" and “VIP”  or phrases like “Members Only” and “Be The First” to create both a sense of exclusivity and make prospects feel valued and privileged. Exclusivity can also support a sense of scarcity, nudging subscribers to explore further, with just a hint of time pressure. 

It also doesn’t hurt to mix up your subject lines with an emoji or two. 

• "Exclusive Black Friday Deals Just for You! 🎁"

• "Unlock VIP Access to Our Black Friday Specials! 🔓"

• "Members-Only Black Friday Discounts Inside! 🛍️"

3. Use clear and actionable language and CTAs

The best email subject lines are short and sweet.

References to time like "Sale Starts Now" or direct calls to action like "Discover Savings" will get recipients to engage with your email more often. Similarly, a subject line like "Think fast. Cyber Monday is our biggest sale!" is clear and direct, and will likely prompt recipients to take action immediately by invoking the fear of missing out (FOMO).

There are plenty of punchy ways to include CTAs in your subject lines.

• "Shop Now: Black Friday Deals You Can't Miss! 🛍️"

• "Act Fast: Black Friday Savings Await! ⏳"

• "Score Big on Black Friday Deals Today! 🏆"

4. Build momentum

We mentioned the phases of Black Friday earlier, and it makes sense to factor them into your email subject lines as a way of building momentum before, during, and after your Black Friday sales event. 

By progressing the subject lines in relation to Black Friday phases, you’ll help keep your content offering fresh and relevant to potential customers, and tap into different audience segments.  

You’ll also ensure your brand remains top of mind and continues to capitalize on heightened consumer interest during this critical period.

Pre-Black Friday

• “Black Friday Sneak Peek!”

• "Psst! You're getting early Black Friday access."

• "The Black Friday countdown has begun."

During Black Friday

• “Don't Miss Out: Exclusive Black Friday Deal, Up to 70% Off!”

• “VIP Early Access: Exclusive Black Friday Discounts Just for You!”

• “Last Chance! Black Friday Blowout Ends Tonight!”

Post-Black Friday

• “Missed Black Friday? Cyber Monday Deals Are Here!”

• “Black Friday Last Chance!”

• “Exclusive After-Black Friday Savings Start Now!”

The bottom line

As you prepare for Black Friday this year, remember that strategic promotional marketing can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility and profitability.

With the right execution, your Black Friday email marketing efforts will elevate customer engagement and drive revenue growth, while creating memorable shopping experiences that resonate with customers and foster lasting loyalty.

You can optimize your Black Friday campaigns with Contentful. Explore our Black Friday ecommerce solutions, personalize Black Friday experiences on your website or app, or explore native AI tools to help you shape your Black Friday campaign down to the smallest detail. 

To get started, simply give our sales team a call. 

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