Digital marketing
Black Friday is the best shopping moment of the year, but also the time when margins disappear. How does a small business benefit from the season without the discounts killing the year’s result?
Quick summary
- Black Friday week revenue can be 5–15× a normal week.
- Discounts have to be planned with the margin, not without it.
- Retargeting is the season’s most important campaign type.
- Warming up the email list starts four weeks ahead.
- Returns rise by 20–40 %, so allow for it in cash flow.
Planning four weeks ahead
Discount strategy: the whole range versus selected hero products.
Discount levels: −20 % is usually the minimum to be noticed.
The email warm-up sequence: start talking about the season four weeks in advance.
During the season: daily tactics
Aggressive retargeting: abandoned cart ads over a three-day window.
Email in the morning, afternoon and evening; small businesses underuse the volume.
Live-stream offers work on Instagram and TikTok.
The most common mistakes
Discounts without margin calculations. The year’s profit drains away by Christmas.
Not preparing the returns policy: 20–40 % of Black Friday purchases come back.
Starting email communication too late: the calendar is already full of other brands.
Frequently asked questions
How deep should the discounts be?
20–30 % is the norm. Under 15 % goes unnoticed, over 50 % kills the year’s margin.
Is Black Friday genuinely profitable?
Yes, but not if the margin has not been calculated. Cyber Monday is often more profitable.
When should the offers stop?
Cyber Monday is the last active discount moment.
Further reading
Read these related articles and service pages too:
- Christmas season digital marketing: campaigns, budgets and the schedule
- Q5 marketing (26 Dec–31 Jan): the year’s most underrated season
- Meta advertising service
External sources:
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