Happy Sunday!

If you’re reading this, I hope you’re taking some time for yourself to recharge, enjoy your last few days of fun, and get locked in for the rest of Q4. September is a make-it-or-break-it month in DTC. If you aren’t locked in to ensure all your deliverables, tactics, audiences, landing pages, promo codes, email segments, etc, are working 100% as they should... You are choosing defeat and choosing to LOSE this year. Don’t lose. Anyone who reads this email never loses.

Today’s email is going to be centered around what I would recommend for BFCM strategy, but before we get into that...

Portless — A next-gen direct fulfillment platform, from China to a US door in 6 days, for a fraction of the cost.

You’ve heard me preach about cash flow and fast fulfillment – especially with the holiday rush around the corner. Well, Portless is a next-gen direct fulfillment platform that nails both.

Portless ships your orders directly from China to your customers in about a week – and it feels like a domestic shipment. Packages get local USPS labels and tracking once they hit the U.S., so customers have no clue their order left from Shenzhen days ago.

Here’s why smart brands are switching to Portless:

• 90% shorter lead times: Replenish best-sellers in 3 to 5 days instead of 3 to 5 months. No more stockouts or sweating over delayed cargo; you can manufacture and restock just in time.
• Instant cash flow boost: With Portless, you only pay import tariffs when a product actually sells, meaning revenue’s already in before you incur the cost (in the old model, you’d pre-pay duties on a container load sitting in a warehouse). This deferred tariff model frees up 40% more cash and fattens your margins by slashing shipping costs.
• Global reach, zero headaches: From a hub in Shenzhen, Portless can ship to 55+ countries in 6 to 8 days. You get near-Amazon-level international logistics without setting up new warehouses. Think of it like a North American 3PL, but way faster and without the upfront inventory risk.

While others are nervously stockpiling inventory for BFCM, Portless brands are confidently running lean. They can refill hot sellers on demand, avoid overstocking, and keep cash on hand; all with an entirely local customer experience. And setup is quick: Portless can onboard a new brand in about a week, even if you start with just one SKU.

Make this your most profitable holiday season yet. Get ahead of the Q4 crunch and schedule a Portless demo to see this supply chain superpower in action. (They even built a handy ROI calculator to estimate how much cash and time you’ll save.)

This past week, we took a live web and funnel roast and turned it into a podcast. If you’re looking to get your PDPs, homepages, and cart optimized for the traffic rush, check out the episode.

You can listen on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.

Last year, consumers spent $65.3B on Black Friday and $46.2B on Cyber Monday globally (with $9.12B and $11.3B spent in the US alone). Shopify merchants accounted for $7.5 billion of those sales (a 12% increase from the prior year). In short, BFCM is make-or-break for many brands, and preparation is everything.

Today’s newsletter is a comprehensive checklist of all the things you should consider as you gear up for the biggest shopping week of the year. We’ll cover promotion strategy, channel-by-channel assets, customer service prep, live shopping tactics, and more. By the end, you should have a solid game plan to maximize revenue (and profit) during BFCM. Let’s dive in.

Choose the Right Offer: Your BFCM promotion is not one-size-fits-all; it should play to what your audience responds to best. Whether it’s a site-wide percentage-off sale, a flash sale, BOGO deals, “buy X get Y” offers, or special bundles, pick a tactic that has worked well for you throughout the year. The BFCM period isn’t the time to experiment with a totally unproven promo format. For example, if flash sales or bundle deals have driven spikes in sales in the past, consider amplifying those for Black Friday. Aim to create at least one hero offer or bundle that drives a high AOV purchase. Bundling is the best way to drive a higher cart size, while still making the customer feel like they’re getting a great deal.

Craft a Compelling Discount (or Not): Most brands will dangle their best discount of the year on BFCM – it’s common to see 20%, 30%, even 50% off. Make sure your offer is aggressive enough to entice shoppers who are primed to spend (many consumers literally wait all year for Black Friday deals). That said, a promotion doesn’t always have to mean a straight discount. Some savvy brands succeed with exclusive product launches or bundles instead of discounts. Last year, Jones Road Beauty’s BFCM “deal” was selling a limited-edition minis set (no actual discount), and Jolie gave a free gift (tote bag) with purchase. If you go this route, you need to have strong brand equity and (obviously) a product that over-delivers on its promise. The key is to offer something that feels special and time-sensitive.

Mind Your Subscribers & Loyalty Program: If you have subscribers or VIP members, treat them with extra care during BFCM. Consider giving your email/SMS subscribers early access to the sale or some additional perk (like an extra discount or free gift) as a thank-you. This not only makes them feel valued, but it can also generate some early revenue before the broader sale begins. Also, you need to ensure your BFCM offer doesn’t inadvertently encourage subscribers to cancel their subscriptions. For example, if subscribers typically receive 10% off each order as a membership perk, and your Black Friday deal offers 30% off for one-time purchasers, a subscriber might be tempted to cancel and reorder at the 30% discount. To avoid this, you might exclude subscription products from specific promotions or offer subscribers a price match guarantee/bonus, so they don’t feel penalized for their loyalty. Crafting the right promo is like solving a Sudoku puzzle — it has to entice deal-seekers without devaluing your product or alienating your best customers.

Plan the “End Game”: Think beyond acquisition… how will you retain the wave of BFCM customers after the sale? Shoppers who come in just for a deal can be less sticky, so plan a win-back or post-BFCM nurture strategy (more on this in the email/SMS section). Also, if you offer subscriptions, BFCM is a great time to win back churned subscribers by pitching them an attractive re-subscription deal (for ex., “come back and get 3 months at 50% off”). In sum, choose a promotion that maximizes immediate sales and sets you up for long-term gains.

Your website is the epicenter of BFCM traffic. It needs to showcase your offer, merchandise it exceptionally well, and be able to direct customers exactly where and how to proceed. Here’s a hit list of what to focus on:

• Homepage Banners & Announcements: Update your homepage banner, header, or hero image to announce your BFCM deal boldly. The moment visitors land on your site, they should know a sale is on. Don’t be subtle – use big, bold text with the offer (“BLACK FRIDAY SALE: 30% OFF Sitewide!”) and include a CTA button leading to the sale or best-sellers. Consider a site-wide notification bar as well for visibility on all pages.
• Optimize for Speed: Remove any heavy apps, plugins, or scripts that could slow down your site. Extra pop-ups, unused tracking pixels, or clunky widgets – ditch them (at least temporarily). Every second of load time counts when shoppers are bouncing between deal sites. You don’t want a crash on Black Friday.
• Mobile First: Remember that last year nearly 48% of all Black Friday ecommerce sales (and 78% of traffic) came from mobile devices. Make sure your mobile site experience is flawless – test your pages on phones and tablets. Check that images load quickly, text is readable, buttons are easy to tap, and checkout is smooth on mobile. If something is going to break, it’ll break under the thumb, not the mouse.
• Coupon Codes & Auto-Applied Discounts: Set up your discount codes well ahead of time and test them end-to-end. Nothing’s worse than a code failing at checkout. Many brands use auto-applied discounts (for ex., a special URL that automatically applies “BFCM30” at checkout) to reduce friction. If you go that route, generate those links in advance and double-check them. Some brands deliberately allow shoppers to input the code manually for a psychological effect. It can feel satisfying to type in “BF30” and see the price drop, giving customers the sense they activated the deal. Choose your approach, but whichever you select, implement it consistently (across emails, ads, etc.) and make sure it works. If you want to see how to make those URLs, see my help doc here.
• Email Capture Pop-ups: If you use an email capture pop-up or signup form on your site, update its creative, copy, and offer to reflect the current event/sale. You might change your usual “Sign up for 10% off your first order” to “Sign up for early access to our Black Friday deals” during the weeks leading up to BFCM. Route these signups into a dedicated Klaviyo segment or flow for BFCM interested folks. Once tagged, you can send them the sale announcement right away or even grant them an exclusive early-bird deal. Adjust the targeting too and show the pop-up to all visitors during this period, even those who previously dismissed it, since the offer is new and compelling.
• UX for Deals & Urgency: Little touches on your site can boost conversion during BFCM. Add a countdown timer on your homepage or product pages showing when the sale or a particular deal expires (for ex., “Sale ends in 2 days 4 hours!”) to create urgency. If you have limited stock on certain items, display a low stock warning (“Only 14 left in stock!”) or tag them as “Holiday Best Seller”. Highlight the discount prominently on product pages (strike-through pricing, “Was $50, now $35”). Make it blatantly obvious that right now is the time to buy.
• Reviews & Social Proof: Expect a lot of new customers on BFCM to quickly evaluate if your product is worth it. Make sure all your featured product reviews are visible and up-to-date. It might even be worth adjusting your post-purchase review request flow to be a bit more aggressive or expedited for the influx of holiday customers (for example, sending a review request a bit sooner than usual, while the excitement of the purchase is high). More fresh reviews coming in during November can only help persuade others.
• Post-Purchase Survey Tweaks: If you run a post-purchase survey, consider adding a question tailored for BFCM shoppers. These customers might be more deal-driven than your average customer. Ask something like, “What made you decide to shop with us today?” or “What could we do to keep you coming back after this sale?” Their answers could be gold for your retention strategy. Additionally, consider adding an option in “How did you hear about us?” for “Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotion” to track the number of purchasers who specifically came because of your BFCM marketing.

In short: make your site fast, clear, and conversion-oriented. Shoppers should instantly grasp your deal and face ZERO friction from landing page to checkout.

During BFCM, your email and SMS channels will be doing heavy lifting – and the motto is “don’t be shy.” Last year, the average brand sent 11 emails over the Black Friday weekend, with an average open rate of 49% and a click rate of 1%. That’s roughly 2-3 emails per day. And honestly? You should probably send more. This is the one time of year people expect and even appreciate a constant drumbeat of deal reminders. If you’re worried about annoying subscribers, keep in mind that a couple of weeks later, no one will remember (or care) that you sent 15 emails instead of 5 – but you will remember the extra revenue those emails drove!

Build a Full Email Schedule: Plan out a sequence of emails across the BFCM period. For example, a Black Friday email strategy might look like:

1. Sale Kickoff (Midnight) – Send an email at 12:01 AM on Black Friday announcing “It’s on! Our biggest sale of the year starts now!”. This catches the night owls and early birds.
2. Morning Boost – Around 7–9 AM, send a reminder email highlighting a hero product or “Don’t miss out on 30% off – happening today only!” Many shoppers check email in the morning.
3. Resend to Non-Openers (Late Morning) – By ~11 AM, send a variant or the same email to anyone who didn’t open the first two blasts. Different subject line, maybe a tweak in content, to grab their attention.
4. SMS Alert (Lunch Time) – Around 12:30 PM, send an SMS to your list (particularly those who haven’t purchased yet) with a “text-only exclusive” – e.g. an extra $5 off if they use a code from the text, or simply a concise reminder of the sale. People often browse during lunch breaks.
5. Afternoon Urgency Push – Around 3 PM, another email: “Inventory is moving fast – items are selling out!” Scarcity and urgency play well here.
6. Thank-You + Upsell (Evening) – By 6 PM, send a friendly plain-text style email from the founder thanking customers for a great Black Friday and adding a surprise bonus offer (“As a thanks, here’s a free gift with any order before midnight!”). This makes it personal and adds an extra reason to buy now.
7. Last-Chance (Late Night) – Around 9 or 10 PM, one final “Last chance to save 30% – only a few hours left!” email or SMS. Many shoppers jump in at the last moment.
8. (Optional) Cart Jolt SMS (Evening) – You could also squeeze in a second text to anyone who clicked an email link but hasn’t bought, maybe around 8 PM, with a slightly bigger incentive for procrastinators (like a unique code for an extra 5% off).

During the whole Cyber Week, you’ll rinse and repeat similar tactics (for ex., “24 hours left” on Saturday, “Cyber Monday starts now,” “Cyber Monday final hours,” etc.). The beauty is you can re-use a lot of content – just swap subject lines or add a bold “EXTENDED” graphic on top of the same email creative for an extended sale. The core message (“Save X%”) stays consistent.

Smart Sending & Segmentation: In the first day or two of BFCM, don’t hold back – send to your entire list. (Many brands normally suppress “inactive” subscribers to boost open rates, but BFCM is the time to hit everyone with your amazing offer. Even dormant subscribers might wake up for a 50% off deal.) After the initial blasts, use segmentation to avoid redundancy: exclude people who have already purchased from future sends, and maybe those who have clicked/opened multiple times, to focus on those who haven’t engaged. Most email platforms like Klaviyo let you build segments like “Opened email 1 or 2 but no purchase” or “No opens yet” – use these to tailor follow-ups. This way, you’re not literally sending every single email to every single person, and those who did buy won’t feel spammed.

Put the Offer Front and Center: Your subscribers’ inboxes will be flooded during BFCM. Assume they are skimming subject lines in a hurry. Put your actual offer in the subject line (e.g. “🖤 Black Friday: 30% OFF Starts Now” or “Today Only: BOGO + Free Shipping”). Make it impossible to miss. Within the email, lead with a bold graphic or headline that states the deal. Don’t make people dig for it – if it’s sitewide 30% off, say that immediately in big text and graphics. The faster someone can understand your deal, the more likely they’ll consider your brand as they budget their spend. Similarly, for SMS, the first words should convey the sale (“BFCM: 30% off sitewide + free gift – link here”).

Prepare BFCM-specific Flows: Remember that BFCM customers behave differently. You’ll likely get a cohort of one-time bargain hunters. Set up a post-BFCM email flow specifically for those who purchased during your sale. For example, after the holidays, send them a “thank you, here’s how to make the most of your product” email, followed by a win-back offer later (“We hope you loved your purchase – here’s 15% off if you buy again in Jan”). Treat these folks as a separate segment with perhaps a more aggressive retention effort, since historically BFCM-acquired customers can have lower repeat rates. On the flip side, don’t auto-merge your BFCM buyers into your regular welcome series or newsletter drip without acknowledging their recent purchase and the fact that it was a promo purchase. Tailor the messaging: “We know you joined us during a big sale – here’s what else you’ll love about our brand...” etc.

SMS with Tact: SMS is powerful but personal – during BFCM you want to use it, just don’t overdo it. A good rule: use SMS to complement email, not copy it. For instance, one SMS to announce the sale, one as a mid-sale reminder or exclusive text-only deal, and one final hours alert. Keep texts short, punchy, and always include the link directly to the product or cart with the discount applied. And of course, ensure you’re compliant with opt-out rules and sending times (no one wants a “WAKE UP, SALE!” text at 6 AM). With SMS, a little FOMO language goes a long way (“Sell-out risk high – don’t miss 50% off, ends tonight: [link]”). It’s okay to be enthusiastic; just imagine you’re texting a friend saying “hurry up and shop this!” – that tone tends to perform well.

In conclusion… over-communicate your sale. Don’t assume one email is enough, it’s not. Your customers signed up to hear from you, and this week is the reason you’ve been building that list all year. Be energetic, be clear, and keep showing up in that inbox and message app until they either convert or the sale is over.

BFCM is also the Olympics for your ad campaigns. The digital airwaves get crowded with ads, and costs can spike, but the payoff is huge if you execute right. Here’s how to win at paid media:

Get Creative (and Ready) Early: By now, you should have your BFCM ad creative in the works or done. Plan to refresh your top-performing ads with sale messaging – that could mean simply adding a “BLACK FRIDAY SALE – 30% OFF” text overlay on a winning image/video, or editing the caption to mention the discount. If you run dynamic product ads or catalog ads, update your product feed to reflect sale prices or at least use images with “% OFF” badges. (Many tools, like Marpipe, can generate variations at scale with sale overlays.) Aim to have all creative finalized well before the week-of, and submit your ads for approval early – platforms like Facebook often slow down approvals around the holiday due to volume and stricter review. The last thing you want is a killer ad stuck in limbo on Black Friday morning. Even if you have agency reps to escalate issues, assume everyone’s swamped; build in extra time for potential rejections or appeals.

Leverage Proven Campaign Structure: BFCM is not the time to reinvent your media buying strategy from scratch. Stick with what’s been working in terms of campaign structure and targeting, but turbocharge it. Typically, your warm audiences (site visitors, email list, social engagers, past customers) will be gold during BFCM. Spend the majority of your budget on retargeting these warm prospects. These are folks who already know you… BFCM gives them that extra push to finally buy. In fact, brands often see 3-4x higher conversion during BFCM from retargeting, so allocate budget accordingly. Conversely, be cautious with heavy prospecting (cold audiences) this week – it tends to net deal-hunters with low lifetime value if overdone. You don’t want to blow tons of cash reaching completely new people who might buy once on a steep discount and never return. Focus prospecting on lookalikes of your best customers or people who’ve shown some intent (for ex., visited your category page in the past 6 months, etc.). Get the fence-sitters off the fence, as the saying goes, rather than pulling total strangers off the street.

Don’t Pause Evergreen Winners: If you have some evergreen ads (always-on campaigns) that consistently bring sales, do not turn them off on Black Friday – let them run alongside your BFCM-specific ads. Why? They’ve accumulated valuable social proof (likes, comments, shares) and optimization learnings. Instead, layer your sale on top: for example, if you have a great ad driving to a certain landing page, keep it running but perhaps update the landing page or site to reflect the sale (so anyone clicking still sees the sale messaging). You can even use a clever trick: set up a vanity URL redirect for your evergreen ads (for ex., yoursite.com/ad1 always redirects to whatever page you choose). For most of the year, it points to a standard product page, but when BFCM comes, you quickly change that redirect to send traffic to your BFCM landing page or apply a discount. This way, your evergreen ad’s content stays the same (and keeps its engagement), but customers still get directed to the sale experience.

Make the Offer Obvious Everywhere: In BFCM advertising, subtlety will hurt you. Put your offer front and center in all ad copy and visuals. Shoppers are actively scrolling for deals. If your ad doesn’t scream “Sale” in 1-2 seconds, they’ll scroll past. Include the discount (“XX% off” or “$YY off”) in your headline or primary text. Use banners or big text in images/videos to announce the sale. For search ads on Google, put the promo in the ad copy, “Black Friday: 25% Off Sitewide + Free Shipping – [Your Brand]” in the headlines. You might even incorporate the promo code in the text (like “Use Code BFCM25”) to make it extra tangible. Remember, customers often search for “[Brand Name] Black Friday deal.” Having a search ad that explicitly answers that query with your offer will capture high-intent shoppers. Triple-check that your Google ads reflect any sale pricing or “special offer” messaging by updating the sale price fields or promotions in Google Merchant Center.

Use Dedicated URLs: Wherever possible, use URLs in your ads that auto-apply the discount in cart (see here for the how-to). That means if someone clicks your Facebook/Instagram ad, when they eventually hit checkout, the code is already applied – reducing one more barrier to purchase. This is especially useful on mobile, where copying and pasting codes can be annoying. Test every link 3x. If you’re featuring multiple ads with different landing pages (e.g., a collections page vs. a specific product), ensure each variant properly applies the discount or clearly displays the sale price.

The bottom line is to launch early, emphasize your sale, and retarget like crazy. The goal is to be unmissable to anyone who’s shown interest in you, and enticing enough for them to finally convert now that there’s a deal on the table.

Your organic social media channels may not directly drive the bulk of sales, but they are vital for messaging and engagement during BFCM. Many eager customers will check your Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter (X) to find your deal, or to see if you’re doing anything special. Make sure your social presence is 100% aligned with your BFCM campaign:

• Update Your Bios and Links: On all platforms, update your bio tagline to mention the sale. For example, your Instagram bio could say “🖤 Black Friday Sale: 30% Off Sitewide through Nov 27 – Shop ↓”. Likewise, on Twitter or TikTok, a quick mention “BFCM: 30% off all items!” adds visibility. Use a vanity URL with UTM parameters in your bio that directs to your sale landing page (e.g. “yourbrand.com/BFCM” which forwards to the actual page). This not only makes it easy for people to type or remember, but also helps track traffic from organic social.
• Pinned Posts & Highlighted Stories: Create a dedicated post announcing your sale on each major platform and pin it for the duration of the promotion (Instagram allows 3 pinned posts, Twitter/X 1 pinned tweet, TikTok 3 pinned videos). That way, anyone visiting your profile sees the sale details right at the top. On Instagram, utilize Stories heavily when the sale starts – then save the key Story frames (like the sale announcement, deadline, etc.) as a Highlight (“BFCM Deals” highlight) on your profile. Shoppers often tap those highlights to get info quickly.
• Regular Organic Posts: Don’t hesitate to post frequently about the sale. The feed algorithms might not show every follower your first post, so do multiple throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday: e.g. an announcement post (“Sale is live!” with eye-catching creative), a midway reminder (“Our best-sellers are moving fast”), a last-day “final call” post. Vary the format – maybe an infographic of products with sale prices, a video of a team member hyping the deals, a user-generated content (UGC) clip with a “don’t miss this” message, etc. Showing real humans (your team, or influencers) excited about the sale can cut through the noise, especially on platforms like TikTok where authenticity wins. Everyone is scrolling social this weekend, so make sure your brand appears in their feed with something fun and compelling.
• Stories and Live: Use Instagram Stories, TikTok Stories, Facebook Stories – all of it. These are great for more frequent, casual updates (hourly countdowns, showcasing products, sharing customer testimonials as they come in, low-stock alerts like “Only 10 left of X!”). Consider doing an Instagram Live or TikTok Live “shopping event” at some point during the weekend if it fits your brand. For example, you could schedule an IG Live on Black Friday afternoon where you or a team member go through products, show how to use them, answer questions, and remind viewers of the sale code. Promote this ahead of time (“Join us LIVE at 3 PM for exclusive offers!”) to gather an audience. During the live, you might drop an extra perk for viewers (like a special additional discount code that expires that day, or a giveaway for one live viewer). This can drive urgency and a sense of community. Just ensure you have someone moderating and helping with answers if you expect questions. Live commerce isn’t for everyone, but if you can make it entertaining (think QVC style demos or a founder Q&A), it can create a spike in engagement and sales during a typically quieter time (e.g., post-Thanksgiving lull).
• Consistency and Creativity: The key on organic social is to maintain consistency with your core message (your offer and deadline), while finding creative ways to say it. Maybe you post a meme about waiting all year for Black Friday deals – and caption it with your sale info. Or a quick behind-the-scenes video of your team packing orders with a “keep us busy, shop the sale!” joke. Organic content can be more playful and brand-centric than your polished ads. This humanizes the sale and keeps your brand top of mind as people browse socially. Last year, some brands reported a 4- to 7-fold increase in daily revenue from the extra organic posts, which drove people directly from TikTok/IG to checkout. TikTok bio links became top traffic sources for some brands. The lesson: don’t neglect organic; it’s basically free money if you have the bandwidth to post and engage.

Lastly, if you have communities or groups (such as a Facebook Group, Discord, subreddit, etc.), be sure to announce and pin the details of the sale there as well. Your most loyal fans hang out in these spaces, so give them the news (and maybe even a better deal for being insiders).

Black Friday isn’t just a direct-to-consumer game; it’s also an affiliate and media frenzy. Do not underestimate the traffic (and credibility) that can come from being featured on a “Top Deals” list or an influencer’s gift guide. Here’s how to boost your affiliate and partnership strategy:

Outreach to Media Lists: Every year, major publishers (think NY Times Wirecutter, BuzzFeed, CNN Underscored, TechRadar, fashion/beauty mags, etc.) and countless blogs put out articles like “Best Black Friday Deals in [Your Category].” Getting your brand included on those lists can drive a ton of traffic. A quick hack: find last year’s “Top 50 Black Friday Deals” articles for your niche, note the authors, and reach out to them now. Shoot them a friendly note with something like: “Hi [Name], loved your Black Friday deals roundup last year. Just wanted to share an exclusive preview of [Your Brand]’s Black Friday offer in case you’re compiling a list for this year: we’re doing XX% off on [popular product], which is our best deal ever. Happy to provide images or additional info if helpful!” You’re basically doing some of their job for them, which writers appreciate (you might save them research time). Even if it yields a few placements, that’s free exposure, plus a high-authority backlink for SEO. Use proper affiliate tracking or ensure you’re set up with Skimlinks to track sales effectively.

Empower Affiliate Websites: If you have an affiliate program (through Social Snowball, Refersion, etc.), proactively inform your affiliates of the BFCM deal well in advance. Provide them with an “affiliate kit” that includes the discount details, start/end dates, any banners or images they can use, and a special promo code. Give a top affiliate their own code like “INSIDER30” instead of the generic “BFCM30” – this makes it feel exclusive for their audience and helps you attribute sales. Non-coupon affiliates (like bloggers, influencers, deal sites that aren’t just scraping coupon codes) will especially appreciate this because custom codes often convert better than generic ones. You might also consider boosting commission rates for BFCM week to incentivize affiliates to promote your products more aggressively – if your usual payout is 10%, consider offering 20-30% just for the week. It could vault you to the top of their priority list.

Influencers & Creators: Many influencers do special posts like “My Black Friday picks” or flash sales with brands. Coordinate with any influencers or creator partners to feature your products during BFCM. Give them a unique link or code and a commission on any sales they drive. For instance, a YouTuber or TikToker might love to tell their followers, “Use my code JENNY25 to get 25% off!” because not only does it give them content, they also earn a cut of each sale. Line up a handful of micro-influencers in your niche to post about your sale on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, and equip them with assets and tracking links. If you already have brand ambassadors or an affiliate network, activate them with a friendly competition. Email them saying, “Whoever drives the most sales with their code this weekend wins a $500 bonus or a free Honda Accord.” You’d be surprised how motivating this can be.

Press Releases & PR Stunts: If your brand has something truly novel for BFCM (like a huge charitable donation per purchase, a wacky limited-edition product drop, or a collaboration), consider issuing a press release or at least pitching it to relevant journalists. The media is hungry for unique Black Friday angles beyond just “brand X offers 20% off.” Maybe you’re a sustainable brand planting a tree for every order during BFCM, or you have a one-day live shopping marathon. These could get you a feature story which is worth far more than any ad. It’s a long shot in a noisy week, but if your angle is strong, it could cut through.

The punchline is to get others talking about your sale. Word-of-mouth and third-party recommendations can attract shoppers who might not otherwise see your ads or emails. Cast a wide net of affiliates, press, and influencers, and equip them with everything they need.

With great sales volume comes great responsibility – to support your customers! During BFCM, your customer service is likely to see a spike in tickets and questions. A little preparation goes a long way:

Train Your Team (and Bots): Ensure your support team (or individual) is well-prepared with all the promotion details, including discount amounts, codes, start/end times, excluded items, any special shipping delays, and more. Create a one-pager “BFCM FAQ” for quick reference. Better yet, pre-write some saved replies or macros in your helpdesk for common questions: “Can I combine this discount with another?”, “I just placed an order yesterday, can I get the Black Friday discount?”, “When will my order ship?”, “Do you ship to X country?” and so on. This will help your team answer quickly and consistently. If you use AI chatbots or automated responders on your site, update their knowledge base with BFCM info as well, so customers can get instant answers to basic questions about the sale.

Set Expectations Upfront: It’s wise to have clear terms & conditions for your BFCM promotions and make them easily accessible. On your website footer and maybe a sitewide banner link, put “Black Friday Sale Terms” that outline things like: discount code cannot be combined with other offers, one use per customer, sale items are final sale or have X return window, shipping may take longer due to high volume, etc. This can prevent a lot of confusion and frustration. Also, if you have a minimum order value for the discount or specific exclusions (e.g. “bundles not included” or “gift cards excluded”), state that clearly on all sale materials and product pages. It’s better to be overly clear than have angry emails post-purchase.

Manage the Load: If you anticipate a huge influx of support tickets (for example, if you’re a one-person CX team and you’re about to have hundreds of orders in a day), consider temporarily bringing in reinforcements. That could mean having other team members pitch in to answer easy questions, or hiring a contracted customer service person for the weeks after BFCM. Quick response times during BFCM can make or break a sale – imagine someone emails, “Having trouble with my discount code, please help!” If you can reply within an hour with “So sorry – here’s your one-time link, try now,” you likely saved the sale. If that reply takes 24-48 hours, the customer’s excitement (and maybe their budget) will have disappeared.

Returns & Inventory Policies: BFCM often brings serial returners and exchange requests (“I bought two sizes, will return one”). Ensure your return policy is up-to-date and clearly communicated. Some brands tighten their return policies for big sales (like “final sale on clearance items” or shorter return windows). If you do that, highlight it at checkout and in confirmation emails so there are no surprises. Conversely, if you offer extended holiday return periods (for ex., “Purchases in Nov/Dec can be returned through Jan 31 for gift-giving”).

Shipping Considerations: Shipping carriers get slammed during the holiday period. It might be wise to pad your shipping estimates or at least warn that there could be fulfillment delays. If you can, fulfill orders as they come in (don’t let them pile up till after the weekend), even if it means overtime for your workers. If you use fulfillment centers, confirm they’re equipped for the volume spike.

After-Sale Service: Plan for the post-BFCM follow-ups from a service perspective as well. For example, if a delivery is delayed or a product runs out and goes on backorder due to high demand, have a game plan: send a proactive email to affected customers with a discount on a future purchase or a heartfelt apology along with a realistic ETA. People tend to be more forgiving during holidays if you communicate transparently and throw in a small token (like $5 future credit) for the inconvenience.

Remember, a smooth customer experience during the holiday season builds trust and can turn first-time buyers into repeat customers. If someone’s first experience with your brand is a customer service nightmare, you’ll lose them for good.

BFCM is an event – so why not treat it like one for your brand? If it fits your strategy, consider adding a live shopping component or special event to stand out from the crowd:

Live Streams: As mentioned earlier, doing a live stream on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or your site can create a sense of occasion. Think of it as your own mini Home Shopping Network segment. You could unveil new products, demo best-sellers, or even just have a “hangout and shop” session. A jewelry brand, for instance, could do a live “gift guide” showing various pieces on a model and answering viewer questions about each. Promote the live ahead of time on social and via email (“Join our Black Friday Live at 5 PM for an exclusive surprise!”). During the live, consider an exclusive incentive. If viewers get access to a secret 5% extra discount code that’s only shown during the live, or you do a few live giveaways (“first 5 people to buy during this live get a free upgrade to expedited shipping or a bonus gift”), you will drive urgency and keep it fun.

The brands that experimented with TikTok Shop last year and spent parts of this year perfecting it are poised to generate millions of dollars through the platform.

We touched on subscribers earlier, but it’s worth emphasizing how you handle your loyal customers during BFCM. These are the individuals who have supported you throughout the year (or multiple years), and sometimes BFCM sales can unintentionally make them feel overlooked or, worse, taken advantage of. Let’s avoid that:

VIP Early Access: One of the best strategies is to grant your most loyal segment (could be your email subscribers, or a subset like “customers who spent > $500 this year” or members of your loyalty program) early access to your BFCM sale. This can be as simple as sending them a private link or code 24-48 hours before the general public. Market it as “Because you’re a valued subscriber, enjoy early Black Friday access!” This makes your best customers feel like insiders, and they get first dibs on products before any potential sell-outs. If you go this route, just ensure that regular shoppers can’t easily stumble on the sale early (unique codes or URLs help).

Subscriber-Only Perks: If you have a big subscription business, BFCM can get tricky. You don’t want subscribers to cancel their upcoming subscription shipment because they can buy once with a big discount.

My rule of thumb for subscriptions is always: don’t offer a discount that makes your subscribers want to pause/cancel their subscription. One idea: don’t include your entire catalog of products in the public sale. If you’re a high SKU catalog brand, you may want to create bundles or offer discounts on select categories only. You can also treat subscribers differently and offer them an insider discount for being a subscriber. For example, “As a subscriber, you get a bonus instead of our standard sale; add any one-time product to your next box at 50% off” or “we’ve automatically applied a special discount to your next subscription renewal as our thank-you.” This way, subscribers aren’t tempted to churn; they feel rewarded in a way others don’t.

Another tactic I’ve seen work is to offer a free gift or loyalty points to subscribers who stick through the sale period. How you apply this to your business will vary, but the principle is still: don’t inadvertently punish your subscribers. Sometimes the optics of big public discounts can upset subscribers, so address it head-on with emails and comms. Even a simple note like, “We appreciate our subscribers – if you’re subscribed, we’ve got you covered with the best deals year-round, but if you need an extra item now, here’s a one-time code just for you” can do wonders.

Personal Touches: BFCM is about volume, but you can still add personal touches for VIPs. A quick example: send a handwritten thank-you note or small freebie to your top 50 customers with their BFCM orders. Or even an email from the founder to top customers before BFCM, saying, “Hey, just wanted to say thanks for your support. Our sale is coming up, and if you need any recommendations on what to get, reply to this email and I’ll personally help you out.” These kinds of gestures build goodwill that lasts well beyond the holiday season.

Easy retention hack & nice touch: use a service like PostPilot to send handwritten cards to individuals who purchased during the Q4 period. It’s a few cents per card, and it goes a long way.

Exclusive Products: Another angle… offer your VIPs or subscribers an exclusive product or bundle during BFCM that others can’t get. Maybe a limited-run color or an early release of a new item, only for them. It makes them feel special, not just price-conscious.

In summary, segment your audience and treat each segment thoughtfully. New customers will be looking for the best deal; loyal customers will be looking for acknowledgment.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday can feel chaotic, and truth be told, they are! However, with proper preparation, they can also be incredibly rewarding. A few closing tips to wrap up your BFCM game plan:

• Start Early & Test Everything: If you can launch some of your campaigns early (some brands now do “Black November”), you’ll get real data to optimize with. At a minimum, test all your systems now – conduct a dry run checkout with your code, send test emails to see how they appear, click every link, and preview your site on multiple devices. Smooth out any kinks before the floodgates open.
• Stay Agile: Be ready to pivot during the week. If a particular product is selling like hotcakes, consider promoting it further (feature it in an email, raise its price if there's low stock, or offer a different complimentary gift). If something’sn’t moving, consider sweetening the deal or swapping its placement for something else. Keep a close eye on analytics in real time – traffic, conversion rate, ad performance, email engagement – and don’t hesitate to adjust your tactics daily.

Alright, that’s the exhaustive BFCM checklist! I hope this added some useful nuggets to your plan (and maybe an extra $100k to your top line). I’m fired up for Black Friday, and you should be too. Good luck. As we continue to get closer to BFCM, I’ll continue to share anything I think can be helpful, tactical or relevant to those pumping their numbers!

Thanks for sticking with me in today’s extremely long read. If this was helpful, I’ll create a master checklist as something you can use as an ongoing tracker.

It’s Sunday night (though many of my US readers will have the day off tomorrow, too), so I hope you get 9 hours of incredible sleep tonight and start your week off on a positive note. Have an amazing week!

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