Maximize Black Friday Sales with These Early Ad Campaigns
Black Friday isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. If you're waiting until November to start thinking about your ad campaigns, you're already behind.
The brands that win Black Friday are the ones who start warming up their audience months in advance.
💡Why? Because early birds lock in cheaper ad rates, build brand familiarity, and walk into Black Friday with a ready-to-buy audience.
This isn’t just about deals—it's about smart, strategic marketing that makes the most of every dollar you spend.
Here’s why starting early is your secret weapon for turning Black Friday into a record-breaking sales event.
1. Get Seen Before Everyone Else
- Start Now: Don’t wait until November to get in front of customers. Launch your ads early, when the competition is sleeping. You’ll grab attention at a lower cost, and by the time Black Friday rolls around, your audience will already know who you are.
- Action: Set up awareness ads TODAY—focus on top products or your brand story to build familiarity.
2. Warm Up Your Audience – Gradually
- Phased Attack: Hit your audience in stages:
- First (60-90 days out): Introduce yourself and your products. Keep it broad.
- Next (30-60 days out): Retarget people who clicked, visited, or engaged. Now tease Black Friday deals.
- Finally (1-30 days out): Go all-in! Show urgency, scarcity, and mega discounts.
- Action: Create three ad sets—awareness, retargeting, and conversion—spread out over the next 90 days. Use Blend AI to set up e-commerce ad campaigns across major channels like Google, TikTok, Meta, and Microsoft automatically.
3. Beat the Price Surge
- Lower Your Costs: Ad prices skyrocket in November! By starting early, you’ll get more clicks for less and save your budget for when it matters.
- Action: Lock in ad space before your competition. Lower your CPM by starting today, not later.
4. Create Buzz Before the Big Day
- Build Hype: Use teaser ads to get people excited. Tease a “secret sale,” a limited-time offer, or give early access to loyal customers.
- Action: Start running a “Black Friday Preview” campaign next week. Let customers know something big is coming!
5. Test, Test, Test
- Find Your Winners: Early campaigns give you time to test which ad creatives and messaging work best. By the time Black Friday hits, you’ll know exactly what drives conversions.
- Action: Run A/B tests on your ads RIGHT NOW—test images, videos, and headlines to see what gets clicks. Use the winners on Black Friday.
6. Retarget Like a Pro
- Retarget Early Shoppers: Not everyone will buy the first time. Retarget the people who visit your site, view a product, or add something to their cart, then hit them again closer to Black Friday with deal-specific ads.
- Action: Set up pixel tracking NOW to capture data on anyone who interacts with your site or ads. Use that data for retargeting later.
7. Clone Your Best Customers
- Lookalikes for the Win: Take your highest-spending customers and create lookalike audiences to find more people like them. This is pure gold for maximising ad relevance.
- Action: Build a lookalike audience today using your top 10% of customers. Let Facebook/Google find the rest.
8. Tease Pre-Black Friday Offers
- Early Shoppers, Early Sales: Some shoppers don’t want to wait for Black Friday. Throw out some “pre-sale” ads to get those early birds shopping.
- Action: Create an ad campaign promoting early access or a pre-sale week to scoop up early shoppers.
9. Pump Up the Urgency
- Turn Up the Heat: As Black Friday gets closer, shift your messaging to build urgency—use countdown timers, “limited stock” banners, and last-chance ads.
- Action: Plan your urgency-driven ad copy now. Use phrases like “Only 3 days left,” “Going fast,” or “While supplies last.”
10. Mobile-First or Bust
- Mobile Shoppers Rule: Your customers are shopping on their phones. If your ads and landing pages aren’t mobile-optimised, you’re missing out.
- Action: Test your ads and site on mobile right now. Ensure your product images, checkout, and CTAs look sharp and load fast.
11. Recover Abandoned Carts & Check-outs
- Reel Them Back In: Run ads targeting customers who added items to their cart & check-out but didn’t buy. Offer them an extra discount or free shipping to seal the deal.
- Action: Set up abandoned cart & check out retargeting ads now. Start recovering those almost-sales before the big day.
12. Be Ready for the Rush
- Test Your Site’s Limits: Black Friday traffic can crush a slow site. Make sure your website can handle the surge so you don’t lose sales when it matters most.
- Action: Do a stress test on your website this week. Fix any speed issues so you’re ready for the traffic flood.
13. Run Post-Black Friday Retargeting
- Keep the Sales Coming: After Black Friday, don’t let your customers disappear. Retarget them with Cyber Monday deals or bundle offers.
- Action: Plan a follow-up retargeting campaign for Cyber Monday. Keep them buying all weekend long.
Conclusion
Black Friday success is built long before the sales kick-off. By taking action now, you’re not just saving on ad costs—you’re setting yourself up to convert a warm, engaged audience when it matters most.
Don’t wait for the competition to wake up and flood the market. Get ahead, optimize your strategy, and be ready to capitalize on the biggest shopping weekend of the year.
Starting early isn’t optional; it’s the game-changer that separates those who see big returns from those who just survive. Ready to dominate Black Friday? Start now.
