19 Black Friday promotion ideas to try this year

With the year’s busiest shopping week right around the corner, business owners around the world are getting ready. Black Friday has become a critical opportunity to drive end-of-year sales, build customer loyalty, and finish the holiday season strong. 

But with so much competition, it’s essential to have a marketing strategy that sets you apart and doesn’t waste a second of shoppers’ valuable attention.

That’s why we’ve gathered 19 actionable Black Friday marketing ideas designed to maximize sales and spark interest from eager shoppers. 

Why Black Friday matters for your business

Black Friday offers your biggest sales opportunity of the year. When shoppers are ready to spend and competition is fierce, you need to make every moment count. Your success during this peak season can significantly boost your annual revenue.

Here are some reasons why Black Friday matters for your business:  

Increased consumer spending 

Your customers are ready to spend big this Black Friday. In 2023, global Black Friday sales crossed $70 billion, and the trend is set to continue this year with even higher spending expected. Shoppers are arriving with larger budgets and greater intent to buy.

Customer acquisition opportunity

Black Friday attracts waves of new customers eager to explore different brands. With over 50% of Black Friday shoppers planning to try new brands this year, it’s a prime time to showcase your offers and win their trust.

Impulse shopping

Your customers feel the pressure to buy on Black Friday. Time-limited deals mean faster decisions and less hesitation at checkout, and the fear of missing out drives quicker purchasing actions.

Use this natural urgency to your advantage. Create time-sensitive offers and highlight limited stock to drive sales.

Competitive advantage 

Win Black Friday and you'll win the holiday season. Your success now drives December sales momentum, and strong Black Friday performance becomes your springboard for year-end revenue.

The 19 best Black Friday promotion ideas

Startup or established brand, products or services, digital or physical—no matter the type of business you run, these ideas offer something for everyone.

1. Tap into your community to understand what your customers want

If you’re a creator on Whop, Black Friday is a major opportunity to tap into your communities, get people excited, and do some valuable market and product research.

In addition to more traditional marketing channels like a website, email, and social media, your whop is another channel to fine-tune and promote your Black Friday offers. The idea is to give the people what they want - so instead of guessing their desires, ask them!

Ask your community what offers they’d like to see, as well as general info like what they love most about your products so far. When the time comes, send an exclusive discount, special perk, or other extras to show that you value them.

Already on Whop? Read this guide and learn how to create Black Friday offers in your whop.

2. Create a “deal of the hour”

By changing the offering every hour, you're creating a super-charged sense of scarcity and excitement. It gives customers a reason to check back more often and boosts the chances of spontaneous purchases.

To make “deal of the hour” a hit, plan to highlight different product categories or best-sellers throughout the day. Use countdown timers and social media channels to build anticipation and remind customers that each deal is only available for a short window.

In this example, the deal of the hour is $50 off a $149 wardrobe system, which is a little over 30% off.

For a successful “deal of the hour” strategy:

• Promote your hourly deals early on as many channels as possible
• Use website banners and pop-ups to direct customers to the current deal
• Offer discounts on your most popular and trending items to drive more traffic and boost conversions

3. Target items that customers have liked or abandoned

As you research leading up to Black Friday, don’t forget the items your customers have shown interest in but haven’t purchased. This can be the perfect opportunity to encourage the sale with a special discount.

For example, if a customer has “liked” an item, or placed it in their shopping cart but abandoned the purchase, use your email campaign to bring back the spark.

In this email, sportswear company Columbia targets a long sleeve shirt that the recipient previously showed interest in. The brand cut straight to the chase, even explicitly reminding the customer that they like it.

Tips for targeting items of interest:

• Use segmentation in your email strategy to make sure the right customers get the right deals
• If you have the data, try adding the shopper’s name in the subject line or email body to boost personalization
• If possible, match and bundle the items with other items the customer has purchased

4. Tease a sneak peek before sale day

Many Black Friday shoppers are already checking for sales. Build anticipation and catch their attention with a sneak peek before your sale goes live.

Use traditional channels like email and social media teasers, as well as other channels like your Whop community. Drop hints or “leak” a few deals, so followers know something amazing is on the way.

In this email example, department store Montgomery Ward drops a huge discount. The brand has also taken the strategy to host the sale before Black Friday, as a lead up to their larger sale.

For a motivating sneak peek:

• Showcase your most eye-popping deals first
• Release your preview 3 to 5 days before Black Friday to build suspense (or even earlier in November—people start their search as early as the first week!)
• Focus on popular items or limited-quantity deals to boost excitement
• Consider a countdown to the sale start time to keep the energy high

5. Gamify your Black Friday offers

Online shoppers love a chance to win prizes. This Black Friday, turn their gaming instinct into sales by adding gamification to your promotions.

You can offer spin-the-wheel discounts, run lucky draws, or give entries to win big prizes with each purchase. There’s even a Whop Wheel app designed specifically for engaging the members of your whop, where you can give away custom prizes or a limited amount of free membership days.

South African wine retailer Stettyn Cellar makes buying exciting with a Black Friday competition. Every case of wine purchased gives customers a chance to win a year's worth of wine, plus automatic membership in their Wine Club for more perks.

To make the most of gamification:

• Test your games early to catch and fix technical glitches
• Plan backup rewards to maintain excitement when top prizes run out
• Automate winner announcements to keep momentum going
• Share winners' reactions to build social buzz

6. Use doorbusters to attract customers

Doorbusters are a classic way to create huge interest in your Black Friday sale. Offer a significant discount on one or more items to get people in the door, after which point they’ll likely stick around to shop some more.

Here, wholesale brand Sam’s Club is bringing in Black Friday a few weeks early. The website hero boasts major discounts on multiple items, with bright contrasting colors to make sure nobody scrolls past without seeing it.

To make your doorbuster and eyecatcher:

• Set clear purchase limits or timeframes to maintain urgency
• Encourage customers to browse other offers by showcasing related items nearby (whether that’s in a physical store or your online store)
• Couple doorbusters with upselling and cross-selling to boost order value

7. Craft product bundles to sweeten the deal

Product (or service) bundles group together related items to boost the average order value and better entice shoppers to take the leap. Some brands create pre-priced bundles, while others structure bundles so that the more products a customer buys, the bigger their final discount.

Tessa Arias, the baker behind Handle the Heat, used a bundle deal to combine her physical and digital products. It included a hard copy of her cookie handbook, plus an online baking class and Christmas cookie ebook.

This goes to show that bundling can be a great strategy no matter the types of products or services you’re trying to promote.

Tips for product bundling:

• Bundle your bestselling items or more niche items that naturally go together
• Always show the original cost or value so customers can see the savings
• Try including samples of other products in the bundle
• Mix high-value and low-value items together

8. Offer tiered discounts to encourage larger purchases

Everyone loves a deal, but they love stacking deals even more. That’s why tiered discounts are perfect for Black Friday—they give shoppers a reason to keep adding to their cart. With Whop, you can easily set up flexible promo codes for different spending tiers.

For instance, create a 10% discount code for orders under $50 and a 20% code for purchases over $100. Such incentives drive purchases and boost the overall average order value. 

Herschel Supply Co. ran a tiered Black Friday promo: $10 off orders over $80, $30 off over $120, and $50 off over $160. The setup encouraged bigger carts and nudged customers to spend more to unlock the higher savings.

For tiered discount success:

• Launch early to catch advance Black Friday shoppers
• Set clear tiers ($50, $100) and communicate savings clearly
• Highlight top items in higher tiers to boost order size
• Use pop-ups to show progress toward the next discount

9. Create a Black Friday gift guide 

Many shoppers start their holiday gift buying on Black Friday. Make it easy for them to find the best picks with targeted gift guides that showcase your top deals.

Create specific guides like "Gifts for Him," "Gifts under $100," or "Gifts for Tech Lovers." Include short descriptions that explain why each item makes the perfect present. If you’re a Whop creator, consider selling a gift guide that includes your products, or a gift guide targeted to related industries or niches you work in.

Watch retailer Wristcheck gets it right. Its "Black Friday Gift Guide for Him" features a curated selection of luxury timepieces perfect for gifting to dads, husbands, and partners who appreciate fine watches.

For a winning gift guide:

• Launch your guide by early November to catch advance holiday shoppers
• Group products by category and price to make gift hunting easier
• Tell a story for each featured item that shows why it's gift-worthy
• Display all Black Friday savings prominently to highlight the value

10. Offer customers a chance to give back

Want to stand out from the endless parade of Black Friday discounts? Connect your sales to a meaningful cause that shoppers can feel good about supporting.

It can be supporting local music venues, funding youth education programs, or helping environmental conservation efforts—whatever aligns with your brand and resonates with your customers.

Take inspiration from British fashion brand Fred Perry. The company donated 10% of Black Friday weekend sales to four organizations supporting music venues, youth culture, and diversity.

To make charity campaigns work:

• Launch your campaign early to build awareness and excitement
• Create clear donation mechanics with fixed amounts or percentage per sale
• Share compelling stories about your chosen charity's impact
• Keep donors updated with real-time contribution totals

11. Host a live event on social media

Whether you’re selling physical or digital products, a live event can be a great way to showcase the most important value propositions of your brand. 

For example, if you’re promoting your online course on Whop, you can host a live group session to demonstrate student success stories and key lessons. You could also provide exclusive discounts to attendees. If you sell something like digital art, host a live tutorial or design session for some “behind the scenes” moments.

If you’re a retail store, take a page from the playbook of flashlight brand Olight. The company used Black Friday as a chance to announce a new product launch.

How to host a live event:

• Take audience questions in real-time to promote engagement
• Run flash sales during the event to capitalize on exclusivity and urgency
• Prepare a loose script so it’s targeted while staying flexible
• Share the replay so you can keep the momentum going

12. Give VIP customers special early access to deals

Black Friday is perfect for rewarding loyal customers. Create an exclusive space where your best customers get early access to new products. 

Use Whop to host a members-only area where VIP customers can preview and pre-order your Black Friday releases before anyone else. 

For example, GLAMPOP gives its VIP members early access to exclusive Black Friday deals, letting them shop limited-stock items before the public.

To make your VIP Hub effective:

• Offer exclusive previews of limited-edition products or bundles
• Share early access links via email to make customers feel special
• Use personalized messaging to build anticipation and urgency
• Highlight limited-time offers with countdown timers

13. Create limited edition products 

Black Friday is prime time for online shoppers. Why not create something exclusive that customers can only get on this particular day?

Launch an exclusive color variant. Design a seasonal bundle. Partner with another brand. The possibilities are endless.

Take inspiration from sustainable shoe brand Rothy's. It released exclusive colorways for Black Friday and paired them with free shipping. The result? A rush of excited customers ready to buy something they couldn't get any other time.

To make limited editions work:

• Plan production early to ensure enough stock for the event
• Create buzz with sneak peeks and early access offers
• Show scarcity clearly with countdown timers or stock levels
• Highlight what makes each item special and exclusive

14. Do something unexpected

In every part of life, thinking outside the box can come with huge rewards. Black Friday is no exception. Catching your audience off guard helps you to stand out from the crowd and make people pause instead of scrolling right past you.

The creators of the party game Cards Against Humanity are known for their sarcasm, dark humor, and shock value. For one Black Friday they actually increased prices by $5. Another year, they made $70,000 selling absolutely nothing.

Buyers were aware that they were just giving away money for nothing in return, and somehow, it worked!

Important note: Keep in mind that this is something of an extreme example. Your definition of “unexpected” should be in line with your brand identity and personality. This stunt probably won’t work for most brands.

15. Offer a mystery package

Black Friday is already an exciting time for shoppers with deals and discounts everywhere. But you can make it more intriguing by adding an element of surprise to your offers.

For example, try digital scratch cards where shoppers reveal their special discount, or create mystery bundles packed with surprise bonus products. Both keep customers excited about what they might discover.

New Zealand spice brand Pepper & Me uses mystery to boost sales with surprise mayo packs. At 36% off retail price, customers buy three unique flavors without knowing which ones they'll get, turning a simple sauce purchase into an exciting reveal.

To make mystery offers work:

• Set discount ranges that excite but protect margins
• Build anticipation with countdown reveals
• Ensure all possible mystery combinations offer good value

16. Give a price lock guarantee 

As Black Friday nears, shoppers may worry about missing out on better deals later. Give them confidence with a “price lock” promise. 

This strategy guarantees the lowest price—if you drop your prices after a purchase, customers get refunded the difference. It’s peace of mind for them and early sales for you.

UK audio retailer Smart Home Sounds uses this strategy to boost customer confidence. If prices drop during Black Friday, it promises to refund the difference—no questions asked.

To maximize your price lock promise:

• Promote it as a way to shop early without worries
• Highlight the “no risk” factor upfront in social media campaigns
• Pair it with bundles to increase cart value

17. Cross-promote your offers 

Why fly solo when you can soar together? For Black Friday, many businesses are joining forces to double their reach and boost their profits.

Find a brand that complements your business and shares your target audience. Then create joint marketing campaigns, share email newsletters, or launch exclusive bundle deals together.

In this co-marketing example, Hogworkz and Share Your Harley teamed up for a $500 gift card giveaway. Since both brands target motorcycle enthusiasts, the partnership was a natural fit that got their audiences excited.

For successful co-marketing initiatives:

• Choose partners who share your target audience but don't compete directly
• Create exclusive bundle deals combining both brands' products
• Run combined giveaways or contests to build excitement
• Share marketing costs and resources for bigger campaign reach

18. Launch a last-minute sales extension

Who said that Black Friday has to end on Friday? More and more businesses are extending their sales to cater to shoppers who missed out.

Create a surprise extension of your Black Friday sale and promote it as a limited-time opportunity. Add a countdown timer and clear messaging about when the extended sale will end to create urgency.

For example, American Wholesale Fireworks unexpectedly extended its Black Friday sale through Cyber Monday. This extension gave last-minute shoppers another chance to save.

To make your sale extension successful:

• Announce the extension as a surprise bonus
• Set a clear deadline (like 48 hours)
• Target customers who viewed products but didn't purchase
• Promote across all channels—email, social, and website

10. Run an affiliate program

Affiliate marketing can help by turning your audience into a powerful sales force. Launch an affiliate program for Black Friday where you reward customers and creators for sharing your deals.

Whop makes it easy to get started. Use it to invite affiliates, track their sales, and manage payouts. When your campaign needs a boost, you can quickly adjust commissions, offer bonuses, and monitor performance—all from one place.

Drone company BETAFPV is attracting customers with a Black Friday affiliate campaign. Those who share their flight stories are promised a 5% commission instead of the usual 3%, driving engagement and holiday sales.

For a successful affiliate campaign:

• Select affiliates who align with your brand and values
• Offer tiered commissions to motivate top performers
• Provide ready-made content like banners and promo codes
• Track performance closely and adjust incentives if needed

Turn these ideas into Black Friday success with Whop

There you have it - 19 ways to promote your Black Friday sale.

If your business deals with digital products and/or online services, then prepare your business for the influx of customers with a strategy that saves time and boosts sales.

With Whop you can automate essentials like payments and customer service so you can focus on creating irresistible offers and scaling up.

Alternatively, if you're in the business of physical products or are not ready to make the move to Whop just yet, then check out the 'Business' category on Whop.

Whop is home to thousands of entrepreneurs who have built thriving businesses and now share their blueprint for success in the form of courses and online communities.