Have you realised that it’s that time of the year again? Black Friday in 2022 falls on Friday, 25 November, just in time for payday in South Africa.

According to CNN Money, the first Black Friday dates back to the 1950s in the United States of America. However, South Africa only caught on to the trend in 2014. Although Black Friday is relatively new in the South African market, studies show that 87% of consumers in South Africa know about Black Friday. 47% of adults in South Africa, which is 18.5 million people, planned to shop on Black Friday in 2021. These numbers are only expected to soar even higher in 2022.

During this time of the year, Black Friday communications flood customers’ inboxes, so it's important to craft email campaigns that stand out. You can boost your seasonal sales by creating the best Black Friday email marketing strategy.

If you’re an email marketer and are unsure of how to build up your email marketing campaign or are looking for some Black Friday content tips, you’ve come to the right place. Let's get started.

Plan your promo content in advance

You want to stand out from the crowd with creative messaging. Remember, most of your competitors will be saying the same thing: get 20% off on such and such. These types of subject lines can get really overwhelming, especially when they’re highly anticipated. We’re not saying that you should do away with announcing your discounts, but we’re encouraging you to keep in mind that creativity and authenticity are powerful forces that you will need this season.

First things first, when it comes to seasonal email campaigns, timing is everything. Why? Well, all email marketers are gunning for the same thing. You want to be one of the first brands to remind your subscribers that Black Friday is around the corner.

Your subscribers will have ample time to plan their finances if you announce discounts in advance. Many customers prefer to plan their holiday shopping in advance, so if you announce your great deals beforehand, your subscribers will thank you for it. So, get your creative juices flowing and start planning your content.

A good place to start is to divide the campaign into three mailing periods: pre-Black Friday, Black Friday day and post-Black Friday.

That way, you will know what messages to create for your subscribers.

Structure it like this:

1. Pre-Black Friday email

In your first email, try to keep things general. This email should tease your deals. You’re building excitement here and you’re getting them to anticipate your upcoming sale.

This is a very important first step. Giving your subscribers a heads-up will ensure that you don’t lose out on customers on Black Friday because they didn’t know that you'd be having special offers for them.

You can send this email on or around Friday 18th November. Customers may want to start looking for Black Friday deals a week or two prior to the actual day. You can remind yourself about the best times to send out email newsletters by reading our article.

2. Black Friday day email

It should only be in your second email that things get more detailed. This email should be sent out on the morning of Black Friday. It should present your offer and announce the timeline for the offer.

In the afternoon, you can create even greater hype around your offer by telling your subscribers that your sale is almost over. This email should be a last-chance reminder.

3. Post-Black Friday email

You can conclude things with a friendly message to thank your customers for shopping with you.

Key Takeaways

Black Friday email campaigns have to come with a sense of urgency. Because Black Friday only comes once a year, you want to create content that will play on your customers’ fear of missing out (FOMO). Create clever messaging that best supports your enticing sales offers and limited-time promotions.

Make sure that your campaign is clear and specific and that it is organised into three mailing periods.

We hope this article has inspired you to go to your drawing board and think up some great email marketing content for this year’s Black Friday.

Write to us. In November, let us know how your campaign performed by commenting in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you.