Halloween’s done. The skeletons are back in storage. The turkey’s counting down its final days. Santa is in the gym, prepping for his all-night ride. The holiday season has arrived, which means Black Friday is here — a time to turn traffic into profits.
To make the most of it, you’ll need a solid strategy that covers social media, direct messaging, and friction-free checkouts. The more prepared you are, the better your chances of capturing those holiday dollars. But Black Friday shopping has changed — it’s no longer about people lining up around Walmart with a news crew on standby to film the chaos. It’s all online now. 🌲 🎁
So, here’s a guide for driving Black Friday sales and grabbing the attention of busy holiday shoppers. Ready? Let’s go.
Top Black Friday Marketing Ideas to Boost Sales
- Target Instagram Shoppers
Instagram is loaded with eCommerce tools perfect for Black Friday: shoppable posts, product tags, the Shop tab, and even checkout. With over 80% of users relying on social media to discover new products, it’s a prime spot for your Black Friday campaign.
Consider using Instagram Automation by Manychat to handle interactions, answer FAQs, and guide followers through the sales funnel — all without adding more work for your team. [Cue the sound of cash registers.]
- Text Your Black Friday Deals
Break through the holiday noise by sending deals straight to customers’ phones. Build your SMS list in advance so you have a captive audience ready for Black Friday offers. Text messages have a 90% open rate within three minutes, making SMS one of the best channels for time-sensitive promotions. Seriously, though, who isn’t glued to their phone?
- Engage Your Email List
Send special offers to your email subscribers, and encourage them to sign up for SMS and Messenger updates for even more exclusive content. Manychat’s integrated platform lets you manage emails, texts, and Messenger conversations in one place, creating a streamlined multi-channel campaign.
Remember: Only you own your email list, not the social media platforms.
- Create Urgency with Flash Sales
Black Friday flash sales lift transaction rates by up to 35% and help you clear out inventory fast. Experiment with hourly deals, three-hour flash sales, or 24-hour promos to create a sense of urgency. Use eye-catching graphics to emphasize the savings and nudge shoppers toward impulsive purchases.
- Build Anticipation with a Welcome Series
Get ahead of Black Friday by building anticipation early. In your Messenger welcome series, invite customers to receive notifications when the sale starts. Offer early access or exclusive deals to your Messenger subscribers to keep your brand top-of-mind and stand out from the inbox clutter.
This approach isn’t just smart — it’s strategic.
- Mark Everything Down
Go old-school with a paper calendar or modernize on your phone, whatever system works for you. Make a day-to-day task list of what you intend to do to maximize your Black Friday goals. This snazzy page we’ve created to help Manychat users crush their Black Friday can also help. (It’s full of a ton of resources. Not to toot our own horn or anything. 
- Accept Payments Directly in Messenger
Imagine a world where your customers don’t need to fumble for their wallet or remember that weird PayPal password they created years ago. With Manychat, they can complete their purchase right in the chat. It’s fast, it’s simple, and it removes unnecessary steps from the buying process.
- Extend Your Sale to Cyber Monday
Don’t let your best deals vanish after Black Friday. Keep the momentum going into Cyber Monday. Track which promotions performed well and reuse them for Cyber Monday to catch shoppers who missed out the first time. No need to reinvent the wheel — just give it a new “Cyber Monday” twist.
Tips for a Standout Black Friday Campaign
Prepare Your Support Team for the Rush
With Manychat’s Live Chat feature, you’ll be ready to handle customer queries quickly and keep people engaged. Real-time responses can be the difference between a casual browser and a confirmed buyer. Make sure your team is equipped to manage the holiday surge.
Looking for that Ah-ha moment?
Most people don’t realize that once someone opts into your Messenger list, you can actually follow up with them later — and that’s a game-changer. Imagine being able to reconnect with interested users, send updates, or nurture that relationship over time, all within Messenger. For many, this might be a critical opportunity, opening up new possibilities for customer engagement that go way beyond the initial interaction. If you’re curious about how it works, check out this helpdesk article for more details: Messenger List Follow-Ups.
Upsell and Cross-Sell the Right Products
Maximize each sale by offering related products or upgrades during the checkout process. Whether it’s a cozy scarf to match a sweater or a deluxe version of a gadget, a well-placed suggestion can add a nice boost to your average order value.
Boost Your Black Friday Sales with Manychat
Standing out during the Black Friday rush isn’t easy, but with the right approach, you can increase traffic, build your subscriber base, and drive up sales. Use Manychat to streamline communication, keep customers engaged, and create a smooth shopping experience.
Manychat is free to set up and easy to integrate into your Black Friday strategy. Have questions? We’re here to help.
Happy holidays and happy selling! 🎄
