It’s 45 days until Black Friday.

45 days until the madness arrives.

I remember those chaotic scenes from TV where people crowded retail stores in the U.S. to grab the best deals. It was insane! Luckily, in the online world, we can avoid that frenzy and shop from the comfort of our homes.

The holiday season is approaching fast in the U.S., and even countries that don’t celebrate Thanksgiving have embraced Black Friday / Cyber Monday (BFCM) to boost sales.

I’ve never run a BFCM campaign myself, but I’ve found some great discounts. Last year, I got a Carrd Pro subscription for just $10, a great deal for creating 10 landing pages with hosting included.

But for us solopreneurs, Black Friday is a golden opportunity to boost our sales. And it has worked great for many founders:

Should you do a BFCM sale?

Yes! You totally should because:

• Many people are waiting for Black Friday offers and they are actively seeking deals when the time comes.
• Customers who buy during BFCM can spend more over time.
• Is a great way to get new customers.

Email marketing has one of the highest returns on investment (ROI) of all marketing channels. Pair this with the seasonal surge in sales, and you’re looking at a potential revenue boom.

Let’s break down two successful BFCM email campaigns so you can take lessons for your own strategy.

Double Your Freelancing

Created by Brennan Dunn and Zach Swinehart, tCreated by Brennan Dunn and Zach Swinehart, this course teaches freelancers how to earn more.

During their 2023 Black Friday campaign, they sent out nine emails over eight days. Yes, nine! And the most impressive thing is that these emails weren’t just short ones saying “Hey, here’s a discount for you!” Each email was packed with content, ranging from 1,000 to 1,600 words.

Zach crafted each email to take subscribers on a journey:

• Email 1 – “​🔥 Black Friday: 62% Off to Double Your Rates in 2024!​“: Introduced the offer and detailed what it includes.
• Email 2 – “​Should you trust us?​“: Explained why they’re trustworthy.
• Email 3- “​🎰 Pull this lever to double your rates​“: Educated on key concepts.
• Email 4 – “​Black Friday 62% OFF ends soon! (+FAQ)​“: Addressed common questions and clarified target audience and unique selling points.
• Email 5 – “​The truth about raising your rates​“: Discussed freelancing challenges and positioned the course as a structured approach to boosting rates.
• Email 6 – “​a fork in the “freelancing road”​“: Explored the path of learning vs. the path of the status quo, future scenarios, ROI calculations, and started the final 24-hour countdown.
• Email 7 – “​🙀 62% off Double Your Freelancing Rate ends TONIGHT. Is it worth it?​“: Addressed promotional email fatigue and confirmed genuine sale value with ROI breakdowns.
• Email 8 – “​🔥🙀⚠️⏰ You have just 6 hours left! (too many emojis?)​“: Made a comprehensive course recap and reiterated several of the course key points.
• Email 9 – “​💣🧨🌋💥🚪 3 hours until 62% off expires!​“: Summarized everything that came before with module breakdowns and testimonials, adding urgency with a countdown.

Then, two days after the campaign ended, they sent a follow-up email asking why recipients didn’t purchase.

One additional tactic that Brennan Dunn has previously used is personalization. He did surveys before Black Friday, and then he tailored offers based on individual goals. This resulted in significantly higher sales (up to 90% more) by aligning product positioning with customer objectives.

The results?

Brennan reported in 2021: “I’ve consistently averaged around $80k in sales during a 4 day window. Every year. For the last 5 years.”

Dubsado

Dubsado, a client management system founded by the husband-wife team Becca and Jake Berg, did a great Black Friday marketing campaign last year.

They sent out seven emails ranging from 250 to 600 words, offered discounts on their Starter and Premier plans: 25% and 12.5%, respectively.

They kept a concise but engaging format:

1. Email 1 – “​Something’s coming… 👀”​: This pre-sale email built anticipation by announcing the sale dates and encouraging recipients to mark their calendars, complete with links to add reminders.
2. Email 2 – “​The Dubsado Black Friday Sale is here 🎉🥳​“: This email detailed the deal, sale period and benefits, featuring a personal message from Becca about the company’s mission.
3. Email 3 – “​A Dubsado sale you don’t want to miss….​“: Highlighted the tool’s benefits, unique features, and the lifetime lock-in of discounted rates, urging sign-ups.
4. Email 4 – “​Save time and money with Dubsado this Black Friday ✨​“: Shared the story behind Dubsado’s name and values, reinforcing the sale while connecting personally with potential customers.
5. Email 5 – “​The Dubsado Sale ends in 3 days 😱​“: With three days left, this email stressed urgency and introduced the “bead jar” concept to illustrate community, along with a message from CEO Becca.
6. Email 6 – “​The Dubsado Sale ends TOMORROW! ⏰​“: As the sale neared its end, this email emphasized urgency, focusing on the lifetime lock-in of discounted rates and encouraging immediate action.
7. Email 7 – “​Hurry, the Dubsado Sale ends in 3, 2, 1… 🏃‍♀️​“: The final reminder created urgency with a countdown and reiterated key points about the $50 discount and lifetime rate lock-in, urging last-minute sign-ups.

Dubsado’s email marketing campaign was clear and to the point, by mixing consistent messaging with personal touches and highlighting the key features of the tool. point, by mixing consistent messaging with personal touches and highlighting the key features of the tool.

BFCM Email Marketing Strategies

• Tease the sale: Build anticipation with pre-sale teasers and calendar reminders.
• Be clear about your deals: Highlight discounts and added value with clear, consistent messaging.
• Allow opt-outs: Give a way for subscribers to skip Black Friday promotional emails.
• Include sale terms: Be transparent about sale terms and dates. And don’t forget to include time zones!
• Include multiple CTAs: like “Secure the 62% off deal”, “Lock in your savings now”, “Buy now during this Black Friday sale” or “Sign up and save”.
• Get personal: Sign off with your name and a photo. Share personal stories to connect with your audience.
• Personalize your offers: Ask questions to tailor your pitch to each of the reader’s needs.
• Engaging subject lines: Write subject lines that grab the attention and even add some emojis here and there.
• Cover the basics: Address customer concerns, create urgency, and build trust with testimonials.

Wrapping Up

Whether you go for long, storytelling emails or short, crispy ones, good copy that resonates with your audience is key.

With Black Friday just around the corner, now’s the time to fine-tune your email marketing strategy.

You should start planning now to make this your most successful BFCM yet. That’s why I created this ​Black Friday Campaign Planner​.

It includes a task, content and deals management board and a tracker to follow up your sales.