Think Black Friday is just for big businesses? Think again. Small businesses have plenty to gain, too.
UK shoppers spent £3.63 billion online over the Black Friday weekend in 2024, up 5.2% compared to the previous year. This emphasises the increasing digital opportunities to capture sales over this weekend. If you own a small business, take advantage of Black Friday 2025, especially if you’re operating in sectors like e-commerce, service subscriptions, or gifting.
And the best part? You don’t need to spend a lot to compete. Below, we’ve gathered nine budget-friendly Black Friday marketing ideas to boost your sales this Cyber Weekend.
Key takeaways
- Use flash sales and urgency-driven deals to sell to (and reward) loyal customers.
- Collaborate with other small businesses to expand your reach, lower marketing costs, and build community-driven customer acquisition.
- Retarget last year’s Black Friday shoppers to increase conversion rates and enjoy stronger ROI than cold audience campaigns.
9 Black Friday marketing strategies that drive results
You don’t need to implement every marketing strategy to achieve results for Black Friday. It’s important to select the right mix for your business and budget. Here are nine marketing tactics to consider.
1. Flash sales for loyal customers
If you don’t want to advertise a blanket discount, you can offer flash sales for loyal customers.
Why it works
Flash sales for loyal customers are effective because the urgency of the sale encourages quick action, while the exclusivity demonstrates appreciation for repeat buyers.
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Typically, you’ll experience higher conversion rates from an audience that is already pre-qualified.
How to do it
To target loyal customers with flash sales, you need to identify them. You might consider how many purchases they’ve made or if they have a high lifetime value. Customer segmentation features in tools like Shopify or Klaviyo will help you identify the audience and send them targeted emails or texts.
Run your flash sale for a short window. A one-day sale generally works well, as it’s enough time to act, but not enough to wait and forget. Why not experiment with the timing to see what drives the greatest response?
2. Use Instagram and TikTok
Take advantage of Black Friday conversations on Instagram and TikTok by promoting your products on the platforms.
Why it works
Using Instagram and TikTok can help you connect with younger audiences, who often have higher engagement rates on these platforms compared to traditional marketing channels. Visual content also plays a big role in influencing emotional purchasing decisions.
Social media algorithms tend to favour timely content, especially during shopping seasons. If you sell a trending product, be sure to post about it. Black Friday will be a hot topic, so consider getting involved and using related hashtags.
While paid advertising is an option on social media, you don’t have to use it. Creating content can offer cost-effective organic reach.
How to do it
To engage your audience around Black Friday on social media, you can:
- Create behind-the-scenes content showing sale preparation. Why not go live on Instagram and TikTok while you pack Black Friday orders? It humanises your brand while highlighting your products.
- Tap into trending conversations. There’s bound to be a trending audio clip or hashtag that relates to Black Friday. If there’s a relevant way to use that in your content, do so.
- Post countdown stickers. Use Instagram’s countdown feature on your Story to highlight your flash sale offers.
We understand that preparing for Black Friday can be overwhelming. Take the time to map out your content so you can effectively execute your marketing strategy. Using social scheduling tools can be a real game-changer, making it much easier for you to plan and post at the right moments.
3. Partner with other small businesses
Black Friday is a wonderful opportunity for you to team up and work together with fellow small businesses.
Why it works
By collaborating with other small businesses, you increase your access to complementary customer bases. This fosters community support and encourages cross-referral relationships.
You can also save money through shared promotion. Teaming up with other businesses to sell bundles is an excellent way to combine your marketing efforts and expenses. When you both use the same promotional materials, it cuts down on production time and costs. Plus, sharing advertising fees means even more savings for everyone involved.
Collaboration is a powerful growth tool, especially when you use it alongside other proven strategies to expand your small business.
How to do it
Consider local businesses that offer complementary (but not competing) products or services to your own. For example, if you offer manicures, you could team up with a hairdresser.
You can collaborate with other small businesses by creating cross-business bundles or mutual discount codes. For example, customers who spend £20 at your shop could unlock a £10 voucher for another store, and vice versa.
If you decide to pursue this, it’s important to establish a co-promotion plan so that each business contributes fairly to the marketing efforts. Additionally, ensure you have a formal partnership agreement and a clear revenue-sharing structure in place.
4. Optimise your website homepage for Black Friday conversions
Black Friday was the biggest single online shopping day of 2024 in the UK, so it’s crucial that you optimise your website for this year’s Cyber Weekend. Your homepage needs to work harder as it’s where first impressions (and conversions) are often won or lost.
Why it works
A clear value proposition on a website homepage reduces bounce rates and increases sales. If you have a brilliant Black Friday offer, make sure your customers know about it. Placing your offer strategically will help maximise its visibility and clicks.
How to do it
To optimise your website homepage for Black Friday conversions, include a prominent banner that clearly displays your discount messages. If possible, incorporate a countdown timer to create urgency. For e-commerce sites, streamline navigation by highlighting sale categories.
How you adjust your website will depend on its setup. If you use Shopify, its page builders make it easy to update your homepage.
5. Offer gift cards
Incentivising gift card purchases can be an effective Black Friday promotion.
Why it works
Selling gift cards is a fantastic way for small businesses to attract new customers. With the festive season approaching, offering discounted gift cards during Black Friday promotions is a great way to catch the eye of Christmas shoppers looking for the perfect gifts. It’s a win-win for everyone.
How to do it
To sell gift cards for Black Friday, begin with an enticing promotion. For example, you could offer a free £5 gift card with every gift card purchase over £20, or provide a discount. Creating and selling gift cards digitally is straightforward using platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce.
6. Promote bundle deals
Black Friday is the perfect time to turn excess inventory into an opportunity to get creative with product bundles. Try pairing an underselling item with a customer favourite. Bundle tactics boost sales and delight shoppers. It’s a win-win.
Why it works
Product bundles increase average order value and facilitate the sale of multiple products in a single transaction. Black Friday shoppers are looking for great deals, and the perceived value of product bundles makes them feel as if they are getting one.
How to do it
To make a product bundle appealing, consider pricing it around 15% to 25% below the items’ usual combined value. Alternatively, bundle items as free gifts to encourage customers to meet a minimum spend threshold.
7. Retarget last year’s Black Friday shoppers
Retargeting past customers is an important marketing strategy for small businesses. Why chase a new lead when you could reinspire an existing customer?
Why it works
If you ran a Black Friday campaign last year, don’t start from scratch. Remarketing to past buyers is one of the quickest ways to lift sales, as these customers already know you, trust you, and convert at a higher rate than cold prospects.
Because of the higher conversion rates, a paid retargeting campaign offers a more cost-effective advertising spend with better return on investment (ROI).
How to do it
Export customer data from your previous campaign to retarget last year’s Black Friday shoppers. Once you identify last year’s customers, create a custom audience in Facebook and Google Ads to reach them. For cost-effective marketing, consider sending targeted emails.
Additionally, you can give your Black Friday campaign a “Welcome Back” theme by offering special deals to returning customers.
8. Create urgency with limited-time offers
Limited-time offers help you capitalise on Black Friday without lowering prices for an unsustainable period.
Why it works
Creating urgency with limited-time offers works because the scarcity principle triggers immediate action over delayed decisions. A limited offer reduces shopping cart abandonment and comparison shopping. If customers think they’ll miss out if they wait, they’re more likely to convert.
If you know you can only cope with a limited number of orders, create urgency by capping offers to a limited number of items rather than a period.
How to do it
Decide on your time window – 24 hours, Cyber weekend, or until stock sells out. Then communicate it clearly using timers, urgent language (such as “Ends at midnight”), and visual cues on your site.
9. Harness email marketing
Your email list is a valuable tool for Black Friday marketing, so use it to keep your audience updated on your offers.
Why it works
Sending emails provides a direct line of communication to your subscribers. If your messages are relevant, you can anticipate high open rates during the shopping season even when customers have busy inboxes.
Email marketing also enables personalised messaging and targeted offers. It is a cost-effective channel with measurable return on investment (ROI) and conversion tracking.
How to do it
To create excitement for Black Friday, plan a 5 to 7-day email sequence leading up to the event. Incorporate countdown timers for the launch of your offer. Once your offer is live, use countdowns along with “Time’s running out” messages to generate urgency.
To get the most out of your Black Friday email campaigns, segment campaigns by customer behaviour and purchase history. Try tailoring early-access deals to your most loyal customers or re-engaging lapsed buyers with “We missed you” campaigns. Smart segmentation will lead to stronger opening rates, so play around with it.
You can also test different subject line formulas to maximise the open rate.
Boosting small business sales on Black Friday: Your next steps
As a small business, take advantage of Black Friday marketing strategies. Choose the tactics that best fit your business from this guide and make the most of the opportunity. You can also maintain this momentum into the Christmas period and beyond by exploring additional content marketing tips and tricks.
While big retailers might offer the largest discounts, small businesses have their own special perks. Customers love feeling appreciated and not just like a number in a crowd – and your personal touch goes a long way towards making them feel valued.
If you’re just starting out, ensure your business is prepared for growth. Take advantage of our company formation services to register your business and build credibility from the get-go. Our experts are here to help you get ready to scale this season and beyond.
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