Black Friday falls on November 27 this year, and the week around it is one of the busiest of the year for email. Inboxes fill up with offers from every business a person has ever bought from. The ones that get opened are usually clear, specific and from a sender the reader already recognises.
That kind of email is hard to write in a hurry. It is much easier at the end of October, when there is time to think about the offer, test the email and fix whatever is broken. Here is what to get done now.
Settle the offer first
The email cannot be clearer than the offer behind it. Before writing a word, agree exactly what you are offering, who it is for, when it starts and ends, and any terms. Write it down in one sentence. If that sentence is hard to write, the offer is not ready yet, and no amount of design will fix that.
You do not have to discount. A gift with a booking, early access for past customers, a bundle or extended hours can all be offers worth emailing about. What matters is that it is real and easy to understand.
Write a subject line that says what is inside
On a crowded day, the subject line has one job: tell the reader what the email offers. "20% off all services through Monday" does that. "Something special for you" does not. Write three or four options, read them on a phone, and choose the one that is clearest, not the cleverest.
Keep the rest of the email short as well. One main message, one button, and the dates repeated near the end. Most people will read it on their phone in a few seconds.
On Black Friday, a clear email from a business someone knows beats a clever one from a business they have forgotten.
Plan the sends, not just the email
Most holiday offers need more than one email. A simple plan covers three or four sends:
- An early heads-up to your best customers a few days before, so they hear it first.
- The main announcement on the day the offer starts.
- A reminder for anyone who did not open the first one.
- A last-chance note on the final day, if the offer has an end date.
Decide the date and time of each send now and schedule them in advance, so nobody has to remember to press send on Thanksgiving weekend.
Check that it will land
Send a test to yourself and a few colleagues on different email providers and phones. Check that the links go where they should, the images load, and the offer and dates are correct. If your list has not been tidied in a while, now is the time to clean up your email marketing list, and if past emails have gone missing, read why your emails land in spam before the busiest week of the year.
Planning and sending email is part of Vizible's email marketing service. If you would like a holiday plan for your own list, start with a free growth proposal.
Frequently asked questions
- When should I send a Black Friday email?
- Most businesses send an early heads-up a few days before, a main announcement when the offer starts, and one or two reminders. Schedule them in advance so they go out on time.
- What makes a good Black Friday subject line?
- One that says plainly what the email offers and when it ends. Clear, specific subject lines tend to do better than vague or clever ones on a crowded day.
- Do I need a discount to send a Black Friday email?
- No. Early access, a gift with a booking, a bundle or extended hours can all be worth emailing about, as long as the offer is real and easy to understand.
- How do I make sure my holiday email reaches the inbox?
- Send tests to several email providers, remove addresses that bounce or never open, and check that your sending domain is set up correctly before the busiest week.