Black Friday has become a global fixture, and the queues and in-store chaos that once defined it have largely moved online. According to a recent survey, 81% of consumers who dislike Black Friday shopping point to overcrowding as the reason. That shift to digital is permanent, and it has stretched what was once a single day into a weeks-long marketing window.
Every business with an online presence now has skin in the Black Friday game, from retailers and restaurants to SaaS providers and hospitality brands. The move away from in-store flash sales also gave rise to Cyber Monday, the Monday after Black Friday, when online retailers offer their own round of deals.
That combination kicks off the busiest stretch in the marketing calendar, with Christmas and New Year following close behind. So as the dust settles on Black Friday, the question is: what comes next?
Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Two Sides of a Golden Coin
Most marketing teams won't be resting over that weekend, and they shouldn't be. Cyber Monday is a high-traffic day in its own right, and the insights you pick up on Black Friday are exactly what you need to make it count.
If email marketing isn't already part of your Black Friday strategy, it needs to be. TouchBasePro's reporting gives you a clear picture of who engaged with your Black Friday campaigns, which segments clicked, what they browsed, and what they bought. Use that data on Monday.
Offer your audience products that match what they already showed interest in, or better still, products that complement what they purchased on Friday. If someone bought a new cookware set, an email offering discounted glassware on Monday has a solid chance of converting. If you run a subscription model, push for annual renewal with a modest discount.
Consumers arrive at this period primed to spend. There's a widely held belief that the Black Friday-Cyber Monday window is the best time to buy, and you don't need to convince them of that. You just need to give them a relevant reason to buy from you. Amazon reported that Cyber Monday 2019 was its highest revenue day in history at the time. No retailer, and honestly no business selling to end consumers, can afford to sit that one out.
Email is the primary driver of Cyber Monday engagement. The Technomobi campaign below is a solid example of how to promote remaining Black Friday stock the following Monday and keep momentum going across the full weekend.
Let the Festivities Begin
Once the Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend wraps up, December starts almost immediately. Don't waste the gap.
There's something about December that makes consumers genuinely receptive. Office Secret Santas, holiday planning, gifts for family and friends, people are more open to spending and more emotionally engaged with what they're buying. That's an opportunity, but it's also a responsibility.
The key is having a strategy in place before December 1, not scrambling to build one mid-month. The festive period is one of the busiest times of year for email service providers, and we see firsthand how quickly things go wrong when brands haven't planned ahead.
You're walking a fine line. Your campaigns need to add genuine value, not just push products. Your audience is also not monolithic. Different cultural and religious backgrounds mean a one-size-fits-all Christmas campaign can miss the mark or alienate people entirely. A deft approach matters.
The Aldo campaign below is a good example of how to get festive emails right without falling into the usual traps.
And a Happy New Year
The end of 2020 was always going to carry some weight.
After one of the most disruptive years in recent memory, the turn of the year was not the moment to push hard on sales. Consumers were tired. Businesses that had survived the year had done so with real effort, and in many cases with the direct support of their clients, suppliers, and staff.
The right move at that junction was appreciation, not promotion.
If your business made it through, the people in your database were likely part of why. Show them that. Give something back in whatever form makes sense for your brand. Above all, be sincere. A polished corporate video with your board lip-syncing to a John Lennon track doesn't count.
The Johnny Cupcakes campaign below gets this right. During the Australian wildfires, they sold a limited edition t-shirt and sent the proceeds directly to relief efforts. Simple, specific, and honest. That's the standard to aim for when you're closing out a difficult year.
Heading Into the New Year
The last few months of the year are critical, hectic, and genuinely full of opportunity. If that feels like a lot to hold at once, that's normal.
Focus on what's in front of you: use the data from each campaign to improve the next one, stay relevant to your audience, and treat the festive period as a chance to strengthen relationships rather than just close sales.
The email side of things? That's what we're here for. Get in touch today.
Frequently asked questions
- How should I use Black Friday email data for Cyber Monday campaigns?
- Look at who opened and clicked your Black Friday emails, what they browsed, and what they bought. Use that data to send targeted Cyber Monday offers, either products they viewed but didn't buy, or items that complement their Black Friday purchases.
- How do I balance promotional and value-driven content in December email campaigns?
- Plan your December calendar before the month starts so you're not filling gaps with pure promotion. Mix product offers with genuinely useful content, and make sure your messaging accounts for the range of cultural and religious backgrounds in your audience.
- What's the right email approach for New Year when consumers are fatigued?
- Shift the focus from selling to appreciation. Acknowledge what your customers and partners have contributed to your business, offer something back where you can, and keep the tone sincere. Hard product pushes tend to land badly at the year-end.