Email Marketing Tips for Black Friday & Cyber Monday Prep

The holiday season is almost here, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday bringing huge sales opportunities. In 2024, U.S. shoppers spent over $9.8 billion online on Black Friday alone, and that number is expected to grow.

To cut through crowded inboxes and drive sales, you need more than a catchy subject line. This guide shares actionable email marketing tips to help you prepare, from segmenting lists and building teaser campaigns to designing holiday emails and scheduling them for maximum impact. Whether you’re a local business or an e-commerce store, these strategies will help you boost engagement and revenue this holiday season.

1. Start Early: Why October is Your Prime Prep Time

Many businesses make the mistake of waiting until mid-November to start planning their holiday email campaigns. By then, it’s too late to truly optimize.

Here’s why you should start now:

• Build anticipation: Warming up your audience with early teasers builds excitement and trust.

• Clean and segment lists: Having a healthy, well-organized email list takes time.

• Create assets in advance: From graphics to copy, early planning ensures quality and reduces stress.

• Test and refine: Early campaigns give you time to test subject lines and send times.

Pro tip: Start building your Black Friday email calendar now and work backward. Consider when each campaign needs to be finalized, approved, and scheduled.

2. Segment Your Email List for Better Results

One-size-fits-all emails rarely work, especially during the holiday season when inboxes are flooded. Segmentation allows you to send personalized content that resonates with each group of customers.

Segmentation ideas for Black Friday/Cyber Monday:

• Past purchasers – Reward loyal customers with early access or exclusive discounts.

• High-value customers – Target your top spenders with VIP offers.

• New subscribers – Create a warm welcome series to introduce your brand.

• Cart abandoners – Send reminder emails with incentives to complete their purchase.

• Local customers – Perfect for brick-and-mortar stores running in-person promotions.

Example: Instead of sending one generic “20% off” email, you could send:

• A VIP early access email to repeat customers.

• A “first purchase” special offer to new subscribers.

• A reminder email to those who added products to their cart but didn’t check out.

This approach increases relevance and drives higher conversions.

Not sure how to segment your list? The team at Reckless Projects can help you organize your data and build automated workflows that save you time and boost sales.

3. Build Teaser Campaigns to Generate Buzz

Shoppers love the thrill of a good deal—and they love knowing about it before anyone else. A teaser campaign warms up your audience and gets them excited to shop when your sale goes live.

Teaser campaign timeline:

Late October – Early November

• “Something big is coming…” – A simple, curiosity-driven email to build anticipation.

• Add a countdown timer to create urgency.

Mid-November

• Early Access Announcement – Give your email list subscribers access to deals before the public.

• Include a clear CTA like “Shop Early” or “Claim Your Deal Now.”

Black Friday Week

• Final countdown emails reminding subscribers that time is running out.

4. Design Holiday Emails That Get Clicks

Your email design matters just as much as your copy. During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, attention spans are short, and your message needs to be clear, mobile-friendly, and visually appealing.

Design tips:

• Mobile-first design – Over 70% of shoppers read emails on their phones.

• Bold, easy-to-read fonts – Avoid cluttered designs.

• Clear CTAs – Buttons like “Shop Now,” “Get Early Access,” or “Grab This Deal.”

• Use holiday-inspired graphics – Black, gold, red, and winter tones are popular this season.

• Minimal text – Less is more. Use short, punchy sentences and bullet points.

Pro tip: Include one primary CTA per email so there’s no confusion about where the reader should click.

5. Avoid the Spam Folder: Email Deliverability Tips

Even the best-designed emails won’t perform if they end up in spam. Here’s how to increase deliverability:

• Verify your domain – Use authentication tools like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

• Warm up your email list – Send gradually increasing volumes to avoid sudden spikes.

• Avoid spammy words – Phrases like “FREE!!!” or “Act Now!!!” can trigger filters.

• Use a recognizable “from” name – This builds trust and familiarity.

• Keep your list clean – Regularly remove inactive subscribers or bounced emails.

6. Perfect Your Timing and Scheduling

Timing is everything when it comes to email marketing. The holiday season is especially competitive, so you need to send emails at the right moment.

Recommended schedule:

• Early November: Send teasers and previews.

• Black Friday Week:

  • Monday or Tuesday – Early access email to VIPs and loyal customers.

  • Wednesday – Sneak peek of top deals.

  • Thursday evening – “Sale starts at midnight” reminder.

  • Friday morning – Main Black Friday email.

  • Friday evening – “Last chance” email.

• Cyber Monday:

  • Monday morning – Kickoff email with headline offers.

  • Monday evening – Final reminder email before sale ends.

    
    

Pro tip: Test different send times using A/B testing to determine when your audience engages most.

7. Measure, Analyze, and Improve

Once your campaign is live, don’t forget to track your results. The data you gather will help you refine your strategy for the rest of the holiday season and next year’s campaigns.

Key metrics to monitor:

• Open rate – Measures how well your subject lines and timing worked.

• Click-through rate (CTR) – Indicates the effectiveness of your content and CTAs.

• Conversion rate – The ultimate measure of success: how many people purchased.

• Revenue generated – Helps calculate your ROI.

Tools like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or HubSpot can simplify tracking and reporting.

8. Bonus Tip: Automate Where You Can

Holiday season marketing can be overwhelming. Automation tools help you save time and stay consistent.

Types of automations to consider:

• Abandoned cart emails – Recover lost sales automatically.

• Welcome series – Introduce new subscribers to your brand.

• Post-purchase follow-up – Build loyalty with thank-you emails or review requests.

• Birthday or milestone emails – Add a personal touch to customer relationships.

Need help setting up automation for your Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns? Contact Reckless Projects and let our team create workflows that run while you focus on your business.

Final Thoughts: Make Every Email Count

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the most competitive times of the year, but they also present incredible opportunities. By starting early, segmenting your audience, creating teaser campaigns, and optimizing design and timing, you can cut through the noise and maximize your sales.

If planning your holiday campaigns feels overwhelming, you don’t have to do it alone. At Reckless Projects, we specialize in creating data-driven email marketing strategies that help small businesses grow and thrive during the busiest shopping season.