This year, Black Friday falls on 27 November and Cyber Monday on 30 November. For an online store, the work starts long before that. We began planning Black Friday with one of our e-commerce clients in mid-October, about six weeks before the sale. Below is what we discussed, how we would split the ad budget, and what needs to be checked outside the ad account so the campaign can actually bring profit.
Why Black Friday matters so much for e-commerce
Black Friday started in the United States as the name for the day after Thanksgiving. Over time it became one of the biggest shopping events of the year, in Europe too. Many shoppers wait for it on purpose: they delay purchases, compare prices and look for special offers. Brands, at the same time, compete hard for their attention.
For many online stores, this makes late November one of the most profitable periods of the year. It also makes it one of the most expensive periods to advertise in. This is where good planning makes the difference.
1. Choose the offer mechanics carefully
Writing "BLACK FRIDAY −30%" on every banner is not always the best strategy. A discount has to fit the brand and still leave a healthy margin.
A real example: our client's brand policy does not allow discounts, and gift boxes are not part of their range either. So we are looking at other options:
- A gift with orders above a set amount — this can raise the average order value without lowering prices.
- A lower free-shipping threshold — for example, reducing it from the usual €50 for the sale period.
These look like small details, but changes like these can affect the site's conversion rate, the average order value and, most importantly, the profit. A gift with purchase can work better than a direct discount, but only if its cost and the conditions for getting it make sense for the business.
2. Adapt the ad creatives for a crowded feed
For most of the year, a brand can use minimalist visuals, beautiful product photos and calm messaging. During Black Friday, the feed is full of ads, and people scroll quickly. The ad needs to catch attention in a second and make the offer clear right away.
That is why Black Friday creatives often use contrasting colors, large headlines, clearly visible numbers and very simple offers. The brand's style should still be recognizable, but clarity comes first.
3. Plan a private presale for loyal customers
Another option we are considering is early access to the sale. For example, if the main sale starts on Friday, returning customers and subscribers could get access on Wednesday.
To make this work, the store collects email addresses in advance, offering subscribers the chance to shop the sale first. This prepares the audience for the sale and, at the same time, grows the brand's own customer base — an audience it can reach again after Black Friday without paying for every contact.
4. Plan the ad budget in advance
During Black Friday, competition for ad placements usually increases, and so can the cost of getting each customer. That is why, already in October, we need to know which products we will promote, how much the business is ready to invest and what result would make this investment worth it.
To make this practical, here is how we would split a €1,000 Meta Ads budget for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
| Stage | Budget | When | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | €200 (20%) | The week before Black Friday | Announce the sale, bring interested shoppers to the site, collect emails for early access |
| Main sale | €600 (60%) | Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday | Drive purchases while demand is at its highest |
| Retargeting | €200 (20%) | From Friday onwards | Bring back people who viewed products or added them to cart but did not buy |
Warm-up: €200 (20%)
A week before Black Friday, we would launch ads announcing the upcoming sale. The goal is to bring interested shoppers to the site and collect emails by offering early access. We would not set aside a separate budget for the presale itself: the traffic from the warm-up campaign can already be used to collect newsletter sign-ups.
Main sale: €600 (60%)
Most of the budget goes to the Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday. This is when competition for ad placements is highest, so costs may rise. It is important to have enough budget to compete, but not to increase spend without checking the numbers. We would track the cost per purchase and return on ad spend every day, and move budget towards the campaigns that perform best.
Retargeting: €200 (20%)
From Friday, we would increase ads aimed at people who visited the site, viewed products or added them to the cart but did not complete a purchase. These people already showed interest, so a reminder with a clear offer can motivate them to finish the order.
What about Cyber Monday?
For Monday, the store can prepare a separate offer, such as free shipping from a lower amount or a gift with the order, using part of the main sale budget.
An important note: this is an example, not a universal formula. If a store has few visitors, spending 20% on retargeting may not make sense — there are simply not enough people to retarget. A brand with a large customer base may need a very different split. That is why our work starts with analyzing the business and planning the budget, not with setting up the ads.
Why even great ads can fail on Black Friday
Ads are only one part of the whole sales system. Imagine a strong campaign: the ads get attention, people click through to the site, the cost per click looks good. Then it turns out that the promo code does not work, the product is out of stock, or the customer cannot complete the order on a phone.
The budget is spent, and the sales are lost. So preparing for Black Friday also means checking everything around the ads.
Agree on the offer with the business
Which products are part of the sale? Which offer is attractive for the customer and still profitable for the company? These questions need clear answers from the business side before any creative is made.
Prepare the website with the developer
Every offer should display correctly, gifts should be added automatically when the conditions are met, free shipping should apply on its own, and checkout should work without errors — on desktop and on mobile. It is worth testing the full purchase path yourself before the sale starts.
Check the analytics
The Meta Pixel and Conversions API need to send events correctly: product view, add to cart, checkout start and purchase. Otherwise, decisions during the sale will be based on incomplete or wrong data, exactly when there is the least time to fix them. We explain how this works in our guide on how Facebook conversion tracking works.
Connect the other marketing channels
If the business works with an email specialist or a social media manager, it is important to align plans early. A customer might see an ad on Instagram, sign up for early access, get an email with the offer, and only then make a purchase. All of these steps should work as one system, not as separate activities. And if you are thinking about advertising beyond Meta, see our overview of Meta Ads alternatives worth testing.
Count profit, not only revenue
Let's say a store made €5,000 from the sale and spent €1,000 on ads. At first glance, that looks like a great result: €5 in revenue for every €1 spent on advertising.
But from that €5,000, the business still needs to subtract the cost of goods, shipping, gifts, payment fees and other expenses. Only then is it clear how profitable the sale really was. Sometimes a campaign with a lower return on ad spend brings more profit, because the offer protected the margin.
More than setting up ads
Preparing for Black Friday shows well what the work of a performance marketer really includes. It means understanding how the business works, analyzing data, suggesting offer mechanics, working together with other specialists and planning everything in advance. The goal is not only more orders from a bigger budget, but more profit from a well-planned marketing strategy.
If you want help planning your sale, this is part of how we run paid ads campaigns and marketing strategy for our clients, and our email marketing service can support the presale. You can also see real results from our client work.
Common questions
When should an online store start preparing for Black Friday?
About six weeks before the sale is a good starting point. For a sale at the end of November, that means mid-October. The offer, the ad creatives, the website and the tracking all need time to prepare and test.
Is a discount the best Black Friday offer?
Not always. A gift with orders above a set amount, a lower free-shipping threshold or early access for subscribers can work just as well, and may protect the margin better. The right choice depends on the brand policy and on what is still profitable for the business.
How much of the Black Friday budget should go to retargeting?
In our example, 20%. But this depends on how many people visit the store. If traffic is low, there are not enough people to retarget, and that budget may work better in the main sale campaigns.
Why can a Black Friday campaign with a good ROAS still lose money?
Return on ad spend only compares revenue with ad costs. The cost of goods, shipping, gifts, payment fees and other expenses still need to be subtracted. Only then is it clear whether the sale was profitable.
