16 Best Black Friday Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

Black Friday is one of the biggest marketing events of the year, but brands that benefit the most are typically large businesses. They launch jaw-dropping deals, discount their merchandise, and sell products at scale. Most small business owners don’t have as much flexibility to create the same type of marketing campaigns.

But that doesn’t mean small businesses can’t take advantage of Black Friday. You can attract customers and kickstart the holiday shopping season in several ways. Even service-based brands can book more appointments and draw more customers to their businesses.

I compiled a list of the best Black Friday marketing ideas for small business owners. Read on to learn how to create similar campaigns that will help you keep up with big-box brands this holiday season.

Here are some of the best Black Friday marketing ideas inspired by real businesses. We’ve divided our list into two categories: digital marketing ideas and offline marketing strategies. Use both to craft a comprehensive marketing campaign for your business.

Black Friday Digital Marketing

These Black Friday marketing campaigns are conducted online. You can run them on your website, email, or social media channels.

1. Promote your brand on social media.

Social media should be one of your first stops for promoting your business online. You can tease upcoming deals and new products and engage directly with your customer base. It’s great for building brand awareness and can make customers more interested in your products and services.

Using the hashtag “#BlackFriday” makes the post easier to find because people can search for that hashtag on Instagram. Use similar hashtags in your campaigns to increase reach and engage more people.

2. Use a prize wheel to give away gifts.

You might have seen one of these on a website or in a marketing email. Prize wheels are like digital carnival games for customers. You spin the wheel and randomly win a prize.

Prize wheels make for great pop-ups on your website or content in your email marketing campaigns. They’re engaging, and customers always win prizes. Copy the code above and edit the prize wheel to fit your brand’s needs.

3. Add new products to your online store.

Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. If you manage an ecommerce site, keep things fresh and add new products right before Black Friday. That will give customers a reason to revisit your site and check out your new inventory.

Some brands create an entire section for its “new arrivals.” Customers who frequently shop with this brand can revisit this page to see if they’ve added new products. It’s great for keeping loyal customers engaged, especially since these people are more likely to purchase your products online.

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4. Create a countdown timer for limited-time offers.

Countdown timers are simple web elements that create urgency and drive engagement. They’re exactly what they sound like — clocks counting down to a specific date or time — and they’re highly effective at motivating customers to act.

Use countdown timers across your website, marketing emails, or even in-store signage to highlight limited-time offers or VIP access windows. They’re an easy way to add time-sensitive pressure and boost conversions.

5. Leverage a CRM to personalize marketing campaigns.

Your CRM is one of your most powerful business resources. It tracks interactions with your company and shows who your most loyal customers are. Use it to personalize your marketing campaigns and create relevant messages for your audience.

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For example, you could use your CRM to find people who recently purchased one of your products. You could then email them asking how things are going and link to another product that complements the one they just purchased. Sprinkle a discount on top, and you have a comprehensive marketing campaign.

6. Share an exclusive discount to subscribers.

If you have an email newsletter, add an exclusive discount to encourage subscribers to visit your website. Don’t just send them to your home page. Instead, choose a webpage you want them to see, like a product page or a page where they can book an appointment. That will create a “conversion path” or a series of steps customers can take to complete a specific action.

7. Record a promotional video.

Video marketing is a great way to capture people’s attention, and you can leverage video in several ways to attract more customers. For example, you could create how-to videos that teach people how to complete a project, or record demonstrations that showcase the features of your products.

Stick to content that’s on-brand and aligns with your tone and style. While it’s good to jump on trends, avoid ones that aren’t relevant to your audience or don’t align with your brand’s values.

8. Provide updates and sneak peeks on your email newsletter.

You can also use email to provide sneak peeks at new products or services coming soon. It will keep customers informed and get them thinking about a future purchase. Highlight their key features and include a release date so readers have something to look forward to.

I like this example because it includes the elements we discussed: deadlines, key details, etc. However, I think they could have shortened the text a bit and made the dates bigger so it catches the reader’s attention.

9. Send SMS messages to customers.

SMS (or texting) is another effective marketing channel for engaging customers. Text messages are opened more than emails, and 75% of people own a cell phone. With those numbers, you’re almost guaranteed to get your message opened and viewed by customers.

A link to the company’s website allows visitors to go directly to their store and view their Black Friday deals.

10. Experience-Based Promotions (Events, VIP Hours) + Holiday Hours

Don’t rely on discounting alone: think about experience-based promotions that turn Black Friday into a memorable event. For example, host VIP hours (either in-store or online), invite your best customers for an exclusive preview, or bundle a special experience with the purchase. Also — a brief but important mention: make sure your holiday opening hours (and any extended or special hours) are clearly communicated across all channels, so customers know exactly when you’re available. As Thryv notes, updating your store hours for Black Friday can boost visibility and avoid confusion.

11. Update your store hours.

Many businesses open earlier and close later on Black Friday. If you’re one of those businesses, update your online calendar and local listings. People who Google your business should see your holiday hours and know you’re open longer.

You can also add a Black Friday page to your website that outlines your temporary schedule. Not only does this create a better customer experience, but it also makes your business easier to find when people search for things like “Black Friday deals near me.”

These Black Friday marketing ideas will help you generate brand awareness in your local community. Consider using an offline marketing tool to track each one’s performance.

12. Use QR codes.

QR codes are images that customers scan with their phones and receive a direct link to your website.

This QR code will take you to my website, but you can use it for PDFs, images, and social media accounts. Putting QR codes on your business cards and packaging is a great way for people to interact with your digital marketing content.

Tip: You can use Canva to create QR codes for free.

13. Bundle products together.

Insurance companies aren’t the only ones who can bundle products. In fact, bundling is one of the most effective marketing strategies for professional services and service-based industries.

For example, auto repair shops often bundle tires with other products and services.

These deals are hard to ignore because customers feel they’re getting something for free. They’re particularly effective if you have to increase prices and don’t want to upset your customers.

Insider Tip: Offer curated product bundles (or service bundles) that increase perceived value rather than just deeper discounts. For instance, pair a top-seller with an add-on or complementary item, and market it as a “Black Friday bundle.”

14. Host an event.

Most people are out shopping on Black Friday, so it’s a good time to host a local event. You can host a holiday-themed party or put on a trade show with other businesses. Black Friday is right before Small Business Saturday, so it’s a good time to build support for brands in your community.

Here’s a cool idea from a town in North Carolina. 24 businesses held a contest where an “Elf on the Shelf” was hidden in each store. People who found elves in 5 or more businesses were entered to win a prize valued at over $200. Even if you don’t think you’ll buy something, this still gives you a reason to go into every store – and who knows, you might just find something you like!

15. Partner with other businesses.

You can also partner with businesses nearby to promote each other’s products and services. Consider swapping business cards or launching a deal that benefits both brands.

For example, if you work in pet services, you could partner with home service brands and offer pet-sitting or grooming deals on Black Friday. Customers can leave their homes to shop while contractors work on their houses, and you watch their pets. The partnership benefits both businesses and, most importantly, your customers.

16. Send direct mail.

Direct mail is an underrated marketing channel. People of all ages love it, and it has very high open rates. While it costs more than sending an email, it’s hard to ignore a deal that’s physically sitting in your hands.

Be sure to send your mailers out a few days before Black Friday. If you send them the day of, people might be out shopping and will miss your message, and they might not take advantage of the deal if it’s a limited-time offer.

Black Friday isn’t just for corporate franchises and big-box brands. It’s a great opportunity for small business owners to kickstart their holiday shopping season and generate revenue for their companies. Use these ideas to fuel your marketing campaigns, and consider adopting marketing software to help you measure your success.