If you’ve landed on this page, it’s likely you have tons of questions surrounding the whats, the hows, and the whys of effective Black Friday email marketing. What to prepare for Black Friday? How to launch a successful Black Friday marketing campaign? Why do we need to build a killer email list?
Don’t rush as you’ll get all your questions answered right away. In this article, we’ll cover:
- Best Black Friday Email Examples & Templates
- Black Friday Email Tips – Key Takeaways
- Black Friday Email Marketing – The Don’ts
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Best Black Friday Email Examples & Templates
#1 Casper: Snooze Through Black Friday Email
Here is an excellent example of both creative email design and creative email copy. This newsletter from Casper – a mattress company doesn’t look much like anything else you’re used to in your overflowing inbox.
Subject Line: Snooze through the sales…
Reasons Why It’s Good
The image of multiple alarms set is what you see every day when you’re lying in your bed, either taking another nap or just waking up. Taking a closer look at the image, you’ll see that each alarm has a witty name, from “Get in line for super sale”, “Early bird gets the discount” to “You’re gonna pay full price”.
Just as you’re starting to get slightly nervous that you might miss out, you find a comforting message. It says that you can rest comfortably and even sleep through Black Friday, as you can shop with Casper from bed. All you have to do is go to the brand’s website and type in the code: SLEEPIN.
But the best thing about Casper’s Black Friday email is the clever use of imagery that aligns perfectly with Casper’s business. Bed mattress, clock app, multiple alarms and the discount code – SLEEPIN. Everything seems so connected, right?
Another thing that makes it a great Black Friday email is the second newsletter, which is even shorter than the first one. The following email targets people who chose to sleep through Black Friday despite those five urgent reminders.
So Casper decided to extend their Black Friday sales beyond the one day. This is not something new as we’re seeing more and more brands hoping their Black Friday craze to go up even later in the week after Cyber Monday. But the best thing here is Casper’s consistent use of copy and design connected to the alarm clock.
In case you’re in need of winning Black Friday email strategies for mobile shopping apps, the below webinar has all to offer! Let’s take your time to grab some tips and tricks from LitExtension and SimiCart – the top-rated expert in mobile commerce.
#2 Tinker Watches: Black Friday Teaser Email
Much like a trailer teases a blockbuster movie, the teaser Black Friday email is a way to build a subscriber’s excitement for your doorbuster deals. One of our favorite teaser emails belongs to Tinker Watches.
Subject line: Something New is Coming on Black Friday ⌚
Reasons Why It’s Good
First off, the email’s subject line is already a great teaser that gets you curious about the new release.
Also, the use of the watch emoji here is quite smart. First, the product they’re about to launch is a watch. Second, the emoji happens to be in black, which fits the email’s color palette and it’s also the black in Black Friday.
The overall design is simple yet elegant. It’s not flashy and salesy at all.
The copy, starting with the “Let the countdown begin” heading, makes you look forward to the big launch and head to their website. Their copy creates a sense of mystery with phrases like “unveil”, “keep an eye out for”. And they maximize that mysterious vibe with a shadow effect on the background image.
Plus, the Black Friday email is designed in only black and white, which is pretty much a standard when it comes to Black Friday email campaigns.
We’ve collected 50 best Black Friday subject lines to help you shine bright in recipients’ inboxes. Let’s help yourself with the free buffet!
Further Reading:
#3 Chubbies: Funny Black Friday Email
When it comes to Black Friday email marketing ideas, a little levity often goes along the way. Most newsletters are boring and tend to get straight to the point – sales & discounts.
That’s why adding a fun twist to your Black Friday email templates can help you stand out in the sea of holiday email marketing and make your pitch more memorable.
Moreover, humor puts your readers in a positive mood. Once your clients laugh at your “jokes”, you stand a higher chance of getting time on their calendars.
Now, let’s see how Chubbies win their customers’ hearts with their great sense of humor.
Subject line: Sweats + Shorts = THE SCHWORTS
Reasons Why It’s Good
Chubbies, without a doubt, deserves a big round of applause for their creative work in this Black Friday email example. The email subject line is short and funny. The image of a man lazily lounging on the couch pouring food down his throat after Thanksgiving is one-of-a-kind.
The copy and visual here are not overly complicated and they don’t have to be. Still, they effectively convey the key message that Chubbies’ shorts are comfortable.
Besides, Chubbies acknowledges that Black Friday is also a frantic time for shoppers. They are busy adding items to their cart and hurriedly checking out ahead of product sell-outs. Knowing that philosophy, Chubbies only focuses on one product instead of announcing a store-wide sale.
This can be a smart Black Friday email marketing strategy as customers will not feel overwhelmed due to a glut of options and eventually, end up purchasing those pairs of comfy shorts.
By the way, we have created the “Holiday Email Marketing: Best Practices and Case Study Analysis” webinar that might be helpful for you.
Below is the full version of the webinar, check it out!
#4 Julep: Last-minute Extended Sale Email
Sometimes, we’re running a little behind the Black Friday schedule and doing the shopping at the very last minute. And it’s not because we are waiting for super big deals but simply because we’re snowed under with work. Therefore, extending the sale last-second (and maybe running a sale when competitors just ended theirs) gives your customers another chance to purchase from your store.
Subject line: EXTENDED! 50%. Off. Everything.
Reasons Why It’s Good
Although this isn’t the new email marketing idea or the only email that you may find in your inbox that revolves around last-minute shopping, this Black Friday email from Julep is a great one for the following reasons:
- It’s straightforward and quick to communicate the main offer, which is 50% off for every product.
- The three most important elements in this email contrast well against the rest: “Extended 48 hours,” “50% off everything,” and “use code cyberwow.”
- Other elements like the subject line, the below-the-twinkle all reemphasize the offer.
#5 Aesop: Showcasing-product Email
What if there’s a way to show off your products but remain calming and soothing at the same time? Definitely, there is.
Let’s see how Aesop did with their Black Friday email marketing campaign!
Subject line: A measure of composure in the chaos
Reasons Why It’s Good
This Black Friday email example by Aesop lets the products take center stage. It uses quality images with short but sweet descriptions, as well as multiple CTAs (“shop now”) to encourage customers to explore their products.
Also, the design and colors are airy and elegant, complimenting the products perfectly. No flashy gifs. No crossed-out previous prices. No sense of scarcity.
There’s nothing more to be said – it’s simple, beautiful, and what you should expect from a wellness brand. Among the mass of Black Friday email marketing, it’s a welcome breath of fresh air.
Black Friday Email Tips – Key Takeaways
- A good design can deliver the message quicker than words ever could.
- But don’t under-appreciate the power of a good copy.
- Lots of copy in the Black Friday email content is sometimes abundant. Don’t just tell your product’s features, visually show them in an entertaining way.
- Less is more. Sometimes, promoting one best-selling product or some selected one is way more effective.
- Consider using teaser emails in the run-up to Black Friday to gauge engagement.
- Use attention-grabbing words and emojis in your Black Friday email subject lines.
- Avoid unnecessary content by focusing on the key message of your Black Friday email marketing campaigns.
- Make the most important elements in your Black Friday email campaigns stand out.
- Offer extended sales to convert this special clientele – late shoppers.
- Ensure your Black Friday email has a clear CTA throughout.
- A larger font might be better.
- Have a Black Friday social media campaign to incentivize email subscription.
Black Friday Email Marketing – The Don’ts
#1 Forget To Optimize Emails for Mobile
First things first, we should always start with a few stats:
- Over 50% of eCommerce traffic comes from mobile
- About 80% of people who shop on tablets end up buying
- 1 in 5 shoppers purchased after opening a retailer’s email on a mobile device
With this in mind, make sure your Black Friday email lays out well on all screen sizes, including mobile devices. Or else, you’re about to lose plenty of potential customers who give up on your Black Friday email as soon as they open it on their smartphones.
Here are a few things you can do to ensure your Black Friday email can adapt to wherever your recipients are browsing:
- Break up text
- Avoid large image files
- Replace long links with CTA buttons (better double-check to ensure these buttons work well)
#2 Flood Recipients’ Inboxes
If you’re sending only one email for the whole Black Friday email campaign, you can’t expect to boost your revenue. At the same time, you should never bombard your customers’ inboxes with daily Black Friday emails to remind them of your deals. If you did so, you would risk your brand credibility and of course your sales.
So, how many Black Friday emails should be sent?
Three! Yes, you read that right.
One with the taste of the upcoming offer to induce some FOMO and make people curious about your deals. The second email should be the offer itself, and the last one should be a last-minute reminder for whom by some chance missed your previous communication.
#3 Give Recipients A Seizure
Of course, you need to make your Black Friday email campaign stand out in the sea of holiday messaging. Unfortunately, many brands want to stand out so badly that they overdo it. Putting all caps in the subject line, adding too many emojis, including flashy design with intense color are some of the things you need to carefully take into account.
You got to be aware that when you overdo it, people will be more inclined to look away instead of reading your Black Friday email content. Too much of a good thing can harm your brand.
Black Friday Email – FAQs
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Bottom Line
We’ve rounded up a handful of battle-tested, clever Black Friday emails from multiple brands. Hopefully, these fresh tips and creative ideas can inspire your Black Friday email marketing campaign.
Lastly, if you’re looking for more helpful eCommerce tips and tricks, don’t procrastinate to join our Facebook community and check out other LitExtension blogs.