Getting Your Marketing Ready for Black Friday and the Holiday Season

For many businesses, the final weeks of the year are the busiest and most competitive of all. Advertising costs rise as everyone fights for attention, inboxes fill with offers and shoppers make decisions quickly. The businesses that do best aren't the ones with the biggest budgets; they're the ones that planned ahead. If you haven't started yet, there's still time.

1. Decide on your offer now

Be clear about what you're promoting and why it's compelling. That could be a discount, a bundle, free delivery, a gift with purchase or simply a guarantee of delivery before the holidays. If you're a service business, think about booking incentives for the new year or gift cards.

2. Warm up your audience before the rush

Costs on Black Friday itself are high. Build awareness and grow your remarketing and email audiences in the weeks before, when attention is cheaper. Then, when the sale goes live, you're speaking to people who already know you.

3. Get your website ready

• Test the full buying or inquiry journey on mobile.
• Make sure pages load quickly, even with extra traffic.
• Set up dedicated landing pages for your offers.
• Show delivery deadlines, returns information and opening hours clearly.

4. Plan your ad budget and bids

Expect higher competition and cost per click. Agree your budget in advance, decide how much you're willing to pay per sale or lead, and schedule budget increases for your key days. If you use automated bidding, consider Google's seasonality adjustments for short sale periods so the system expects the spike in conversion rates.

5. Refresh your creative

Holiday imagery and messaging help your ads feel timely and relevant. Prepare ad copy, images and videos in advance, including versions for countdowns, last-chance messages and final delivery dates.

6. Make the most of email

Your email list is your most cost-effective channel during the rush. Plan a short sequence: a teaser, the launch, a reminder and a last chance. Segment past customers and VIPs for early access.

7. Don't forget after the sale

Post-purchase emails, review requests and January follow-ups turn one-off seasonal buyers into repeat customers. The sale is the beginning of the relationship, not the end.

Finish the year strong

A little preparation now can make this your best holiday season yet. Duncross Media plans and runs seasonal campaigns across Google, Meta and email. If you'd like help getting ready, get in touch today.