17 Black Friday Email Newsletter Ideas & Real-Life Examples

Email Design • Email MarketingNataly Birch and Andrian Valeanu • Updated: November 17, 2025 • 19 minutes READ

As Black Friday approaches, businesses are gearing up for one of the biggest shopping events of the year. With online sales skyrocketing and competition for customer attention fiercer than ever, a well-crafted Black Friday newsletter can be your secret weapon for boosting engagement and driving conversions.

In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know to create powerful Black Friday newsletter ideas, from eye-catching designs and compelling Black Friday email subject lines to best practices that will ensure your emails stand out in crowded inboxes.

Plus, we’ll share professionally designed Black Friday email templates and Cyber Monday email templates to save you time and give your Black Friday email marketing campaigns a polished, professional look. Whether you’re a seasoned email marketer or just getting started, these tips and strategies will help you maximize your results this holiday season.

Black Friday email templates by Designmodo

What is Black Friday & Cyber Monday Email Marketing Strategy?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are one of the biggest events of the year. Everybody is looking forward to it. Although this event brings joy, it does not mean that you, a business owner, can sit back and relax. It comes with some of the toughest competition ever. Subscribers’ inboxes will be barraged with promotional email newsletters, and your task is to get noticed.

But why stop at Black Friday? An effective strategy should seamlessly transition into Cyber Monday, which is now a colossal event in its own right. As sales volumes and email traffic peak, it’s crucial to have a plan that bridges the two shopping days. This BFCM strategy not only maximizes engagement but also keeps your audience intrigued and ready for more.

Here’s how to make it happen:

• Engage Early: Start by capturing attention with compelling Black Friday deals.
• Tease Cyber Monday: Drop hints about your upcoming Cyber Monday offers to build anticipation.
• Balance Communication: Avoid overwhelming your audience. Send emails that are both timely and interesting to retain their interest.

By crafting a strategy that includes both Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you ensure your campaigns remain fresh and enticing, safeguarding against losing customer interest due to communication overload or irrelevant content. Remember, the goal is to create a seamless experience that keeps shoppers engaged from the start of Black Friday all the way through Cyber Monday.

To meet this challenge and emerge victoriously, we have prepared a guide that covers the best black Friday email newsletters, how to send them, when to send them, and every other detail.

17 Worth-Trying Email Marketing Ideas for Black Friday

The holiday shopping season begins early in November. Thanksgiving, as well as BFCM weekend, is just a milestone on a customer’s way to Christmas. Therefore, it is a great idea to promote the campaign before with sales and send email newsletters earlier to get a head start. This way, you’ll beat the flood of email newsletters and make yourself heard.

Black Friday Email Newsletter by Great Simple Studio

Bellroy

1. Make the Email Subject Line Strong

The first thing that subscribers are going to read is the Black Friday subject line. Get their attention and encourage them to open an email newsletter. Brevity is the soul of wit. Words to include in catchy subject lines are:

• Sale
• 50% Off
• Huge Discount
• BOGO
• Exciting

Make it short but “seducing.”

You can reinforce the impression by using preview text. Use it to extend the catchy phrase and show subscribers extra information. Remember that there should be a smooth transition from the subject line to the content so you don’t disappoint subscribers.

2. Use GIFs and Emojis

GIFs and emojis effectively convey an idea to the audience. They put points across as well as bring emotion to the email newsletter. Considered a universal language, they naturally address various groups of people. Without saying a word, you can make the email newsletter look fun, serious, seasonal, urgent, and so on. Use them to stress messages in the subject lines and unobtrusively draw attention toward offers inside the copy.

Black Friday Weekend by Carhartt WIP

3. The Magic Word: “Sale”

Use “Sale” without regrets since everyone expects it. Combine the word with “free shipping” or “free gift” for even greater impact. However, do not overdo it with the word “Free.”

The reason is simple: some people, as well as Google, may consider it spam and move your email newsletter to the trash without a glance.

Black Friday Email Newsletter by The Hill-Side

4. Another Magic Word: “Exclusive”

Everybody wants exclusive products: it is in our nature. Triggering this sensation may bring good results. This can be applied as extra incentives for loyal customers or just as a trick to drive more traffic to your e-store.

👀 Note: You can combine this word with scarcity and get better results.

Black Friday Email Newsletter by Withings

5. Have a Deal Each Day

Delivering true value to customers every day should be the motto of a good email marketing campaign. If you are up to it, a strategy of offering a deal each day is just what the doctor ordered. It may require extra effort but it will certainly pay you back. It will help to maintain engagement, drum up interest, and keep potential buyers coming back.

To meet the challenge successfully, you can use an online HTML email template builder like Postcards. It allows you to create and edit email templates within seconds without coding and design skills. You can send a unique email newsletter with an exclusive deal every day without sacrificing quality. I bet your customers will appreciate this diligence.

6. Cut to the Chase

Get straight to the point. It is a winning tactic when it comes to the busy BFCM weekend. No one wants to read long stories about discounts. There are a bunch of email newsletters with similar offers, so keep it simple.

People are waiting for the best deal, so give it to them. Do not hide it or place it after general information – make it a star of the show. Use a headline to announce the discount. Make it bold, big, and, most importantly, brief.

Black Friday Email Newsletter by Designmodo

7. Let Them Eat with Their Eyes

The approach of “less is more” is highly recommended for the BFCM weekend. However, it does not mean that you need to be extremely minimal. Show bestsellers to the audience to remind them what is waiting for them at the store. After all, people eat with their eyes. Use it to your advantage.

Note you need to exercise caution here since not all email readers can display images. Also, users can turn them off by default. Remember to provide alt information every time.

Black Friday Email Newsletter by Yoco

8. Practice Reciprocity

Reciprocity is a psychological trick to lure potential buyers in. People love presents. Therefore, you can shamelessly exploit this human weakness to increase revenue. Although it requires an act of generosity, like giving away a free gift, it is undoubtedly worth it.

9. Stress Urgency

Oura

Old-school tricks never get old, and establishing a sense of urgency is a proven tactic. It is used in subject lines and copy. For example, send your email list short phrases in your subject line and headlines as:

• Limited Time Only
• Today Only
• Sale Ends At Midnight
• Last Chance to Shop
• Only Hours Left

If you want to encourage subscribers to act immediately, you can also try to add a timer. You can also play FOMO (fear of missing out) tricks and force scarcity to work for you.

Black Friday by Readdle

10. Generate Excitement

To create buzz and generate excitement, you can adopt several techniques.

First, send sneak peeks (teaser emails) to build anticipation about promotions and get people excited beforehand.

Second, offer a mystery prize (promotional emails). Either use a digital scratch card or imitate it by segmenting people and providing different discount codes. Use GIFs for visualization.

Tinker Watches

Finally, make flash sales. They are popular techniques for email marketing. Remember to be very careful with timing. Everything should be in sync.

11. Create an Impressive Design

Art of Play

Your best deal will not sell itself. It needs a proper entourage, and a well-thought-out design is the way to go.

The goal is to make the design scream BFCM on all fronts and unobtrusively direct attention toward the discount. Of course, the general practice is to use a black color palette. You can always adopt other color schemes. Use animated gifs, funny images, emojis, etc.

To save your time, use Postcards to quickly build an email newsletter. There are a whole bunch of baseline components, starting from the compact navigation options and ending with e-commerce widgets, with a stylish look and, most importantly, responsive behavior.

If you need a ready-made solution to build on, there is an excellent Black Friday Email Templates that is free. The deal instantly grabs attention, with a dark image backdrop establishing the atmosphere.

👀 Note: The design is simple yet straight to the point, with elegant traits and a businesslike appeal.

12. Extend Sales

This practice has become common. We have already pointed out that you can start sales earlier to get a head start. The same goes for the ending of the campaign. Prolong it and shower buyers with exclusive deals. Extend the sale by a day or two to catch people who got distracted during the initial sale window.

Black Friday Extended Email Newsletter by National Geographic

13. Use Transactional Emails

Don’t forget transactional emails during the key sales season. Send an abandoned cart email with a reminder that buyers are missing out on huge discounts to win them back. Be ready to align transactional emails according to the event.

14. Accurately Segment the Audience

Although the BFCM weekend is all about huge sales, it does not mean that you should go blindly with it. Of course, a big discount in the email newsletter never hurts anybody; however, properly segmenting your audience can be much more beneficial.

Loyal buyers need and want differently, and it is your task to deal with that efficiently. One size fits all is a common practice in email newsletters during BFCM, yet this results in a faceless mass of offers that potential customers throw away. Do not send one deal to everybody: be more personal. Segment audiences based on behavior and preferences.

Clean up lists as well. If a subscriber has not purchased anything in the last year, the chances are he or she will not do it. The same goes for those who have never opened your email newsletter. Eliminate those folks from the subscription list. Sending them email newsletters is not just a waste of time but also risks ending up with bad karma.

15. Schedule Everything

BFCM is a mad weekend, and without a good plan, you won’t survive. Organize the event from top to bottom. This tip is most useful for those who do not have a store-wide sale and want to treat subscribers with occasional discounts. Create a simple calendar. Use whatever software you like. Create a table and write down a start date, end date, type of target audience, what offer to show, the desired outcome, etc.

16. Send and Send Emails

Since the BFCM weekend is jam-packed, it is a good practice to send multiple email newsletters to subscribers for a better chance of getting noticed. Emails should not be identical. While they pursue one goal – to drive traffic to your store – they should still be different. Try this plan:

• The first email can be a sneak peek at the week before the event.
• The second email can be a congratulations card sent on Thanksgiving Day that will include a coupon or a small gift.
• The third can be an announcement of the beginning of the sale weekend. If you decide to start early, this email newsletter can precede the previous one.
• The fourth should bring the best offer ever. If you decide to treat your email subscribers with a “Deal a Day” campaign, then there will be even more.
• The fifth may inform subscribers about the end of the event.
• And the last email can be an announcement of an extended sale.

17. Last but not least. A/B Test

A/B testing is absolutely necessary. First and foremost, it will help to identify the best strategy for your campaign. And it will save you from bad rates.

What should you test? Check everything: subject line, copy, timing, etc.

The best practice is to do it throughout the year to draw a general picture of subscribers and their preferences. Since BFCM weekend is a special period, some preferences may change, so A/B testing right before the event can also provide useful insights.

Initial Preparations for Sending Black Friday Emails

An efficient Black Friday email newsletter takes some advanced work. Prepare to ensure that your email campaign will not fail during the busiest sales days of the year. Let’s start with the basics.

1. Clean Subscription List

Even though Black Friday is a special weekend when everybody will be waiting for discounts, it does not mean that you should bombard subscribers who are not interested. Of course, you can send “we miss you” emails with Black Friday reminders, but the best thing to do is to send them to engaged subscribers. Therefore, clean your subscription list and segment the audience to ensure that your Black Friday announcement won’t bounce from every inbox, resulting in bad rates.

Remember, although BFCM weekend is an apotheosis, it is certainly not the end. It is a part of marketing strategy, and an opportunity to secure subscribers and add new ones.

To seamlessly transition from Black Friday to end-of-year holiday promotions, consider these strategic approaches:

• Plan Beyond the Weekend: Use insights gained from Black Friday campaigns to inform your holiday promotions. Analyze what worked and where improvements can be made.
• Year-Round Strategy: Think of Black Friday as a stepping stone for your entire holiday marketing plan. The tactics you employ now should be adaptable for future campaigns.
• Creative Inspiration: Look back at the creative elements that captured attention. Replicate and innovate these ideas to maintain engagement through the holiday season.
• Competitive Intelligence: Keep an eye on industry trends and competitors’ moves during Black Friday. This intelligence can guide your strategy as you head into the festive period.

By using these strategies, you ensure that your efforts during Black Friday not only drive immediate results but also set the stage for a successful holiday marketing push.

2. Collect Data in Advance

A good BFCM campaign depends on your ability to shoot straight. Use the year, especially November, to collect data about customers. What do they like? These stats can become a perfect starting point in choosing what deal to stress in your email to lure potential buyers in without much pressure. Make the BFCM newsletter meet the expectations of your subscribers.

3. Warm the Audience Up Beforehand

Warming the audience up beforehand enhances the Black Friday and Cyber Monday email campaign. As a rule, people start to buy presents before the holiday. Send them a newsletter with a special coupon that will be valid during the weekend. You can also tease customers with upcoming sales sneak peeks to create buzz and interest. Use the Postcards email builder for that.

For those of you who already have an idea of how to create a conversion-driven design that will beat any competition, we recommend setting your eyes on the free HTML email template builder, Postcards. With more than one hundred pre-designed, fully responsive, cross-compatible modules and an intuitive drag-and-drop visual editor, it will help to bring your idea to life in a matter of seconds. No design or development skills are required: enjoy the process.

Quickly build a beautiful email newsletter without coding, like one featured below, to awaken curiosity and direct attention toward the future event.

4. Use a Website to Your Advantage

BFCM campaigns are a collective work. Your website is your assistant when it comes to sales so it should be dressed up as well. Use it to create proper anticipation for the event. You can:

• Add banners
• Scatter BFCM-related graphics throughout the design
• Emphasize an event in the content using infoboxes
• Change the design of the hero area for the holiday
• Add to the popup subscription box a small reminder about the big event
• Create a landing page

Inform users that special offers for subscribers are coming soon, so it is better to check the inbox for early bird discounts. Stay consistent across all the media.

5. Use Other Channels

Along with using social media profiles to notify followers about the upcoming event, you can also go for a traditional advertisement on Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Telegram. Even SMS can do the trick here.

When to Start Black Friday Email Newsletter Campaign?

Black Friday this year is on the 28th of November. It’s a good practice to start your Black Friday email campaign around a week before 28th November, i.e., 13th or 14th November.

Your campaign must have at least 3 email series:

1. Teaser email: One that introduces your deal to the customers
2. Discount email: Another one to reveal the discounts you offer
3. Follow-up email: A third that closes with a last-chance reminder

You can send these with two-day gaps. An email series like the one above is far better than sending just one email. Why? Multiple emails help you stay on top of your customers’ minds.

When and Why Should Black Friday Emails Be Resent?

Timing Is Key:

Resending Black Friday emails at the right time is crucial for capturing your audience’s attention. Often, the initial email might get lost amidst the influx of promotional messages. Consider sending it again later in the day when inbox traffic decreases, potentially leading to better visibility.

Understanding the Why:

The primary reasons for resending emails are to engage those who missed the first attempt and to re-engage those who showed initial interest but didn’t take action. This approach helps maximize your campaign reach and boost conversions.

Two Effective Strategies:

1. Target the Non-Responders:
   • Action: Send the original message again.
   • Audience: Focus on those who didn’t open or click the first time around.
   • Benefit: This method refreshes their memory and gives them another chance to see your offer.
2. Engage Partial Responders with a Twist:
   • Action: Slightly modify the subject line or content.
   • Audience: Aim at individuals who opened the email or clicked but didn’t finalize the purchase.
   • Benefit: Highlight the urgency of your offer, suggesting it might expire soon, to drive conversions.

Track Your Timing:

It’s important to monitor email open rates at various times to identify the optimal moment for capturing your audience’s attention. By understanding these patterns, you can better plan future resends to engage more subscribers effectively and increase sales.

Let’s get straight into some Black Friday email examples now.

15 Real-Life Black Friday Emails Examples [Cyber Monday Included]

1. Forever 21 – Inspiring and Enviable

 

Forever 21 Email

We are going to start our collection with Forever 21 and their mind-blowing email marketing campaign. It is one of the most inspiring and enviable examples so far. The team behind it has gone above and beyond just offering a discount.

As we have mentioned several times in our guides, the BFCM weekend is not only about one email newsletter. This is one of those times when you can send out not just one or two but many email newsletters without ruining your rates. The best practice is to knock on the door several times. However, all these knocks should be different. It is here where Forever 21 shows us how to do it properly and create emails that convert.

The team has prepared a series of email newsletters that are tied to one theme, yet do different things. Everything begins with the announcement of the BFCM weekend. The newsletter is straight to the point: it includes just a headline, a discount, and a CTA. Even though they have used all the trappings of a traditional Black Friday email, they have won the audience with a brilliant idea.

They have included a digital version of the scratch card by adding goldfields with different discounts underneath. In this way, they not only have stood out from the crowd, but they have also attracted and stirred up interest. What’s more, they have also used animated GIFs to spice things up.

The next letter informs us about the nearing end of the event. The email newsletter uses the same design features, yet this time the first goldfield is crossed out. Here, the team has played a card of scarcity and urgency.

And the last one has an element of surprise. It declares the extended sale and special discount. Again, the scratch card is here.

All the email newsletters focus on a singular goal, yet they try to achieve it in different ways. The smooth transition between the email newsletters creates not just a sense of consistency but, most importantly, excitement and anticipation of something big coming. Forever 21 triggers various sensations in subscribers as well as plays time-proven psychological tricks to get the desired result.

The campaign by Forever 21 is truly one of a kind. However, if you do not have time for planning and bringing to life such a sort of strategy, you can always bet everything on one or two email newsletters with a unique design.

Let us explore several outstanding examples.

2. West Elm – A Well-Balanced Email

Email Newsletter by West Elm

West Elm stays away from minimal solutions and prefers to be quite loud. Their email strategy jumps out at you. However, they keep a fair mix of images and text, bringing about a well-balanced design. They have stepped up their game with clever usage of typography and dynamic content. Do you see the lamp on the top? It turns on the light and illuminates the deal. Props on using gifs in such a smart way: the team shows the product and at the same time brings focus to the offer. Big, loud, and smart.

3. Bloomingdale’s – Take a Storytelling Approach

Bloomingdales

While some prefer to fix on minimal solutions and put offers straight on the table, others indulge themselves in a true storytelling approach, opting in favor of long email newsletters. While this is not the best practice for a busy BFCM weekend, it still has its own merits and a chance to stand out from the crowd. Consider Black Friday from Bloomingdale’s’.

Bloomingdale’s’ announcement of BFCM weekend is a real festival of colors, fonts, and graphics. It is made in neon style. You can see many street signs that catch the eye with their bright charisma. Although the design is jam-packed with information, it looks organic and undoubtedly enticing.

4. mbyM – The Ingenious Email Design

Black Friday from mbyM

Although big numbers, as well as the magic word “SALE”, can go a long way, it does not mean that you should rely solely on them. Sometimes, creative content, and of course ingenious design, can save the day, even taking up just a small area. Black Friday email newsletter sent by mbyM is a point in case.

Here you will find only two things: a headline and an image in the footer. However, it is enough to not just convey the message but also meet the atmosphere of the event, as well as add a touch of brand identity. How can it be done? Simple. mbyM is a company that specializes in women’s clothing. Therefore, the team has taken a photo of iconic black lace underwear and used it as a primary tool for decorating the design. All the elements, except for the discount offer, are made from it. Just brilliant.

5. Lou and Grey – A Simplistic Approach

Black Friday Email Newsletter by Lou and Grey

The team behind Lou and Grey has gone in the opposite direction from NYXCosmetics with their email newsletter. They have skillfully abstracted from the brand identity and products, choosing a neutral illustrated approach. However, it still drives traffic since the team managed to skillfully interweave scarcity into design. “Time is ticking away” here. In addition, they get a few points for the simplicity of the approach that certainly garners extra conversions.

6. NYXCosmetics – Text + Visual

Cyber Monday Sale

The Cyber Monday email newsletter from NYXCosmetics sticks to the company’s core value. This whole email — from its copy to the imagery — meets the brand identity of the store. However, this time, the team has decided to add more information and visual content. They have shown products and offers together, resulting in a bit of overcrowded design.

However, thanks to a one-column layout and well-thought-out play with typography, the readability was saved. The team has creatively highlighted top products by using them as a frame on the back, and at the same time, they have skillfully touted the discount by placing it right in the middle of the fuss.

7. Apple – Text Heavy Email

Back Friday Announcement by Apple

Much like the previous example, the email newsletter from Apple also sticks to its roots. The company is famous for its love of building its strategies around brand identity. And this approach certainly pays off since we recognize it everywhere.

Their Black Friday announcement is a place where minimalism meets perfection. The team has foregone images and opted in favor of traditional black-and-white coloring spruced up with a generous amount of whitespace. It is incredibly oversimplified, yet it does what it should – instantly deliver the message to the crowd.

8. BaubleBar – An Outstanding Black Friday Email

Black Friday Email Newsletter by BaubleBar

Standing in stark contrast to the previous example, the BFCM email newsletter by BaubleBar embraces the power of brand identity and the magic word “Exclusive”. In a core, it is just a sleek picture overlaid with the discount; however, here, this old-school trick was taken to the next level. The design, content, and brand go hand in hand. Note several things:

• The signature pink makes the whole email very on-brand so that customers recognize it instantly.
• “35%” discount occupies the lion’s share of the screen, yet it does not overwhelm. Thanks to a well-thought-out design, it just perfectly blends in.
• “12 HOURS ONLY” stresses the urgency, pushing the buyers to make their decision faster.
• “VIP access” creates a feeling of exclusivity that appeals to the crowd.

Without sacrificing brand identity, the team has created an outstanding email newsletter that is enhanced with marketing tricks.

9. The Hill-Side – A Loud Email

Black Friday Sale by The Hill-Side

Here, the team has done a great job at driving subscribers. They have made the email newsletter as loud as ever. Skillfully embracing the holiday spirit and using the power of typography, they have informed about the BFCM event in a simple yet creative way.

Note two things. First, simple illustrations of falling leaves scattered throughout the black canvas save the design from feeling banal, as well as set the proper mood. Secondly, “Sale” and “30%” are the first two things that get noticed. The email newsletter has everything subscribers ever need from mood to good deal dished up ably.

10. Some More Black Friday and Cyber Monday Newsletters

National Geographic Email

Elementor Email

Dakota Email

TunnelBear Email

Adidas Email

Fossil Email

How to Maximize the Impact of Preheaders in Black Friday Emails

Preheaders play a crucial role in crafting compelling Black Friday email campaigns. They serve as the teaser text that follows your subject line, offering a prime opportunity to boost open rates and customer engagement. But how can you leverage them effectively?

1. Convey Urgency and Scarcity

Use preheaders to reinforce the sense of urgency associated with Black Friday. Words like “limited time” or “exclusive offer” can motivate readers to act swiftly. For example, “Hurry, 50% off ends at midnight!” can create a sense of scarcity and prompt quicker actions.

2. Highlight Additional Offers

While your subject line might emphasize the main deal, a preheader can draw attention to supplementary offers. This could include free shipping, a buy-one-get-one deal, or bundled package savings. An example might be, “Plus, enjoy free shipping on all orders!”

3. Include Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)

Encourage immediate engagement by incorporating a specific CTA in your preheader. Phrases such as “Shop Now” or “Claim Your Deal” can direct readers towards an intended action, seamlessly guiding them from email open to conversion.

4. Share Store Information

Since many shoppers will be seeking both online and in-store opportunities during Black Friday, utilize preheaders to share crucial information, like extended store hours or curbside pick-up options. This not only serves to inform but can also attract those planning in-person visits.

5. Tap Into Personalization

Elevate engagement by tailoring preheaders with personalized content. Mentioning a recipient’s previous interests or past purchases can enhance relevance. Consider, “Just for you, up to 40% off on electronics you love!”

By effectively strategizing the use of preheaders, your Black Friday email campaigns can become powerful tools that not only captivate recipients but also drive significant conversions.

Wrapping Up

Big events always bring big problems, and BFCM weekend is one of those troublemakers. The secret to sending an efficient Black Friday and Cyber Monday email newsletter lies in a well-thought-out campaign where all the stages are perfectly done, and the gears run like clockwork.

As you prepare for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, your email marketing strategy can make or break your sales success. By using the tips outlined in this guide—crafting compelling subject lines, offering valuable content, and leveraging our Black Friday and Cyber Monday newsletter templates—you’ll be well on your way to creating campaigns that capture attention and drive conversions.