With less than 2 months left until the most significant retail month of the year kicks off (and no, we are not talking about Christmas…yet!), there’s a lot to do for small business owners right now.

If you own an ecommerce or retail business, Black Friday should already be on your radar. Here are some simple steps you can take over the next few months to take advantage of this busy period, and make 2024 your best sales season yet.

Why you should start preparing 

Getting ready for what will be a month of hyperactivity from all categories means starting now (yes, now) to warm your customers up! You see, customers and clients go on what marketers call a customer journey – which starts with them first hearing about your product, then considering it and then actually buying it from you.

And to get them to that final stage right in time for the prime sales season (i.e. where your business could see its biggest sales of 2024), you must start that journey with them now.

So put these dates and to-dos in your diary because your ultimate countdown guide is here!

Let’s talk diary dates

This year we have the ‘blessing’ of Click Frenzy pushing into November, creating a golden triangle of sales events:

🗓️ Click Frenzy – November 12th
🗓️ Black Friday – November 29th
🗓️ Cyber Monday – December 2nd

It is also important to note that more and more businesses are starting early and finishing later to take advantage of a hyper-engaged client base, and to try to convert as much as possible.

So, with that in mind, promoting during this time may look more like:

😵‍ Click Frenzy
Kick off November 8-10th and wrap up November 15-17th

🌚 Black Friday
Start as early as November 25-27th and roll into Cyber Monday

👩‍💻 Cyber Monday
Extend through to December 4-6th

Choosing the right sales events for your business

At this stage you may need to stop and ask yourself the following:

💭 Which events resonate most with my audience?

💭 What offers will appeal to them?

💭 What length of promotion is viable for my business?

September – Focus on the foundations

Right now is all about setting the stage and preparing your audience to get ready to buy, so this month focus on building that awareness and consideration. Some call this the Top of Funnel (or TOFU), where you are spreading as much interest as possible. The more work you do now, can mean more to sow when November hits!

What to focus on:

👉 Increase your social media content

👉 Build your email list as a priority

👉 Include strong email sign up offers on your website

👉 Develop a nurture email series to keep new subscribers warm

👉 Top of funnel based advertising

👉 Setting up your pixel to maximise data collection from ads

October – Hone In

October is all about nurturing your audience, and making sure they’ve got all the information they need to buy your product over your competitors. So we want to take that awareness into deep consideration. This is known as Middle of Funnel (or MOFU) in which we want them engaging and really starting to desire your product or service.

Key strategies

👉 Firstly, double down on everything above

👉 Go deeper on consideration – we love sharing social proof, benefits and what sets products apart during this time!

👉 Start to increase your email frequency

👉 Check all your conversion tracking is working (can you see sales in your ad platform?)

👉 Plan what offers, added value or incentives you will use in November

November – It’s show time

Get ready to convert, and make sure your Bottom Funnel (BOFU) is ready to fire! This is the month where all your hard work comes together. Your audience is here, and they are ready to buy.

And your job now? To make their purchasing experience as easy as possible.

Your November Checklist

👉 Send 1-2 emails per week and focus on your offers

👉 Run an email 24 hours before your offer ends -there is nothing that drives conversions quite like the last minute!

👉 Focus on conversion ads to drive sales

👉 Use stories to promote offers with links direct to cart

The takeaway

By starting your preparations early, you can build awareness, nurture your audience, and fine-tune your strategies to stand out in a crowded marketplace. This approach helps you capitalise on peak shopping periods, attract more customers, and maximise your sales potential. In short, being proactive and organised gives you a competitive head start and sets the stage for a successful Black Friday and beyond.

And yes, there is plenty more you can do, but for a small business owner this is an achievable plan that will get you through the hype – without the overwhelm.

By following this countdown guide, you will be well and truly on your way to making the MOST of Black Friday and the surrounding sales events.

Need a helping hand?

If you are looking for more support at any stage, we have you.

You can book into one of our workshops or reach out for help with managed services, including organic social media, paid ads, website development, and email marketing.

Start on a high note and let’s get things rolling – your business will thank you 😉

Happy prepping!