Maximize your holiday sales with an effective Black Friday email strategy tailored for handmade businesses.
Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, and it's not just for the big box retailers. As a handmade seller, you have a unique opportunity to connect with your audience and drive sales by creating a thoughtful, targeted email marketing campaign. But here’s the catch—your audience’s inbox will be flooded with sales and promotions, so how do you stand out?
It’s not about sending more emails, it’s about sending the right emails at the right time.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or this is your first Black Friday as a handmade seller, these seven actionable tips will help you craft a killer email marketing strategy. Let’s get to it!
1. Tease Your Sale with a Sneak Peek
Before Black Friday even arrives, build anticipation by teasing your sale. Create a sense of urgency and excitement that’ll have your subscribers counting down the days.
How to Do It: Send a "Coming Soon" email a week or two in advance with a hint of what’s to come. Include a few sneak peeks of your best-selling items or exclusive holiday bundles.
Pro Tip: Use subject lines like “A sneak peek just for you!” or “Our biggest sale of the year is coming—get ready!”
2. Segment Your Audience for Targeted Emails
Sending one-size-fits-all emails won’t cut it on Black Friday. To maximize engagement and sales, segment your email list based on customer behavior, purchase history, or demographics.
Examples:
Send your VIP customers early access to your Black Friday deals.
Target customers who have abandoned their carts with a reminder of your upcoming sale and an extra incentive.
New subscribers? Offer them an exclusive discount to make their first purchase with you.
Real-World Example: I segment my email list into three groups: VIP customers, recent buyers, and people who have abandoned their carts. Sending a special “early access” sale to my VIPs increases my open rate by 20%, and targeted reminders for cart abandoners increase conversions by 15%.
3. Offer Exclusive Discounts to Email Subscribers
Reward your email subscribers by giving them a discount they won’t find anywhere else. It’s a simple way to make them feel valued while encouraging them to act quickly.
How to Do It: Offer email-exclusive promo codes for your Black Friday sale, and make sure it’s clear in the email that this deal is only for subscribers.
Pro Tip: Try a subject line like “Exclusive Black Friday Deal Inside—Just for You” to make them feel like they’re part of a special group.
4. Create Urgency with a Countdown
Your customers need a reason to act fast, and nothing triggers action quite like a countdown. Whether it’s the countdown to your sale starting or the countdown until it ends, this is a powerful tool.
How to Do It: Add a countdown timer to your email to create a sense of urgency. Highlight phrases like "limited time offer" and "while supplies last."
Pro Tip: Use a tool like Klaviyo or Mailchimp to easily embed countdown timers in your email. It adds a visual element that captures attention and prompts action.
5. Focus on Storytelling, Not Just Discounts
While discounts are a huge part of Black Friday, don’t forget to add the human touch. Your customers are buying handmade goods because of the craftsmanship, the story behind the product, and your values as a maker.
How to Do It: Share a quick story about how your products are made, or what inspires you during the holiday season. You can even spotlight a customer testimonial.
Real-World Example: One Black Friday, I shared a behind-the-scenes video of how I make my candles. This email had a higher engagement rate than a standard discount-focused email because it resonated with my customers’ desire to connect with the maker.
6. Highlight Gift Ideas
The holiday season is all about finding the perfect gift. Help your customers out by curating a gift guide featuring your handmade products.
How to Do It: Create different gift guides for specific groups—like “Gifts for Him,” “Gifts Under $50,” or “Gifts for the Self-Care Enthusiast.”
Pro Tip: Include quick-purchase links under each product image to make shopping as easy as possible. People are busy, and the quicker they can check out, the better.
Download our free Holiday Gift Guide template here.
7. Plan Your Follow-Up Campaigns
Don’t let the momentum die after Black Friday. Send follow-up emails to keep customers engaged and shopping. This could be a "Cyber Monday Reminder" or a "Last Chance" email with a time-sensitive deal.
How to Do It: Automate a post-sale email that thanks your customers for their purchase and offers a discount for their next order. For customers who didn’t buy, send a “Did You Miss Out?” email to give them one last chance to shop.
Pro Tip: Automating these follow-ups saves you time while ensuring no customer slips through the cracks.
Conclusion
Black Friday is the perfect time for handmade sellers to shine and showcase what makes their products special. With a thoughtful email strategy, you can rise above the noise, connect with your audience, and drive serious sales. Remember, it’s all about being strategic, personal, and keeping the customer experience at the forefront.
Question: What’s your Black Friday email game plan? Let us know in the comments below!
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