Black Friday email templates

Power of Black Friday in marketing

According to Adobe Analytics, the 2023 Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping season hit a record $123.5 billion in online spending in the United States. Pretty impressive, but what does that have to do with Black Friday email templates? Recent Marigold research shows that nearly one-third of consumers find email to be the most influential channel in their BFCM shopping plans. They place it even higher than social media ads and posts. Wisernotify backs this up with their recent stats showing that Black Friday email opens increase by nearly 30% and click-throughs increase by 35% compared to normal days.

This is getting interesting, isn’t it? Let’s dive deeper!

Black Friday email templates

Black Friday email campaigns require a delicate balance between urgency and brand trust. While everyone’s fighting for inbox attention during this peak season, your emails need to stand out without looking desperate or spammy. Our collection of Black Friday templates will help you combine proven conversion elements with customizable designs. That’s all you need as a starting point to maintain your brand’s unique voice. Use these templates as is, or customize them in Selzy’s drag-and-drop email editor to create campaigns that will really resonate with your customers.

Struggling with visuals? Selzy’s AI image generation is built right into the email builder, letting you create stunning custom Black Friday email templates in seconds. Just describe what you’re looking for — whether it’s “minimalist sale banner” or “festive shopping scene”. Make your Black Friday email templates visually irresistible without breaking the bank!

Subject line and preheader 

The inbox competition is usually fierce. You’re not just competing with other retailers, you’re competing with hundreds of them. Forbes research reveals that emails with personalized subject lines achieve a 26% higher open rate (and surely even more during BFCM!) compared to non-personalized ones. Make sure to personalize yours! 

For example, instead of the overused “BIG SALE!”, try something like “Only #BF email you need to open” or “We’re doing BFCM differently this year.” Remember to A/B test your email subject lines and content. What worked last year might not work this season.

With Selzy’s writing assistance integration available in our email editor, you can quickly generate and test multiple subject line variations. Our AI understands the psychology of e-commerce shoppers and helps you craft emails that stand out in crowded inboxes. All without sounding like every other promotional email.

Black Friday email templates design and layout

The traditional Black Friday email design color scheme of dark and yellow can work well, but don’t feel confined by it. Some of the most successful campaigns we’ve seen use unexpected color combinations or even minimal, elegant designs. Contrast your offers against the usual noisy, busy visuals.

Keep your layout clean and scannable. Customers are reviewing dozens of offers simultaneously, so make your value proposition immediately clear. Use plenty of white space, clear CTAs, and a hierarchy that guides the eye to your most important offers first.

Timing and strategy (what no one tells you)

Here’s an industry secret: the most successful Black Friday email campaigns often don’t wait until the day comes. Those that start 2-3 weeks before BF typically see higher revenue per recipient than those that wait until Black Friday itself.

But it’s still not that obvious. While everyone’s jumping on the early bird bandwagon, some brands are finding massive success by staying quiet until BFCM itself. They start sending powerful campaigns when their competitors’ subscribers are already fatigued from weeks of previews. It’s about understanding your specific audience and their behavior patterns.

Psychology of urgency vs. exclusivity in Black Friday emails

Traditional Black Friday email messaging relies heavily on urgency — “24 hours only!”, “Don’t miss out!”, “Last chance!” While these can still work, modern consumers are becoming increasingly numb to such obvious pressure tactics. Research by Deloitte shows that 81% of consumers say exclusive products or offers make them more likely to purchase, compared to 65% who cite time-limited deals as their primary motivator.

Some innovative brands are even pushing back against #BF madness altogether. They use the occasion to reinforce their brand values with anti-consumerism campaigns or charity initiatives. These approaches can create stronger emotional connections with customers who are tired of the usual buzz during this period of the year.

Technical essentials for successful Black Friday email templates

Mobile optimization isn’t just important for Black Friday emails — it’s absolutely critical. Every Selzy template is thoroughly tested across devices, ensuring your campaigns look perfect whether they’re viewed on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.

Consider load times too. With many retailers including multiple product images and animated GIFs in their Black Friday emails, delivery speed can suffer. Subscribers can simply abandon emails that take more than 2-3 seconds to load completely. Our templates are optimized for quick loading while maintaining visual impact, helping your offers reach customers promptly during the peak shopping hours.

Remember to test your links, tracking, and checkout process before the big day. The last thing you want is technical issues when sales are at their peak. With Selzy’s email optimizer, you can check your entire campaign flow before it goes live. Provide a smooth experience for your customers during the busiest shopping day of the year.