This year, Black Friday was a mixed bag. Big businesses celebrated skyrocketing sales, but for many small businesses, sales were flat or even down, especially for my coaches and course creators.
It was a reality check for a lot of businesses, I even saw a few businesses saying they’ll never do another BF sale.
But instead of seeing it as a loss, there is a lot to be learned from the excitement of BF sales. After over 10 years of working with online business owners, I’ve seen quite a few Black Fridays come and go, and I’ve learned a few things to help continue to grow Black Friday and Beyond.
Here are the five key lessons I learned that will guide my strategy moving forward:
1. It’s Never Too Early to Warm Up Your List
I started warming up my audience weeks before Black Friday by hosting weekly webinars. These sessions not only added value but also kept me top of mind. By the time my promotion launched, people were ready and waiting. Lesson learned: consistent engagement builds anticipation.
2. Don’t Skip the Affiliate Page
Every year I set up a page promoting other people’s services and products that I’m an affiliate for. While I didn’t make a ton of sales, promoting others gave me an extra boost in income and traffic, people are usually more excited to click on a deal page with a lot of deals than just my 1 sales page. Lesson learned: sharing the spotlight can help you grow, too.
3. Black Friday Is About More Than Just Sales
It’s easy to focus solely on revenue, but Black Friday is also an incredible opportunity to build visibility and brand recognition. Even if someone didn’t buy, they saw my name, visited my site, and learned about my offers. Lesson learned: visibility today can mean sales tomorrow.
4. Black Friday Doesn’t Have to Be the End
The holiday season isn’t over after Black Friday. Think about brands like Bath & Body Works, who run their candle sale a week after BF and sell out every year. There’s always room for a December or New Year’s promotion to catch people after the frenzy. Keep pushing your products and services even after Black Friday. Lesson learned: there’s no “perfect” time to sell—make your own wave.
5. People Really Buy Gifts on Black Friday
Most of my audiences sell courses, coaching, business tools, and similar services. While we get some sales on Black Friday weekend, it’s important to remember that many people are shopping for others, not themselves or their business. Like #4 keep pushing your offers because once people are done buying presents, they can turn their attention back to personal self-development purchases. Lesson learned: don’t be discouraged if sales are slow—your audience might come back later when they’re ready to invest in themselves.
These five lessons shifted how I think about holiday sales. They’ve already sparked new ideas for what’s next—and I’m excited to take what I’ve learned into December and beyond.