If your inbox looks anything like mine, you might have noticed the same thing I have: Black Friday is no longer just a day—it’s a whole season
🛍️ Sales didn’t start on Friday.
🛍️ They didn’t end on Monday.
And before Thanksgiving even rolled around, most of us were already tired of the words “doorbuster,” “extended,” and “last chance.”
👉 So… are Black Friday and Cyber Monday dead? Short answer: not dead—but definitely different.
Things have shifted, and as business owners and marketers, we need to be paying attention. Here’s what I’m seeing:
1. The Sale Window Has Blown Wide Open
What used to be a 24–48 hour moment is now a 2–4 week marketing marathon.Brands are opening Black Friday deals earlier, longer, and louder (if you didn’t get 300 emails a day, you have stronger email boundaries than me). This shift means the urgency once relied on during BFCM just isn’t the same anymore. It also means your messaging needs to be clearer than ever. Your customers need to know when, where, and how the best deals are happening.
2. Consumers Are Tired and Overwhelmed
I’m not sure about you, but Black Friday doesn’t feel exciting anymore—it feels like noise.A post I saw says it all:“I miss the days when I had to flip through an ad and choose which store I was going to wait in line for. There doesn’t seem to be much excitement or real “deals” anymore. This is the first year I didn’t do any Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping — but it was the first year I made a point of supporting small businesses for Small Business Saturday.” That last part is good for us small businesses 😉
3. Small Businesses Can’t (and shouldn’t) play by the same rules as big brands
I had this conversation with a client recently. Big brands can offer huge discounts for longer periods of time because of the sheer volume of orders they bring in. First of all, you don’t even have to participate in Black Friday deals or discounts. But if you do, keep it simple, clear and short-lived.
The New Black Friday Strategy? Simplify + Personalize
Here’s what’s working now:
Shorter, simpler promos with strong messaging: A 2–3 day window. One offer. No chaos.
Build hype with your community first: Get people excited about what’s coming up. Ask their opinion on what they want to see, what their favorite products and services are. Making your best customers happy will always be the best strategy.
Focus on value, not urgency: People want to feel good about buying—not pressured. Remind them of the impact them buying from you has—on you, your staff, your community.
Giving bonuses instead of slashing prices: If you want to offer something special without discounting your offers, consider things like special bonuses, gift with purchase, or product bundles. Your customers feel like they are getting something special, exclusive, and custom and you don’t have to slash your prices (and your profit).
BONUS: What NOT to do ⤵️
Do see that subject line Beis used in their Cyber Monday email? That was sent at 2am? A few things to note:
– First, this type of subject line is ILLEGAL. As are those fake Re: subject lines.
– Second, remember how I talk about FEELING pillars? Imagine how Beis email subscribers felt waking up to an email warning them of a fraud alert, That is NOT how you want to leave your customers feeling. Now every time they see Beis in their inbox, they will remember THAT feeling.
What does all this mean for next year?
Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t going away. But the brands that will win BFCM next year are the ones who build relationships all year, stay consistent and clear, and don’t rely on a single sale to save their revenue goals. This is the era of sustainable marketing, real connection, and smarter, not louder, strategy. And I’m here for it! And these ideas can be applied to your year-round marketing strategy.
As you plan your 2026 marketing, ask yourself:
How can I make my offers simpler?
What do my customers actually want from me?
How can I create less noise and more clarity?
And if you need help with your marketing strategy, I’m here to help!
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