Top 20 Black Friday Facebook Ads Strategies to Boost Conversions

Black Friday marks the peak of competition in advertising, with brands increasing their budgets and using various marketing formats to attract customers. Therefore, if you want to succeed during Black Friday, you need to equip yourself with effective strategies. In this article, we’ll explore proven strategies and examples that can help you optimize your Black Friday Facebook Ads, ensuring your campaign captures attention and drives conversions.

Why Black Friday is a Big Opportunity for Facebook Ads?

Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping events in the retail industry. During this annual occasion, billions of dollars are spent on shopping – no one can deny the opportunity that Black Friday brings to brands and businesses.

Increased online shopping

In 2023, U.S. consumers spent $9.12 billion online during Black Friday alone, marking a 2.3% year-over-year growth in digital sales. This surge in online activity presents a significant opportunity for brands to tap into the heightened shopping intent during the holiday season.

Higher engagement on social media

According to Facebook, 66% of Black Friday shoppers make decisions on what to buy before the event even begins. This pre-event behavior creates a ripe opportunity to use Facebook Ads to build awareness and retarget interested users.

Mobile shopping dominance

A report by Adobe Analytics indicated that in 2023, 55% of Black Friday sales came from mobile devices. This trend highlights the importance of Facebook Ads, as the platform is primarily used on mobile, offering brands a direct channel to mobile-first shoppers.

Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday?

In 2023, Cyber Monday outperformed Black Friday in online sales, generating $12.4 billion, compared to Black Friday’s $9.12 billion. Cyber Monday is now the biggest online shopping day, drawing customers for last-minute deals, especially on digital products. Many shoppers use this day to complete their holiday purchases, capitalizing on online-exclusive discounts.

Both Black Friday and Cyber Monday share similar strategies, making them complementary shopping events. Brands can use Dynamic Ads, retargeting, and countdown timers to create urgency and attract customers on both days.

Additionally, tactics like limited-time offers and UGC boost engagement for both events, with urgency-driving strategies such as exclusive discounts or flash sales working effectively across both shopping periods.

Facebook Ads Strategies for BFCM (+ Examples)

These Facebook Ads strategies for Black Friday come from both my personal experience working with clients and successful case studies found online. Let's take a look:

#1 Start Planning Early for Black Friday Weekend

The earlier you start planning your Black Friday campaigns, the better prepared you’ll be to capitalize on the shopping rush. Starting 2-4 weeks in advance allows you to build anticipation, test ads, and optimize for peak performance. It also gives you time to iron out any issues and gather audience insights before the big weekend.

For Cyber Monday, continuing this momentum ensures your campaign remains strong through the entire shopping weekend.

#2 Use Dynamic Ads

Dynamic Ads automatically show the most relevant products to users who have interacted with your website or app, personalizing the shopping experience. This is crucial during Black Friday and Cyber Monday when user intent is high, and customers expect ads to align with their browsing history.

Personalized ads based on user behavior improve conversion rates as they resonate more with the user’s needs, leading to better performance metrics like click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates.

Take a look at the Black Friday Facebook ads example below: VampireFreaks uses Dynamic Ads to showcase personalized product recommendations for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, maximizing conversions by aligning the ads with user interests, like boots and messenger bags.

#3 Create Urgency with Limited-Time Offers

Urgency-based messaging, such as “Only for 24 hours” or “Limited Stock,” taps into the psychological fear of missing out (FOMO), motivating consumers to take immediate action. This is especially effective during sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, where deals are time-sensitive.

Consumers are more likely to complete purchases when they believe the opportunity is short-lived, driving higher immediate conversions.

This Target ad effectively creates urgency with its limited-time offer for REDcard holders, granting them early access to select Black Friday deals on 11/21 only. Their strategy leverages both FOMO and exclusivity to drive conversions.

#4 Use Facebook’s Collection Ads

Collection Ads allow you to showcase multiple products or offerings within a single, interactive ad unit. Users can browse a catalog of products without leaving the platform, enhancing the likelihood of engagement.

It simplifies the shopping process for customers by displaying multiple items directly on Facebook, increasing engagement and boosting sales for high-interest products.

According to studies, Collection Ads have been shown to increase customer engagement by as much as 86% and deliver a 51% higher return on ad spend (ROAS) compared to standard image ads.

#5 Capitalize on Custom Audiences

Custom Audiences help you retarget people who have already shown interest in your brand, such as past customers, email subscribers, or website visitors. This is key during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as users are more likely to buy if they’ve interacted with your business before.

For example, if a retailer runs Black Friday ads targeting people who visited their site in the last 30 days but didn’t buy anything, those users are more likely to convert due to their previous interest, especially when offered time-limited discounts. This technique ensures you’re spending your ad budget on users with the highest chance of converting.

#6 Create Lookalike Audiences

Since Lookalike Audiences are modeled after your best-performing customers, you’re targeting new users who are more likely to have high purchase intent, especially when you’re offering competitive Black Friday deals.

For example, if a clothing store had a successful Black Friday last year, they could create a Lookalike Audience based on their top spenders from the previous event. This helps the store target new but similar shoppers who are likely to respond to their deals.

#7 Highlight Early Bird Specials

Offering exclusive, early access to Black Friday deals creates anticipation and loyalty among customers. By encouraging early engagement, you can capture sales before the competition heats up.

It gives customers a sense of privilege, motivating them to act early, while reducing competition for your brand during the peak shopping hours.

#8 Use Video Ads for Product Demos

Video ads are more engaging and allow you to showcase your product’s features and benefits in a real-life context. They can effectively demonstrate how a product works, influencing buying decisions.

Videos are naturally more eye-catching and engaging, leading to higher retention and interaction rates compared to static images, which is essential during fast-paced Black Friday campaigns.

#9 Emphasize Mobile Optimization

As mobile shopping dominates, ensuring that both your ads and landing pages are mobile-friendly is essential for capturing mobile-first shoppers. During events like Black Friday, mobile transactions surge, so optimization is key to avoiding lost sales.

A seamless mobile experience enhances the user journey, reduces friction, and improves conversion rates.

#10 Employ User-Generated Content (UGC)

UGC is content created by customers, such as reviews, photos, or testimonials, which adds authenticity to your ads. Integrating UGC during Black Friday can increase trust and social proof.

Consumers trust other users’ experiences more than brand messaging, so including UGC can improve ad performance by boosting credibility. UGC-based ads get 4x higher click-through rates and a 50% lower cost-per-click (CPC) compared to average ads.

#11 Utilize Carousel Ads

Carousel Ads allow you to showcase multiple images or products in a single ad, encouraging interaction. They offer a dynamic way to present several offerings at once, driving more engagement.

More engagement is likely as users can swipe through various options, increasing the likelihood of clicks and conversions, particularly when promoting a variety of discounted products.

#12 Run a Contest or Giveaway

Contests and giveaways increase user engagement and build excitement around your brand. During Black Friday, these campaigns can generate buzz and expand your reach through shares and interactions.

Users are more likely to engage with your brand for a chance to win something, helping you capture leads and drive brand awareness.

#13 Feature Best-Selling Products

Showcasing your top-selling products during Black Friday creates trust and helps guide customers towards making purchase decisions quickly. Featuring popular items boosts their visibility and drives sales.

Best-sellers have already proven their demand, so promoting them during peak shopping events increases the chance of sales by leveraging their popularity.

#14 Add Countdown Timers in Ads

Countdown timers add urgency by showing how much time is left before an offer expires. This visual cue motivates users to take immediate action to avoid missing out on the deal.

Urgency has been shown to increase conversions as users are compelled to act quickly to secure the deal before the timer runs out.

For Black Friday ads, timers showing 24-48 hours are generally effective, as they encourage users to act within a limited window. If you’re running flash sales or very limited-time offers, a timer of 1-2 hours can significantly boost conversions by making users feel like they need to act immediately.

#15 Promote Free Shipping

Offering free shipping can remove a major barrier to purchase, especially during Black Friday when customers are looking for deals. Highlighting free shipping in your ads makes your offer more attractive.

Free shipping is one of the most effective incentives, often tipping the scales in favor of completing a purchase.

#16 Use Messenger Ads for Instant Interaction

Facebook Messenger ads allow for direct communication with customers, providing an opportunity to answer questions, offer support, and share personalized recommendations.

Direct interaction can help resolve last-minute hesitations and offer personalized shopping experiences, improving conversion rates.

In fact, 69% of consumers prefer using Facebook for customer service, showing that Messenger ads are an effective channel for engaging users.

#17 Post-Sale Follow-up Ads

After Black Friday, running follow-up ads encourages repeat purchases or upsells. Extending your campaign into Cyber Monday or offering post-sale promotions keeps your brand top of mind.

Engaging customers after their initial purchase can drive additional sales and improve customer loyalty, particularly when offering exclusive Cyber Monday deals.

#18 Cross-Promote on Instagram

Running ads simultaneously on both Facebook and Instagram maximizes your reach. Instagram’s visual format can complement your Facebook campaigns and engage users across both platforms.

Multi-platform campaigns increase visibility and ensure that your message reaches a broader, more diverse audience.

#19 Run Cyber Monday-Specific Ads

As Black Friday ends, many shoppers continue looking for deals on Cyber Monday. Running specific ads for this day allows you to extend your promotions and target a different segment of deal-seekers.

Cyber Monday shoppers are often looking for online-exclusive deals, so tailoring your ads to this group ensures you remain relevant and continue capturing sales.

#20 Highlight Digital Products for Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday is an ideal time to promote digital products such as software, subscriptions, or online services, as they tend to perform exceptionally well. Highlighting these in your ads can attract customers looking for quick, convenient purchases.

Digital products are easy to purchase and deliver instantly, which appeals to shoppers looking for last-minute deals.

Wrap up

So, there are 20 tips to help your Facebook ads run more effectively during highly competitive periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

A successful Black Friday Facebook Ads campaign focuses on early planning, precise targeting, and engaging tactics like Dynamic Ads, retargeting, and exclusive offers. These quick techniques can bring about fast results, but to establish a long-term, effective advertising system, you need to develop a deep understanding of conversion optimization and advertising strategies.