Black Friday isn’t just a weekend anymore. It’s a pressure cooker of competition, and your email marketing is either going to cut through the noise or get buried under a thousand other subject lines. The brands that win aren’t just the ones with the biggest discounts. They’re the ones that plan ahead and tell a good story.

At FORTUNE, we start prepping for Black Friday months before most people even glance at a gift guide. Why? Because the real secret to a high-performing campaign isn’t luck or gimmicks. It’s strategy, segmentation, and good timing.

October: Build the List, Set the Stage

By the time November hits, your audience should already know who you are and what you’re about. October is for warming them up. That means:

• Creating email opt-ins that are actually worth it

• Teasing upcoming drops or Black Friday previews

• Re-engaging cold subscribers so your deliverability stays strong

• Building waitlists or VIP groups to drive anticipation

Good email marketing feels like you’re letting people in on something early, not just yelling “20% OFF” in their inbox.

November: Launch With Intention, Not Panic

When the week arrives, most inboxes are a war zone. The way to stand out is to stop acting like everyone else. Your Black Friday emails should be:

• Personalized based on behavior and purchase history

• Built around strong flows like abandoned cart, price drop, or early access

• Timed based on your audience’s real habits, not just a marketing calendar

If someone’s bought from you before, make sure they’re seeing the products they’ll actually care about. If they’re new, tell them why this offer matters.

Post-Black Friday: Don’t Just Disappear

You made the sale. Now what? This is where most brands check out, but smart ones lean in. Some ideas:

• Send a thank-you email that actually feels like a thank you

• Offer a small bounce-back code for December shopping

• Share tips or content on how to use, gift, or style what they just bought

• Re-segment your list based on Black Friday behavior

This phase is about turning buyers into long-term fans.

What We’ve Learned at FORTUNE

We’ve run a lot of email campaigns, but the most successful ones always come down to this: give people what they actually want, when they want it, and say it in a way that feels human.

Some marketing agencies rely entirely on automation. At FORTUNE, we build strategy around what your brand stands for. We set up custom flows, map out the customer journey, and write emails that sound like someone real is behind them. It’s why we start early, why we test everything, and why our clients see results.