Last Updated on December 16, 2024 by Damien Hurwitz
While Black Friday 2025 will have a later sales event date than usual — taking place on Nov. 28, at least formally — it’s always prudent to plan out one’s ad spend well in advance.
Despite many industry critics doomsaying Black Friday and its surrounding incite-to-buy days of action (Cyber Monday, for example) as having lost traction in recent years, the reverse may actually be true. According to Adweek, a record $9.8 billion was spent on Black Friday in 2023 — a result up 7.5% year-over-year as inflation cooled and consumer appetites increased.
With that in mind, what dates are most important to be mindful of in 2025, what tips do the experts have on offer in terms of paid media ads, and what other insights can be gleaned from current buying trends across the broader marketplace?
Key Dates For Black Friday Advertisements in 2025
As mentioned above, Black Friday 2025 proper takes place on Nov. 28. But as Black Friday balloons in scope with each passing year, which other dates (or date ranges) become important for advertisers?
- The September-October pre-season: As Experian noted, based on Gallup data, one-in-four shoppers actually begin their end-of-year shopping before the ghosts and goblins show up in full costume for Halloween, starting their buying in September. Savvy marketers will take advantage of this trend by ramping up seasonally appropriate campaigns as back-to-school season ends and the extended holiday buying season kicks off.
- Black Friday week: After the pre-season shutters, an extended Black Friday week for early bird shoppers usually takes flight. For example, Amazon typically launches its Black Friday week seven days in advance of the date proper (in 2023, from Nov. 17-24). Black Friday having been extended to a week-long period isn’t unique to that particular retail titan, either. Best Buy typically also takes part in a Black Friday week event (in addition to an early Black Friday sale late in October), as do other national retailers. A week-long sales period invites a more diverse and lengthy opportunity to buy targeted ads aimed squarely at your desired demographic.
- Cyber Monday: After Black Friday closes out, it’s time for Cyber Monday. In 2025, Cyber Monday falls on Dec. 1, so be sure to have your messaging in place well beforehand. In some cases, retailers don’t even wait for Black Friday to wrap up before kicking off Cyber Monday — Walmart being just one example of this, according to USA Today.
Paid Media Planning Tips for This Year’s Black Friday
If you’re in the sales or marketing business, paid media ads or coverage surrounding Black Friday 2025 seems like an inevitable spend, as long as you see strong returns.
You’re not alone, however. Thousands upon thousands of firms will be competing for attention and eyeballs as Black Friday approaches. So, what can you do to stand out from the crowd?
- Influencers are key: According to Experian, 70% of Black Friday shoppers (in 2023) “acknowledged an influencer’s role in their purchase decision.” This means that paid media collaboration with notable influences in your niche could be a very wise idea.
- Cross-channel marketing works: Cross-channel marketing seems to be very effective in terms of consumer capture. “Last year proved to be diverse in terms of marketing channel mix. Marketers embraced a cross-channel approach to connect with their users during holiday sales, which was evident in the increased usage of channels like email, SMS/MMS, web push notifications, and emerging channels like Roku messages. Using multiple channels to promote Black Friday deals increased visibility and reached a wider audience. This comprehensive approach ensured marketing messages reached customers wherever they were,” Experian noted.
- Deep discounts remain essential: All of the fanciest and trendiest tips and tricks might wither on the vine if not backed by some seriously deep discounts on offer to your potential customers or clients. As digital marketing specialist Tory Wenger wrote: “… an ad for 5-10% off will be completely lost in the sea of 75%+ off deals that your competitors will be slinging out. In fact, the average deal is around 25% off, so this should be your baseline.” Without a truly head-turning deal on the table, it’s unlikely that your audience will be persuaded to buy in.
- Don’t forget about the freebies: “Offering a free item can make your deal stand out in a sea of percentage-off offers. It can make people stop scrolling and pay attention to what you’ve got to say — something that’s of utmost importance during BF/CM (Black Friday/Cyber Monday),” Wenger wrote. A promotional item that leads in to a bigger purchase is a common tactic employed by many successful businesses — perhaps most notably, Temu.
Insights and Strategies For Advertisers
Sticking to the plan and making sure your spend is reasonably proportional and sketched out with all partners in advance is key, but there are some broader strategies and insights that could be useful in better understanding the current market pertaining to Black Friday this year.
- AI will become a bigger player in the ad space: If it’s not already evident, AI marketing tools — for analysis as well as for creative creation — are becoming more refined and integral to the industry as a whole, though major events such as Black Friday can serve as a definitive stress test. Wenger seemed to agree with this sentiment, writing: “On Black Friday, ad space is in high demand, and prices can fluctuate wildly. AI can make instantaneous decisions based on events happening in your account in real time, ensuring that you get the most bang for your buck in terms of ad optimization.”
- Smartphone spending keeps increasing: Focusing your efforts on smartphone sales could be a smart move for Black Friday this year. This means considering developing an app — or at least integrating a service like Shopify — to increase sales. As BlackFriday.com writer Shannon Flynn detailed: “According to Adobe Analytics Insights, 59% of online sales in 2023 came through smartphone (compared to 55% in 2022). Because this area of shopping is growing, we are starting to see retailers offer more exclusive discounts for shoppers who use their apps.”
- Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is a big deal, growing bigger: If you’re not hooked up with a BNPL payment option when it comes to purchasing your goods and/or services, you might be missing out on a huge chunk of potential business. These forms of payment (the most popular services / widgets including Affirm and Klarna, though several credit card issuers are also hopping aboard the process) are enjoying a meteoric rise in popularity with consumers. “We predicted that buy now, pay later programs would increase in popularity during Black Friday 2023 – and they did. According to Adobe Analytics Insights, buy now, pay later spending rose 42.5% year over year,” Flynn wrote.