Black Friday 2025 isn’t just a single day anymore—it has turned into a full shopping season. It now kicks off with Singles’ Day (11.11), a phenomenon that began in China and has spread worldwide, and runs all the way through Cyber Monday. Brands that win today are not the ones rushing out a last-minute promotion, but the ones who start building warm, segmented audiences months in advance.
In 2024, Black Friday generated more than €2 billion in online sales in Italy alone, while the US hit a record $9 billion in just 24 hours. These numbers make one thing clear: if you want to succeed during Black Friday 2025, you need to start preparing now. Building lists of engaged users early means lower acquisition costs later, when ad competition peaks and CPMs skyrocket.
Step 1: Build and Warm Up Your Audience (September – October)
Right after summer is the perfect time to kick things off. The goal here isn’t sales—it’s to attract and nurture potential buyers. By preparing in advance, you lower ad costs and set up strong audiences that will be ready to convert in November.
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Facebook and Instagram Ads: engagement campaigns and video views help you build custom audiences. People who have already interacted with your content will be much cheaper to retarget later.
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Google Ads: with Search and Performance Max campaigns targeting keywords like “holiday gift ideas 2025,” you capture people in the research phase. Even if they don’t buy right away, you can track them and retarget later.
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TikTok Ads: native, fun content builds brand familiarity while training the pixel. It’s about showing up in a way that feels natural to users, so they remember you later.
After 20 days of focused activity, you’ll have a segmented audience base—not just random traffic, but people more likely to convert when it counts.
Step 2: Segment and Define Your Strategy (Late October)
Once you’ve built your audiences, the next step is to segment them and define your approach. This stage is all about deciding who gets which message and how to split budgets between prospecting and retargeting.
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Facebook Retargeting: people who have already engaged with your content are easier to convert, making these campaigns highly efficient.
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Google CRM Lists: uploading customer emails or newsletter subscribers lets you run personalized campaigns, protect your brand, and drive repeat sales.
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TikTok Spark Ads: boosting high-performing organic content adds authenticity, which is especially valuable on TikTok where trust drives clicks.
This is where you lock in your mix. A common setup is 60% retargeting, 40% prospecting, though every industry has its own sweet spot.
Step 3: The Push Phase (Early November)
Before the Black Friday 2025 madness hits, you need a push phase to create urgency and exclusivity. This stage primes your audience so that when competitors start dropping deals, your brand is already top of mind.
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Early Bird Offers: exclusive discounts or early access gives customers a “VIP club” feeling.
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Automations and Countdowns: email sequences and ad reminders keep excitement high and prepare your audience for the big drop.
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UGC and Reviews: user-generated content, unboxings, and testimonials build trust and show real experiences, making your offers more credible.
Handled right, this phase keeps your audience warm and attentive while competitors are just getting started.
Step 4: Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday (Nov 24–30, 2025)
This is where all the prep work pays off. With competition at its highest and CPMs climbing, precision matters more than ever.
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Facebook Ads: conversion-focused campaigns with direct, urgent copy and clear FOMO messages like “Only Today” or “Limited Stock.”
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Google Ads: brand protection on key terms and aggressive Shopping Ads to capture hot demand.
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TikTok Ads: fast, vertical, trend-driven videos with strong CTAs that push viewers straight to checkout.
If you’ve done the groundwork, this stage becomes less about fighting for visibility and more about reaping the rewards of audiences already warmed up and ready to buy.
Best Practices Around the World
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Italy: Unieuro used VIP lists and early access campaigns in October to drive massive conversions when Black Friday arrived.
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Europe: Zalando combined Performance Max with native TikTok ads in a cross-channel strategy that led customers seamlessly from awareness to purchase.
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USA: Amazon turned Black Friday into a month-long event, rolling out waves of promotions starting in early November to encourage multiple purchases throughout the season.
Why Black Friday 2025 Will Be Won Before It Starts
The winners of Black Friday 2025 won’t be the brands that spend the most, but the ones that plan the smartest. Preparing in September and October means lower ad costs, stronger audience lists, and higher conversion rates when it really matters.
A cross-channel strategy on Facebook, Google, and TikTok—combined with consistent messaging and early preparation—doesn’t just create short-term sales. It builds a loyal customer base that will stick with you long after Black Friday is over.
