A Complete Guide from an Expert Marketing Agency

Mastering Black Friday & Holiday Promotions: A Complete Guide from an Expert Marketing Agency

Black Friday is no longer just about big-box retailers and electronics stores. Service-based businesses, such as medical spas, salons, wellness centers, and clinics, can capitalize on the momentum of this shopping holiday to attract new clients, increase revenue, and foster stronger customer loyalty. But the difference between a mediocre sale and a record-breaking event comes down to planning, execution, and follow-through.

In this guide, you’ll learn proven recommendations for planning, marketing, and delivering a Black Friday promotion that drives results without overwhelming your team. We’ll cover everything from offer structure to campaign strategy, social media buzz, staff training, and post–Black Friday extensions.

You Need to Plan Your Promotions in Advance

The biggest mistake businesses make with Black Friday is waiting until the last minute. If you’re scrambling to put together discounts the week before Thanksgiving, you’ll not only stress your team, but you’ll also miss out on weeks of anticipation-building and brand visibility. Planning ensures your promotions are strategic, polished, and positioned for maximum impact.

When you take the time to prepare, you can test systems, train your staff, and create marketing campaigns that roll out seamlessly. This preparation also allows you to stand out in a sea of noise, since most consumers are bombarded with promotions during November. If your offers are thoughtfully crafted and communicated early, you’ll be top of mind when it’s time for clients to buy.

Why Planning Matters

Consumer Behavior: Customers now expect Black Friday promotions to be announced well in advance. Many start their holiday shopping weeks in advance. If you’re not ready, you risk being overlooked.
Operational Readiness: A flood of bookings, calls, and online purchases can overwhelm unprepared businesses. Without planning, you may run into website crashes, payment failures, or understaffed phone lines.
Marketing Consistency: Early planning enables you to create a cohesive messaging strategy that is consistent across email, social media, and text campaigns. Instead of rushing last-minute graphics or copy, you’ll have time to design polished, engaging assets.

Action Steps to Take

1. Start Early (6–8 Weeks Out)

Begin brainstorming and finalizing your offers at least two months before Black Friday. This timeline gives you breathing room for:

Example: If Black Friday falls on November 28, start outlining offers in early October. By mid-October, finalize your sale details so you can begin teasing promotions in early November.

2. Set Clear Goals

Don’t discount randomly. Instead, align your promotions with measurable objectives.

Ask yourself:

Clear goals help you decide which services to promote, how deep your discounts should be, and what kind of marketing approach you’ll use.

3. Check Logistics Early

Even the best sale falls apart if your systems can’t handle the demand. Make sure your infrastructure is ready:

Staffing: Confirm schedules and bring in extra help if needed. Your phone lines, front desk, and online chat should be fully staffed on sale days.
Online Booking: Test your booking system to ensure appointments can be scheduled smoothly without glitches.
Payment Processing: Verify that your payment processor won’t block or flag large transaction volumes.
Inventory: Double-check that you have enough retail products, skincare items, or supplies to fulfill promotions.

Example: If you’re selling 50 discounted Hydrafacials, confirm that you have the necessary staff hours and product stock to fulfill every purchase.

Create a Tiered Offer Strategy

Not every client is looking for the same thing on Black Friday. That’s why your promotion should include a mix of low-ticket, mid-ticket, and high-ticket services. This ensures that you capture both impulse buyers and your more committed, high-value clients.

Low-ticket offers ($50–$200): Think facials, skincare products, or discounted trial services. These drive volume and attract new clients.
Mid-ticket offers ($200–$600): Popular for gift-givers. Options include injectables, chemical peels, or body contouring packages.
High-ticket offers ($600–$1,500): Limited, high-value packages like combination therapy bundles, annual memberships, or multi-session treatments.

Pro Tip: Keep your online cart items under $1,500 to reduce purchase hesitation. Anything higher often requires an in-person consultation.

Keep It Simple

Complex promotions overwhelm customers. Instead, stick to 8–10 offers.

Market Your Sale Early! Like NOW!

One of the golden rules of Black Friday success is to start promoting before everyone else floods inboxes and social feeds. By the time Thanksgiving week rolls around, your audience will already be drowning in messages. If your promotion is the 25th email they’ve seen that day, it won’t stand out. But if you start early, before the noise, you set the tone, capture attention, and build anticipation.

Think of it this way: when you market early, you’re not just selling, you’re priming. You’re training your clients to look forward to your deal. By the time Black Friday hits, they already know what you’re offering, they’ve budgeted for it, and they’re ready to click “buy.”

Why Early Marketing Works

Top-of-Mind Awareness: Shoppers are more likely to choose the brands they saw first and most often.
Anticipation Builds Desire: Teasing promotions ahead of time creates excitement and urgency.
VIP Exclusivity: Rewarding loyal clients with early access makes them feel valued and turns them into ambassadors who spread the word.
Reduces Panic: By spacing out your campaigns, you avoid cramming all your work into one frantic week.

Action Steps

1. Early Bird Promotions

Offer VIP clients access to a pre-sale 1–2 weeks before Black Friday. This makes your best customers feel special and also helps you lock in revenue early.

2. Email Sequences

Don’t wait until Black Friday morning to send your first email. Plan a full sequence:

Early November: Teaser emails with subject lines like “Something big is coming…”
Mid-November: Announcement emails revealing your official offers.
Black Friday Weekend: Daily reminders, highlighting urgency and limited availability.
Cyber Monday: One last push with a special online-only deal.

Pro tip: Use automation tools so you don’t have to manually send emails on the busiest weekend of the year. Not sure how? Ask us! Medstar Media is a pro at automations!

3. Social Media Countdown

Announce your deals at least two weeks before Black Friday to create buzz. Build excitement with:

4. Layer Your Messaging

Consistency is key. Clients should see your message everywhere:

When you market early, you do more than generate a few extra sales. You create a momentum wave. By the time your deals go live, your audience is already primed, excited, and eager to buy. That’s the difference between an okay Black Friday and your best one yet.

Plan a Multi-Channel Promotion Strategy

Your promotion won’t succeed if it lives in only one channel. Instead, use a layered approach to reach clients where they spend their time.

Email Marketing

Social Media

Text Blast

Create Buzz on Social Media

Social media isn’t just a billboard! It’s a stage for engagement, excitement, and community. During the Black Friday season, people scroll with a shopping mindset, so every post is an opportunity to capture attention and build anticipation. The goal isn’t only to announce sales but to spark curiosity, start conversations, and make your brand part of their holiday routine.

Extend Beyond Black Friday

Don’t limit yourself to a single day. Stretch your promotions to maximize sales and reach different segments of your audience. Many shoppers miss Black Friday deals but continue to look for opportunities to buy in the days that follow.

Cyber Monday Specials

Launch exclusive online-only deals, such as discounts for booking online or special e-gift card bonuses.

Holiday Gift Card Push

After Black Friday, shift your messaging to focus on gift-giving. Gift cards are ideal for last-minute shoppers and can help secure future revenue.

Rolling Promotions

Feature different services or packages each day throughout the week. This keeps your content fresh and encourages repeat visits to your website or social channels.

By extending your promotions, you capture buyers who might have missed the initial rush while keeping your momentum strong well into December.

Optimize Your Website & Online Shopping Experience

A sale is only successful if clients can easily find and buy what you’re offering. Your website needs to handle increased traffic and deliver a frictionless experience from browsing to checkout. If the process is clunky, you risk losing buyers in the heat of the moment.

Best Practices:

Dedicated Landing Page: Create a single, well-designed page that highlights all your deals in one place.
Clear Navigation: Feature promotions prominently on your homepage with banners or pop-ups.
Shopping Cart Ready: Test your checkout process for speed and reliability, especially for items under $1,500.
Mobile-Friendly: Over 70% of Black Friday traffic comes from mobile devices, so make sure your site looks and functions flawlessly on phones.
Speed Optimization: A slow-loading site can kill sales. Verify that images, plugins, and payment gateways don’t compromise performance.

Be Transparent: List Exactly What’s on Sale

Vague promotions like “20% off select services” don’t inspire a sense of urgency. Clients want to know exactly what’s included and how much they’re saving. Being specific not only builds trust but also drives faster decision-making.

Examples:

The clearer and concrete you are, the easier it is for clients to say yes on the spot.

Offer Gift Cards

Gift cards are one of the most effective Black Friday offers for service-based businesses.

Why They Work:

Example: Sell a $100 gift card for $80 or “Buy $200, Get $50 Free.”

Prepare Your Team: Promotions Generate Calls—Be Ready

Even the best promotions will fall flat if your staff isn’t ready to handle the volume and the questions that come with it. A confident, prepared team can make the difference between a client booking one service or stacking multiple treatments and gift cards.

Training Priorities:

Sales Training: Teach your front desk staff and providers how to upsell and cross-sell naturally.
Customer Service: Make sure staff can confidently answer FAQs about treatments, pricing, and expiration dates.
Role Assignments: Designate a dedicated “closer” to handle high-value leads and package deals.
Scenario Practice: Role-play everyday situations so your team feels prepared for objections or high-pressure moments.

A Black Friday sale can flood your phones. Make sure you’re prepared.

Dedicated Phone Coverage: Increase front desk staff during the sale.
Best Closer On Deck: Have your most experienced salesperson handle high-value leads.
Call Scripts: Prepare scripts for common questions and upsells.

Learn more about lead conversion training here.

Don’t Forget to Reward VIP Clients

Your most loyal clients deserve special treatment, and they’ll repay you with repeat business and referrals. Make them feel like insiders during your Black Friday promotion.

Ideas to Implement:

Exclusive Early Access: Offer VIPs 24–48 hours of advance shopping before the public.
Extra Perks: Add small but meaningful bonuses, like a free skincare product with purchase.
Pre-Sale Event: Host an intimate in-person or virtual event to showcase your best offers, answer questions, and build excitement.

This strategy not only rewards loyalty but also creates buzz that spreads beyond your VIP circle.

Let Medstar Media Help You Plan Your Most Successful Black Friday Yet!

A successful Black Friday campaign doesn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of careful planning, a balanced offer strategy, early marketing, and a team that’s fully prepared to deliver. When all these elements align, your business can turn one weekend into one of the most profitable times of the year.

Start early, keep your promotions clear and simple, and make the client’s buying journey effortless. The easier it is for someone to say “yes” in the moment, the more momentum you’ll build, not just in revenue for the weekend, but in loyalty that carries well beyond the holidays. Done right, Black Friday isn’t just about discounts; it’s about creating experiences that clients want to return to again and again.

At Medstar Media, we specialize in helping aesthetic and wellness practices plan, promote, and execute profitable campaigns that stand out in competitive markets. From strategy and design to ad management and sales training support, our team ensures you don’t just run a sale but instead run a campaign that grows your client base and sets you up for long-term success.

Medstar Media’s Black Friday Success Stories

At Medstar Media, we don’t just design promotions—we build profitable campaigns that deliver measurable results. Our clients consistently outperform industry averages during Black Friday and holiday sales because we combine smart offer structuring, multi-channel marketing, and data-driven execution. Here are two real-world examples that showcase the impact of our strategies:

Helping a New Jersey Medspa Crush Black Friday

One of our standout partners in New Jersey leveraged a 10-day SMS campaign built and managed by our team. By layering urgency-driven messages with exclusive deals on high-demand services like Botox, Laser Hair Removal, and Laser Facials, this medspa achieved $86,664 in revenue between Black Friday and Cyber Monday alone. The combination of well-timed messages and irresistible offers transformed a single weekend into one of their biggest revenue events of the year.

A Long Island Medspa’s Best Holiday Sales to Date

Another Medstar client, a high-end medspa in Long Island, experienced record-breaking holiday sales through a 29-day Black Friday campaign. Using SMS promotions tied directly to an optimized online shopping cart, they generated $41,353 in total revenue between November 4 and December 2, 2024.

By extending their promotional window, this medspa captured early-bird shoppers and late buyers while maximizing momentum during the peak days.

Learn more about our SMS marketing services.

Get in Touch

Our Black Friday marketing results aren’t outliers—they’re the outcome of a proven system we have carefully created over the years. When you partner with Medstar Media, you get more than ads! You get a tailored strategy that converts holiday hype into lasting revenue growth.

Ready to secure your most successful Black Friday yet? Contact Medstar Media today to start building a campaign that drives revenue now and retention later. Call or text us at (801) 890-3847. You can also email us at support@medstarmedia.com or fill out the online form below. Let us help you ROCK Black Friday and have the most sales to date this holiday season!

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Chris Zelig

Chris Zelig was born at a young age. He is a digital marketing expert who specializes in customer acquisition.