7 Ways to Prepare for Black Friday…This Summer

If you’ve ever found yourself Googling “Black Friday sales strategy” with trick-or-treat candy in your hands (or worse…with a half-thawed turkey in the sink), you’re not alone.

Most small business owners wait until late October (or—deep breaths—mid-November) to start thinking about their Black Friday plans. But the truth? The most profitable Black Friday promos aren’t last-minute miracles—they’re the ones that get simmered low and slow (like that Thanksgiving turkey).

This is exactly why I’m waving my sales copy flag now, in the middle of summer, to tell you: it’s not too early to start preparing your Black Friday launch.

It’s smart to start. Because prepping now = a smoother, more profitable launch later—and a Q4 where you’re actually enjoying your peppermint mocha instead of panic-scheduling emails at 11:57PM to send the next morning.

Not sure where to begin? I’ve got you. These 7 smart prep steps will help you build momentum, grow your list, and warm up your audience before the holiday chaos hits!

ONE STEP AHEAD > LAST-MINUTE PANIC

Tip #1: Refresh (or Finally Write) Your Welcome Sequence

What It Means:
Your email welcome sequence is the first handshake between you and a potential buyer. It’s where you build trust, show your personality, and position your offer as the go-to solution.

Why It’s Smart to Do This Now:
When new subscribers join your list—whether from a freebie, pop-up, or flash sale—you don’t want to scramble to connect with them! Having a pre-written welcome sequence ensures they get nurtured before your Black Friday offer ever hits their inbox.

Bonus Idea:
Use your welcome emails to start teasing what’s coming. No need to name-drop “Black Friday,” but drop hints about your signature offer, your most-loved products, or the problem your fall promotion will solve.

Tip #2: Create a Freebie That Leads to Your Black Friday Offer

What It Means:
A lead magnet (aka freebie) should do more than grow your email list: it should warm up your audience for what you actually want to sell. Think of it as the appetizer to your Black Friday main course.

Why It’s Smart to Do This Now:
Freebies take time to create, launch, and promote. By building one now, you’ve got months to let it do the heavy lifting for you: bringing the right people into your funnel before you ask for the sale.

Bonus Ideas:
Match your freebie to your upcoming Black Friday offer. For example:
– Selling coaching? Try “5 Questions to Ask Your Next Business Coach.”
– Selling digital products? Create a quiz to help buyers figure out what they need.
– Selling physical products? Offer $5 off their first order when they join your list.

Tip #3: Map Out Your Black Friday Offer

What It Means:
Don’t wait until mid-November to wonder, “What should I sell for Black Friday?”

Get clear now on what you’re selling, what the deal will be, when it will start and end, and who it’s for.

Why It’s Smart to Do This Now:
When your offer is nailed down early, you can start creating everything else—emails, graphics, sales pages—with confidence and clarity. Less second-guessing, more strategic selling.

Plus, starting your launch prep well in advance makes it easier for you to be present during the holiday season!

Bonus Idea:
Ask yourself: “What does my audience actually want more of right now?”

Whether you poll your audience or email subscribers or you use past buyer behavior or common client questions to guide your decision, creating an offer that your audience is eager to purchase is a wise move.

Tip #4: Write Blog Content To Support Your Black Friday Promotion

What It Means:
By now, hopefully you know that blog posts aren’t just a tactic for boosting SEO. They’re also strategic trust-builders that prime your audience to say “yes.”

Create blog content in advance that will educate your audience and excite them (and drop a few hints along the way!) about your Black Friday deal.

Why It’s Smart to Do This Now:
Blog posts take time to rank on Google and Pinterest. By posting now, you give them time to gain traction, and you’ll have valuable content to repurpose for emails and social posts later.

Bonus Idea:
Write a post that spotlights the transformation or results your offer delivers. For example, if you’ll be promoting branding mini sessions on Black Friday, you can write a blog post that shares “Signs You’re Ready for a Brand Photography Mini Session.”

Tip #5: Refresh (or Write) Your Sales Page

What It Means:
Regardless of what you’re selling or promoting for Black Friday, you’ll need a spot for your clients to land (and to purchase). Taking time now to set up a persuasive (and ethical!) sales page on your website or in your educational platform, like Thrivecart or Kartra, can help you work out any technology kinks and test your messaging well in advance of November.

Why It’s Smart to Do This Now:
Your sales page or product descriptions are your 24/7 sales tools, and nailing down the messaging around your offer is crucial to a successful Black Friday marketing campaign.

Don’t assume you’ll have the time (or the bandwidth) for a last-minute copy sprint!

Bonus Idea:
Get help from a copywriter (ahem), and make contact with them early—Q3 is often one of the busiest times for copywriters because so many business owners are preparing for the holiday promotional season!

Tip #6: Clean Your Email List

What It Means:
Cleaning up your email list involves checking to see who’s opening and clicking on your emails (and how often they’re doing so. Most email service providers (ESPs) make it easy to assess this; here’s tutorials for Flodesk, for Kit, and for Mailchimp.

Why It’s Smart to Do This Now:
A healthier list = stronger open rates = more conversions.

In addition, some email platforms charge subscriptions based on your subscriber count. If you’re hanging onto cold subscribers, now’s the time to say goodbye: no one needs to pay to send Black Friday emails to ghosts.

Bonus Idea:
Some business owners like to send re-engagement campaigns to attempt to revive cold subscribers before cleaning them out entirely. I love and trust Mrs. Vondy’s email templates: check them out here! List Clean-Up | Re-Engagement

Tip #7: Lock in Your Tech

What It Means:
Whether you’re selling a digital product, physical goods, or custom services, your checkout experience matters!

Why It’s Smart to Do This Now:
Confirm your promo codes work, your landing pages are live, your product inventory is accurate, and your sales timer isn’t stuck on “00:00.” Run a full test now, click by click—before the rush hits!

Bonus Idea:
Ask yourself this question: “Is it easy for people to pay me?”

NO MORE CRYING INTO YOUR PUMPKIN PIE

Here’s the truth: Black Friday doesn’t have to mean chaos, caffeine-fueled all-nighters, or throwing a last-minute Canva graphic into the digital void.

With a little prep now (and maybe a little help from a sales-savvy copywriter 😉), you can show up this November with a polished plan, a powerful offer, and messaging that actually moves the needle.

So take a deep breath, pour an iced coffee, and tackle one tip at a time. You’ve got this.

Need a hand with that sales page, sales emails, or Black Friday marketing strategy?
Reach out here, or book a Sales Copy RX strategy call.

Let’s team up to make this your most profitable Black Friday yet!