GM, welcome back to Marketing Qualified! We hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and your wallet isn’t hurting too much this Black Friday. Here’s what we’re covering today!
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What to do when Black Friday doesn’t fit your brand. Alternatives to the flash sale frenzy.
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How to capitalize on “use it or lose it” budgets. Help your prospects spend smartly before time runs out.
🛍 What to do when Black Friday doesn’t fit your brand.
It’s Black Friday. Before you opened this email, you probably had to wade through a sea of subject lines like “Black Friday Blowout: 50% Off Everything Sitewide!” or “Buy Now or Cry Later: Deals You Can’t Resist!”
For many B2C companies, Black Friday is the most important day of the year. But let’s face it, if your business doesn’t revolve around selling to holiday shoppers, the whole thing can feel… off.
Not every brand fits into the Black Friday playbook—and that’s okay!
Why Black Friday might not fit.
For many B2B companies, the idea of participating in the Black Friday frenzy feels out of place.
Many B2B buyers aren’t motivated by flashy discounts or time-limited promotions. Their decisions are based on ROI, trust, and strategic partnerships. NOT on snagging a deal.
Then, there’s brand identity to consider. If your business is built on premium positioning or thought leadership, slapping a sale on your services might feel counterproductive.
Plus, B2B buying cycles are generally longer, making short-term urgency less relevant.
If any of this resonates, it’s a sign that Black Friday campaigns might not be the best fit for you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of the season.
Instead, use this time to connect with your audience in authentic ways that align with your goals. Here’s how.
Alternatives to Black Friday campaigns.
Here are some creative ways to engage your audience without compromising your brand’s values:
Lean into value, not discounts.
Fun fact: most B2B buyers don’t actually care about deals. They want a reason to trust you.
Instead of cutting prices, focus on showing them why you’re worth their time.
For example:
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Share a case study that proves your solution delivers ROI.
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Highlight a new feature or service that solves a specific pain point.
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Highlight specific outcomes your clients have achieved.
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Position your offer as an investment, not a sale.
Remember, the goal isn’t to scream louder than the B2C brands. It’s to remind your audience that you deliver real value, not sell them something they’ll regret on Monday.
Make the season about giving.
Flip the script. Instead of pushing impulse purchases, focus on how your brand can give back to your customers, community, or industry.
Thank your customers.
Send your clients a thank you email with a free resource, like an exclusive guide or an early preview of your 2025 offerings. Bonus points if you personalize it.
Support a cause.
Partner with a charity and donate a portion of November’s revenue. Let your audience know that working with you helps make a difference.
Host a free workshop.
Offer a resource or training that aligns with your audience’s goals. For example, prepping for next year’s marketing challenges or 2025 budget guidance.
When you shift the focus from “What can we sell?” to “How can we give?” you stand out for all the right reasons.
Offer long-term incentives.
While everyone else is focused on flash sales and limited-time offers, show your audience you’re in this for the long haul.
Frame your offers around 2025 readiness.
For example:
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Future-focused freebies: Add value with free upgrades, extended trial periods, or future credits.
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Early access offers: Give buyers exclusive access to 2025 product launches or features.
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Multi-year discounts: Reward long-term commitments with tiered discounts.
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2025 kickstart bundles: Bundle your services with a focus on Q1 success.
Give away information.
Participating in Black Friday doesn’t have to mean slashing prices. Instead of discounts, consider offering exclusive, high-value resources that align with your audience’s goals.
This approach preserves your pricing integrity and positions your brand as a thought leader rather than the bargain bin.
Ideas for lead magnets:
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Guides and playbooks: Create in-depth resources that tackle a pressing challenge for your audience.
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Whitepapers or reports: Share industry-specific insights or data to help your audience prepare for 2025.
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Toolkits: Bundle templates, checklists, or planning tools into a downloadable package.
Maybe make it Black Friday exclusive.
If you still want to play into the traditional Black Friday timeline, consider tying your lead magnet to a 24-hour window. Promote it as “only available on Black Friday” to create scarcity and drive action. Use countdown timers in your email or landing page to amplify urgency.
Take a holiday from the hype.
If none of this feels quite right, maybe the best move is to simply opt-out.
Skip Black Friday altogether and focus on finishing the year strong by conducting business as usual.
Sometimes, the boldest move is doing nothing.
📰 In the news this week.
🌐 Is OpenAI secretly working on building a browser?
👦 This seven-year-old got a job offer from an IT firm.
👌 LinkedIn shares posting do’s and don’ts.
👀 How to monitor brand visibility across AI search channels.
🔎 The DOJ’s plan to end Google’s search monopoly.
💵 How to capitalize on “use it or lose it” budgets.
As the year winds down, many companies face a dilemma: staring at unused budget dollars with a “use it or lose it” deadline fast approaching. For decision-makers, this is crunch time. For B2B marketers, it’s an opportunity.
But the key to closing year-end deals isn’t about adding pressure. Instead, it’s about showing prospects how your product or service can maximize their remaining budget while setting them up for success in the new year.
Here’s how to help your prospects spend smartly before time runs out.
Why year-end budgets are a golden opportunity.
Unfortunately, most corporate budgets don’t roll over into the next fiscal year. This leaves teams scrambling to allocate funds before they disappear.
And there’s more at stake than just spending this year’s money. Departments often need to justify their budgets for next year. If they don’t spend it now, they risk getting less funding later.
Combine this urgency with limited time to evaluate options, and you have a perfect window to position your solution as the answer to their needs. The challenge? Making your offer stand out amid the year-end noise.
Focus on quick wins.
At year-end, speed matters. Prospects don’t have time for lengthy implementations or complex decisions. Highlight how your solution can deliver immediate impact.
Example: “Get set up in two weeks and see ROI before the year ends.”
Make it easy for them to say “yes” by emphasizing easy adoption and fast results.
Tailor your messaging.
Frame your pitch as an opportunity, not pressure.
Examples:
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“Turn your leftover 2024 budget into a head start for 2025.”
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“Prepare for Q1 success with our ready-to-implement solution.”
Address concerns such as time or complexity and tie your offer to their long-term goals.
Offer prepaid options.
Many buyers want to allocate funds now but don’t need services until later. Prepaid deals solve this problem:
Example: “Prepay for 2025 today and save 20%.”
It’s a win-win: they spend their budget, and you secure business for next year.
Create time-bound offers.
Year-end urgency is real, so lean into it with time-capped offers.
Examples:
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“Lock in 2024 pricing before January rate increases.”
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“Sign up by December 31 and get two months free in 2025.”
These types of offers give prospects a compelling reason to act now.
😂 Marketing meme of the week.
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