Black Friday Is Three Weeks Away. Here's What Actually Moves the Needle

Remarketing audiences are where you will get the best return on ad spend during a sale. The catch is that you have to build them beforehand.

• Grow your list now. Early access sign-ups, VIP lists and newsletter opt-ins give you an audience you can reach across Meta, TikTok and email when the sale opens.
• Keep cold traffic running. Brand activity in October and early November is what fills your remarketing pools. Turn it off and there is less to remarket to.
• Warm people up on TikTok. When we planned peak season with TikTok's own team, their advice was to run pre-sale ads optimised for product views and add to carts, then switch to conversion campaigns once the sale starts.

Upload your customer and email lists to your ad platforms too. Someone who has opened your early access email and then sees your ad is far more likely to buy than a stranger.

A blanket percentage off is the easiest offer to run and often the most expensive. A few alternatives that have worked for our clients:

• Spend and save tiers: for example, save more at $100, $250 and $400. It lifts the average order instead of just cutting price.
• A threshold discount: a discount that only kicks in above a set order value.
• Tiered gifts with purchase: a small gift on every order and a bigger one at higher spend levels.
• Bundles: packs that make a bigger order feel like the obvious choice.

Whatever you choose, make it super obvious and super simple. If someone has to read your ad twice to work out the deal, they will scroll past. Strong promotions also lean on the product, not just the price. We saw this when a product-first promotion lifted sales fivefold.

Start by reviewing the return on ad spend (ROAS) from last year's sale. It is the best benchmark you have for this year. Then work backwards from your revenue goal. If last year's ads returned 20 times their cost, $100,000 in sales needs around $5,000 in ad spend.

Keep in mind Black Friday is a competitive time, and it gets more expensive every year as more brands compete for the same shoppers. Build some headroom into your budget, then sense check it against what you can actually make, pack and ship.

• Put the weight behind the sale. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are major promotions. While they run, the sale should get most of your budget.
• Give the sale its own campaign. If sale ads sit inside your always-on campaign, you cannot see what the promotion actually delivered, and you lose the benchmark you will need next year.

When it is over, judge the result on what happened in your business, not just inside one platform. Dashboards do not always tell the full story, especially when Google, Meta and TikTok are all working on the same shopper.

Your ads, banners, emails and landing pages should look and sound like one campaign. When someone clicks a Black Friday ad, the sale should be the first thing they see.

• Mix your formats. Video often earns more impressions on Meta, but static and carousel ads still win plenty of sales. Give the platform options and let it learn what your audience responds to.
• Keep creative fresh. You do not always need new shoots. Recutting a video with a new opening three seconds, music or text can bring it back to life. It is one of the easiest ways to avoid the TikTok ad mistakes that drain budgets.
• State your delivery cut-offs. Couriers are under the most pressure from the last week of November through the first two weeks of December. Tell people clearly when to order for Christmas delivery, and avoid promising what you cannot guarantee.

The sale ending is not the end of the season.

• Plan Boxing Day now. Many retailers run their Black Friday offer again from late December into early January. Design both together so the creative and pages are ready.
• Shift to Christmas messaging. Gifting, last order dates and gift cards carry you through December.
• Remarket to your new customers. Black Friday brings in first-time buyers. A good follow-up turns them into repeat customers.
• Use January. It is quieter, with no major sales, and people are spending on themselves and their new year goals. It is a great time to launch something or build your brand.

If you want a hand planning your sale, our Meta advertising and Google Ads teams build these campaigns every year.

When is Black Friday 2026 in Australia?

Black Friday is Friday 27 November 2026 and Cyber Monday is Monday 30 November 2026. Many Australian retailers run offers across the whole of November.

When should I start my Black Friday ads?

Set them up at least a week before your sale starts. Meta can take around a week to properly push a campaign out, and starting one to two weeks early helps you reach shoppers before the busiest days.

Do I have to offer a discount for Black Friday?

No. Gifts with purchase, free products, bundles and spend and save tiers can work just as well and protect your margin better than a blanket discount.

Why are remarketing audiences important for Black Friday?

People who already know your brand are far more likely to buy during a sale. Building email lists and website audiences in the weeks before Black Friday usually gives you the best return on ad spend.

Are ads more expensive during Black Friday?

Yes. It is one of the most competitive times of year, and it gets more expensive every year. Use last year's ROAS as your benchmark, build in some headroom, and start early so your own audiences are ready before costs peak.

Remarketing audiences are where you will get the best return on ad spend during a sale. The catch is that you have to build them beforehand.

• Grow your list now. Early access sign-ups, VIP lists and newsletter opt-ins give you an audience you can reach across Meta, TikTok and email when the sale opens.
• Keep cold traffic running. Brand activity in October and early November is what fills your remarketing pools. Turn it off and there is less to remarket to.
• Warm people up on TikTok. When we planned peak season with TikTok's own team, their advice was to run pre-sale ads optimised for product views and add to carts, then switch to conversion campaigns once the sale starts.

Upload your customer and email lists to your ad platforms too. Someone who has opened your early access email and then sees your ad is far more likely to buy than a stranger.

A blanket percentage off is the easiest offer to run and often the most expensive. A few alternatives that have worked for our clients:

• Spend and save tiers: for example, save more at $100, $250 and $400. It lifts the average order instead of just cutting price.
• A threshold discount: a discount that only kicks in above a set order value.
• Tiered gifts with purchase: a small gift on every order and a bigger one at higher spend levels.
• Bundles: packs that make a bigger order feel like the obvious choice.

Whatever you choose, make it super obvious and super simple. If someone has to read your ad twice to work out the deal, they will scroll past. Strong promotions also lean on the product, not just the price. We saw this when a product-first promotion lifted sales fivefold.

Start by reviewing the return on ad spend (ROAS) from last year's sale. It is the best benchmark you have for this year. Then work backwards from your revenue goal. If last year's ads returned 20 times their cost, $100,000 in sales needs around $5,000 in ad spend.

Keep in mind Black Friday is a competitive time, and it gets more expensive every year as more brands compete for the same shoppers. Build some headroom into your budget, then sense check it against what you can actually make, pack and ship.

• Put the weight behind the sale. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are major promotions. While they run, the sale should get most of your budget.
• Give the sale its own campaign. If sale ads sit inside your always-on campaign, you cannot see what the promotion actually delivered, and you lose the benchmark you will need next year.

When it is over, judge the result on what happened in your business, not just inside one platform. Dashboards do not always tell the full story, especially when Google, Meta and TikTok are all working on the same shopper.

Your ads, banners, emails and landing pages should look and sound like one campaign. When someone clicks a Black Friday ad, the sale should be the first thing they see.

• Mix your formats. Video often earns more impressions on Meta, but static and carousel ads still win plenty of sales. Give the platform options and let it learn what your audience responds to.
• Keep creative fresh. You do not always need new shoots. Recutting a video with a new opening three seconds, music or text can bring it back to life. It is one of the easiest ways to avoid the TikTok ad mistakes that drain budgets.
• State your delivery cut-offs. Couriers are under the most pressure from the last week of November through the first two weeks of December. Tell people clearly when to order for Christmas delivery, and avoid promising what you cannot guarantee.

The sale ending is not the end of the season.

• Plan Boxing Day now. Many retailers run their Black Friday offer again from late December into early January. Design both together so the creative and pages are ready.
• Shift to Christmas messaging. Gifting, last order dates and gift cards carry you through December.
• Remarket to your new customers. Black Friday brings in first-time buyers. A good follow-up turns them into repeat customers.
• Use January. It is quieter, with no major sales, and people are spending on themselves and their new year goals. It is a great time to launch something or build your brand.

If you want a hand planning your sale, our Meta advertising and Google Ads teams build these campaigns every year.

When is Black Friday 2026 in Australia?

Black Friday is Friday 27 November 2026 and Cyber Monday is Monday 30 November 2026. Many Australian retailers run offers across the whole of November.

When should I start my Black Friday ads?

Set them up at least a week before your sale starts. Meta can take around a week to properly push a campaign out, and starting one to two weeks early helps you reach shoppers before the busiest days.

Do I have to offer a discount for Black Friday?

No. Gifts with purchase, free products, bundles and spend and save tiers can work just as well and protect your margin better than a blanket discount.

Why are remarketing audiences important for Black Friday?

People who already know your brand are far more likely to buy during a sale. Building email lists and website audiences in the weeks before Black Friday usually gives you the best return on ad spend.

Are ads more expensive during Black Friday?

Yes. It is one of the most competitive times of year, and it gets more expensive every year. Use last year's ROAS as your benchmark, build in some headroom, and start early so your own audiences are ready before costs peak.