Every November, the pressure starts to build. Big retailers announce their deals weeks early, inboxes fill with promotions and it can feel like every business is expected to offer a Black Friday special. Shoppers are certainly ready to spend: Adobe Analytics reported a record $11.8 billion in U.S. online sales on Black Friday 2025. But a discount that works for a national retailer isn’t automatically right for a small business. The right answer depends on your margins, your customers and what you want the promotion to accomplish.
When Black Friday Specials Make Sense
- Your customers buy gifts from you. Retail products, gift cards, spa services, classes and experiences are natural holiday gifts, and shoppers are actively looking for them.
- Your margins can absorb a discount. If a promotion brings in enough extra sales to make up for the lower price, it can pay off.
- You want new customers who will come back. A first visit at a special price can be worth it when customers return at full price all year.
- You have inventory or open capacity to fill. Moving seasonal stock or filling a slow January schedule are good reasons to run a promotion.
When They Might Not Be Right
- Your margins are already thin. A discount can turn a profitable sale into a loss, especially once you add advertising costs.
- You sell high-value services. Many B2B companies, professional firms and contractors win business on trust and expertise, not price. A deep discount can make your work look less valuable.
- You can’t handle the extra demand. A flood of orders or bookings you can’t deliver on time leads to unhappy customers and bad reviews.
- Your regular customers would buy anyway. If most of the people who take the deal would have paid full price, the discount mostly lowers your revenue.
Run the Numbers First
Before you choose a discount, check how many extra sales it takes to come out ahead. Here’s a simple example: a product sells for $100 and costs $60 to make or deliver, so you keep $40. At 25% off, it sells for $75 and you keep $15. You would need to sell 2.5 times as many just to earn the same profit, before you count the cost of promoting the sale. Do the same math with your own prices, costs and ad budget to find a discount that still works for your business.
Alternatives to a Straight Discount
- Gift card bonuses. Offer a bonus card with a gift card purchase, such as a $20 bonus with a $100 gift card. You bring in revenue now and often gain a new customer later.
- Bundles and add-ons. Add a free upgrade, product or service instead of lowering your price.
- Early access for loyal customers. Reward your email and SMS subscribers with first access, which also grows your list for the rest of the year.
- Book now, save later. Service businesses can offer a special for appointments booked in November for January or February, when schedules tend to slow down.
- Small Business Saturday. The Saturday after Thanksgiving celebrates local businesses. A community event, a giveaway or a thank-you to your regulars can stand out without deep discounts.
If You Run a Special, Plan It Like a Campaign
- Set a goal and a deadline. Decide what success looks like, such as sales, new customers or gift cards sold, and give the offer a clear end date.
- Tell your existing customers first. Email and SMS reach people who already know and trust you, at a fraction of the cost of ads.
- Make it easy to find. Feature the offer on your website, Google Business Profile and social media, and make sure your checkout or booking process is ready for more traffic.
- Start ads early. Advertising costs often rise as Black Friday gets closer, so plan your budget and launch before the busiest days.
- Measure the results. Track sales, new customers and return visits so you know whether to run the promotion again next year.
The best holiday promotions are part of a year-round plan. Our Siena Massage case study shows how monthly and seasonal promotions, sent to the right customers through email and SMS, help a business win in a competitive market without relying on paid Google ads.
How Osky Blue Helps
We analyze your business, customers and competitors to recommend whether a holiday promotion makes sense and which offer will drive the most growth. Our specialists implement it across email and SMS, social media and paid media, and we report on the results so you have the insight to make confident decisions while you focus on running your business.
Planning your holiday marketing? Request a quote and we’ll help you build a plan that fits your business.