How to create a Black Friday social media marketing strategy for the UK

Black Friday to Cyber Monday (BFCM) has become one of the most significant holiday sale periods on the US calendar, and their combined popularity is also important in the UK.

Since launching in 2010, Black Friday has evolved into a can’t-miss calendar event for physical retailers, but its impact is arguably even stronger online. Cyber Monday in particular was designed to support entirely online sales, and the continuing trend of online shopping across the UK has made a Black Friday social media strategy more important than ever.

In this article, we’ll cover what sets UK Black Friday sales apart, suggest ideas for BFCM social media posts across each network and showcase successful campaigns across different industries.

Black Friday in the UK: What brands should expect

Whilst it isn’t a holiday in the UK, Black Friday is still a significant sales date which often kickstarts holiday spending throughout December. In 2024, the average planned spend across BFCM was £132 for men across the country and £112 for women.

Spending across the period is also on the rise; in 2024, spending by members of Nationwide Building Society increased by 12% when compared with the previous year. It’s common for retailers to announce timed sales, often promoted by distinct digital campaigns, to attract these buyers.

And according to Sprout’s Q4 2025 Pulse Survey, 84% of UK consumers plan to use social media the same amount, if not more, to find gifts during the 2025 holiday season compared to the 2024 season.

Officially, Black Friday falls on the last Friday of November in the UK–in 2025 this is November 28th. Sales usually run across that weekend until the following Monday, which is referred to as Cyber Monday. These sales tend to be more tech-focused or focused on online channels. However, as the popularity of BFCM has grown, it’s become common for retailers to plan sales for longer than this window, with some starting sales as early as the beginning of November.

Black Friday social media strategies for Black Friday in the UK

If you’re starting to plan your Black Friday social media campaigns, here are a few strategies that can work well across several platforms.

Influencer partnerships for BFCM

Partnering with influencers is an increasingly popular and rewarding strategy for BFCM sales. According to Sprout Social’s Q4 2025 Pulse Survey, more than a third (35%) of UK consumers trust influencer recommendations most for gift ideas and product discovery during the holiday season.

Influencers allow retailers to further their reach when promoting deals, which can then increase sales and improve overall buying power. This is particularly important during BFCM’s time-sensitive, crowded market. This buying power is also backed up by recent data from Sprout’s Q2 and Q3 pulse surveys, which found that 64% of people are more willing to buy from companies that partner with one of their favourite influencers; proof that both reach and sales can be major benefits of managing influencer campaigns over BFCM.

If you’re planning a Black Friday influencer campaign, make sure you keep a close eye on the project timeline. You need to make sure you publish content at the right time to direct people to active sales.

Social commerce for BFCM

Social commerce refers to selling directly through social media platforms, and it’s a growing trend in the UK. Platforms like TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping are perfect for Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales, as they make it easier for customers to search for and purchase your products. Whilst you shouldn’t neglect your website or physical store locations, social commerce offers you a direct channel to boost sales during the busy shopping period.

As it turns out, Sprout’s Q4 2025 Pulse Survey found UK consumers are almost equally likely to turn to social media for gift ideas and product discovery during the holiday season as they are physical stores (48% use social compared to 49% who use physical stores).

By hosting a live shopping channel across BFCM, you can offer unique deals across the entire weekend. These events also encourage engagement from your followers, and are perfect for products that sell well through demonstrations, like electronics or toys.

Video content for BFCM

Video remains the preferred content type across the majority of today’s most popular networks, including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and others. Eye-catching video content that’s edited well can make scrollers stop and pay attention, which is ideal for delivering time-sensitive Black Friday sales.

Video content is more effective than ever as more users turn to social search to research products they want to buy. Your videos are more likely to appear in searches once you optimise for TikTok SEO, or more general video SEO if you’re on other platforms. Buyers will use social platforms to find active deals on BFCM, so capturing these searches makes it more likely that you’ll be chosen over your competition.

Giveaways and contests for BFCM

Planning live giveaways and social media contests is a great way to boost viewers and encourage engagement during BFCM. These can be combined with live shopping broadcasts, or managed separately. What matters is that you’re offering your followers a chance to win something by interacting with your account.

Contests are a smart way of promoting sales alongside engagement opportunities. Remember, you can still show the sale price of a product whilst you’re giving it away. This price should reflect a good deal to viewers, encouraging purchases even if they don’t win. You can also build your follower count through giveaways, which broadens your reach when you come to share live Black Friday sales in the future.

Extending promotions beyond the screen

Whilst BFCM is primarily held online, it’s still very common for UK brands to host offline sales or experiential marketing events like live activations that weekend. These in-person events can build buzz around your brand, which can then be channeled into a stronger performance when Black Friday starts.

Consider hosting these events in November before the main sale period happens. You can even use these events to promote some exclusive pre-BFCM deals, which encourages people to attend. One example of an event might be a live activation countdown for when your Black Friday sale goes live, where you give away small gifts or offer the opportunity for guests to access sale prices in person. All these efforts raise awareness and make your BFCM sales feel like an even bigger deal.

Black Friday promotion ideas for each network

You can manage successful BFCM promotions on a few different networks. Here are some examples of leading platform options and how you can use them to increase your reach and sales.

Instagram

According to Sprout’s 2024 Social Media Content Strategy Report, 84% of active social media users have an Instagram account, which is more than any other platform. Alongside boasting this huge number of account holders, Instagram also has features like Reels and Instagram Shopping, which make it ideal for Black Friday campaigns.

This report also found that 61% of social users find their next purchase on Instagram, which is why it’s essential you optimise your posts for searchability. If you’re promoting active sales, take advantage of link stickers and make the purchasing process as simple as possible.

Video content resonates well on Instagram, but don’t neglect images completely. They still have a place on the platform, particularly as grid posts through carousels; these can be ideal for showcasing a large number of active deals. If you’re posting these, make sure you have links in your bio so that your followers still know where to go to make a purchase.

TikTok

TikTok is the top channel for product discovery among Gen Z, which makes it an important platform if you’re targeting younger generations. One key to success with Black Friday sales on TikTok is to tap into the platform’s niche communities. Make use of hashtags that get your posts seen by the right audience, which should increase your engagement as well as your chances of converting into sales.

Don’t just rely on hashtags; SEO optimise all of your content with caption keywords and text overlays. Making an effort to do this increases your searchability, which is vital for capturing users searching for specific deals.

With TikTok, it’s also worth taking advantage of your employees and physical stores. Encourage staff members to film short content POVs and videos showing off regional sales, as this will both boost your reputation and allow you to segment your active sales across different parts of the UK.

Facebook

With Facebook, it can be worth investing in targeted Facebook advertising when promoting your Black Friday sales. One point to bear in mind is that ad costs on the actual weekend itself can be higher than they are both before and after. Consider building hype for your Black Friday deals by publishing targeted ads earlier in the week or month, as this can be both more cost-effective and helps you build an interested audience ahead of time.

In terms of content itself, look at combining your Facebook posts with giveaways or live events. Product-focused photo and video content can both showcase your products and encourage sales. But make sure to pair them with the right keywords and CTAs to boost their reach and increase conversions.

Pinterest

It may seem like an odd choice when compared with these other platforms, but the visual nature of Pinterest marketing can make it an excellent choice for BFCM campaigns. Recent Pinterest statistics have shown that 80% of weekly pinners find inspiration on the platform, including discovering new products or brands.

Optimise all of your pins so they link to distinct product pages on your website. This makes it easy to convert any discoverers into sales. Pinterest is also a community-driven platform, so create content that inspires creativity and encourages others to get involved. The more positively your pins are perceived, the more likely pinners are to remember your brand when sales time rolls around.

Also, take advantage of Pinterest retargeting tools to segment your audience based on what they’ve interacted with. This can inform targeted campaigns during Black Friday, where you can put the right products in front of the right people.

Black Friday marketing campaigns across UK industries and products

Here are several examples of UK and global brands succeeding during Black Friday through creative social marketing campaigns.

Electronics

Tech products are perfectly designed for Cyber Monday sales, and this is the best-performing sector for Black Friday sales in the UK, but this does mean there can be a lot of competition. One company that tries to set itself apart through pre-emptive marketing is Currys. They already host a specific Black Friday page on their website, where they also promote a Black Friday countdown newsletter.

This allows Currys to build an audience long before sales even take place. They’re able to boost the hype of their upcoming deals, whilst also creating a direct communication channel with their audience. They also combine this with their Currys Perks group so followers can also access giveaways and exclusive discounts.

Another popular UK electronics brand that sells across socials is Ninja. Here’s an example of one of their Facebook ads from Black Friday 2024.

Ninja’s Facebook ads are designed to be simple and easy to catch when scrolling through the platform. It’s clear to see how much money users can save if they access Black Friday deals, and you can immediately navigate to a sales page. Ninja also adds a few sleek photographs of their products and includes perks like free delivery for buyers.

The takeaway

Currys proves how important it is for electronics brands to get ahead of the game and promote their Black Friday sales well before the actual weekend itself. They also show how useful it can be to pair BFCM promotions with existing marketing channels, like they do with Currys Perks. This makes Black Friday campaigns easier to manage and allows them to provide more discounts and giveaway opportunities to customers.

Meanwhile, Ninja evidences how important it is for Black Friday ads to be concise and to-the-point, particularly on Facebook. With so much competition in electronics, it’s worth honing in on the uniqueness of your product and providing clarity on the savings you’re offering during the weekend.

Fashion

Clothing is another popular industry for Black Friday sales, with some brands embracing cheap fast-fashion sales and others distancing themselves to stand out from the competition. Major online fashion retailer ASOS often invests heavily in creative Black Friday campaigns, including in 2024 when they partnered with EYC Ltd.

ASOS’s “Made you Look” campaign was designed for Instagram and TikTok and included activation hype as well as behind-the-scenes content and unique snapshot moments. The creative idea aimed to grab followers’ attention and succeeded, as ASOS’s content achieved over 4.1million views.

Other UK fashion brands have taken a very different approach to Black Friday sales. In an effort to distance itself from overconsumption, Lucy & Yak has partnered with the charity Fior Di Loto Foundation since 2018. In 2024, they asked children supported by the charity to create drawings, and then used them to make distinct Lucy & Yak dungaree designs.

They’re not the only fashion brand to do Black Friday a little differently. Patagonia has also managed several distinct Black Friday campaigns focused on the quality of its products, dating all the way back to 2011.

The takeaway

ASOS’s campaign shows that sometimes the most important thing to do with your Black Friday marketing is to grab attention. Once you have eyes on your content, you have time to show off your products and the sales you’re offering to customers, but getting those eyes in the first place often demands a creative approach.

Both Lucy & Yak and Patagonia also show that brands can do Black Friday a little differently to achieve results. Though both brands may not attract as many sales, they’ve been able to boost their reputation, the trust from their customers and their communities through value-driven digital campaigns.

Toys

Toy sales are a massive market for the UK’s BFCM sales, thanks to their proximity to Christmas. Major toy retailers now rely on social marketing to boost the reach of their deals, including Smyths Toys, which has invested in TikTok marketing.

Smyths Toys promotes Black Friday deals during the weekend, as well as early sales. Their TikTok videos are a bit like a video carousel, and go through multiple live deals, which clearly show the sale price and the savings offered to customers.

Another major retailer that builds hype around Black Friday early is Argos. They have a similar approach to Currys, where they host a unique webpage for Black Friday long before November starts.

Argos differentiates by hosting live offers on all of its categories before Black Friday starts. They also host several advice pages for users on their website, explaining how you can add items to a wishlist, download their app or collect orders from pickup points.

The takeaway

Smyths’ TikTok strategies show how important it is for toy retailers to rely on visual adverts that showcase products, either through demonstrations or quickfire sales snapshots. They also rely on their employees to produce content, which is an ideal content type for TikTok.

The key takeaway from Argos is for retailers to dedicate time to building up their website, as well as relying on social channels. All of the pages on Argos’ website help prepare visitors for sales and allow the company to get a head start on prepping buyers for Black Friday before the weekend starts.

Travel and hotels

A final popular category for Black Friday social selling in the UK is travel packages and hotel deals. Here’s an example from EasyJet’s Instagram page published during Black Friday 2024.

EasyJet promotes the live sale with a simple text photo using their recognisable colour scheme, and segments their caption out with easy-to-read emoji bullet points. They also add an extra Black Friday sales code for even more discounts, and they direct followers to the link in their bio to make a booking.

Another major UK travel provider, Jet2, takes a different approach. They instead promote their travel deals with a Reel showing an influencer enjoying themselves at the deal’s destination in Cyprus.

Jet2 states that terms and conditions apply to any bookings within the caption of their post. They also published this ad on November 24th 2024, which was the weekend before Black Friday.

The takeaway

EasyJet creates its Black Friday sale content with a specific target audience in mind. The example above is designed specifically for a family of four, which is made clear in both the image and the description. They show how important it is to understand your audience when promoting deals across the weekend.

Jet2’s content makes use of several hashtags to improve searchability. By relying on a destination reel, they’re able to activate FOMO, which makes followers more likely to follow their link and decide to book a holiday for themselves.

Plan your Black Friday campaign activations today

Successful Black Friday social media campaigns are the result of careful planning. You need to optimise your content and produce across the channels most relevant to your audience to capture sales during such a time-sensitive trading period.

If you’re ready to start planning your Black Friday campaign for the UK market, read through our latest insight on 2025’s holiday shopping trends. Find out which platforms consumers are using and which content types are driving purchases.