10 Black Friday Email Marketing Tips to Boost Ticket Sales

Everyone loves a good Black Friday deal! With consumers eager to buy the perfect gift for the holidays, this promotional season is a fantastic time to sell more tickets to your unique event experiences. Email is an easy and powerful way to spread the word about your deals and drive sales. However, you’ll need the right marketing strategy to stand out among all the other Black Friday emails in their inboxes. Curious how to do this? From creating thoughtful email designs to optimizing your send times, our team has compiled this list of expert tips to help you master your Black Friday emails.

1. Showcase Your Most Exclusive Deals

To make your events shine this Black Friday, start by crafting irresistible deals. This means go big! People are looking for deep discounts and exclusive bundles that make them pause and buy before time runs out. Consider promoting ticket bundles, upsells for premium experiences, and no-fee tickets. Engage your audience further with reviews-based discounts or social media giveaways. The key is to make your offerings pop in your emails, enticing readers to learn more. Gifting experiences is a growing trend, so make sure to highlight what makes your events unique in your emails. 

2. Build Enticing Bundles

Bundle deals are a surefire way to drive more sales! Consider combining offerings across various product lines, such as a VIP ticket package tied to exclusive merchandise. Using a “Gift With Purchase” strategy not only gets people excited to attend your event, but it allows the ticket buyer to give a more tangible gift this holiday season to a friend or loved one.

3. Establish Urgency

Clearly specify the urgent deadlines in your email, informing customers about the limited-time nature of your deals. Enhance this with a countdown timer displayed near the header of your email design to visually emphasize how time is running out. Building anticipation is equally critical! Before your exclusive offers go live, consider sending teaser emails for a sneak peek to get people excited. Then, later once they’ve made their purchase, let them know when their Black Friday orders will arrive (especially if they’re hoping to get it before Christmas!). You could also consider extending your deal into Giving Tuesday, adding a philanthropic element to your Black Friday campaign that appeals to the charitable spirit of the season.

4. Write Impactful Subject Lines & Preheaders

Your subject line and preheader are the first elements recipients see — so make them count! Infuse your brand’s voice with playful, engaging messaging to draw people in. In your subject line, avoid overused buzzwords (e.g., “Black Friday,” “Tickets,” “Deals,” “Offer”, and “Save”) and add a personalized touch by including the recipient’s first name. In your preheader, include the offer’s expiration date and consider teasing one of your biggest offers. Do some A/B testing to determine which subject lines and preheaders result in the most open rates, such as whether it’s more effective to mention specific percentages and dollar amounts or not. The subject line determines whether people will see your offers, so make sure you invest time into it!

5. Create Eye-Catching Designs

Arguably the most important element to an effective Black Friday email – besides the unbeatable deals – is the look of those emails. Shine the spotlight on your brand and all the unique experiences your events have to offer. Make sure your deals are prominent and easy to find. If they aren’t, recipients will move on to the next email. Use striking imagery of your prices slashed in half, and incorporate animated GIFs to catch people’s attention even more.

Since 48-55% of Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales were done on mobile devices in 2022, it’s essential to prioritize mobile-first designs that are easy to read, sized appropriately for smaller screens, and have a streamlined purchase process. Finally, include a single call-to-action button to drive a higher click-through rate to your ticketing page, online store, or even as a direct contact to your team via a click-to-call button.

6. Segment Your Emails

Segmenting your email list allows you to tailor messages that resonate the most with your audience and maximize engagement, and hopefully ticket sales. Create segments for previous buyers, active subscribers, and less-engaged contacts. By doing so, you can craft an email campaign schedule that caters to each group, including sending more frequently to engaged subscribers. Consider geo-targeting segments to reach subscribers within driving distance of your events since it’s easiest for them to attend your future events.

7. Strategize the Frequency of Your Emails

Timing is everything during Black Friday! To build anticipation, tease upcoming offers a month in advance. As Black Friday approaches, gradually increase the frequency of your emails as November goes on, especially since customers expect more communication during this time. Plus, email engagement tends to be higher overall in November and December. The week of Black Friday, send daily reminders leading up to key dates, then increase to two emails per day on Black Friday and Cyber Monday (ideally sent around 11am and 7pm, when people are more likely to check their email). For the first sends on these big sales days, the morning email should announce your sales and the evening email should create urgency with “Last Chance” messages.

8. Experiment with Your Send Times to Optimize Engagement

Sending emails at different times throughout the week can have a big impact on who in your audience opens and clicks on your email. Our research indicates that weekend emails have higher open rates when sent in the morning, while midweek emails (especially on Tuesdays) are most ideal for open rates. Fridays tend to be more effective for driving clicks and conversions. Tailor your send times based on the insights you gather to capitalize on when your audience will be the most responsive!

9. Take Advantage of the Holiday Season

Integrate holiday-themed imagery into your Black Friday email campaigns to spread some holiday cheer! Position your main Black Friday deals prominently, then use Christmas and winter imagery around your secondary offers to catch your readers’ eye and incorporate themed language too. Incorporate fun phrases that match the spirit of the season (e.g., “’Tis the Season Tickets”, “Goals & Goodies”, “Give the Gift of Tickets”), making them even more appealing to your audience.

10. Cross Promote Your Black Friday Deals

Your Black Friday strategy should stretch beyond just email! Leverage other marketing channels like social media, paid ads, and push notifications to tease upcoming offers and drive people to sign up for your email list. Holiday giveaways for people who sign up to your mailing list can be particularly effective at motivating users to follow your venue’s pages and join your online community.

Level Up Your Black Friday Email Marketing with Leap!

The holiday season is a prime opportunity to elevate your event’s visibility and increase ticket sales! By implementing these Black Friday email marketing tips, you can craft campaigns that not only capture people’s attention but also drive more conversions. If you’re looking for some seasoned advice, our team of experts at Leap Marketing and Analytics specializes in transforming email strategies for iconic events across the globe. Reach out today to find out how we can elevate your Black Friday campaigns and stay ahead of the competition!