Black Friday 2026: 5 Things Your Business Should Be Doing Now
Black Friday is fast approaching, and for ecommerce businesses, the preparation happening now could make all the difference when the sales begin.
With competition increasing and customers expecting more from their shopping experience, having your marketing ready ahead of time is essential.
We've asked the Pivotal team to share their advice for preparing for peak season, drawing on their experience working with ecommerce brands.
Here are five things worth focusing on before Black Friday arrives.
1. Black Friday Is NOT the Time to Rebuild Your Ad Account
If you're planning major changes to your Google Ads or Meta campaigns, now is the time to make them.
Launching new campaigns or changing bid strategies can require a period of adjustment while the platforms optimise performance. Even changes that don't trigger a formal learning period can affect delivery as campaigns adapt.
Making significant changes too close to Black Friday could leave your campaigns finding their feet when demand is at its highest.
Aim to have your core campaign structure in place by early-to-mid November, giving everything time to settle before the rush.
2. Use Sales Data and Forecasts to Prepare for Peak Demand
Looking at previous sales performance can give you a better understanding of what to expect this Black Friday:
Which products performed particularly well last year? Were there any unexpected increases in demand?
Use these insights to inform your stock planning and identify the products worth prioritising in your marketing.
Forecasting tools such as Inventory Planner can help ecommerce businesses anticipate demand and make more informed decisions about replenishment.
The earlier you understand where demand is likely to come from, the better prepared you'll be.
3. Don't Wait Until Black Friday to Hit Send
Your customers' inboxes will be flooded with Black Friday offers, making it harder than ever to stand out.
Rather than relying on one big email on the day, consider building a series of campaigns in the lead-up to Black Friday.
Offering subscribers exclusive early access to your sale can be a great way to reward your audience and encourage purchases before the busiest shopping day arrives.
It's worth thinking about your paid social audiences too. Building engaged and retargeting audiences ahead of peak gives you a warmer group of potential customers to reach when your promotions begin.
Getting ahead of the rush means you're better positioned to reach people who are already interested in what you have to offer.
4. Check Your Tracking Before Black Friday, Not During It
Accurate tracking is essential for understanding how your campaigns are performing, particularly during periods of increased spending.
Before peak, check that your conversion tracking is working correctly and that your analytics are recording the information you need.
Review your Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager setup, making sure purchase events and conversion values are being recorded accurately.
It's also worth checking your Consent Mode implementation and enhanced conversions, where applicable, to make sure your measurement setup is working as intended.
Ideally, these checks should happen before any planned website code freeze, giving your team time to resolve issues without rushing changes through during peak.
Discovering a tracking problem on Black Friday could affect both your reporting and the conversion signals used by automated bidding.
5. Don't Panic-Edit Your Campaigns
Black Friday performance can fluctuate throughout the day, and it can be tempting to make changes as soon as something looks unusual.
However, frequent or significant adjustments can affect campaign performance, especially when the platforms are already responding to changing demand.
Agree on your optimisation rules in advance. For example, decide how you'll respond if your cost per acquisition rises above an acceptable level.
It's also important to consider conversion lag. Customers don't always purchase immediately after clicking an advert, so early results may not reflect the full performance of a campaign.
Having a plan in place makes it easier to respond thoughtfully when the pressure is on.
Make the Most of Peak Season
A successful Black Friday comes down to the preparation that happens before customers start shopping.
Taking time to review your campaigns now can help reduce avoidable problems and put your business in a stronger position when demand increases.
At Pivotal, we work with ecommerce businesses to develop marketing strategies that support sustainable growth, particularly during important trading periods.
Need support getting your marketing ready for peak? Get in touch with the Pivotal team.