Black Friday is one of the biggest opportunities of the year to give your business a solid cash injection before the holidays hit.

This is something we all need to talk about because, for many small business owners, November can sneak up on us. We get caught up in delivery, client work, end-of-year fatigue, and suddenly the biggest sales weekend of the year has passed. Then we tell ourselves, "next year."

Let's not do that again.

I recorded a LIVE podcast series, breaking down the essential elements of a successful Black Friday campaign. I was joined by my good friend, Content Catalyst member and Facebook Ads expert Stacey Hughes to unpack why Black Friday marketing isn't just for retailers, and why every service provider, coach, and course creator should be part of it.

People are ready to buy

Here's what really hit me when I was doing research for this series. Australians spent 6.8 billion dollars over the Black Friday weekend. Six point eight billion. That's not a typo.

And yet, so many of the business owners I talk to tell me, "Oh, I don't do Black Friday because it's just hype," or "I don't want to cheapen my brand". I've talked about selling without being salesy before, and this is exactly one of those situations where you can participate strategically.

The reality is, Black Friday has evolved. It's no longer just about discounting products. It's about being visible at the exact time people are online, shopping, and in the mindset to buy.

So even if you don't sell physical products, your audience is still paying attention.

It's not about discounting, it's about being strategic

I know a lot of coaches and service providers feel uncomfortable offering discounts. You've worked hard to position your expertise and don't want to undercut it.

Here's something Stacey and I both agree on: even if you don't want to discount your core product, you can still use Black Friday for list building and lead generation. Create a valuable lead magnet that helps your audience with something they need, get them on your list, and then nurture them about who you are and what you stand for.

This is exactly what we teach inside Content Catalyst, where we focus on positioning your message and planning strategic lead generation campaigns.

You don't need to "slash your prices" to take part. You just need to meet your audience where they already are, online and ready to buy.

Learn from last year

Before you start planning this year's campaign, take a moment to look back. Did you do anything for Black Friday last year? What worked? What didn't? When did you start list building? How many emails did you send? What kind of content got engagement?

That data tells you exactly where to focus this time. Pull up your old stats and audit what actually drove results. You can't fix what you can't see.

Keep your tech simple

When it comes to your Black Friday funnel, simple wins. You don't need fancy automations or ten-step funnels. You just need a clean landing page, clear call-to-action buttons, and a checkout that works.

Build your campaign with AI and smart systems

Here's the approach Stacey and I use to get a Black Friday campaign up and running fast:

Step 1: Create your offer and build your sales page using templates and AI assistants
Step 2: Make your content and short videos to build trust and momentum
Step 3: Launch your Facebook Ads

It's practical and hands-on, designed for busy business owners who want results, not more theory.

Before you go

If you think Black Friday isn't for you, I want you to ask yourself one question:

Do you want to bring in more cash before the end of the year?

If the answer is yes, then Black Friday is for you. For many online coaches and service-based businesses, December is when things wind down. So Black Friday really is that final opportunity to get a much-needed cash injection to get you through the holiday season.

The truth is, people are already spending. The only question is whether they're spending with you.

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