As Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) approach, every affiliate marketer (no matter the scale) senses the urgency to set up and maximize campaigns.

But you’ve got to be smart about it to make sure your revenue grows in harmony with consumer spending through a well-structured affiliate program.

Use the peak shopping season to boost conversions. Use Commerce Media to reach more users than ever before.

The maths is simple: the more your audiences buy, the better your affiliate advertising results

And with Zeropark’s 50% YoY traffic supply growth, we can guarantee that offers will access more users than ever.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the key things you can do in November to ensure your campaigns drive maximum impact—from setting clear objectives to diversifying your channels for better reach.

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When’s Black Friday 2024?

Black Friday 2024 falls on November 29, with Cyber Monday following on December 2, marking the peak of the holiday shopping season and kicking off BFCM weekend. For affiliate marketers, this means that preparation needs to start as early as possible to ensure campaigns are fully optimized when the holiday surge begins.

Consider offering early access to your top customers to build excitement and ensure they are the first to take advantage of your deals.

Planning ad placements, creating exclusive deals, and tailoring messaging for high-impact shopping days are essential steps for success. Read on to find further strategies tailored to affiliate marketers, helping you optimize every part of your campaign for maximum reach and conversions.

Understanding Black Friday Marketing Campaigns

Black Friday marketing campaigns are the cornerstone of any ecommerce brand’s strategy during the holiday shopping season. These campaigns are meticulously designed to attract new customers, boost revenue, and drive sales. A successful Black Friday campaign isn’t just about slashing prices; it requires careful planning, execution, and optimization.

Start by crafting compelling deals that resonate with your audience. Build a strong online presence to ensure your brand stands out amidst the competition. Leverage various marketing channels—such as social media, email marketing, and search engine optimization—to reach a broader audience. Each element of your campaign should work in harmony to create a seamless and enticing shopping experience for your customers.

Set Your Goals Early for Black Friday Marketing Campaigns

Start by defining what success looks like for your Black Friday Cyber Monday campaigns. The competition is intense, and having measurable goals lets you stay focused amid the fast-paced nature of BFCM.

Set specific KPIs, like increasing website traffic, boosting Average Order Value, or attracting new sales, to keep your strategy grounded. Flexibility is equally important; use real-time analytics tools to make adjustments as needed, allowing you to adapt quickly to changing market dynamics.

Ensuring high customer satisfaction can lead to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth, which are crucial for long-term success.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of checking all metrics at once and introducing chaotic changes. That’s why it’s crucial to keep your target audience engaged while keeping focus on your priorities.

Reporting in affiliate networks isn’t detailed enough, as it will not reflect granular traffic metrics such as eCPA or ROI. Hence, you need to trust a platform that enables you to buy verified traffic, but also offers full data transparency.

Understand Consumer Intent

Next, dig into your target audience’s behavior. Today’s BFCM shoppers often arrive with specific items in mind. They’ve read reviews, checked product details, and made comparisons, so your messaging should cater to their researched choices.

Your Zeropark Account Manager can help you better understand and cater to your target audience’s needs, ensuring your campaigns are more effective.

Consider implementing Deeplink ads to connect shoppers directly to product pages—saving them time and increasing conversion potential by guiding them to exactly what they’re looking for.

Find out how much traffic for Deeplink you can expect for top brands:

Start Preparations for Black Friday Sales as Soon as Possible

Yes, it’s already time to act.

Black Friday is when you should be already in your peak form.

Don’t wait until the last minute to organize your campaigns. Start optimizing early by testing various traffic sources, targeting options, and messaging strategies. Use A/B testing to see what resonates with your audience, paying close attention to metrics like engagement and conversion rates. Ensure your online store is optimized for conversions, as it will be the primary destination for your affiliate traffic.

This early testing allows you to fine-tune your Black Friday ads for e-commerce brands, ensuring the most effective combinations are ready when peak traffic hits.

Crafting effective Black Friday deals requires a deep understanding of your target audience. Know their shopping habits, preferences, and what drives them to make a purchase. Offer deals that are not only attractive but also relevant and timely.

Brace for More Traffic (Budget Allocation)

Make sure that you can afford the traffic when the wave of Black Friday sales comes.

Expect a major spike as BFCM approaches and plan your budget accordingly. All marketing channels within the Commerce Media ecosystem will grow, so consider it when placing budgets.

You don’t want to spend everything on Friday and watch everyone else succeed in the following days.

Instead of spending your budget early, pace your ad spend to ensure your campaigns remain visible throughout the entire sale period.

Keep an eye on real-time metrics, adjusting bids as needed to capture traffic without overspending. If your platform supports real-time bidding, like Zeropark’s, leverage this tool to manage costs and stay competitive in high-demand segments.

Prepare for Higher Bids

With Black Friday campaigns drawing more advertisers than any other time, bid costs will rise, and competition for ad placements will intensify.

This is natural, as with increased supply, there will be increased demand from online retailers. The changes in bids will not be linear, so don’t try to set any universal multiplier for all your campaigns. Try to find out trends on a granular level and adjust bids to maximize performance.

This way you’ll avoid overspending on targets that aren’t competitive.

Also, check Zeropark’s bid recommendations in our free BFCM Commerce Media guide:

Experiment with Different Supply Types

Don’t try to stick to one Placement Category, because you’ll limit your potential during the holiday shopping season.

During your Black Friday sale, experiment with different supply types to see which ones drive the most traffic and conversions.

Diversifying your supply sources helps you reach new audiences while avoiding overreliance on a single ad channel.

Whether it’s premium inventory, review placements, or social media ads, testing multiple channels can reveal high-potential, lower-cost opportunities to drive traffic and conversions. With customers seeking products during the Q4 shopping season, you’ll lose a lot of traction by omitting Deeplink opportunities. Especially since it makes up for the majority of available supply for some brands (like Kohl’s, Victoria’s Secret, or Home Depot).

Find out how much traffic for Deeplink you can expect for top brands in our free BFCM Commerce Media guide!

Don’t Slow Down Post-BFCM

It’s not really a sprint.

After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, many consumers are still actively shopping, whether for last-minute gifts or holiday splurges. Maintaining campaigns beyond BFCM lets you capture lingering demand, often with reduced competition and lower CPCs. Plus, this period is prime for nurturing relationships with new customers, turning BFCM shoppers into loyal customers.

Conclusion

Preparing for Black Friday is about more than setting up campaigns—it’s about detailed planning, flexibility, and data-driven decisions to maximize results. With these steps on your to-do list, you can make the most of the Black Friday shopping holiday.

Want tips on optimizing this post-BFCM period? Zeropark’s free guide has more strategies to help you keep the momentum going well into the holiday season.

Łukasz Pośpiech