Prime the Pump

EMAIL (everyone)
Before you launch your promotion, build up some curiosity with the P.S. tease method.

In the 1-2 romance emails preceding Black Friday, add a quick tease to the end of the email – "P.S. - The holidays are coming. I don't discount often, but when I do, it's around the holidays. Stay tuned."

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM POSTS (everyone)
Not everyone will see your email, so it's important that you're also posting on Facebook and Instagram, hinting about your upcoming sale. You can gently remind your audience with posts every day up until the sale.

Keep the posts light at this point. You're main objective is still to romance your audience (the sale hasn't started yet), but the idea is to get them curious about your sale.

INSTAGRAM STORIES (intermediate)
If you're a savvy Instagram user, get creative and incorporate an Instagram Story or two into the mix. It could be a story about your best-sellers of the year, it could be a story about your newest piece, it could be a story about a piece you are working on. 

Your options are endless here. The important thing is that you've opened another door to your sale by adding another communication channel to your marketing plan.

​FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM ADS (advanced)
Target your email list with FB ads that tease them about your upcoming offer. While this step is not required to run a successful holiday marketing campaign, this could put you over the top if you already have traction with your audience.

The Warm-Up

EMAIL (everyone)
Now, take the P.S. tease to the next level by sending an email dedicated only to the teasing sale.

Don't give them the full details of your offer, promo code, or sale dates just yet, but make it clear that a huge offer is coming any day now.

This is a great way to warm your audience up to your sale and give them a chance to start thinking about what they'd like to purchase before your promotion goes live.

It also creates anticipation that will boost open rates on your sale announcement email.

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM POSTS (everyone)
Ramp up your language for these posts. Don't disclose full details of your offer just yet, but have your audience on the edge of their seats expecting your sale to start any day. Get them excited about it and have them guessing what it could be.

INSTAGRAM STORIES (intermediate)
If you're a savvy Instagram user, get creative and incorporate an Instagram Story or two into the mix. It could be a story about you working hard to prepare for your holiday sale, it could be a teaser story that hints towards what's going to be on sale, it could be a countdown to the actual sale.

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM ADS (advanced)
Target your email list with Facebook ads that tease them about your upcoming offer. While this step is not required to run a successful holiday marketing campaign, this could put you over the top if you already have traction with your audience.

The Offer

EMAIL (everyone)
Time to announce your offer!

We recommend something in the range of 20-35% off store-wide, but you could also use free shipping, or a free item with every purchase, although these offers will typically be less effective.

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM POSTS (everyone)
It's time to reveal the full details of your sale. Just like you did in your email, let your audience know what the sale is, the coupon code for the sale (if applicable), and when the sale ends.

You can post daily about your sale, just be sure to change up the language.

INSTAGRAM STORIES (intermediate)
If you're a savvy Instagram user, get creative and incorporate an Instagram Story or two into the mix. It could be a story including the full details of your sale, it could be a story about a specific best-seller with info about your sale, it could be a story about you preparing for the sale.

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM ADS (advanced)
Target your email list with Facebook ads that tease them about your upcoming offer. While this step is not required to run a successful holiday marketing campaign, this could put you over the top if you already have traction with your audience.

The Offer Re-Send

EMAIL (everyone)
With this step, you're re-sending your offer announcement email to all of those subscribers who didn't open it the first time.

Most email service providers make this very easy to do (we show you how to get it done in MailChimp in this post.) Just change your subject line and re-send!

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM POSTS (everyone)
​It's time to reveal the full details of your sale. Just like you did in your email, let your audience know what the sale is, the coupon code for the sale (if applicable), and when the sale ends.

You can post daily about your sale, just be sure to change up the language.

INSTAGRAM STORIES (intermediate)
If you're a savvy Instagram user, get creative and incorporate an Instagram Story or two into the mix. It could be a story including the full details of your sale, it could be a story about a specific best-seller with info about your sale, it could be a story about you preparing for the sale.

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM ADS (advanced)
Target your email list with Facebook ads that tease them about your upcoming offer. While this step is not required to run a successful holiday marketing campaign, this could put you over the top if you already have traction with your audience.

The Romance Email

EMAIL (everyone)
Midway through your promotion period, take a break from the sales emails with a romance email showing off one of your best-sellers. Tell the story of what inspired it, or perhaps how it was created/captured.

Then, add a P.S. reminder mentioning the sale.

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM POSTS (everyone)
Take a break from the salesy language, follow the Weekly Marketing Playbook, and share a best-seller or holiday favorite of yours with your audience.

INSTAGRAM STORIES (intermediate)
If you're a savvy Instagram user, get creative and incorporate an Instagram Story or two into the mix. It could be a story about a specific best-seller, it could be a story about you working behind the scenes during the sale, it could be about your personal holiday experiences.

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM ADS (advanced)
Target your email list with Facebook ads that tease them about your upcoming offer. While this step is not required to run a successful holiday marketing campaign, this could put you over the top if you already have traction with your audience.

Expiration Reminder

EMAIL (everyone)
On the morning of the final day of your sale, remind your audience that your promotion is coming to an end tonight.

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM POSTS (everyone)
Let your Facebook and Instagram audiences know that your sale ends tonight. You could post in the morning and in the afternoon, but at least post once today.

INSTAGRAM STORIES (intermediate)
If you're a savvy Instagram user, get creative and incorporate an Instagram Story or two into the mix. For this step, it could be a countdown to the end of your sale. But the options are endless, and you can great creative with it.

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM ADS (advanced)
Target your email list with Facebook ads that tease them about your upcoming offer. While this step is not required to run a successful holiday marketing campaign, this could put you over the top if you already have traction with your audience.

24 Hour Extension

EMAIL (everyone)
Update your audience, thanking them for participating in your Black Friday promotion, and announce that by popular demand, you'll be extending the deal for just one more day. Include details on when exactly the sale will end.

This technique is known to squeeze a surprising number of extra sales out of a promotion – as many as ~20% of the total sales!

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM POSTS (everyone)
Surprise your audience by letting them know that you've extended your sale by popular demand for another 24 hours.

INSTAGRAM STORIES (intermediate)
If you're a savvy Instagram user, get creative and incorporate an Instagram Story or two into the mix. For this step, it could be another countdown to the end of your sale. But the options are endless, and you can great creative with it.

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM ADS (advanced)
Target your email list with Facebook ads that tease them about your upcoming offer. While this step is not required to run a successful holiday marketing campaign, this could put you over the top if you already have traction with your audience.

Cyber Monday Flash Sale

EMAIL (everyone)
Time to put the cherry on top of a huge week for online art retailers.

With your 24 hour flash sale on Cyber Monday, the key is to make your offer different than your Black Friday promotion.

We recommend discounting only a specific product type (i.e. metal prints, prints from a specific category, or all originals).

By not repeating your Black Friday promotion (ideally a store-wide discount), you're training your audience to believe you when you say Black Friday really is your best offer of the year. This will only improve your results year after year.​

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM POSTS (everyone)
During your Cyber Monday flash sale, post in the morning to announce the sale. Then you can post throughout the day reminding your audience of the flash sale.

INSTAGRAM STORIES (intermediate)
If you're a savvy Instagram user, get creative and incorporate an Instagram Story or two into the mix. For this step, it could be another countdown to the end of your sale. But the options are endless, and you can great creative with it.

FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM ADS (advanced)
Target your email list with Facebook ads that tease them about your upcoming offer. While this step is not required to run a successful holiday marketing campaign, this could put you over the top if you already have traction with your audience.