14 Black Friday Marketing Ideas for Ecommerce Stores Selling Digital Products in 2025

Last updated: October 1, 2025

For many online businesses, Black Friday and Cyber Monday represent the single biggest sales opportunity of the year. In some cases, revenue from these two days alone can outpace entire months combined. But while the potential is huge, the pressure is real. Without a clear strategy, it is easy to miss out.

In this article, we’ll discuss how online businesses of all sizes may get ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. We will be focusing specifically on businesses that sell digital products such as digital downloads (ebooks, templates, digital art, etc), online courses, coaching, and memberships.

We will walk through practical, proven ways to prepare so you can maximize revenue and strengthen customer loyalty during the busiest shopping weekend of the year.

Here is what we will cover:

What is Black Friday and Cyber Monday
14 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Marketing Strategies to Try in 2025
8 Tips to Prepare for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025
Top Digital Product Ideas for Black Friday

What is Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Black Friday, which takes place the day after Thanksgiving in the US, marks the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Cyber Monday follows on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Together, they have become global events where customers expect steep discounts and are ready to spend.

The numbers tell the story. In the US, Cyber Monday desktop spending reached nearly $6 billion in 2020 (a 30% increase from the year before). Black Friday that same year brought in about $4.3 billion, while Thanksgiving Day itself drove $2.7 billion. These figures show just how seriously customers shop during this season.

This year, Black Friday will fall on November 28, 2025 and Cyber Monday will fall on December 1, 2025.

With the basics covered, it is time to focus on preparing your store for the busiest shopping season of the year. Feeling overwhelmed is normal, but you do not need to be. We have outlined practical and free tools along with proven strategies you can use to boost your digital product sales this Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

14 Black Friday Marketing Ideas for Ecommerce in 2025

1. Offer limited time price reduction

limited time sale

Black Friday and Cyber Monday create a rare window where steep discounts can actually strengthen, not weaken, your brand. Customers not only expect lower prices during this weekend, they are actively searching for them, which means they are ready to buy.

You can use Payhip’s Running-Sales feature to apply discounts to your entire store or specific products. Simply set start and end dates, and a countdown timer appears automatically, reminding visitors that the deal will not last forever. Countdown timers trigger “fear of loss” and scarcity cues, pushing users toward immediate decisions. The result is simple: more conversions, higher sales, and a buying experience that feels frictionless because shoppers see the discount immediately, without the need to enter coupon codes or jump through extra steps.

If you prefer not to use countdown timers, you can simply leave the sale end date blank. Your product will still show the reduced price so customers can immediately see the attractive offer.

Learn how to set up a store sale on your Payhip store.

2. Offer exclusive coupon codes

If you prefer not to run a sale, coupon codes are a smart way to offer discounts while keeping full control. Payhip gives you the flexibility to create irresistible promotions, including:

Bulk creating up to 50 unique coupon codes at once
Limiting how many times each code can be redeemed
Setting a minimum spend, such as “Get $10 off when you spend $50”

You can also take this strategy further by offering exclusive codes to your most loyal customers. Rewarding their continued support deepens their connection to your brand, boosts repeat purchases, and turns one-time buyers into long-term advocates.

Learn how to set up coupon codes on your Payhip store.

3. Offer free gifts with purchase

A complimentary gift transforms a purchase into an experience, especially when the freebie complements what they are already buying. It adds real value, encourages repeat purchases, and leaves customers with a stronger connection to your brand.

With Payhip, you can easily include a free gift alongside your main digital product so customers receive everything instantly at checkout.

free digital product gift

Alternatively, you can set up a cross-sell offer, offering a complementary product at 100% off.

cross-sell-offer

4. Cross-sell complementary products

Cross-selling is one of the simplest and most effective ways to increase revenue. A customer is already committed to buying. That is the perfect moment to introduce a complementary product that enhances the value of their original purchase. You are not adding friction. You are meeting them where their interest is highest.

Take this example. A shopper buys your “Beginner Vegan Recipes” ebook. Suggesting “Advanced Vegan Recipes” at a special bundle price feels natural and helpful. They get more of what they already want, and you increase order value without any additional acquisition costs.

Payhip makes it easy to put this into practice. You can set up cross-sell promotions in under a minute and choose how to present them.

crosssell popup.png

You have an option to enable a pop up to highlight the offer during checkout. An extensive number of sellers have reported higher conversions and larger orders when testing this feature.

Learn how to set up cross-sells on your Payhip store.

5. Launch limited edition products or personalized products

Limited edition products create excitement and urgency while giving your best-sellers a fresh spin. For example, if you offer digital wall art, consider a special edition that customers can personalize with their names or photos of loved ones. The exclusivity makes the product feel more valuable, and the personalization adds an emotional connection.

With Payhip, collecting personalization details is simple. You can set up custom questions or fields at checkout to capture exactly what you need. Learn how to set up personalized digital orders on Payhip here.

This strategy also helps you test new product ideas. If a limited edition sells well, it could become a future best-seller.

6. Collaborate with other creators to launch limited products

Collaboration is another powerful way to tap into the appeal of exclusivity. By launching a limited edition product with other creators, you can combine audiences, expand your reach, and create something that feels unique.

Payhip’s Collaboration feature makes this seamless. You can launch a product with up to four creators, automatically split payments, and set revenue percentages for each partner. That means you can stay focused on building the product while Payhip ensures everyone gets paid fairly and on time.

Learn how to set up a collaborative product here.

7. Create more value with product bundles

You can package multiple products into a single listing and price them in a way that feels like a deal.

Product bundles work because customers love feeling like they are getting more for less. By grouping related products together and offering them at a lower combined price, you give buyers a clear sense of added value. At the same time, you raise the average order size without increasing your marketing spend.

For example, a course on How to Budget for Your Business pairs well with a printable budgeting template. Together, they provide practical education and a ready-to-use resource. Customers see the bundle as the smarter purchase and feel they are getting more support for their money.

You can use Payhip’s product bundle feature to create a group of digital products (including downloadable files, eBooks, memberships, etc).

You can also make bundles available for a limited time. The combination of a discount and a clear deadline creates urgency, which encourages people to buy sooner rather than later.

Learn how to set up a product bundle on Payhip.

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8. Launch an affiliate marketing program

Affiliate marketing allows you to grow sales by partnering with people who promote your products in exchange for a commission. Each time they drive a sale, you reward them with a percentage of the revenue. It is a straightforward model that helps you reach new audiences without taking on all the promotional work yourself.

During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this strategy becomes even more powerful. Content creators, bloggers, and influencers are actively looking for products to feature, and shoppers are ready to buy. By offering attractive commissions (or even raising your commission rate during this period) you give affiliates a strong incentive to prioritize your products.

You can easily set up an affiliate program for your online store at Payhip with this guide.

9. Launch a referral system

Think of this as a “refer a friend and both of you get a discount” program. A referral system encourages your existing customers to spread the word about your products. Instead of paying commissions like an affiliate program, you give both your customer and their friend a discount when the friend makes a purchase.

The reason this works so well is trust. People are much more likely to buy when a friend or family member recommends a product. By rewarding both sides, you motivate your current customers to share while making it easier for new customers to say yes.

You can easily set up a referral system for your online store at Payhip with this guide.

10. Run a giveaway

Giveaways are a proven way to capture attention and create excitement around your brand. By running one on social media, you can ask participants to follow your account, share your products, or tag friends for the chance to win. The result is powerful: more visibility, a growing audience, and a fun experience that delights both new and existing customers.

11. Launch pre-sale or pre-order items

By definition, a pre-order or pre-sale is an order placed for an item that hasn’t been released. Selling pre-sale or pre-order items during Black Friday allows you to gauge the level of interest that your customers have in your upcoming products.

In addition, customers who pre-order have a reason to return to your store later, which not only strengthens loyalty but also drives sales of your existing products along the way.

See this guide on how to set up pre-orders on your Payhip store.

12. Enable wishlists

Wishlists give customers a simple way to save products they are considering, which keeps them engaged even if they are not ready to buy right away. During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, encourage shoppers to build their lists, then follow up with personalized emails or exclusive offers in December. This keeps your brand top of mind and makes holiday shopping easier for them.

See this guide on how to enable wishlists on your Payhip store.

13. Enable gifting

Holiday shoppers are always searching for the perfect gift, and a gifting option makes your products part of that conversation. Whether it is a course, ebook, or digital download, giving customers the ability to purchase and send your products as presents opens the door to more sales. It also turns buyers into ambassadors who share your brand with new audiences.

See this guide on how to enable gifting on your Payhip store.

14. Bring shoppers back with upgrade offers

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may kick off the season, but the holiday rush continues through Christmas. Offering upgrade discounts encourages customers to return after their first purchase and buy additional products at a lower price. This not only increases repeat sales but also reinforces customer loyalty by rewarding them for coming back.

See this guide on how upgrade discounts work and how to set it up.

8 Tips to Prepare for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025

If you have been asking how to market digital products during the holiday season, the following tips will give you a clear path forward. Each one focuses on what matters most: reaching the right customers, improving the shopping experience, and maximizing revenue during the busiest weekend of the year.

1. Do Keyword Research for Trending Items

Understanding what customers are searching for can help you choose the right digital products to feature during the holidays. Google Trends is a free tool that shows whether interest in a product is rising or falling. Adjust the settings by country and timeframe to see more accurate results.

For example, a search for “personalized gift” reveals a spike in interest during the holiday season. This is a clear signal that personalized products such as custom digital art could perform well in your store.

2. Make Product Pages Work Harder with SEO and Conversion Optimization

Customers move through a series of decisions before they buy, and your product pages often make or break that process. A well-optimized page builds trust, answers questions, and nudges visitors toward a purchase while also improving your visibility in search.

Here are a few ideas to optimize your product page’s conversion rate:

Enable Payment Buttons

Payment buttons provide a sense of transaction security and can increase your purchase conversion. On Payhip, you can enable payment buttons by going to the Store Builder > Footer > Show payment icons

76% of customers want safe payments more than convenience when they’re shopping online. It’s worth closing this loop in case you have customers who are worried about the security aspects of purchasing items online.

Showcase Customer Reviews

88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Since your customers can’t tangibly feel your products in their hands and see them with their own eyes, they’ll have to rely on online reviews from other customers as social proof. Reading other customers’ product reviews is a part of their purchase decision. Instead of letting them bounce off from your online store to look for reviews elsewhere, make those reviews readily available on your own online store instead.

Here’s a short guide on how to set up customer reviews on Payhip. Payhip’s customer reviews feature also comes with a review approval system and automatic post-purchase review requests to make the review-collection process more effortless.

Optimize Product Description Copywriting

Your product descriptions carry weight. They should communicate value, remove doubts, and inspire action.

Remember that any copywriting on your product page also contributes to SEO optimization efforts, allowing your product pages to rank higher on Google search results. This results in more traffic for your product pages and your online store overall. You can use tools such as Google Keyword Planner to find keywords that you should be using to get your products more visibility on Google Search.

Here’s a short guide on how to further optimize your website SEO on Payhip for the holiday season.

3. Create Collections to Organize Your Products

Shoppers want clarity and direction, not a maze of random listings. Curating products into collections creates a smoother experience and helps customers quickly find what interests them most.

For Black Friday and Cyber Monday, build a dedicated holiday collection that highlights your most relevant offers. You can also create a collection specifically for discounted items so customers see the value immediately. These small adjustments can guide shoppers toward faster, more confident purchases.

Here’s a short guide on how to create product collections on Payhip.

4. Optimize Your Website for Mobile Ecommerce

Mobile shopping is no longer optional. Statista reports that nearly 73% of all retail ecommerce sales now come from mobile devices, up from 59% in 2017. That shift shows where customer attention lives.

Your store must deliver a seamless mobile experience. Ensure that product details, pricing, and purchase options are easy to see on small screens. Place less critical information in collapsible FAQ sections so shoppers can focus on what matters most.

Payhip’s store builder allows you to switch between desktop and mobile views to ensure that your website is optimized for both views.

5. Optimize Your Checkout Experience

A clunky checkout is one of the fastest ways to lose a sale. Extra steps or unnecessary fields create friction that discourages customers from completing their purchase. Keep the process simple, secure, and seamless.

If you use Payhip, you already have an advantage. The checkout is designed for digital products, so it skips irrelevant steps like asking for a physical address. That small detail reduces friction and keeps customers moving toward a completed purchase.

Take time to review your checkout as if you were a customer. Test coupon codes, confirm that everything works as expected, and remove any distractions.

Payment options play a major role in whether a customer completes their purchase. Shoppers want to pay in the way that feels most familiar and secure to them. By offering a range of methods, you remove barriers and make checkout more convenient. Local payment options are especially important for international buyers, since they build trust and often lead to higher conversions.

At Payhip, you can connect to multiple payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, Square, Mollie, Mercado Pago, and Paystack.

6. Prepare Your Customer Support for the Holiday Surge

Strong customer service can make or break the holiday shopping season. With higher traffic comes more questions, so planning ahead ensures you can respond quickly and effectively.

Start by creating an FAQ page that answers common questions directly on your site. This reduces the number of incoming support requests and gives customers immediate clarity. Prepare saved replies for frequent inquiries to cut down on response times.

Also, make sure you have enough bandwidth to handle the volume. Poor service often leads to negative reviews, while fast, thoughtful responses build trust and loyalty. A smooth customer experience not only solves problems in the moment but also encourages customers to come back long after the holidays.

7. Get the Word Out! Promote, Promote, Promote!

Your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals will not sell themselves. Customers need to see them, and they need reminders across multiple channels. Now is the time to be proactive with your promotions.

Email newsletters. Your customers will be searching through their inboxes for amazing deals from their favorite online stores. Consider segmenting your email list, sending more personalized content that engages with your customers, and getting the right offers to the right people. Remember that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are all about time-sensitive deals. Create email copy that evokes a sense of urgency.
Social media. Social media channels such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are great channels to communicate your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals with your audience. Share a mix of organic posts and paid ads to reach both loyal followers and new potential customers.
Blog. You can create gift idea guides for your customers to spare them from struggling to come up with great gift ideas for their loved ones. Position your products as solutions that save time and stress during holiday shopping.

8. Remember to Prepare for The Next Biggest Thing….Christmas!

Now that you’ve maximized your online store sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it’s time to think about the next big thing… Christmas! Rather than thinking about nailing one-off purchases during Black Friday, think about how you can turn those one-off purchasers into loyal, lifelong customers.

Use the same marketing tactics that worked during BFCM to fuel your Christmas campaigns. Follow up with an email to thank new customers and keep them engaged. Some ideas to make your emails more interesting include using an online QR code generator and getting your customers to scan your QR code to see all of your upcoming Christmas promotions, or by sending a customer survey to make sure that you take in feedback on how you can improve their Christmas shopping experience with you even further. These small touchpoints help you stay connected and improve the shopping experience while giving customers a reason to come back.

Top Digital Product Ideas for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Ebooks

Revenue from ebook sales reached 1.1 billion dollars in 2020, up 11.86% from 983.3 million in 2019. Adult fiction accounts for 41% of all ebook sales in 2021.

Selling ebooks allows you to make your books available to your readers without having to go through the painstaking process of paperback publishing. Readers can buy your ebooks online and can read them instantly on their electronic devices.

Some ebook ideas for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday seasons include health and fitness ebooks, self-help ebooks, and entrepreneurship ebooks.

Audiobooks

According to a recent study, almost 20% of Americans listen to audiobooks.

The profit margin for audiobooks is high because the cost of converting books to audiobooks is small. Not all book lovers enjoy reading, so audiobooks allow you to reach and engage new and different audiences. More and more people who are dyslexic, visually impaired, or just busy are buying audiobooks. Additionally, adding an audio version can help boost ebook purchases.

Personalized Digital Art

Christmas is right around the corner after Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Personalized gifts are one of the most common Christmas gifts for families and friends. Upon searching “personalized gift” on Google Trends, this item is consistently popular around the holiday season.

Personalized digital art allows customers to give memorable gifts. As an added bonus, it’s a green gift because it doesn’t require packaging.

Online Course

Online courses are great for customers who are determined to acquire new skills for the upcoming new year. This is also a great gift idea for their loved ones.

Bundling it with a free digital download gift (e.g. free ebooks, free workbooks, free printables, etc) will make it quite tempting to customers to purchase your online course bundle.

Ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Is your online store ready for the biggest shopping of the year? With a little preparation, you can exponentially increase your sales revenue this holiday season.

If you don’t have an online store yet, this is the best time to get started for free using Payhip. If you already have an online store, it’s time to put those marketing strategies into action!

If you play your cards right, your holiday sales revenue could be more than you ever thought possible. Let us know in the comments section below if you have any questions.

If you’re keen to learn more about selling digital products, check out these additional resources: