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Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024: Social Advertising Optimization Strategies

  • Writer: Shannon Lotka
    Shannon Lotka
  • Nov 8, 2024
  • 2 min read

As the year's biggest shopping days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are critical opportunities for brands to captivate audiences and drive sales. In 2023, social media campaigns showcased innovative strategies across Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Reddit. For 2024, lessons learned will shape how brands can adapt and thrive. Here’s how to optimize your BFCM social advertising campaigns and predictions for 2024 trends.

Woman assessing social media data

Core Strategies for Black Friday and Cyber Monday Campaigns


  1. Leverage Early Access Campaigns Offering exclusive or early access discount codes can build anticipation, foster brand loyalty, and generate pre-sale revenue. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have proven effective for sharing these offers via Stories, Reels, or TikTok Trends. Early access codes also help brands gauge inventory needs and streamline demand management​


  1. Create Engaging Content That Stands Out Fun, creative, and interactive content consistently cuts through the noise of endless sales ads. Whether through meme-based campaigns, influencer partnerships, or UGC-driven hashtag challenges, ensuring your brand’s entertaining messaging can significantly amplify its reach. For example, TikTok campaigns incorporating humor or trends often generate higher engagement​


  1. Adopt Multi-Platform Cohesion Consistent messaging across social platforms ensures your campaigns feel unified, while platform-specific tweaks enhance relevancy. Gymshark’s 2021 meme-themed multi-platform strategy remains a benchmark example, as it tailored creative formats to fit the unique audience profiles of TikTok, Instagram, and beyond​


  1. Focus on High-Impact Ad Formats Platforms like Meta and Google introduced cutting-edge formats such as Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns and Performance Max, delivering seamless transitions between sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For Meta users, these tools boosted volume and revenue despite requiring advanced budget planning​


  1. Highlight Flexible Payment Options Buy now, pay later (BNPL) options played a major role in 2023, accounting for over $940 million in Cyber Monday sales—up 42.5% year-over-year. Emphasizing payment flexibility can capture budget-conscious audiences, especially amid financial challenges like inflation and student loan repayments​


  1. Optimize for Mobile and Short-Form Video Short-form video remains king across TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, where storytelling and creativity drive ad performance. Vertical video ads that are fun, engaging, and aligned with platform aesthetics see stronger results​


What Will Change in 2024?


  1. Evolving Consumer Expectations Shoppers increasingly seek personalized deals, faster shopping experiences, and deeper discounts. In 2024, offering value through dynamic ads and highly segmented audience targeting will become even more critical.


  1. AI-Driven Campaigns With the rise of generative AI, platforms will enable more automation in ad creation and optimization. Expect AI-powered campaigns to produce more dynamic creative assets and tailor messaging in real-time​


  1. Sustainability and Ethical Messaging Consumers continue prioritizing brands with ethical practices. Highlighting sustainability, inclusive messaging, and community support could be key differentiators in competitive BFCM markets​


  1. Increased Focus on Influencer Marketing Partnering with micro and nano influencers who align with your audience will remain pivotal. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram provide tools to make these collaborations seamless while amplifying campaign visibility.


Final Thoughts


As BFCM campaigns evolve, brands must prioritize preparation, creativity, and adaptability. Success in 2024 will hinge on a blend of early access incentives, creative content strategies, and thoughtful platform-specific tactics. By leveraging trends from 2023 and planning early for new ad formats and consumer demands, your campaigns can lead the pack in this competitive shopping season.

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