The best time to start your Black Friday advertising is now, not when the final discounts are signed off, not the week before, but now.

Black Friday isn’t a single day anymore; it’s a season. Shoppers are already scouting, comparing, saving favourites, and building baskets. When the big weekend arrives, the brands they’ve seen and trusted get the clicks, the baskets, and the sales.

Why Black Friday Is Vital For Businesses

Quite simply, customer intent is at its peak. People are actively looking to buy, not just browse. It’s also a prime moment to win first-time customers at scale, customers you can nurture into loyal shoppers before Christmas. For many industries, this last quarter’s revenue is make-or-break, and Black Friday pulls demand forward, boosts cash flow and helps you manage stock sensibly. And remember: your competitors will be visible. If you’re quiet, you’re invisible.

Why Starting Now Pays Off

Awareness and trust take time. A steady drumbeat of visibility in October and early November lowers your acquisition costs when offers go live. Starting now allows you to test headlines, creatives and landing pages so your best-performing messages are ready before the surge. You can also build your own audience; email sign-ups, WhatsApp lists, app installs, so you can trigger early-access moments and VIP drops. As you warm up traffic, your remarketing pools grow, making every pound work harder when the frenzy begins. And you’ve got time to tidy up the journey: page speed, delivery messaging, returns and FAQs. Small fixes now equal big wins at scale.

What To Run Before The Big Weekend

Lean into storytelling first, price second. Use short videos to introduce your hero products and values. Publish genuinely helpful content; gift guides, “best for” roundups, how-tos, and keep a light, always-on presence so you stay in the consideration set. If you have stores, add geo-targeted activity to drive visits and click-and-collect. Layer in lead capture with “early access” or wishlist prompts so you’re not reliant on third-party data when crunch time hits.

Example Articles Promoting Black Friday

Consider these sponsored articles published in September and October. The first from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council highlights ‘early bird’ tickets for a festive event; the call-to-action (CTA) is to learn more and book tickets via their website. Read it here. Whilst not strictly Black Friday related, it serves as a powerful reminder of the value of storytelling during the Christmas period.

Fashion site SHEIN previously launched their Black Friday sale in October with sponsored articles across our news network. The article includes a discount code and showcases some of their products while explaining a little about who they are. Check that story out here.

In October last year, Jurassic World: The Exhibition created a real sense of urgency with a limited-time offer for discounted tickets. The article includes plenty of images plus a vivid description of what to expect at the exhibition. Read that example here.

A Simple Plan

Start by agreeing and locking in your objectives, audiences, budgets and tracking, and book the premium inventory you want. Over the next fortnight, run your storytelling and helpful content, test variations and build remarketing pools and early-access lists.

As you approach Black Friday, ramp up spending on what’s winning, tailor your offers to your VIP audience, and keep creative fresh throughout the weekend and Cyber Monday. Afterwards, re-engage purchasers, cross-sell, and carry momentum into Christmas.

How Reach Helps You Win Black Friday

This is where we come in. Reach connects your brand to audiences across a trusted network of UK news sites—national and local—where attention is high and environments are brand-safe. We don’t just book placements; we help you tell your story.

• Video, content and digital display: From native articles and guides to video and high-impact display, we craft the right mix to make you memorable before, during and after Black Friday.
• Smart targeting in quality contexts: Tap into first-party audiences and contextual placements to reach people by interest, intent and location, alongside content they choose to consume.
• Speed, transparency and optimisation: We launch quickly, measure clearly and optimise to your KPIs—awareness, traffic, sales or footfall.

Ready To Get Moving?

Don’t wait. The brands that start now win later. Talk to Reach today. We’ll plan your Black Friday strategy, produce compelling video and content, and activate high‑impact digital display across our network of trusted news sites—so your story is seen, your offers land and your results scale.

Share your objectives, audience, locations, and timing, and we’ll provide a tailored Black Friday plan and schedule. Complete the form below to get started.