How to Automate a Successful Black Friday Campaign with OneSignal Journeys

Black Friday is one of the most critical retail events of the year, and to capture users’ attention in a crowded market, it’s essential to run a dynamic, well-orchestrated campaign. OneSignal's Journeys builder is purpose-built to help marketers automate these campaigns, using a visual workflow to connect with customers across multiple channels.

Going one step further—by automating user engagement, Journeys allows you to respond to customer behaviors in real time. This means less time manually running repeat campaigns and greater efficiency consolidating multiple individual campaigns into a single Journey workflow.

This brings us to the true gift that Journeys brings – More free up time to focus on strategy and optimization. The ribbon on top? Increased engagement through timely, behavior-driven interactions across channels.

Apps that use Journeys have 13.6% higher average 30-day retention rates.

Here’s how to unwrap the value.

1. Set Clear Goals and Audience Segments

Start by setting specific objectives — are you trying to increase premium subscribers? Boost flash sale revenue? Using your ultimate goal as a guide, build a Journey that guides users towards it.

OneSignal’s audience segmentation allows you to divide your users based on their activity and preferences. For Black Friday and Cyber Monday, consider creating segments like loyal customers, cart abandoners, and new users. Tailor your messages for each group to maximize relevance, whether it's VIP early access for loyal customers or reminders for potential shoppers who abandoned carts.

2. Plan a Multichannel Strategy

Journeys lets you orchestrate push notifications, SMS, in-app messages, and email in harmony. Creating cross-channel campaigns is especially impactful on Black Friday and Cyber Monday because it allows you to reach customers across their preferred channels, maximizing engagement at every stage of the user journey when competition for attention is at its peak.

Each channel serves a unique purpose:

• Push notifications for instant engagement, reaching users directly on their mobile device – a great “first send” channel
• SMS for urgent alerts and critical notifications that you want everyone to see, perfect for time-sensitive messages
• In-app messages to capture attention while users are actively engaging with your app, ideal for exclusive Black Friday deals
• Email for detailed offers, eye-catching imagery, and comprehensive sale information

Layering these touchpoints ensures comprehensive coverage and boosts the likelihood of user engagement. According to our 2024 State of Customer Engagement Report, using more than one messaging channel to engage users increases average engagement by 35.8%.

Let’s look at a couple of example sequences specific to Black Friday which leverage multiple channels.

Example 1: Early Access Flow for VIP Customers

1. Segment is: VIP Program Users
2. 3 Days Before Black Friday (Email) – Send a “VIP Early Access” announcement with details of exclusive deals available only to your top customers.
3. Wait step – Two days
4. Morning of Early Access Launch (Push Notification) – Remind VIPs that early access deals are now live, encouraging them to check out.
5. Yes/No Branch – Segment is: Users who opened message
6. (Yes) When User Opens the App (In-App Message) – Display a personalized “Welcome, VIP” message with curated product recommendations or a reminder of their exclusive access.
7. (No) Last Day of Early Access (SMS) – Send a reminder that early access ends soon to create urgency and prompt a final visit.

Example 2: Real-Time Black Friday Shopping Flow

1. Segment is: Engaged Users and Past Purchasers
2. Day Before Black Friday (Email) – Share the full list of Black Friday deals to get users excited and prepared.
3. Wait step – 24 hours
4. Black Friday Morning (Push Notification)  – Send a “Black Friday is Here!” notification to drive traffic, highlighting the most popular deals.
5. Yes/No Branch – Segment is: User Browsing Product
6. (Yes) Browsing Offer (In-App Message) – Display tailored recommendations or a limited-time offer based on the products they’re viewing.
7. (no) Afternoon Reminder (SMS) – Remind users of a “limited-time” deal ending soon to create urgency and drive immediate action.
8. Wait step – 3 hours
9. Evening of Black Friday (Push Notification) – Send a final reminder with a countdown timer for last-chance deals, encouraging users to take advantage before the sale ends.

3. Leverage Behavioral Triggers for Real-Time Engagement

Real-time segments are crucial for personalizing your Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns. For instance, create a Journey that targets users who have viewed a product without purchasing. Then automate a reminder with a gentle nudge to complete the purchase.

Go a step further by combatting cart abandonment – a frequent issue during Black Friday, but one that Journeys helps address. Set up an automatic reminder for users who add items to their cart but don’t check out. This reminder can (and should) include a discount or limited-time offer, while also reminding them of what they’re missing out on.

Cart abandonment campaigns go beyond eCommerce use cases too. If a user interacts with Black Friday-related content in your app (such as viewing a holiday guide, reading a sale tips article, or engaging with a Black Friday survey), Journeys can trigger a personalized push notification or SMS inviting them to participate in an exclusive app feature. This could be anything from signing up for a limited-time newsletter to unlocking special digital content, creating a sense of exclusivity and further engagement.

4. Optimize Message Timing

Timing is critical during Black Friday when consumers are flooded with offers. Use Journeys’ Time Window capabilities to send messages during peak times, such as lunch hours, evenings, or early mornings, when users are most likely to respond. This ensures your message cuts through the noise and makes it easier to leverage urgency as a key conversion driver. Set up countdown reminders to notify users of the last few hours of your sale!

By now, you’re probably well aware of the best times of day to send marketing messages. But you may want to consider some of the more unconventional timeframes to escape the oversaturation of brands competing for the same attention.

• Late Night Teasers (Midnight to 2 AM, Pre-Black Friday): Send a “Black Friday Sneak Peek” to night owls, giving an early look at deals for those up late or preparing their shopping lists.
• Pre-Dawn Notification (5-6 AM, Black Friday): Capture early risers and deal hunters before the day officially begins with an exclusive deal reminder or countdown to launch.
• Early Morning After Black Friday (5-7 AM, Saturday): Reach users who missed Black Friday with an “Extended Sale” notification or exclusive deal to keep the momentum going, even extending through Cyber Monday.

Getting crafty with campaign timing allows you to reach users when they’re less likely to be overwhelmed by competing messages, giving your brand a better chance of standing out and capturing attention. By choosing unconventional hours, you may increase the likelihood of engagement and foster a sense of exclusivity, making your offers feel more personalized and less “lost in the crowd.”

A Better Way to Time Your Campaigns

Reaching users at the right moment on Black Friday isn’t always an exact science, but OneSignal’s Intelligent Delivery brings it pretty close. Intelligent Delivery takes the guesswork out of timing by using historical engagement data to send each message at the optimal moment for each user, ensuring it lands when they’re most likely to engage.

No matter their time zone or shopping habits, Intelligent Delivery was designed to boost the likelihood of conversion amidst intense competition — and it works. Notifications Sent with Intelligent Delivery perform 39% better than notifications that are scheduled to be sent later.

5. Personalize Content for Each User Segment

With Journeys, personalizing messages is straightforward. Use Liquid syntax to make sure each interaction feels tailored. Personalization has been proven to significantly boost engagement and conversion rates – notifications that use personalized content have a 344% higher engagement rate than those that don't.

For users who have purchased from you in the past, personalization is key to breaking through the noise on Black Friday. Journeys allow you to craft messages based on previous purchase history, driving repeat sales and fostering loyalty.

A note on testing –

Journey’s split branching is ideal for refining your approach to Black Friday messaging. Test variations on your calls-to-action, message length, or even the time of day to discover what resonates most. This insight can then inform adjustments for increased engagement.

Testing push notifications leads to a 16% improvement in engagement on average.

6. Automate Post-Sale Follow-Up for Long-Term Retention

After the purchase, keep the momentum going with personalized thank-you messages. Journeys allows you to automate this follow-up, which can include product recommendations or links to leave a review, helping you continue engagement beyond Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

You could also include a special “Black Friday Bonus Offer” to encourage upselling or cross-selling opportunities. Even if it’s something as simple as promoting exclusive content that may complement their purchase, which is valid only for a short period after Black Friday – a small incentive like this makes customers feel valued and more likely to return, fostering loyalty that extends well beyond Black Friday.

Unlock Seamless, Scalable Black Friday Magic with Journeys

Automating a Black Friday campaign with Journeys makes it incredibly easy to connect with users across channels and maximize their response. By defining clear goals, building a multichannel journey, leveraging real-time triggers, and personalizing your content, you’ll create an impactful campaign that resonates with users during Black Friday and beyond. The best part? It’s free to try.