How much more email work does Black Friday take?

Black Friday can mean three times the email volume. On The Friday Flush, email designer Brook Slagle describes companies going from eight emails to 24. For a home service business, that’s a useful workload example, not a recommended sending schedule. The work depends on how many offers, follow-ups, and channels you choose to run.

Why eight emails can become 24

Speaking with host Eric Yim, co-founder of Protocol, Slagle describes Black Friday as “triple the volume of the rest of the year by comparison” in email retention marketing. Retention marketing means marketing to customers you already have.

Slagle designs emails for health brands. Her example describes that work, rather than a benchmark every local service business should follow.

Some of her clients start special offers in November and continue throughout the month. A pre-Black Friday sale leads into Black Friday, then Cyber Monday, then a holiday gift-giving sale.

Each has a different angle. Each needs its own campaign and follow-ups. Add SMS, or text messages, and there’s another set of customer touch points to prepare.

Count the messages behind each offer

Before deciding how much help you need, write down the promotions you actually want to run. Then list the messages each promotion needs. One offer with a clear end date creates a different workload from several offers that change throughout November.

For each planned message, consider:

• The offer and audience: What are you offering, who should receive it, and what action should they take?
• The production work: Who will write, design, check, approve, and schedule the email?
• The follow-up: Does it need a reminder or a related text message? What changes when the offer ends?

This gives you something concrete to discuss with your team or marketing provider. Asking for “a Black Friday campaign” leaves the amount of work open. A message list makes the scope clearer.

More emails don’t give you an exact hours estimate

Eight emails becoming 24 means three times as many emails. It doesn’t establish three times the labor hours. Slagle’s example doesn’t include time tracking or a production estimate.

For planning, ask which messages can use an existing layout and which need a different offer, copy, or design. Include review time and scheduling in the estimate, rather than counting writing alone.

Choose a campaign your team can support

A service business should also check what happens after someone responds. Before adding another promotion, decide who will handle inquiries and whether the business can deliver what the offer promises.

If the message list exceeds the time available, consider fewer offers or fewer channels. Keep the follow-ups that serve a clear purpose instead of copying another company’s send count.

Protocol Text is a marketing services business based in Lincoln, Nebraska. If you’re looking for help with service business marketing, visit Protocol Text with your proposed offers and message list as a starting point.