How This Guy Makes His Entire Year's Revenue in Black Friday WEEK
November 27, 2024
AI Summary
5 min readHow This Guy Makes His Entire Year's Revenue in Black Friday WEEK
The Scale Nobody Talks About
A company doing $200,000–$500,000 a month can pull in $1–2 million during Black Friday week alone. A company doing $10–20 million per month can make its entire year's revenue in that same window. Jay, the guest on this episode, puts it bluntly: "If you can do a great Black Friday sale, you can literally fuck up everything for the rest of the year and still have a great year." He says his own 2023 was full of bad strategic decisions, but Black Friday and the summer sale made up for it.
The problem, according to Jay, is that many entrepreneurs either skip Black Friday entirely (thinking it's beneath their brand) or run a lazy straight discount. The better approach is to understand the different types of sales and pick one that fits your product and audience.
The Free Gift Strategy
Jay's favorite example is Magic Mind, a productivity drink. Their Black Friday offer combines a discount with "welcome gifts" — things you can only get during the sale. In their case: 90 days of access to an app (normally $60), a book, and free shipping. The key is that the discount alone isn't enough to create urgency; the free gifts are what sweeten the deal.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:01) **Episode Introduction & The Scale of Black Friday** - The hosts frame the episode around the massive revenue opportunity of Black Friday week, noting that companies making $200k-$500k/month can earn $1-2M in a single week, and larger firms can match their entire yearly revenue.
- 2 (05:06) **Example 1: Endel - Renewal Push with Evolving Bonuses** - Endel uses Black Friday to target existing users with a 50% off renewal offer, adding bonuses like a branded bag later in the week to create urgency.
- 3 (09:18) **Example 2: Magic Mind - The "Free Gift" Strategy** - Magic Mind layers a discount with welcome gifts (e.g., access to an app, a book, free shipping) to sweeten the deal beyond a simple price cut.
- 4 (13:10) **Example 3: Apple - The "Prestige" Gift Card Approach** - Apple avoids discounting its products directly, instead offering a $200 gift card with a purchase, which maintains brand value while still providing a financial incentive.
- 5 (14:57) **Example 4: Gains in Bulk - Using Expiring Store Credit** - An e-commerce brand emails users about their expiring store credit (e.g., $17.63) instead of offering a generic discount, creating a personalized urgency to use it.
- 6 (17:20) **Example 5: Growth Day - Bundling Products into a New Package** - Instead of a discount, a company creates a new, branded bundle of existing products at a slightly better price, making it feel like a special, limited-edition item.
- 7 (20:26) **Example 6: Four Sigmatic - The Gamified "Build Your Bundle"** - Four Sigmatic creates a custom web app where customers build their own bundle, unlocking free shipping at $59 and 40% off at $99, turning the sale into an interactive game.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Join me as I chat with Jonathan Courtney, Co-Founder and CEO of AJ&Smart, as we dive deep into Black Friday Campaign strategy. Jonathan shares his strategies and frameworks for leveraging Black Friday regardless of what type of business you run.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
01:15 - The Importance of Black Friday for Businesses
04:21 - Types of Black Friday Sales
05:01 - Case Study: Endel's Renewal Strategy
08:49 - Comparing Strategies: MagicMind and AG1
12:48 - Apple's Unique Approach to Black Friday
14:25 - Creative E-commerce Strategies
20:12 - Bundling Products for Black Friday
22:51 - Startup Idea 1: Black Friday Agency
27:55 - Gamifying Promo Codes
29:59 - Our Black Friday Buys
31:41 - Live Streaming as a Sales Strategy
1) The Store Credit Hack
Instead of basic "20% off" - tell customers they have $21.63 in store credit expiring soon
Why it works:
• Feels like "their money"
• Specific numbers boost authenticity
• Creates urgency
2) The Premium Play
How luxury brands do Black Friday:
• No discounts
• Give gift cards with purchase
• Example: Apple gives $200 credit
Keeps brand prestige while driving sales
3) The Bundle Builder
Four Sigmatic's genius approach:
• Interactive bundle builder
• Unlocks bigger discounts at $59/$99
• Shows real-time savings
• Makes shopping fun
Steal this for your store
4) The Bonus Stack
MagicMind's approach:
• Start with core discount
• Add digital product access
• Include physical gifts
• Stack more bonuses as week progresses
Psychology: Value over Discount
5) The Subscription Push
SaaS playbook:
• Offer renewal discounts
• Add exclusive bonuses
• Example: Endel does 50% off + premium gifts
• Works for any subscription business
6) The QVC Strategy
Modern twist:
• Run 12-hour livestream sales
• Show limited quantities
• Create FOMO
• Add exclusive bundles
• Perfect for influencer brands
7) The Campaign Timeline
Smart businesses:
• Plan 6 months ahead
• Start ads 3 days before
• Build waiting lists
• Layer in bonuses
• Peak on Friday
8) The Profit Reality
Truth bomb:
• Could make 1-2 months revenue in 1 week
• Some brands make yearly revenue
• Even "bad" years saved by Black Friday
• Ignoring it = leaving millions on table
Remember: Black Friday isn't just a discount day.
It's a strategic revenue event that can make your entire year.
Don't flub it
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