Objective
Grow a high-intent audience before the sale
Back to the library
Free planning resourceBuilt for Shopify merchants
Black Friday giveaway template
Build an audience before the promotion window with a prize that complements, rather than obscures, the sale.
- Practical examples
- Implementation checklist
- No signup required
UserLoop
Enter the giveaway
Enter giveaway
Ready-to-use template
Campaign blueprint
Start with the complete working structure, then adjust the language, timing, and incentive to fit your customers and brand.
Best used when
Your team has a specific decision or growth objective and needs a focused artifact to move from planning to launch.
Audience
People already close to buying from you: subscribers, followers, and past customers you want warm before the sale opens. It is not a cold acquisition play in November, when ad costs peak and a prize-hunting audience costs more than it returns.
Recommended duration
2 to 3 weeks before the sale, closing as the sale opens
What to measure
Sale-window revenue from entrants compared with the rest of your list, plus how many entered by finding the code
Prize ideas
- a hero product plus sale-day store credit
- A focused product bundle for the same customer need
- Store credit paired with a bestselling product
Entry design
Primary action
Enter with email
Bonus actions
Refer a friendEnter a secret code
Campaign timeline
- 1Three weeks out: fix the prize, the close time, and the sale preview email that will carry the code
- 2Two weeks out: entries open, promoted to your list and socials before the discount noise starts
- 3Preview send: the code goes out inside a real sale email, turning readers into bonus entries
- 4Sale opening: close entries, draw the winner, and give entrants the sale an hour early
Launch checklist
- An entry window that closes when the sale opens, not during it
- Store credit in the prize that is spendable inside the sale window
- The secret code placed in a real preview email, not on a landing page nobody visits
- An entrant segment in Klaviyo with its own early-access send
Promotion copy
“Our sale opens Friday. Enter your email now for a shot at the hero bundle plus store credit to spend during it, and find the code hidden in tomorrow's preview email for extra entries.”
Optional AI assistant
Make the template specific to your store
Generate a focused variation while keeping the expert-written version available as your baseline.
Personalize this template with AI
Add your goal and audience. If AI is unavailable, the complete template on this page still works as a practical starting point.
Your inputs are sent only to generate this result and are not stored by UserLoop.
What you get
What this template gives you
Three specifics worth checking against your own store before you launch.
Runs before the sale, so your best email lands on a warm list
A prize is the one thing in the inbox without a percent sign
Hide the bonus code in your sale preview email
How to put it into practice
How to put it to work
Start with the focused version, publish, and let the first answers steer the next iteration.
- 1
Open entries two to three weeks before the sale and close them the morning it starts
- 2
Put the secret code inside your sale preview email, so entering means reading what is discounted
- 3
Segment entrants in Klaviyo and send them the sale an hour before everyone else
Mistakes to avoid
Protect the quality of the result
Strong execution usually comes from removing ambiguity and keeping every action tied to the original objective.
Launching on Black Friday itself, when attention costs the most
Replacing the discount with a giveaway, which asks customers to gamble instead of buy
A prize so large it makes the actual sale look small
Building the segment and then sending it the same email as everyone else
Frequently asked questions
Practical answers before you launch
Should my Black Friday giveaway replace the discount or run alongside it?
Alongside, and before. The discount converts people who are ready; the giveaway collects the people who are not ready yet and puts them on your list while competitors are still writing subject lines. Run entries in the two or three weeks before the sale, close them as it opens, and let the discount do its job from there.
How does a giveaway compete in a Black Friday inbox?
By not looking like the rest of it. Every other email that week is a number with a percent sign, so an email offering a chance at something gets opened on novelty alone. That advantage disappears on the day itself, which is exactly why the campaign belongs in the run-up.
What is the right prize before a Black Friday sale?
Your hero product plus store credit that can be spent during the sale. The credit is the part that matters, because it brings the winner back inside the promotion window and costs margin only when it is redeemed. Avoid prizes far larger than your average order: they change who bothers to enter.
How should I use the secret code entry action here?
Put the code inside your sale preview email, the one listing categories and start times. Anyone who wants the bonus entries has to open and read it, so your list arrives at the sale already knowing what is discounted. It is the one bonus action that teaches a behavior you need the following week.
Keep planning
Browse the complete libraryRelated playbooks and templates
Turn the plan into a live Shopify campaign
Collect useful customer insight with Surveys and grow your audience with Contests.