Cheat Sheet #2: Everything you need to know for your Black Friday campaigns

Black Friday 2025 is set to be one of the most strategic moments of the year for mobile user acquisition. In 2024, global online spending during Black Friday reached $74.4 billion, according to Salesforce, a 5% increase year-over-year. 

Yes, CPMs are skyrocketing and competition is fiercer than ever, but users are also more inclined to purchase. With the right preparation, your campaigns can deliver an exceptional ROAS.  

This cheat sheet brings together the key points to help you anticipate, structure, and maximize your results for your Black Friday campaigns.

Anticipate the Right Timing 

Success on Black Friday doesn’t come down to the day itself, it starts well in advance:

• Mid-October: launch your first campaigns to feed the algorithms. 

• Early November: gradually increase your investments as CPMs start to rise. 

• Black Friday week: allocate your highest budgets, this is when the biggest opportunities happen. 

• After Black Friday: CPMs often drop by 15–20% in the days that follow, offering a short window to relaunch before the Christmas rush kicks in.

Insight: In 2024, 6 out of 10 consumers in the US started their holiday shopping before December (Oberlo). Being visible early means capturing this high-intent audience before your competitors. 

Manage Budgets and Costs 

Between November 1 and Black Friday, CPMs can rise by 50% to 100%. (source : Addict Mobile). Yet this increase is largely offset by profitability, as conversion rates tend to triple on average during the period. 

The golden rule: don’t cap your budgets. Trying to artificially contain your spend means risking the loss of a highly motivated audience that’s ready to convert. 

Example: in 2024, a retail client increased their Black Friday budget. The result: CPI dropped by 9% and ROAS grew by 51%, confirming the impact of a well-prepared strategy despite rising overall costs.

Choose the Right Sources 

Black Friday widens the performance gap between platforms. Choosing the right sources helps you control rising costs and reach your audiences where they’re most engaged. 

• Google (UAC / Search): a key lever to capture intent. Even though CPCs increase during the period, conversion quality remains high thanks to an audience already in buying mode. 

• Meta (Facebook / Instagram): essential for both volume and targeting. Costs rise sharply, but no other channel offers such broad reach or as advanced targeting capabilities. The platform also provides specific solutions to track iOS users despite ATT, such as AEM (Aggregated Event Measurement). 

• TikTok: now a must-have platform. While historically focused on Gen Z, its audience has expanded to include 25–34 year olds. CPMs often remain slightly lower than on Meta, making it a competitive alternative. It’s also the perfect playground for creativity, experimenting with new formats, styles, and ways of communicating can unlock new audiences. 

• Snapchat: a complementary channel, particularly effective with Gen Z. Volume is usually lower than TikTok, but it varies by geography. Snapchat is especially strong in France and the Middle East. Competitive costs and targeted reach make it a valuable repetition channel. 

Insight: 71.7% of consumers want brands to engage with them across more than one channel (source: Sinch). Limiting your investments to a single platform increases exposure to rising costs and reduces your overall reach.

Target and Re-Engage the Right Audiences 

Black Friday is a double opportunity: to attract new users and re-engage your existing base.

• New users: the period is ideal for pure acquisition, with audiences naturally more receptive to offers. 

• Reactivation: target your previous Black Friday buyers, dormant users, or “promo seekers” who regularly engage with discounts. 

• Post-install retargeting: according to AppsFlyer (2024), remarketing is especially effective in the first week after install. 40% of conversions happen on day one and over 75% within the first week. This is the best window to re-engage new users and trigger their first purchase. 

Mixing acquisition with retargeting helps you stand out in a highly competitive environment while maximizing profitability. 

Leverage Product Catalogs 

Dynamic Product Ads (DPAs) are a must-have during Black Friday campaigns. They automate product promotion based on user behavior (product view, add-to-cart, or purchase abandonment).

Prepare your catalogs (Meta, TikTok, Snapchat) well in advance, integrate your Black Friday promotions and visual codes, and use deep links to drive users directly to in-app product pages. 

Case in point: For a retail client, DPAs generated 90% of total volume during peak demand, while cutting CPM in half and doubling ROAS compared to standard campaigns. 

Adapt Your Stores to Black Friday  

Don’t overlook App Store Optimization (ASO): your store pages are a key showcase during Black Friday.

• Adapt your screenshots, icon, and promotional text to the event’s visual codes. 

• Use Custom Product Pages (CPPs) to redirect paid users to dedicated visuals. 

• Anticipate App Store review times (allow at least one week). 

Tip: Visual consistency across your campaigns, website, and app stores strongly reinforces conversion rates. 

Create Effective Ads 

Black Friday is highly competitive: your creatives must stand out quickly and clearly.

• Immediate readability: the offer should be visible at first glance. 

• Short formats (<15s): impactful videos with a clear CTA. 

• Static visuals: often cost-effective and very efficient when the promotion is clear. 

• Event-driven tone: adopt Black Friday colors (black, red, yellow promo). 

Insight: During Black Friday, simplicity and clarity often outperform overly complex creative concepts. 

Track and Optimize in Real Time 

This period is too strategic to improvise. Make sure all your in-app events (purchase, add-to-cart, etc.) are correctly tracked before November. 

Adjust your attribution windows to your goals: 

• 1 day for the most intent-driven users. 

• 7 days to maximize conversion volume. 

Monitor creative KPIs such as Hook rate and Hold rate to identify which ads truly capture attention and iterate quickly. 

In Summary

A successful Black Friday campaign rests on three pillars: early preparation, bold investment, and continuous optimization. Marketers who combine these elements turn rising costs into a growth opportunity.