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- Offer: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
- Timeline: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
- Honest-offer checklist: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
- Results: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
In Google Sheets: File, Import, Upload, then pick the CSV.
What's inside
- An offer sheet: what's discounted, by how much, the code, start and end times, stock and delivery cut-offs
- A post-by-post timeline from two weeks before Black Friday to Giving Tuesday, with platform, format and status
- An honest-offer checklist covering countdowns, 'was' prices, stock claims and delivery promises
- A results sheet comparing orders, code uses and revenue by day
- A filled example for Wick & Wild, a fictional candle shop (every figure is made up), and a blank CSV of each sheet
How to use it
- Decide whether Black Friday suits your business at all. Skipping it is a fine choice.
- Settle the offer first: what, how much, when it starts and when it really ends.
- Plan the dates: Black Friday is Fri 27 Nov 2026, Small Business Saturday is Sat 28 Nov, Cyber Monday is Mon 30 Nov and Giving Tuesday is Tue 1 Dec.
- Build the timeline backwards from Black Friday: a teaser, early access for followers, launch, reminders and a last call.
- Schedule the posts in advance, because the busiest days leave no time to write.
- Run the honest-offer checklist before anything is published.
- Fill the results sheet the following week and note what to change next year.
Preview: Offer
A filled example for a made-up small business, first 8 of 9 rows.
| Field | Detail | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Offer | 20% off all candles and diffusers | Example shop, made up for this template |
| Excluded | Gift cards and the candle-making kit | Say so in every post |
| Code | None: discount applied at checkout | Simpler on a phone |
| Starts | Fri 27 Nov, 00:01 UK time | |
| Ends | Mon 30 Nov, 23:59 UK time | It really ends then; no extension |
| Early access | Newsletter subscribers from Thu 26 Nov, 18:00 | |
| Stock | Limited only where true: 120 advent candles | Count before posting |
| Christmas delivery cut-off | Order by Thu 17 Dec for standard UK delivery | Our own cut-off |
Preview: Timeline
A filled example for a made-up small business, first 8 of 11 rows.
| Date | Phase | Platform | Format | Post | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2 Nov | Plan | n/a | n/a | Offer agreed; photos booked; posts written by Fri 13 Nov | Done |
| Mon 16 Nov | Teaser | Instagram, Facebook | Carousel | Our winter scents are here: a first look at the four new candles | Scheduled |
| Fri 20 Nov | Teaser | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Reel | Pouring the advent candles, start to finish | Scheduled |
| Mon 23 Nov | Early access | Instagram Stories, newsletter | Story with link | Newsletter subscribers get Black Friday prices from Thursday evening: sign up | Scheduled |
| Thu 26 Nov | Early access | Newsletter | Early access is open until Black Friday starts | Scheduled | |
| Fri 27 Nov | Launch | Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest | Single image | Black Friday: 20% off all candles and diffusers until Monday at 23:59. Gift cards and kits excluded. | Scheduled |
| Sat 28 Nov | Small Business Saturday | Instagram, Facebook | Carousel | Who makes your candles: the three of us, a kitchen table and a lot of wax | Scheduled |
| Sun 29 Nov | Reminder | Instagram Stories | Story | Most-loved scents this weekend, with stock left where it's genuinely low | Draft |
Preview: Honest-offer checklist
A filled example for a made-up small business.
| Check | Why | Done |
|---|---|---|
| The offer really ends when the posts say it ends | In the UK, CMA guidance lists falsely saying an offer is only available for a limited time as a banned practice, such as a countdown that restarts | Yes |
| Any 'was' price is a price we actually charged for a real period | In the US, the FTC's pricing guides say a former price should be the actual price offered to the public on a regular basis for a reasonably substantial period | Yes: no 'was' prices used |
| 'Low stock' and 'limited' only appear where they're true | Untrue scarcity misleads customers | Yes |
| Exclusions are in every post, not only on the website | People decide from the post | Yes |
| The delivery cut-off is one we can meet | A missed Christmas delivery costs more than a sale | Yes |
| The charity is named and the total will be published | Vague giving claims undermine trust | Yes |
Preview: Results
A filled example for a made-up small business.
| Day | Orders | Revenue | Orders that mentioned social media | Best post | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 26 Nov (early access) | 38 | £1,420 | n/a | Newsletter | |
| Fri 27 Nov | 96 | £3,610 | 41 | Launch post | |
| Sat 28 Nov | 52 | £1,880 | 29 | Small Business Saturday carousel | Most comments of the weekend |
| Sun 29 Nov | 44 | £1,560 | 18 | Story | |
| Mon 30 Nov | 71 | £2,540 | 35 | Last call Reel | |
| Tue 1 Dec | 33 | £1,190 | 12 | Giving Tuesday post | £33 to the food bank |
| Note | All figures are made up for this example |
Tips
- Wick & Wild, its offer and every figure in the example are made up. The discount and timings are the example shop's choices, not a recommendation.
- Dates come from our social media holidays calendar: Black Friday is Fri 27 Nov 2026, Small Business Saturday (US) is Sat 28 Nov, Cyber Monday is Mon 30 Nov and Giving Tuesday is Tue 1 Dec. The UK's own Small Business Saturday is in early December.
- The CMA's unfair commercial practices guidance (CMA207, updated 18 November 2025) lists falsely stating that an offer is only available for a limited time as a banned practice, with a countdown that restarts as an example (checked on 15 October 2026). This isn't legal advice.
- The FTC's Guides Against Deceptive Pricing (16 CFR 233.1) say a former price used in a comparison should be the actual price at which the item was offered to the public on a regular basis for a reasonably substantial period (checked on 15 October 2026). This isn't legal advice.
- Small Business Saturday is a good day to show the people behind the business, not another discount.
- Zolyp, which makes this template, plans posts around dates like Black Friday on its Calendar and lets you approve the whole week in advance, so the busiest days don't depend on writing posts on the spot.
Common questions
When is Black Friday 2026?
Friday 27 November 2026, the day after US Thanksgiving. Cyber Monday is Monday 30 November, and Giving Tuesday is Tuesday 1 December.
When should I start posting about Black Friday?
Many small businesses start teasing one to two weeks before. The example shop starts on Mon 16 Nov. Plan the offer and write the posts before then, as the week itself is too busy.
Do I have to take part in Black Friday?
No. If discounts don't suit your business, you can skip it, run a Small Business Saturday story instead, or support a cause on Giving Tuesday.
Are the figures in the example real?
No. The candle shop and every figure are made up. The holiday dates are correct for 2026.
Related
- Black Friday post ideas
- Small Business Saturday ideas
- Cyber Monday ideas
- Giving Tuesday ideas
- Holiday campaign planner
- Social media campaign brief
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