Build your email list before Black Friday

In Lesson 8 you ran your first small ad test and noted who added to cart but didn't buy. Those people were interested, but they weren't ready. Today we make sure you can reach them again. On Black Friday, ad costs rise and every store competes for the same attention. An email list is the one channel you own: no bidding, no algorithm, and it's yours to use whenever you need it.

Why email matters more in November

Most luxury purchases aren't made on the first visit. Shoppers browse, compare and come back, often more than once. If they leave without giving you a way to reach them, you have to pay again to bring them back. A list of a few hundred engaged subscribers can matter more on Black Friday than thousands of new visitors, because those people already know your store.

Three ways to collect emails

You don't need a big audience to start. You need a clear reason to sign up, in the right places:

• A simple pop-up or banner. Offer early access to your Black Friday edit or first look at new arrivals. Show it after a few seconds or on exit, not the instant someone lands.
• Checkout and abandoned carts. Make sure your store asks for an email early in checkout, so you can follow up with people who don't finish.
• Your social profiles. Add a sign-up link to the profile you set up in Lesson 7, and mention it in your posts: "Join the list for first access on Black Friday."

Keep it honest. Say what people will get and how often you'll write, and only promise what you'll actually send.

Three emails to set up now

Before Black Friday, have these ready to send automatically:

1. Welcome email. Sent as soon as someone signs up. Introduce your store, what you sell and why they can trust you: authentic pieces, clear delivery times, and who pays import charges.
2. Abandoned cart email. Sent a few hours after someone leaves items in their cart. Show the product, confirm the sizes in stock and answer the usual doubts about delivery and returns.
3. Browse reminder. Sent to subscribers who viewed a product but didn't add it to cart. Show the piece again alongside one or two similar items.

These run in the background, so they keep working while you focus on Black Friday.

Keep the list healthy

A smaller, engaged list beats a big, silent one. Only email people who signed up, make unsubscribing easy, and send something useful each time: a new arrival, a styling idea, a restock of a popular size. Before Black Friday, send one or two warm-up emails so your subscribers expect to hear from you and your emails reach the inbox, not the spam folder.

See you Tuesday. We're planning Black Friday offers that keep your margin.