Crack the Cyber Monday Code: 15 Marketing Ideas That Work

Cyber Monday is no longer Black Friday’s digital after-party. Today, it’s the single biggest revenue moment of the holiday season. U.S. shoppers spent a record $13.3 billion online on Cyber Monday 2024. The year before hit $12.4 billion, showing a steady rise. This kind of momentum means you need fresh Cyber Monday marketing ideas to capture demand.

Zoom out and the stakes are even higher: 55% of annual U.S. e-commerce GMV lands in the last two quarters, squeezing most revenue in just eight weeks. This urgency touches every vertical, from a 136% surge in cruise bookings to spikes in apparel, electronics, and D2C. 

And it’s not a one-day rush. Shoppers act early and stay active. 43% start holiday shopping before Thanksgiving, and 62% keep buying into December. That means staying visible and personalizing your campaigns is a must.

If Cyber Monday broke records last year, 2025 will be even bigger. This article shares 15 Cyber Monday marketing ideas to help you attract customers and grow sales. You’ll also find tips on using CleverTap’s Personalization features to turn your holiday campaigns into massive online sales.

Why You Need Cyber Monday Marketing Ideas

Cyber Monday matters because it delivers a rare combination of high intent, peak traffic, and revenue potential. In fact, U.S. shoppers spent $15.8 million per minute for two hours on Cyber Monday night in 2024, wrapping up a five-day shopping rush that broke all records. 

• Mobile-first shopping: Today’s consumers expect frictionless experiences, from browsing to one-tap checkout. In fact, mobile devices drove 70% of U.S. and global online orders in 2024. You’ll leave sales on the table if your mobile site is slow or your app can’t handle a rush of shoppers. 
• Promotions now start early: Shoppers don’t wait for Thanksgiving week. In 2024, 78% started shopping during October or November promotions, up from 61% in 2023. With early deals flooding inboxes, you’ll win only if you offer a connected experience across channels. Retailers offering Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) can reach 40% of all online orders during peak weeks. 
• Post-Thanksgiving urgency: Shoppers come ready to buy on Cyber Monday, with intent peaking right after Thanksgiving. After days of browsing and filling carts, they check out as stock runs low and deals expire. To win in that moment, your brand must show up with the right offer, on the right channel, at exactly the right time when intent spikes.

Cyber Monday is your best opportunity to convert peak traffic into peak revenue. These 15 Cyber Monday marketing ideas will show you how.

15 Cyber Monday Marketing Ideas to Maximize Sales

From early teasers to last-minute nudges, every touchpoint matters on Cyber Monday. The following 15 Cyber Monday marketing ideas will help you capture demand, boost sales, and make the most of CleverTap’s personalization engine.

1. Launch a Teaser Campaign Early

Start nudging customers 5-7 days before Cyber Monday with short, curiosity-driven emails, SMS, and push messages. These early touches warm up audiences so your main offer stands out in an already full inbox. Make these interactive so people actively engage with the campaigns. 

For example, you can run a Cyber Monday quiz early to build interest. Use this approach in-app, via email, and through push notifications to achieve the best response. 

Source: Pinterest

Use Journeys in CleverTap to automate teaser drips across channels. Trigger messages based on user activities like “last opened message” and “visited pricing page” to boost interest and reduce drop-offs.

2. Create an App-Exclusive Deal for Cyber Monday Marketing

Offer a Cyber Monday marketing deal that shoppers can only unlock inside your mobile app. This tactic boosts installs, makes checkout friction-free, and enables you to send instant alerts through push and in-app messages. 

BookMyShow, for instance, timed its app-exclusive teaser pushes with CleverTap’s real-time segments, hitting users during their most active window. 

Source: CleverTap

The strategy delivered a 5x jump in click-through rates and a 2x boost in engagement, fueling a 50% rise in conversions and traffic.

Use in-app messaging to show discounts to users on the latest app version, and pair them with segmented push notifications. Trigger the push when users are most active or when they install or open the app. This will build interest, adding to increased app opens during the Cyber Monday sale. 

3. Use Countdown Timers Across Channels

Nothing turns curiosity into urgency faster than a ticking clock. When that countdown timer appears across your site’s hero banner, in-cart strip, promotional emails, or push alerts, shoppers feel the seconds slipping away. 

That fear of missing out drives them to act fast before the deal disappears. This real-time pressure is gold for D2C flash sales, where limited stock and short timelines mean waiting can lead to missing out.

Source: MyOllie

MyOllie, a human-grade dog food delivery company, features a countdown timer on its homepage during Cyber Monday. This creates FOMO among buyers, prompting them to grab the discounts before the products become costly again. 

4. Segment and Personalize Offers for Cyber Monday Marketing

Segmented and personalized offers mean sending the right deal to the right person based on their actions. For example, cart abandoners get a reminder to check out, while loyal customers see special bundles or early access offers.

Vodafone utilized CleverTap analytics to identify a 2-minute “golden window” after users opened the app, then sent personalized push and in-app messages. 

The real-time nudges lifted CTR by 23.7% and doubled conversions for reengagement campaigns.

Use CleverTap’s segmentation to divide users based on their activities, like ‘adding to cart but not buying’ or any rule you set. This segmentation creates an always-fresh audience list. Now, launch a campaign that pulls dynamic product details into each push or email, so every message reflects what the user has just done. 

5. Roll Out Cyber Monday Bundles

You should also try bundling high-demand or perfectly paired items. Take an unbeatable deal on wireless earbuds and a power bank, or a weekend getaway that includes a flight, hotel, and airport transfer, for example. These deals raise average order value in e-commerce and D2C. 

Disney+ and Hulu adopted a similar strategy to promote their Cyber Monday deal. They offered the bundle for as low as $3 per month for an entire year.

Source: Business Insider

Bundles help companies shift unsold inventory and satisfy holiday shoppers who love one-click convenience. Spotlight each bundle in bold email banners, homepage hero tiles, and app push cards so customers see both the savings and the ticking clock. Finally, nudge them to check out before the offer disappears.

6. Offer Free Shipping or Free Add-ons

Sweeten the deal in your Cyber Monday advertising campaigns with free shipping or limited freebies. Shoppers are already primed to buy during Cyber Week. A visible free perk taps into core buyer instinct and makes a big difference in CTRs and conversions. These offers work well when you highlight them in banners, homepage strips, and ad copy.

Take the example of Clarks, an international footwear brand. They ran an A/B test to see if highlighting free shipping affects conversions. 

Source: CursorUp

Version A kept the shipping info subtle, while Version B made the free shipping offer stand out. Version B resulted in a 2.6% increase in conversions, generating an additional £2.8 million in revenue.

With CleverTap, you can easily run A/B tests by cloning your push or email campaign and modifying the free offer. The platform automatically splits your audience, tracks which version drives more clicks or sales, and displays the winner in real-time.

Learn from the best Christmas advertisement campaigns and build your own.

7. Target Last-Minute Shoppers

Not every shopper checks out their cart on Cyber Monday. Many wait until the final hours or even miss the deadline entirely. That’s where a one-day extension campaign comes in. 

Framing your Tuesday push as a last chance to grab Cyber Monday deals gives procrastinators a reason to act fast. By framing it as a final window, such as “extended by popular demand” or “just one more day,” you create urgency without launching a whole new campaign. This Cyber Monday marketing idea makes your brand visible just as inbox competition starts to fade. Here’s how Trulybeauty did it: 

Source: Trulybeauty

With CleverTap, you can set up a push notification to automatically trigger when someone hasn’t opened your app for a set period, like 24 hours. Choose when the message should go out, and CleverTap will send it as soon as the rule is met. This makes it easy to re-engage last-minute shoppers with ‘deal extended’ alerts.

8. Use Fonts and Visuals That Immediately Give Cyber Monday Vibes

Cyber Monday is often associated with technology. When your fonts and visuals align, it quickly captures the reader’s attention. The overall appeal of it strikes the same chord in a person’s mind that the Cyber Monday shopping fest does. 

Use techy fonts and graphics that give a sense of computers, or how text appears on a command-line interface. This suggests technology, without being too conceptual or relying on edgy graphics. 

Here’s how Huckberry does it to promote its Cyber Monday deal: 

Source: Huckberry

9. Deploy Gamified Promotions

Gamified promotions turn your Cyber Monday marketing campaign into a mini-game that shoppers can’t resist. Take spin-the-wheel discounts, digital scratch cards, or mystery coupons, for example. They add a layer of fun and surprise. These engage users, drive repeat visits, and work well in travel and D2C apps where discovery and spontaneous purchases thrive. 

Here’s how FRUT SA, a distributor of frozen fruits and vegetables, gamifies its promotions for Cyber Monday:

Source: Facebook

The campaign encourages you to spin a wheel to get holiday deals. 

With CleverTap’s Promo Campaigns, you can instantly reward users with points, coupons, or vouchers when they complete specific in-app actions. Set up rules like ‘spin-the-wheel completed’ or ‘scratch card revealed’, and CleverTap will automatically reward the user. These real-time rewards make your Cyber Monday promotions more effective.

10. Retarget Abandoners in Real Time

Nudge cart abandoners before their buying intent fades. When you add urgency, like ‘Only 3 left!’ and a slight discount, it gives them the extra push to complete the purchase. This makes retargeting one of the most effective Cyber Monday marketing strategies to recover lost sales. 

CleverTap’s Journeys lets you set up a fully automated cart abandonment flow that triggers email, push, and SMS notifications the moment someone leaves items in their cart. For example, you can configure Journeys to follow up with reminders like ‘your cart’s waiting’. Tie web, in-app, and push messages to specific user actions, so your follow-ups feel personal and recover lost sales.

Learn how to write the best abandoned cart emails with 100 effective ideas for abandoned cart email subject lines.

11. Run Social Media-Only Flash Sales

Social media flash sales are another Cyber Monday marketing move that taps into urgency and exclusivity. Consider offering limited-time deals, such as 2-hour offers, on social media channels like Instagram or Facebook, or on channels where your followers spend time. These pop-up sales also encourage UGC as followers share deals with their networks. Add QR codes to your app to make discovery-to-purchase seamless.

Here’s an example of how Urban Sales, a furniture seller, ran its flash sales on social media, promoting up to 50% discounts: 

Source: Facebook

This sale promotes the opportunity with urgency. 

12. Promote Loyalty Programs In Cyber Monday Deals

Cyber Monday isn’t just for driving conversions; it’s a perfect time to grow and deepen loyalty. Tie your discounts and promotions to your loyalty program. Here’s how Lego did it: 

Source: Lego

Such campaigns reward loyalty program members with better perks. When you highlight “members-only,” it gives another reason for shoppers to become active subscribers of your loyalty program. 

It’s best to reward people for becoming a subscriber during Cyber Monday. This way, they get a winning feeling without making a purchase, giving you an active subscriber who can convert in the future. 

13. Cross-Sell and Upsell with Smart Recommendations

Want to nudge shoppers to buy more without being pushy? Cross-selling and upselling let you do just that with smart recommendations. 

You can suggest add-ons, upgrades, or bundles based on what the customer is already buying. It can be something like ‘complete the look’ for a fashion site or room upgrade prompts for a travel app. These personalized nudges, especially when powered by AI/ML, turn impulse into extra revenue during peak Cyber Monday traffic.’

In fact, Amazon research shows that using AI-powered recommendations boosts online store revenue by up to 10%. With the right tools, you can tap into the same growth potential, too.

Use CleverTap’s App Inbox with Product Recommendations to create a personalized feed for your customers. Suggest frequently bought-together or high-value items based on user behavior to boost upsells and cross-sells. 

Use email marketing to cross-sell and upsell products. On CleverTap, learn how to build the best holiday email campaigns. Get inspired by 4th of July email marketing, Halloween email marketing, and Black Friday email marketing ideas.

14. Promote Gift Cards with Bonus Value

Gift cards with bonus value solve two problems at once: urgency and indecision. They’re perfect for last-minute shoppers or buyers unsure of what to pick. 

Sweeten the deal by offering a limited-time bonus like “Get $120 for $100” and you’ll boost conversions while locking in future revenue. This strategy works well for travel bookings, wellness brands, or subscription boxes where choice and timing often vary.

Source: Starbucks

Starbucks shows that gift cards are a profit engine. The company reported $1.77 billion in unredeemed gift card balances, a 9% increase year-over-year. Bankrate’s July 2023 survey found 47% of U.S. adults had at least one unused gift card or voucher, with an average value of $187, totaling $23 billion in untapped spending power.

Gift cards work best for Thanksgiving promotions. Learn how to create effective marketing campaigns for Thanksgiving.

15. Collaborate with Influencers for Live Shopping or Product Demos

Influencer-led live shopping is one of the most powerful ways to convert Cyber Monday attention into sales. These time-sensitive sessions through Instagram Lives, TikTok, or branded reels create a sense of urgency while using the trust influencers have built with their audiences.

A well-timed product demo or live shopping session can turn scrolls into sales, especially when paired with limited-time discount codes or exclusive bundles. This strategy is particularly effective for beauty, fashion, home goods, and D2C products, where visuals and real-time interaction enhance purchase confidence.

Here’s how Lily_Bae, an IG influencer, collaborated with Guariz Brand to promote their deals for Cyber Monday: 

Source: Instagram

The duo got 2,468 likes and tonnes of engagement in comments.

Now, let’s look at the next steps to take once you launch your Cyber Monday marketing ideas.

Post-Cyber Monday Marketing Strategies to Use

Don’t stop marketing after Cyber Monday, as it’s the perfect time to build relationships with customers. People who have just bought from you are more likely to engage and become loyal customers. Use this momentum to power the rest of your year, and here’s how. 

Send Thank-You Offers

Reach out within 24–48 hours after a purchase with a personalized thank-you message and a special discount for their next purchase. Make the offer time-limited to create a sense of urgency. You can also suggest products related to what they purchased. Then, track who redeems the offer to find your most engaged customers. 

Launch Win-Back Campaigns

You can also bring back shoppers who browsed but didn’t make a purchase during Cyber Monday with win-back campaigns. Start by sending personalized ‘you missed it’ messages that highlight the products they viewed. Sweeten the deal with a slightly higher discount to nudge them to complete the purchase. 

For better results, segment these non-buyers by engagement level: give deeper, personalized offers to high-intent users, and broader, category-level deals to less engaged ones.

Ask for Reviews Or Ratings

Send review request emails or notifications 5–7 days after delivery, while the product is still fresh in your customer’s mind. Consider offering a small reward like loyalty points or a discount, for leaving a review. If they don’t respond, follow up once or twice using automated reminders over the next week or two. Now, highlight some of these reviews on your product pages and social channels to build trust and drive future sales.

Start Prepping for Christmas and Year-End

Finally, don’t let the momentum fade as the Cyber Monday rush winds down. 

After a customer makes a purchase during Cyber Monday, ask them what they wish to buy for Christmas using a quick survey or email. Use their answers to create personalized holiday offers and give them first access to those Christmas marketing deals. You can do the same for New Year marketing deals, depending on historical data—which holiday is more effective for your business.

You can also create gift guides using your top Cyber Monday products and pair them with related items for easy bundling. Set up automated reminders based on past purchases to nudge customers when it’s time to make gift purchases.

Learn how to build most-effective Christmas email marketing campaigns and December email newsletters on CleverTap.

Use CleverTap Journeys to Nurture Cyber Monday Buyers

CleverTap’s Journeys tool helps you set up automated campaigns across email, push, and in-app messages using a simple drag-and-drop builder. You can send thank-you notes, review requests, and tailored product suggestions based on what customers buy during Cyber Monday. It all runs on autopilot, reaching each shopper at the right time with the right message.

How CleverTap Helps You Build a Successful Cyber Monday Marketing Strategy

CleverTap turns your Cyber Monday campaigns from one-size-fits-all blasts into targeted experiences. Tools like real-time segmentation, automated journeys, and dynamic product recommendations help you reach the right customer at the right time with push, email, or in-app messages tailored to their actions. 

You can run A/B tests to fine-tune subject lines and CTAs, and use Product Catalog to trigger real-time inventory alerts and relevant product suggestions. CleverTap also pulls in customer data from all channels so your messaging feels personal, driving higher conversions and stronger loyalty. 

Here are some bonus holiday marketing ideas for 4th of July marketing and Halloween marketing to boost your sales.