Black Friday for B2B Businesses

Back to Insights

Published 21st Nov 2025

News

It’s a question a lot of B2B teams ask every year: does Black Friday actually matter for us? On the surface level, it appears the answer is no. Black Friday is noisy, consumer-driven and discount-obsessed, the opposite of long, considered B2B buying cycles. But Black Friday matters more to B2B than most people realise and it’s not just about the discounts.

The question here isn’t “Should my B2B business run discounts?” It’s about finding the best Black Friday tactic for your business. B2B audiences behave differently from consumers, however, they still search, compare, research, and plan in Q4.

So, what is Black Friday’s impact on B2B search behaviour?

via GIPHY

Black Friday matters for B2B even if you never run a discount. Why? Because as the year draws to a close, business buyers naturally start reviewing their tools, processes, and upcoming budgets. And that leads to a noticeable spike in early-stage research across B2B categories.

In Q4, business buyers:

compare more
explore new suppliers
plan next year’s budgets
evaluate their current tool stack

And if you’re not showing up, your competitors will.

Data shows B2B is adopting this moment. More B2B companies are treating Black Friday as a meaningful business season. In fact, commercetools reports that nearly 30% of B2B companies make a noticeable amount of revenue during the Black Friday period. But here’s the key point: They’re not making revenue because of discounts. They’re making it because buyers are actively researching and evaluating suppliers

Whether they’re looking for a new CRM, project management tool or a new equipment supplier, people are often intrigued about how they can improve their operations in preparation for the new year. Even if a business won’t buy anything right away, the Black Friday period acts like a reminder to start looking at new suppliers.

Even for long sales cycles, creating awareness and comparison content becomes critical.
So B2B brands benefit simply by being present – not by acting like retail brands.

Challenges for B2B sectors on Black Friday

However, Black Friday can create many problems for companies that sell to other businesses, especially for those dependent on lead generation and these long, complex sale cycles. Key challenges include:

A smaller visibility window as competitors get louder
- Around Black Friday, businesses spend more on ads, publish more content and push harder for attention, even in B2B categories.
- If you’re a lead-gen-driven business, you will struggle to compete in this time frame, especially because your competitors are likely to offer quick purchase options, which buyers gravitate towards.
B2B buyers now expect B2C-level digital experiences
- People who buy things for their company expect websites to work just as smoothly as the ones they use when shopping personally.
- They want:
  - Personalisation → the website showing relevant content
  - Self-service options → being able to find things without talking to a salesperson
  - Real-time pricing → rather than waiting days for a quote
  - Fast checkout/forms → simple, quick ways to sign up or enquire
  - Modern, reliable platforms → no slow or clunky websites

This matters during Black Friday because more people are researching and comparing you to others, and a bad user experience makes them leave immediately.

When Black Friday actually works for B2B

Black Friday isn’t a one-size-fits-all. It only makes sense for certain B2B businesses.

Best fit for businesses where:

Buying cycles are short or self-serve dominates
If customers can: sign up quickly, request access online, buy without a long sales process, start using the product immediately e.g. buying a software subscription is easy, then Black Friday works.
Buyers make recurring or replenishment purchases
Examples include: supplies, parts, digital tools, training credits, licences. This is because they already need these things regularly, a Black Friday offer can encourage them to buy early or in greater quantity.
Cloud/SaaS platforms with tiered pricing
If you sell software where: customers can upgrade, move to a bigger plan, add more users…then Black Friday is ideal. You’re not discounting your whole product – you’re giving an incentive to increase commitment.
Mid-market buyers, not slow-moving enterprise giants
Mid-market teams move fast, decide quicker, and skip the endless approvals. Black Friday fits nimble buyers- not complex procurement cycles.

So, if you don’t offer discounts, what can you offer?

Offer value, not price cuts
Instead of slashing prices like a B2C retailer, offer enhancements that feel strategic, not salesy. Think of it as giving buyers a better version of what they already want. Smart value-led incentives include:
- Extended onboarding or training (improves adoption and outcomes)
- Additional licenses, seats, or features
- Early access to new modules or product releases
- Priority support or dedicated success management
- Access to exclusive resources, templates, or gated content
- Migration or implementation assistance
- Locked-in 2025 pricing- one of the strongest credibility-building B2B incentives
This approach aligns with how B2B buyers think: long-term outcomes, not impulse bargains.

It’s also worth noting that discounting can sometimes undermine trust. For high-value, expertise-driven services, sudden price cuts can feel unprofessional or suggest the original pricing wasn’t justified. Offering added value avoids that problem — while still giving buyers a meaningful reason to act.
Payment flexibility
In Q4, budgets shift. Some companies have leftover money to spend, others are stretched thin and the finance teams are under pressure. Flexible payment options reduce stress and make it easier to say yes. Useful options include:
- BNPL for businesses → buy now, pay later
- Net terms → e.g., “pay in 30 or 60 days”
- Flexible invoicing → payment plans, split invoices, etc.
These give buyers confidence, reduce internal pushback, and create space for faster decision-making, especially during year-end budgeting.
A coordinated visibility strategy
Due to the high-intent period, your strategy must be coordinated, consistent and cross channel to stay visible. Key elements include:
- Paid search bursts to capture high-intent queries when competition spikes.
- Retargeting with value-led offers to remind researchers why you’re the better long-term choice.
- Organic content refreshes, update comparison pages, product pages, and guides buyers actively look for.
- Email communication including targeted messages that surface value, not discounts.
- Personalised messaging, adapt by industry, role, or account to increase relevance.
- Sales-team alignment, ensure in-person and outbound teams understand the offer, positioning, and timing so every touchpoint feels consistent.
A cross-channel visibility plan keeps your brand in front of buyers wherever they’re researching.
Operational readiness
A great offer means nothing if your operations can’t support the spike. Before Black Friday, ensure your teams and systems can handle increased activity and demand. To do this, you will need to ensure you have:
- Platform scalability for your site, checkout, or demo booking flow, to ensure they won’t crash
- Lead-handling capacity because faster responses lead to higher conversions
- Streamlined approval workflows
- Sales + Customer Success alignment- everyone knows the offer, the messaging, and the process
Black Friday isn’t just a marketing moment – it’s an operational one.
Create a Black Friday/ Q4 category landing page
Building a dedicated landing page can capture Q4 research intent. This should target both seasonal keywords people search during Black Friday and evergreen terms tied to next year’s planning cycle. For instance, “Best X tools for 2026” A focused landing page gives you a stronger chance of ranking, increases relevance for paid traffic, and positions your brand as the frontrunner when buyers begin evaluating suppliers
Strengthen mid-funnel content where B2B evaluations happen
During Black Friday and Q4, buyers aren’t just browsing – they’re comparing. This is the stage where they weigh options, justify choices, and gather evidence for internal approval. Strengthening mid-funnel assets ensures you’re the supplier they trust when the shortlist forms.Key assets to optimise include:
- Case studies: real results and sector-specific proof points.
- Comparison pages: clear, honest breakdowns versus competitors.
- Feature deep dives: articulate what you do better and why it matters.
- ROI calculators: quantify value and make budget approvals easier.
Mid-funnel content is where decisions are made. When it’s strong, you win more of the buyers already showing intent.

Should your B2B business participate?

Not every B2B business needs to “do Black Friday,” but every B2B business should understand whether the moment is strategically useful. Here’s a simple framework to help you decide:

Does your category experience Q4 search demand spikes?
Can buyers move quickly enough to make engagement worthwhile?
Is your platform capable of handling increased traffic or enquiries?
Can you offer value without harming long-term pricing integrity?
Do you have payment flexibility that supports B2B buyers?
Does participating strengthen your positioning – or cheapen it?
Does participating strengthen your positioning – or cheapen it?

The big message

This may all seem overwhelming but the main message is that for B2B brands Black Friday is a search opportunity, not a sale. It’s not about acting like a retail brand, consumer-style flash discounts or cramming B2B buying cycles into a 48-hour promo window. It is a visibility moment, a point in the year when search behaviour spikes, buyers start evaluating options, and teams plan next year’s tools, platforms and suppliers.

The brands that win aren’t the ones slashing prices.
They’re the ones who: