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The 'Black Friday Hangover': Profitability vs Volume

Black Friday drives volume but does it drive profit? We analyse the CPM spikes and why knowing your real numbers matters more than revenue for e-commerce brands.

By SoMe AI Team
~1 min read
If you are an E-com founder, it is essential to check your profitability metrics from your Black Friday campaigns, not just your revenue. While volume is high, 'Profitability' often drops because the noise level is deafening and ad costs skyrocket.

The CPM Spike

CPM (Cost Per Mille) is determined by an auction. On Black Friday, every brand in the world is bidding for the same eyeballs. This drives the cost of traffic up by 200-300%. If your conversion rate doesn't also triple, your margins get crushed.

The Winning Strategy: Retargeting

The brands that won this week likely didn't rely on day-of ads to find new customers. They relied on retargeting audiences they built up since August.
  • The most expensive day to acquire a *new* customer is Black Friday.
  • The best day to convert an *existing* lead is Black Friday.
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Moving forward to Boxing Day, focus your budget on 'Warm' audiences—people who have visited your site or watched your videos in the last 90 days. Leave the cold prospecting for January when CPMs drop.

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Published 26 November 2025Last updated 6 December 2025
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