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Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are impossible to ignore (and, trust me, sometimes, I wish I could). In 2024, in-app purchases jumped 14% year-over-year, with spending reaching its peak in the week before Black Friday.
The catch? Research from Airship suggests that users acquired during Black Friday are far less likely to remain engaged a month later. In other words: more subscribers, but not necessarily quality subscribers.
For subscription apps, the real goal of BFCM isn’t just capturing the surge in interest, it’s crafting offers that turn bargain hunters into long-term subscribers and ensuring you attract the right customers. There’s no point buying a discounted carton of eggs if half of them are cracked, right?
So, if you already know how to approach BFCM broadly, here are four practical ways subscription apps can use Black Friday to drive lasting growth.
Tip 1: Create deals by lifecycle rather than a one-size-fits-all
The right Black Friday offer depends on where someone is in the customer lifecycle. Messaging, incentives, and structure should shift based on their stage. I usually think in three groups:
For prospects (never paid before)
For colder audiences, I advise setting up an introductory offer (more on how to do this for Android and iOS), as this prevents the offer from cannibalizing existing subscribers. Focus on educating them about your app’s value, not just dangling a discount like a carrot on a stick.
A word of caution: don’t go too high an initial discount. In tests I’ve run, conversion lifts plateaued at higher discounts, and lifetime value (LTV) dropped. Most apps cap discounts around 60%, with many sticking closer to 30–40%.
Other ways to protect the LTV of new potential subscribers are:
- Discount annual plans only, not shorter plans like monthly
- Test longer free trials or offer a premium tier at the lower-tier price
- Limit discounts to the first period, then renew at full price (though expect slightly higher drop-off)
Free subscribers (freemium users who never converted to paid)
If you have free subscribers (or trialists who never converted), it’s worth building in conversion nudges that are distinct from those for new acquisition. If you run a freemium model, activation is key before Black Friday. Think beyond generic discounts and instead build engagement-focused offers.
Example: Strava offered a $20 voucher during BF and a $50 voucher after for users who logged 100 minutes. That kind of interactive reward nudges free users into paying subscribers while boosting engagement.
For this group, lean heavily on email and push campaigns, make sure they’ve opted in early so you can target them directly.
Winback (previously paid, now cancelled)
For churned subscribers, email and push are again your best channels. Since you’re not paying ad costs here, you can afford to offer stronger incentives, but if you have the cancellation data, be conscious of the reason they left in the first place.
One effective tactic I’ve seen: a discounted lifetime subscription. It’s a smart option for customers who liked your app but couldn’t justify ongoing payments. Calm has used this during Black Friday (I’ll admit: it worked on me).
Important: If you run this with active subscribers, remember the App Store rules, users will need to cancel and resubscribe. That’s why I recommend Lifetime offers specifically for winback campaigns.
For more flexibility with discounts, consider selling on the web so you’re less restricted by the App Store - find out more.
Tip 2: Prioritize owned channels before paid
I feel like whenever I read tips for Black Friday, 90% of it is about ads. I’m not degrading ads in the slightest, but the reality is your most profitable Black Friday conversions usually come from email, push, and in-app messaging, not paid ads.
Yes, paid conversion rates rise during BFCM, but so do CPIs and CPCs. That’s why it pays first to optimize your app and owned channels rather than pouring all your energy into ad creative.
A practical example: create dedicated BFCM paywalls. Simply swapping the price on your standard paywall misses the chance to maximize conversion.
Simple tweaks go a long way:
- Have clear “Black Friday” branding
- Use countdown timers and urgency cues
- Ensure you have transparent renewal messaging if it only applies to the first subscription period (“Renews at $X after your first year”)
Adapty shares a great example from YAZIO Calorie Counter & Diet, which built a custom BFCM paywall.
Some apps even update their App Store screenshots and copy to spotlight seasonal deals.
If you are running paid ads, shift budget toward remarketing. According to AppFlyer, remarketing conversions jump +58% on Black Friday compared to an average Friday. It’s a more efficient way to re-engage warm audiences and avoid low-quality bargain hunters.
Tip 3: Make the most of Web2App
If Web2App is already part of your strategy, double down on it during BFCM. (Just don’t test it for the first time on Black Friday itself, as it’s too risky to launch a brand-new funnel under pressure. I can’t even picture that chaos.)
Web2App has clear advantages:
- Better margins (no Apple/Google fees)
- More flexibility with pricing tests
- Higher retention compared to in-app
This means you can offer slightly stronger deals, stay profitable even with paid ads, and experiment with creative offers, like bundles, tiered discounts, or free gifts.
Another smart tactic is to ramp up Web2App campaigns before Black Friday to grow your email list. That way, you’ll get more leverage from your owned media channels (see Tip 2) and protect margins during the rush.
Finally, take advantage of the freedom Web2App gives you: create Black Friday-specific landing pages tailored to each audience segment you’re targeting.
Tip 4: Measure and support beyond the spike
Ask any marketer how they feel after Black Friday, and the honest answer is usually: exhausted. And for many apps, there’s little time to rest, as holiday periods like Christmas and January (especially in health and wellness) often bring another surge.
However, don’t let fatigue or holiday distractions hinder your ability to track post-sale quality. Measure ARPPU, churn, and engagement at 30, 60, and 90 days for your Black Friday cohort.
Running annual deals? Pay extra attention to usage metrics. Daily or weekly activity is your best predictor of whether those subscribers will renew a year later.
And remember: winning the subscriber is only step one. Keep nurturing your BFCM cohorts after the sale. Some apps even update their onboarding flows specifically to better educate and engage discount-driven subscribers.
If you can’t beat them… join them (strategically)
As much as I’d love to crawl under a rock (or sneak off on holiday) during Black Friday, the reality is: you can’t. This global sales moment comes with sky-high customer expectations, but also huge opportunities.
The key is to ride the wave strategically by attracting not just any subscribers, but the right ones: people who stay engaged and deliver long-term value.
Follow the four tips above, and you’ll be in a strong position to make Black Friday work for your app, not against it.
Download Paddle’s Black Friday guide for more steps on driving conversions and increasing LTV this BFCM, with proven tactics and data from successful apps. See how you can use Black Friday for long-term growth.
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