Every November, a certain retail event has repercussions beyond the big sales. Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) makes ad auctions more competitive, as advertisers raise budgets and bid more aggressively to capitalise on peak demand. The effect isn’t limited to eCommerce retailers, though, because the auctions that sell ad space are shared by every advertiser. Black Friday lands on 27 November this year, and last year’s data shows the pressure builds weeks beforehand.
How Black Friday Changes the Ad Auction
An ad auction is the instant bidding process a platform runs each time an ad slot opens, and the strongest mix of bid and relevance wins. In the weeks before Black Friday, retailers raise their budgets and bid higher to win more of that space, which pushes the price up for everyone else too. Cyber Monday, on 30 November, extends that pressure.
How hard this hits you depends on how each platform sells ad space. On keyword-based channels like Google Search, you only compete with advertisers targeting the same searches. You’re up against retailers chasing high-intent shoppers through product and deal searches, pushing Shopping budgets up so clicks get more expensive for anyone selling products.
Advertisers who skip Black Friday still pay more
On Search, B2B and lead gen businesses are mostly protected. Bids are tied to keywords, so your ads only compete for the searches those keywords match, and retailers rarely bid on terms such as “business insurance quote”. That’s unless your own industry runs Black Friday offers, as software and online courses often do, in which case competitors push harder too. It’s also worth knowing that search volume for some B2B terms can dip during this period because attention is focused elsewhere.
Social, video, and display channels work differently. You’re not bidding on keywords there – channels like Meta, TikTok and Demand Gen sell audiences and placements instead. You’re competing for the same attention as every other advertiser. During Black Friday, retailers bid higher, and their deal ads often get more engagement too, so a B2B ad has to bid more and stand out more to win the same impression. Skipping the sale doesn’t take you out of the auction. Cost per thousand impressions (CPM) rises for everyone, and that usually pushes up cost per click (CPC) and cost per lead (CPL) too.
Which Campaign Types Face Higher Costs?
| Campaign type | Auction pressure | Reason |
| Search (non-retail keywords) | Low | Retailers rarely bid on these terms |
| Low to moderate | Mostly other B2B advertisers | |
| Meta | High | Retailers compete for the same impressions |
| TikTok | High | Feed placements compete with retail ads |
| Performance Max | High | Shares keywordless inventory with retailers, such as YouTube and Display |
| Demand Gen | High | Shares YouTube, Discover, Gmail and Display inventory with retail campaigns |
Auction pressure ratings reflect how each auction works. The actual impact depends on your industry and audience.
The impact of higher ad costs
Analytics firm Lebesgue looked at US$22.6 million of Meta spend from large advertisers between September and November 2025. Across Black Friday week, the median cost per thousand impressions (CPM) was 59% higher than in September and 84% higher on the day itself. eCommerce retailers can live with that, because more of the shoppers they reach go on to buy. Over the same week, conversion rates rose 48%, and cost per purchase fell 20%, so although each impression cost more, each sale cost less.
Non-eCommerce businesses don’t get that offset. You still win enquiries, but you pay inflated prices to reach people who, for a few weeks, are in a deal-hunting mindset. UK shoppers spent £3.8 billion online between Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year, according to Adobe, and 46% of UK adults told PwC they were interested in picking up discounted items. Someone scrolling for bargains during Black Friday sales is less likely to stop and enquire about a service, so your conversion rate doesn’t rise to cover the extra cost. That usually means a higher cost per lead.
How to Protect Your Ad Budget During Black Friday
Plan these before the peak starts…
1. Use an offer. If it fits your business, a Black Friday discount, early-bird price, or extended free trial helps you benefit from the deal-hunting mindset.
2. Lean on Search. Shift weight to Search where that auction is much less affected, and pull back slightly on social, video, and display.
3. Consider LinkedIn for B2B. Its auction is mostly other B2B advertisers, so it’s less affected by retail budgets than other social platforms (although Q4 can mean increased costs on LinkedIn too). One analysis of B2B SaaS companies found Q4 accounts for 31% of yearly LinkedIn spend, more than any other quarter. LinkedIn is a safer bet than Meta or TikTok in Black Friday weeks, but expect costs to rise there too.
4. Prioritise remarketing. People who already know you convert at a higher rate than cold audiences, so even when impressions cost more, they usually deliver leads at a lower cost. B2B remarketing lists are often small, though, so watch frequency rather than pushing too much budget at the same people.
5. If you need to make changes, make them early. Large campaign restructures or budget swings can reset the learning phase at the worst moment. Make your changes before the peak, then hold steady.
6. Bid to a cost per lead target. If you have enough conversion data, consider bidding that targets a cost per lead, rather than bidding that spends your full budget chasing as many results as possible. Make the switch well before the peak so the campaign has time to settle, and set a realistic target (one based on a normal month may barely deliver). Expect less volume but more control over what you pay. * This should only be implemented on campaigns with enough and steady conversion data. *
7. Refresh your creative. Feeds are full of sale ads, so your creative needs to really stand out and give people a reason to stop scrolling. Focus on varied concepts, formats, and messaging that give platforms more to match to different people.
8. Hold budget in reserve. Early December can work for lead gen while decision-makers are still at their desks, but if your own data shows enquiries slowing over Christmas, hold the reserve for January.
The last word
Plan for Black Friday, even if you’re not taking part. The auction changes for everyone, so decide before it starts: will you push through, pull back, or reallocate budget? You also need to agree on what a “good” result looks like for those weeks. A higher CPL should be a planned trade-off rather than a December surprise. If you’d like a second pair of eyes on your paid media setup, the Herdl team is happy to talk it through. Get in touch.