Key takeaways
- The 2026 dates: Thanksgiving (US) Thursday 26 November, Black Friday 27 November, Small Business Saturday 28 November, Cyber Monday 30 November and Giving Tuesday 1 December.
- Five posts carry the week: early access, your main offer, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and a last-chance reminder. Write them in one sitting and schedule them together.
- Every post that names an offer should state its real end date and time. No fake countdowns: they break consumer rules in the US, the UK and the EU and cost trust.
Black Friday 2026: the key dates
- Thursday 26 November: Thanksgiving (US). A thank-you post, or nothing; it is a family day for most of your audience
- Friday 27 November: Black Friday. Your main offer, posted in the morning of your audience's time zone
- Saturday 28 November: Small Business Saturday. Thank local customers and show the people behind the business
- Monday 30 November: Cyber Monday. Your online offer and the link to it
- Tuesday 1 December: Giving Tuesday. A charity or community post, kept apart from sales wording
The five posts and when to schedule them
- Early access (a few days before): what is coming and how followers get it first, a sign-up, a link or "follow us"
- Your offer (Black Friday morning): the offer, its real end date and time, and how to get it
- Small Business Saturday (28 November): a thank-you and a look at your team or what you make
- Cyber Monday (30 November): your online offer and where to find it
- Last chance (the final day): a plain reminder of when your offer really ends
How to get it done in one evening
Write all five posts in one sitting, then schedule them to every platform at once so the week runs by itself. Adapt the format per platform (a Reel, a carousel, a Story) but keep one message and one end date across them. Check each post's time against your audience's time zone, not your own, and keep the evening of each big day free to answer comments and messages.
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FAQ
- When is Black Friday 2026?
- Friday 27 November 2026, the day after Thanksgiving in the US. Cyber Monday is Monday 30 November 2026.
- How early should Black Friday posts start?
- An early-access post a few days before works for most businesses. Have every post for the week scheduled before Thanksgiving, so the week itself is for replies.
- Should Giving Tuesday be a sales post?
- No. Giving Tuesday is about charity and community; a sales message that day reads as tone-deaf. Share a cause you support or what your business gives back.
- Do I need a countdown timer?
- Only one that counts to your offer's real end. A countdown that resets, or an "only 3 left" that is not true, breaks consumer-protection rules in the US, the UK and the EU.