How do you run a one-day flash sale by email?

Keep it short and sharp. A short window creates urgency that a long sale loses. I’ve made more money in a three-hour sale than I made in a seven-day sale for one of the brands I’ve worked with.

Each email has one job. The first tells people something’s coming. The second tells them to set an alarm for a specific time. The third goes out when the sale opens, with the deal and the three-hour window. The last one says it’s ending soon.

I’d often send it to just one segment, like your VIPs, your loyalty members or your top spenders. You can also give the VIPs day one and the rest of the list day two. Either way, keep it to email and social, with no big ad spend behind it.

It’s also a low-risk way to test how your audience responds in the run-up to a major sales period like Black Friday, when you want to spend as little time on sale as possible.