Marketing and Margaritas

Black Friday success doesn’t start when your sale goes live. It starts months before.
Following on from our last Black Friday episode, we’re answering some of the biggest questions we received from business owners about what they should actually be doing now to prepare for the busiest sales period of the year.
We break down how early you should launch your Black Friday promotion and how long your sale should. We also dive into how to build and warm your email list before November, what to do if your email list has gone cold, and how to improve engagement and deliverability before inboxes become flooded with promotions.
Plus, Maddi shares the top-of-funnel content strategies brands should be running now; from founder and brand storytelling to objection-handling content, creator campaigns and AI cartoon explainer ads—to build awareness, trust and a warmer audience before Black Friday arrives.
Whether you’re a smaller ecommerce brand or already investing heavily in paid advertising, this episode will help you build the foundations for a stronger, more profitable Black Friday period.

Has AI killed the traditional online course?
With information now instantly available through platforms like ChatGPT and Claude, customers are no longer willing to pay thousands of dollars for another collection of videos and modules they may never finish. They do not just want more information, they want a clear result, personalised support and accountability to help them implement it.
In this episode of Marketing & Margaritas, Maddi and Ruby unpack the rise of paid challenges and why this increasingly popular offer model could be the future of digital products.
Using the viral Yap Challenge as an example, they explore how creators and service providers are transforming traditional courses into live, time-bound experiences that promise a specific result in a shorter period of time.
Whether you already sell a course, are developing a digital product or want to create a more scalable offer, this episode will help you rethink how you package your expertise and deliver better results for your customers.

In this episode, we're talking about Black Friday NOW and for good reason. The brands that win the biggest sales weekend of the year don't start planning in October; they start months in advance.
We break down exactly what ecommerce brands should be doing now to maximise revenue, reduce ad costs, and avoid the last-minute scramble. From choosing the right offer to warming up your audiences and planning your email marketing, this episode is your Black Friday planning checklist.
When to launch your Black Friday campaign (and why waiting is risky)
How to choose an offer that actually converts
Whether to run a sitewide discount, tiered offer or gift with purchase
How to use your stock levels to influence your promotion
Why you should analyse your competitors before planning your sale
How to build warm audiences with organic content and paid ads
Why top-of-funnel Meta ads are critical before November
How to prepare for higher advertising costs during Black Friday
Why improving your email sender reputation now matters
How to stand out when everyone's inbox is full
If you want this year's Black Friday to outperform last year's, this episode will help you build the strategy before the busiest shopping season begins.

Let us know what questions you have around Black Friday: https://www.instagram.com/marketingandmargaritas_/

Instagram is changing faster than ever, and the strategies that worked last year won't necessarily grow your brand today.
In this episode of Marketing & Margaritas, we're here to unpack six Instagram strategies that are driving real results in 2026. From the rise of Yap videos and Trial Reels to why caption SEO has replaced hashtags, we explore how brands can increase their reach, build genuine engagement, and stay ahead of the algorithm.
In this episode, we cover:
• Why Yap videos are outperforming overly polished content
• How to create authentic content that builds trust and converts
• Why replies matter more than likes on Instagram Stories
• The shift from hashtags to Instagram SEO
• How Trial Reels can help you reach brand-new audiences
• Why relying on Instagram alone is risky—and where you should be showing up instead
Whether you're trying to increase engagement, improve your Instagram strategy, or build a stronger social media presence, this episode will help you understand what's working now and where Instagram is heading next.

It’s time for Rapid Response, where we answer your marketing questions completely unfiltered and off the cuff.
We put up a question box on Instagram, you asked your questions, and now we’re giving you our raw, unprepared thoughts.
From strategies that work to industry hot takes, this is the no-fluff, real-talk episode you didn’t know you needed.
Follow us on Instagram to ensure you don’t miss our next Rapid Fire question box.