Module 13

Promotions, launches and big sales

13 lessons, 55 stepsOne instruction at a time, each with the result to expect. Tick steps as you go; Helix remembers.

Outcome: a year of sales peaks that are planned, make a profit and are easy to repeat. Plus a step-by-step plan for every big sale, from setting the target to the weeks after.

Related SOP: 15 Promo calendar and sales

In plain words

Stage: Convert (turn visits into sales). Every lesson below is tagged with its stage; see Attract, Convert, Grow.

What it is: How to plan sales and launches so they make money, not just noise.

Why it matters: Busy periods can make your year. Planned sales are far more profitable than last-minute ones.

Do this:

  1. Mark your big dates for the year.
  2. For each sale, set a profit target and the discount you can afford.
  3. Warm up your list and audiences before the sale starts.

Words to know:

  • Warm audience: People who know you: they visited, followed or watched your videos.
  • Margin: The share of each sale you keep after product cost. A $100 sale with $40 product cost is a 60% margin.

All words are explained in the glossary.

Lesson 13.1: Your yearly sales calendarConvert

In short

A year of sales works best as a rhythm.

Do this now

Step 1: Pick a regular day and time for new products, like the first Thursday of each month at 7pm.

Why this matters

A year of sales works best as a rhythm. Customers learn when to look, and you are never rushing. Four kinds of promotion cover the year. Deep discounts belong only to clearing slow stock, and only as a last resort.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Pick a regular day and time for new products, like the first Thursday of each month at 7pm. Put the next 6 on your calendar.

Expected result

Your release dates are set and repeat monthly.

Tips

Lesson 13.2: Launch phasesConvert

In short

A launch has four phases, and each needs its own message.

Do this now

Step 1: Before launch, tease the product and open a waitlist and early-access sign-up.

Why this matters

A launch has four phases, and each needs its own message. Skipping the build-up or the follow-up leaves most of the sales on the table.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Before launch, tease the product and open a waitlist and early-access sign-up.

Expected result

People are signing up before the product is out.

Lesson 13.3: Launching a new product: how to build the campaignsConvert

In short

How you structure a product drop depends on your spend.

Do this now

Step 1: Choose where launch ads go.

Why this matters

How you structure a product drop depends on your spend. Either way, your warm audiences and email list should get first access while normal campaigns keep running.

Step 1 of 20 of 2 done

Choose where launch ads go.

  • Spend about $1,000 a day or more (a rough rule of thumb): make a separate launch campaign.
  • Spend less: add launch ads to your normal cold and warm campaigns.

Expected result

Launch ads have a home that fits your budget.

Tips

Campaign
The top level in an ad account. It holds the goal, like getting sales.

Lesson 13.4: The big sale, step by stepConvert

In short

A big sale is a project with seven parts, from the target to the shipping cut-offs.

Do this now

Step 1: Set the target: last year's sales for this event times your growth rate.

Why this matters

A big sale is a project with seven parts, from the target to the shipping cut-offs. Planning each part in order is what makes a sale profitable and repeatable.

Step 1 of 70 of 7 done

Set the target: last year's sales for this event times your growth rate. Check it against list size, budget and stock.

Expected result

You have a sales target you can resource.

Tips

Lesson 13.5: The build-up before a launchConvert

In short

The build-up builds excitement before the sale starts, so launch day begins with a crowd.

Do this now

Step 1: Run sign-up ads and teasers for 3 to 5 days before the sale.

Why this matters

The build-up builds excitement before the sale starts, so launch day begins with a crowd. Moving budget across slowly protects the campaigns that bring new customers every day.

Step 1 of 30 of 3 done

Run sign-up ads and teasers for 3 to 5 days before the sale.

Expected result

Your early-access list grows each day.

Tips

Lesson 13.6: Running the saleConvert

In short

Running the sale is a daily routine.

Do this now

Step 1: Set up sale campaigns.

Why this matters

Running the sale is a daily routine. You need the right campaigns, spending limits, a daily check and a strong finish. Judge the whole event, not single days.

Step 1 of 50 of 5 done

Set up sale campaigns. Copy your best cold campaign. Add a cold campaign with combined audiences and people left out, and a mixed campaign that leaves nobody out. Then add warm campaigns, and hot campaigns for add to cart and checkout.

Expected result

All sale campaigns are built and paused before launch.

Tips

Campaign
The top level in an ad account. It holds the goal, like getting sales.

Good to know

Who each sale campaign leaves out:

Campaign Who sees it Who is left out
Copy of your best cold campaign New people Past buyers
Cold with combined audiences New people from your mixed interest and lookalike audiences Past buyers and recent engagers
Mixed (automatic) Anyone; Meta decides Nobody. Meta announced in 2025 it is retiring its old past-customer spend cap, so check Ads Manager
Warm Site visitors, engagers and video viewers (180 days) Buyers
Hot Added to cart (14 days) or started checkout (7 days) Buyers from the last 7 days

Lesson 13.7: After the saleGrow

In short

After a sale there is always a slow time, because some people just bought earlier than they would have.

Do this now

Step 1: Turn normal campaigns back up in steps over a week, not all at once.

Why this matters

After a sale there is always a slow time, because some people just bought earlier than they would have. As a rule of thumb, the dip takes back some of the extra sales, not all of them. How you handle it decides how many new buyers you keep. A short review makes the next event better.

Step 1 of 50 of 5 done

Turn normal campaigns back up in steps over a week, not all at once.

Expected result

Campaigns recover without a spending shock.

Lesson 13.8: If the sale is failingConvert

In short

When a sale is behind plan, the cause is usually one of five things.

Do this now

Step 1: Check the five causes.

Why this matters

When a sale is behind plan, the cause is usually one of five things. Find it fast, then use a rescue move that does not damage trust.

Step 1 of 20 of 2 done

Check the five causes. The offer is weaker than rivals', or not clear in the first seconds of ads. There is a site problem, the list is too small, or the timing is bad.

Expected result

You have named the likely cause.

Lesson 13.9: Experience levelsConvert

In short

Your sale plan should grow with your experience.

Do this now

Step 1: Find your level. Starter: one offer, a simple plan, sale versions of flows.

Why this matters

Your sale plan should grow with your experience. Starting simple and adding layers each time keeps sales profitable while you learn.

Step 1 of 20 of 2 done

Find your level. Starter: one offer, a simple plan, sale versions of flows. Seasoned: gift levels, a hype phase, a mid-sale release, separate sale campaigns. Advanced: a daily budget plan, every channel planned, sales targets per product.

Expected result

You know your level.

Lesson 13.10: Key dates through the yearGrow

In short

Plan the whole busy season, not one weekend.

Do this now

Step 1: All year, test ad angles and offers and grow your list.

Why this matters

Plan the whole busy season, not one weekend. For many stores, Black Friday and Cyber Monday is the biggest time of the year. In 2026, Black Friday is 27 November and Cyber Monday is 30 November. It is won months before November. Helix adds the staged plan to your calendar from 1 August.

Step 1 of 50 of 5 done

All year, test ad angles and offers and grow your list. Then you know what works before the busy season.

Expected result

You have proven ads and a bigger list by August.

Lesson 13.11: Cross-channel checklistConvert

In short

Big sales use every channel at once, and one missed setting can cost a day of sales.

Do this now

Step 1: Confirm Meta and Google sale campaigns are built and switched off.

Why this matters

Big sales use every channel at once, and one missed setting can cost a day of sales. Tick this list a week before launch.

Step 1 of 60 of 6 done

Confirm Meta and Google sale campaigns are built and switched off.

Expected result

Campaigns are ready to switch on.

Tips

Lesson 13.12: A smaller sale between the big onesConvert

In short

Relying on one big sale a year makes cash flow lumpy and leaves stock sitting for months.

Do this now

Step 1: Pick one window at least 8 weeks away from your biggest sale.

Why this matters

Relying on one big sale a year makes cash flow lumpy and leaves stock sitting for months. One or two smaller planned sales clear old stock and bring back past customers. Good times are the end of the financial year or the change of season. This way buyers do not learn to wait for discounts.

Step 1 of 40 of 4 done

Pick one window at least 8 weeks away from your biggest sale. Choose the reason: clearing a season's stock, end of financial year, or your brand's birthday.

Expected result

You have one date range of 3 to 5 days and a reason customers will believe.

Lesson 13.13: Work out your sale numbers before you pick the discountConvert

In short

A discount takes money out of every order, not just the extra ones.

Do this now

Step 1: Open Numbers in Helix and find your profit on one order before ads (Profit setup shows it).

Why this matters

A discount takes money out of every order, not just the extra ones. If you know how much more you need to sell to stand still, you can pick a discount that still leaves you better off. Five minutes of maths now can save the whole sale.

Step 1 of 60 of 6 done

Open Numbers in Helix and find your profit on one order before ads (Profit setup shows it). Write down the price and the profit.

Expected result

Two numbers, for example "$60 price, $30 profit before ads".

Tips

Profit
Usually means contribution profit: what is left from sales after product cost, shipping, payment fees, discounts, refunds and ads. Net profit also takes off fixed costs.

Good to know

Example for a $60 item with $30 profit before ads (everyone uses the code):

Offer Sale price Profit per order Orders needed to stand still Highest safe MER
10% off $54 $24 1.25 times About 44%
20% off $48 $18 1.67 times About 37%
30% off $42 $12 2.5 times About 29%

A free gift or a bundle often costs you less than a big discount (Lesson 9.10).

Self-check

  1. How many big sales peaks should you plan each year?
  2. What do you try before deep discounts to clear stock?
  3. Why not cut normal ad spend to zero during the build-up?
Answers
  1. Three to four.
  2. A free gift with purchase, bundles, VIP codes or gift cards.
  3. Campaigns lose what they have learned and you lose the flow of new customers. Move budget across slowly instead.

Words to know in this module

Profit
Usually means contribution profit: what is left from sales after product cost, shipping, payment fees, discounts, refunds and ads. Net profit also takes off fixed costs.
Warm audience
People who know you: they visited, followed or watched your videos.
Margin
The share of each sale you keep after product cost. A $100 sale with $40 product cost is a 60% margin.
Product cost
What one item costs you to make or buy, including freight to your warehouse.
Bundle
Two or more products sold together, often with a small saving.
Campaign
The top level in an ad account. It holds the goal, like getting sales.
Flow
An email or text series that sends by itself when something happens, like a new sign-up.
Theme
The design template for your Shopify store. It controls how every page looks.
Creative
The ad itself: the picture or video plus the words.
Landing page
The page someone lands on after clicking an ad.
MER
Helix shows it as all ad spend divided by all sales, as a percentage. MER 25% means $25 of ads for every $100 of sales. Many tools flip it to sales divided by ad spend, so 25% shows as 4x.
Lookalike
People Meta thinks are similar to a list you give it, like your best customers.
Product feed
The list of your products, prices and photos that Google and Meta read to make shopping ads.
Creator
A person who makes social content and can feature your product.
All words to know