---
name: flash-sale-campaign
description: "Plans flash sale campaigns with countdown messaging, email sequence, and social media coordination. Use when running a short, time-limited promotional event."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Flash Sale Campaign

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Plan a 24-72 hour flash sale with coordinated messaging
- Write the email sequence, social posts, and landing page copy for a short sale event
- Create genuine urgency around a limited-time discount
- Coordinate multi-channel promotion within a tight timeline

**DO NOT** use this skill for ongoing promotions, seasonal sales (use black-friday-emails), or evergreen discount strategies. This is for short, intense promotional events.

---

## Core Principle

A FLASH SALE WORKS BECAUSE IT IS RARE AND GENUINELY LIMITED — IF YOU RUN ONE EVERY WEEK, IT IS NOT A FLASH SALE, IT IS YOUR REGULAR PRICE.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Product(s) on sale** | "What are you discounting?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Discount amount** | "What's the discount? (percentage, dollar amount, or bonus)" | No default — must be provided |
| **Sale duration** | "How long does the sale last?" | 48 hours |
| **Reason for the sale** | "What's the occasion? (milestone, holiday, inventory, spontaneous)" | Business milestone celebration |
| **Channels** | "Where will you promote? (email, social, ads)" | Email + social media |
| **Sale frequency** | "How often do you run flash sales?" | 2-4 times per year max |

**GATE: Confirm before building the campaign.**

---

## Phase 2: Campaign Plan

### Flash Sale Timeline

```
## Campaign Schedule

**Pre-Sale (24 hours before):**
- Teaser email to VIP/early access list
- Social media teaser post ("Something big coming tomorrow...")

**Sale Launch (Hour 0):**
- Announcement email to full list
- Social media posts (all platforms)
- Update website with sale banner
- Activate countdown timer on sales page

**Mid-Sale (Hour 12-24):**
- Reminder email to non-openers (new subject line)
- Social proof post ("X people have already grabbed this")
- Stories/reels with sale details

**Final Hours (Last 6 hours):**
- Last chance email to full list
- Social media countdown posts (6 hours, 2 hours, 1 hour)
- Final "ending tonight" email (2 hours before close)

**Post-Sale:**
- "Sale ended" email (with waitlist for next one)
- Update website — remove sale pricing
- Social post confirming sale is over
```

**GATE: Approve the campaign plan before writing content.**

---

## Phase 3: Write Campaign Content

### Email Sequence (3-5 emails)

**Email 1 — Launch:**
- Subject: direct and specific ("[X]% off [Product] — 48 hours only")
- Body: 100-150 words. Discount, deadline, link. No long setup.

**Email 2 — Reminder (non-openers):**
- New subject line, same core message, shortened body

**Email 3 — Social Proof Mid-Sale:**
- Share early buyer count, testimonial, or quick result

**Email 4 — Last Chance:**
- Subject: urgency-driven ("Ends tonight at midnight")
- Body: 75-100 words. Deadline, link. That's it.

### Social Media Posts

Write 5-8 posts across the sale timeline:
- Teaser post (day before)
- Announcement post (sale open)
- Feature/benefit spotlight (mid-sale)
- Testimonial or social proof (mid-sale)
- Countdown post (final hours)
- Sale ended post

### Sales Page Edits

Write the sale-specific elements:
- Sale banner headline
- Countdown timer placement
- Crossed-out original price + sale price
- "Sale ends [date/time]" callout

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Channel Coordination Checklist

- [ ] Emails scheduled with correct send times
- [ ] Social posts drafted and scheduled
- [ ] Sales page updated with sale pricing and timer
- [ ] Checkout tested with discount code (if applicable)
- [ ] Post-sale content ready (sale ended, prices restored)
- [ ] Email automations paused if they conflict with sale messaging

### 2. Post-Sale Analysis Template

Track these metrics:
- Total revenue during sale period
- Number of sales vs. average period
- Email performance (opens, clicks, conversions per email)
- Social engagement and traffic from social
- Discount redemption rate
- Refund rate within 30 days (compare to non-sale purchases)

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Running flash sales monthly** — frequency kills urgency. Maximum 4 per year.
- **Weak discount** — 5% off is not a flash sale. 20%+ or a meaningful bonus is the minimum to drive action.
- **No real deadline** — if the sale price stays up after the deadline, you train customers to ignore deadlines.
- **Discounting without a reason** — "Random sale!" feels desperate. Tie it to a milestone, holiday, or event.
- **Not removing the sale afterward** — the sale page must revert to full price. If someone sees the sale was extended, trust erodes.

---

## Recovery

- **No email list:** Focus on social media and direct outreach. But note that flash sales convert best through email.
- **User wants to run sales constantly:** Explain that frequent discounting trains buyers to wait for sales. Recommend 2-4 per year, well-spaced.
- **Small audience:** Focus on personal outreach (DMs, personal emails) alongside the broadcast campaign. Even 100 engaged contacts can produce results.
- **No countdown timer tool:** Include manual countdown language in emails ("expires tonight at 11:59 PM EST") and update the page manually.
