How to Create Meta Catalog Ads for Cyber Monday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become increasingly similar over the years, as many brands now run sales throughout the entire weekend. 

The main difference used to be that Black Friday included both online and in-store shopping, while Cyber Monday was only for online deals. 

Today, that gap is closing as more stores offer in-person Cyber Monday discounts.

Even with the overlap, Cyber Monday is still one of the largest online shopping days of the year. In fact, Adobe Analytics reports that online spending reached 13.3 billion dollars for Cyber Monday 2024. 

Read on to learn a few strategies you can use to create Meta Catalog Ads for Cyber Monday shoppers.

How’s Cyber Monday advertising different from Black Friday?

The shopping behavior on Cyber Monday looks different from Black Friday in a few interesting ways.

First, Cyber Monday is almost entirely online. While Black Friday includes both in-store and online shopping, Cyber Monday shoppers expect to find their best deals on websites and mobile apps. 

In other words, you’ll need to optimize your catalog ads for digital-first buyers who are browsing from their phones or computers.

Second, shoppers are more price-sensitive by the time Cyber Monday arrives. 

They spent the Black Friday weekend comparing deals across multiple stores, so they know what discounts look like. 

If your offer doesn't feel competitive, they won’t afford you a second look. Your pricing and how you present your discount offers will be more important than ever.

Third, you're dealing with a mix of audience types. Some shoppers missed Black Friday entirely and are looking for a second chance at deals. Others abandoned their carts over the weekend and are coming back to reconsider. There are also buyers who are actively comparing your products against competitors before making a final decision. Your ads need to account for all three groups.

Creative strategy for Cyber Monday catalog ads

Now that you understand how Cyber Monday shoppers behave, here's how to build Facebook catalog ads that will keep them engaged and ready to click buy.

1. Refresh creatives after Black Friday fatigue

By Monday, shoppers have seen the same red and black sale graphics for four days straight. Your Black Friday creatives will therefore blend into everything else running that weekend. 

To avoid that, update your overlays, swap out the color palette, and rebrand your messaging specifically for Cyber Monday.

Rather than keeping the traditional Black Friday black accent colors, try electric blues, cyber greens, and red, or sleek metallics that show it's a fresh promotion.

Don't forget to also update your text overlays from 'Black Friday Sale' to 'Cyber Monday Sale' or a similar message. 

These visual changes will help your ads stand out in a feed that has been saturated with similar promotions since the start of November.

2. Emphasize ‘final chance’ messaging

Shoppers who missed Black Friday or hesitated over the weekend need a reason to act now. 

Cyber Monday is your last opportunity to create urgency before the Cyber Week sale period winds down. Your messaging should make that deadline crystal clear.

You can try including phrases like 'Today Only,' 'Last 24 Hours,' 'Cyber Monday Exclusive,' or 'Ends at Midnight' directly in your catalog ads. 

This urgency tactic is likely to be effective because it taps into the fear of missing out again. 

3. Use digital-first design

Cyber Monday started as an online shopping event, and even though it has expanded to in-store shopping, the day still skews heavily toward digital purchases.

Your ad design should reflect that by using visual cues that feel native to online shopping and tech products.

Here are a few ideas to keep your designs digital-first:

• Use sleek, minimalist layouts.
• Try high-contrast colors commonly used in tech ads, such as electric blues, cyber greens, and bold reds.
• Keep product photography clean with simple backgrounds so shoppers can focus on the product and specs.
• Add spec callouts directly to the creative when selling electronics or tech accessories, such as battery life, noise cancellation, connectivity, or storage capacity.

4. Highlight remaining stock or final units

Scarcity compels shoppers to take action, especially on Cyber Monday, when shoppers know the sale window is closing. If you have limited inventory or popular items are selling fast, make that visible in your catalog ads.

Below are #3 ways you can communicate scarcity:

• Add 'Few Left' or 'Limited Stock' overlays directly on product images
• Show inventory badges that indicate low quantities
• Display both the struck-through Black Friday price and the lower Cyber Monday price to emphasize the deal progression

5. Optimize Cyber Monday ads for mobile

In 2024 Cyber Monday, 57% of online sales came through a mobile device, representing $7.6 billion in spend. If your catalog ads aren't optimized for small screens, you will lose more than half your potential customers.

What does optimizing your Cyber Monday catalog ads look like?

• Make text overlays large and bold enough to read on a phone without zooming.
• Keep discount badges at the top of the image where they're immediately visible as shoppers scroll.
• Use vertical or square image formats that take up more screen real estate in mobile feeds.
• Ensure product images are high-resolution so that details remain visible even on smaller displays.

Mobile shoppers are often browsing quickly during breaks or commutes, so your ad needs to communicate value in under a second. Shoppers will pass over any ad that requires effort to read or understand.

Best Cyber Monday catalog ad examples

Seeing Cyber Monday catalog ads examples makes it easier to know what to aim for when building your own. Below are #4 examples across different product categories.

Cyber Monday laptop ad example

If you’ve ever hunted for deals online, you’ve most likely come across shoppers complaining that most Cyber Week deals aren't actually worth it. 

That’s because most discounts feel shallow or hidden behind complicated terms. 

You can stand out by offering discounts that are immediately compelling and transparent. 

In the Best Buy example, a 49% discount on a laptop is substantial enough to make someone consider the offer. 

When creating your own catalog ads for Cyber Monday, ensure that your discount percentage is prominently displayed and that your product specifications are clearly provided, so shoppers can easily understand what they're buying.

Phone accessories ad example for Cyber Monday

Phone accessories sell well on Cyber Monday because they're affordable add-ons that complement bigger tech purchases. 

The challenge comes in when you want to convince shoppers that your product is worth buying when cheaper alternatives flood the market.

Multiple product angles can solve this problem by showing quality and design details upfront. For instance, in the example above, the different shots let shoppers examine the product at first glance. 

Also, the price strike-through immediately communicates savings, and displaying the dollar amount saved makes the discount feel concrete rather than abstract.

For your own phone accessory ads, use multiple images that highlight the build quality and pair them with pricing details that show both the percentage discount and the exact cash savings.

Electronics ad for Cyber Monday

Knockoffs are a massive problem in electronics, and shoppers know it. 

The last thing you want is for potential customers to question whether your ad is promoting a legitimate product or a cheap imitation.

Including your brand name or logo prominently in your ads will eliminate that doubt immediately.

In the example above, Sony's branding appears twice, at the top and on the product itself, which reinforces authenticity. 

When creating your own electronic ads, prioritize brand visibility. 

We also recommend backgrounds that are simple enough to keep focus on the product but interesting enough to stand out in a crowded feed.

Consumer electronics Cyber Monday ad example

When shopping for high-ticket electronics, shoppers typically require more information before making a purchase. That's why you need to include as much relevant product detail as possible directly in your catalog ads.

In the example above, the advertiser includes the full product name, model number, multiple product angles, and the exact dollar savings. All the details a buyer would want to know are right there in the ad. 

That level of specificity, plus the $500 discount, gives shoppers enough reason to click through and seriously consider the purchase.

Build Cyber Monday ads with Cropink

If you want to create catalog ads that look like the examples above, Cropink can help you out. 

Our catalog ad creation platform gives you the control to add the elements that will help you increase sales on Cyber Monday.

With Cropink, you can:

• Add Cyber Monday badges and time-sensitive overlays without manually editing each product image.
• Display both struck-through pricing and dollar savings automatically as your sale pricing updates.
• Include product specifications, such as model numbers, features, and technical details, directly on the creative.
• Use multiple product angles in a single ad to stress quality and design.
• Add trust signals, such as warranty information or brand logos, to combat concerns about knockoffs.
• Choose from pre-built Cyber Monday templates optimized for tech and electronics categories.
• Sync directly with Shopify and Meta to keep your ads up to date throughout the sale.

Sign up for a free account to start building catalog ads that get noticed this Cyber Monday.

Cyber Monday Meta ads best practices

Below are a few additional tactics to help your Cyber Monday campaigns perform better:

• Extend your promotions beyond Monday. Don't cut your Cyber Monday sale at midnight. Many shoppers browse on Monday but don't complete purchases until Tuesday or even Wednesday. Running your promotions through at least Tuesday captures these late converters without leaving money on the table.
• Build warm audiences in advance. The weeks leading up to Cyber Monday are perfect for building retargeting pools. Ensure that you drive traffic to your site, encourage engagement on social media, and collect email sign-ups. By the time Cyber Monday arrives, you'll have warm audiences and lookalike audiences ready to target with your best offers.
• Launch ads earlier. Cyber Monday traffic builds throughout the day, with peak hours typically in the late morning and early afternoon. As such, launch your campaigns early so Meta can complete any necessary learning adjustments before traffic spikes.
• Monitor frequency closely. If you've been running Black Friday ads all weekend, your audience has already seen your brand multiple times. Watch your frequency metrics on Cyber Monday and refresh ad creatives if they climb too high.

Final thoughts

Cyber Week is here to stay, but not every brand will see their sales increase. 

To be among the top performers, you need to be intentional about offering deals that customers actually want and using creatives that immediately communicate both value and quality.

The good part is that you don't have to build these creatives from scratch. 

Cropink offers fully customizable free templates created specifically for Cyber Monday catalog ads, so you can start creating ads that stand out without spending hours on manual design work. 

Sign up and start building catalog ads that work harder for your business this Cyber Monday.

FAQs

Sources

1. Adobe Analytics. Cyber Monday Hits Record $13.3 Billion in Online Spending with Majority of Sales Driven by Mobile