{"id":694181,"date":"2025-10-11T03:20:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T00:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/"},"modified":"2025-10-11T03:20:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T00:20:13","slug":"ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/","title":{"rendered":"Ayisha Yousef talks turning Black Friday fails into lessons"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2310e44abb9\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2310e44abb9\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/#Ayisha_Yousef_shares_how_a_Black_Friday_blunder_became_a_masterclass_in_leadership_accountability_and_smarter_campaign_management\" >Ayisha Yousef shares how a Black Friday blunder became a masterclass in leadership, accountability, and smarter campaign management.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/#The_Black_Friday_F-Up\" >The Black Friday F-Up<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/#Setting_the_Scene\" >Setting the Scene<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/#Discovering_the_Mistake\" >Discovering the Mistake<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/#Crisis_Mode_Fixing_the_Fallout\" >Crisis Mode: Fixing the Fallout<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/#Leadership_integrity_and_protecting_the_team\" >Leadership, integrity, and protecting the team<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/#Lessons_learned_communication_and_oversight\" >Lessons learned: communication and oversight<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/#Common_PPC_mistakes_advertisers_still_make\" >Common PPC mistakes advertisers still make<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/#Why_talking_about_mistakes_matters\" >Why talking about mistakes matters<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/#Advice_for_PPC_managers\" >Advice for PPC managers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons\/#Final_thoughts\" >Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ayisha_Yousef_shares_how_a_Black_Friday_blunder_became_a_masterclass_in_leadership_accountability_and_smarter_campaign_management\"><\/span>Ayisha Yousef shares how a Black Friday blunder became a masterclass in leadership, accountability, and smarter campaign management.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\n<div style=\"padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/about:blank\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;\" title=\"riverside_ayisha_&amp; anu _ oct 7, 2025 001_anu_adegbola's stud\" data-rocket-lazyload=\"fitvidscompatible\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1126280657?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479\"><\/iframe><noscript><iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1126280657?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;\" title=\"riverside_ayisha_&amp; anu _ oct 7, 2025 001_anu_adegbola's stud\"><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p><script data-minify=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/cache\/min\/1\/api\/player.js?ver=1759131365\" data-rocket-defer defer><\/script><\/p>\n<p>On episode 327 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Ayisha Yousef, a familiar face to the PPC Live audience. Known for her expertise in e-commerce and performance marketing, Ayisha shares a bold story about a major Black Friday mistake \u2014 and how she managed to recover from it.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-black-friday-fup\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Black_Friday_F-Up\"><\/span>The Black Friday F-Up<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-setting-the-scene\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Setting_the_Scene\"><\/span>Setting the Scene<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A few years ago, Ayisha was working agency-side during Black Friday week \u2014 the most crucial time for e-commerce advertisers. She managed a team of six or seven and asked them to remove ad scheduling from top campaigns to ensure ads ran throughout the busy period.<\/p>\n<p>But instead of adjusting the schedule to \u201calways on,\u201d the team deleted the schedule entirely, meaning the ads didn\u2019t run at all.<\/p>\n<p>The result? The campaigns in their top six markets went completely dark for the entire Black Friday.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-discovering-the-mistake\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Discovering_the_Mistake\"><\/span>Discovering the Mistake<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The issue wasn\u2019t caught until the following Saturday. Because other campaigns were still performing well, the system didn\u2019t trigger alerts. When Ayisha reviewed performance data and noticed discrepancies, she im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely realised what had h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was the opposite of a lightbulb moment,\u201d she said. \u201cMy stomach dropped \u2014 I knew exactly what had gone wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"crisis-mode-fixing-the-fallout\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Crisis_Mode_Fixing_the_Fallout\"><\/span>Crisis Mode: Fixing the Fallout<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Ayisha acted fast. She turned the affected campaigns back on, quantified the issue, and immediately escalated it to her head of department \u2014 even though it was a Saturday. Together, they analysed what went wrong, why alerts failed, and how to prevent it in the future.<\/p>\n<p>By Monday, they presented a clear, honest report to the client. While the client wasn\u2019t happy, they appreciated the transparency and the learnings the team shared.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, the account <strong>still hit its overall Black Friday targets<\/strong>, thanks to strong performance from other campaigns and underspend savings.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"leadership-integrity-and-protecting-the-team\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Leadership_integrity_and_protecting_the_team\"><\/span>Leadership, integrity, and protecting the team<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One of the standout moments in Ayisha\u2019s story was how she protected her team. When management asked who made the mistake, she refused to name names.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI gave the instruction,\u201d she said. \u201cSo ultimately, it was on me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She later explained to her team what had happened \u2014 and discovered they didn\u2019t even realise it was an error. It was a lack of technical understanding, not negligence.<\/p>\n<p>This act of integrity not only earned Ayisha respect but also reinforced the importance of psychological safety within a team. Mistakes happen, but how leaders respond determines whether teams grow stronger or weaker.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"lessons-learned-communication-and-oversight\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lessons_learned_communication_and_oversight\"><\/span>Lessons learned: communication and oversight<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The biggest takeaway for Ayisha? Show your team how to do things, even if they say they know.<\/p>\n<p>During high-stakes periods like Black Friday, it\u2019s better to double-check instructions than assume everything\u2019s fine. \u201cIt\u2019s not about micromanaging,\u201d Ayisha explained, \u201cit\u2019s about safeguarding performance when it matters most.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She now ensures that junior team members understand the basics \u2014 from ad schedules to campaign settings \u2014 even as automation becomes more dominant in PPC.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"common-ppc-mistakes-advertisers-still-make\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_PPC_mistakes_advertisers_still_make\"><\/span>Common PPC mistakes advertisers still make<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As a consultant, Ayisha often audits PPC accounts and still sees recurring issues. One of the most common? Over-segmentation of campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisers often split campaigns too finely by audience or targeting type, diluting data and harming performance. With AI-driven bidding strategies, Ayisha recommends a broader campaign structure \u2014 similar to Meta\u2019s approach \u2014 that lets algorithms learn from more data.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe more conversions and data your campaign has,\u201d she said, \u201cthe smarter Google\u2019s AI becomes. Over-segmentation slows that learning.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"why-talking-about-mistakes-matters\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_talking_about_mistakes_matters\"><\/span>Why talking about mistakes matters<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>PPC conversations online often focus on wins \u2014 big ROAS numbers, new client wins, and success stories. But Ayisha and Anu agree that talking about mistakes is just as important.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt gives a more true picture,\u201d Ayisha said. \u201cThis isn\u2019t Disney World. Things go wrong, and we learn from them. Sometimes the only takeaway is: don\u2019t do that again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By sharing failures, the PPC community helps new practitioners set realistic expectations \u2014 and prevents burnout when things inevitably don\u2019t go as planned.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"advice-for-ppc-managers\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Advice_for_PPC_managers\"><\/span>Advice for PPC managers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For Ayisha, great management comes down to balance: supporting your team without overloading them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople make more mistakes when they\u2019re anxious,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you make your team feel safe, they\u2019ll take ownership, learn faster, and perform better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She also encourages PPC professionals to take their time before jumping into management roles. \u201cBeing a middle manager is one of the hardest jobs \u2014 you\u2019re responsible for the work and the people. Make sure you\u2019re ready for that responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"final-thoughts\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_thoughts\"><\/span>Final thoughts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Ayisha\u2019s story is a powerful reminder that even the most experienced marketers can make mistakes \u2014 especially in fast-paced, high-pressure moments like Black Friday. But what defines a true expert isn\u2019t perfection; it\u2019s how they respond, recover, and grow.<\/p>\n<p>As Ayisha puts it: \u201cThings happen. The key is learning from them and putting systems in place so they don\u2019t happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/ayisha-yousef-talks-turning-black-friday-fails-into-lessons-463263\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ayisha Yousef shares how a Black Friday blunder became a masterclass in leadership, accountability, and smarter campaign management. On episode 327 of PPC Live The Podcast, I speak to Ayisha Yousef, a familiar face to the PPC Live audience. Known for her expertise in e-commerce and performance marketing, Ayisha shares a bold story about a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":694182,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/10\/PLTP-IntroOutro-2.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-694181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=694181"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694181\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/694182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=694181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=694181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=694181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}