Holiday marketing success starts way before the holiday season. It’s estimated that 34% of shoppers start their holiday shopping as early as July. Don’t fret; September still provides you with ample time to prepare your brand for success during the upcoming holidays. Here’s what to plan now so you’re ready for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and year-end campaigns.
1. Identify Key Dates and Offers
Map out important shopping and promotional days relevant to your brand. Some holiday events to promote may include:
- Black Friday
- Small Business Saturday
- Cyber Monday
- Giving Tuesday
- Christmas/Year-End clearance
Integrate blog posts, ads, and email content into these dates for a strong multi-channel marketing strategy.
2. Create a Seasonal Content Calendar
Content is going to be king during the holiday season. Effective communication and planning with your team will be crucial during the holidays. Plan out content types by channel to keep track of goals:
- Blog posts: gift guides, how-tos, buyer’s guides
- Email campaigns: teaser emails, early access offers, last-minute deals
- Social media: countdowns, behind-the-scenes, user-generated content (UGC)
- Paid ads: holiday-related copy and creative, promotional assets, tailored shopping ads
Project management tools, such as Basecamp, Monday.com, or Asana, are designed to help you and your team stay organized, track deadlines, and stay informed about important project updates.
3. Refresh Old Holiday Content
You don’t have to start from scratch! There may be previous holiday content that needs to be refreshed, but remains relevant. Refreshing old holiday content not only saves you time, but it also helps build authority on that content for longevity. Here are some ways to reuse old holiday content:
- Update last year’s blog posts with fresh intros or keywords
- Republish with new dates and CTAs
- Reshare social content with new visuals or hashtags
4. Prep Assets Early
It’s a great time to prep any content or visuals ahead of time so you don’t feel overwhelmed or rushed. You may not have all the information you need for the holidays until it gets closer to the dates, but planning and creating assets ahead of time can help you in the long run. Design branded templates for:
- Instagram stories and Reels
- Email headers
- Website banners and pop-ups
- Holiday-related copy
5. Start Warming Up Your Audience
September is a great time to ramp up engagement for your customers. Share tips, freebies, or behind-the-scenes sneak peeks to build anticipation before your big holiday push. It’s also the perfect time to test your website to ensure it is ready for holiday traffic spikes.
Final Thoughts
Holiday content doesn’t need to be chaotic. Planning now gives you the structure and breathing room to focus on conversions when it matters most. Want help mapping out a content strategy that works for your brand? Contact Byers and Beyond today to see how we can grow your brand with purpose, together.
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