We know summer isn’t over so why would we bring up the cold weather and holiday season? Well, a successful holiday season can make or break many small businesses. Now is a good time to start getting holiday calendar together and plan your holiday marketing activities – It’s never too early to start prepping your online business for the holiday season. Here is a list of dates to keep in mind as you start planning.
November Holiday Dates:
Black Friday
Nov 25th, 2022
Audience: Everyone in the US, bargain hunters, hard-core shoppers
Black Friday is always the Friday after Thanksgiving and it’s a must-induce-date when it comes to your holiday calendar. Companies usually give large discounts in store and occasionally online for limited items. Use your social media, blog, and website to encourage your customers to join your mailing list so they know what sales and deals are available on the big day. Once they are on your mailing list for Black Friday, you can also market to them for the rest of the year.
Small Business Saturday
Nov 26th, 2022
Audience: Everyone in the US, bargain hunters, customers who like to support local businesses
Small Business Saturday, made famous by American Express, encourages shoppers to shop at small local stores. You can use this opportunity to encourage customers to come to your local shop or small online business by sharing your small business story. Show how supporting your small business also supports their community.
Did You Know: When you shop locally, 67 cents from every dollar spent stays in the community!
Cyber Monday
Nov 28th, 2022
Audience: global customers, bargain hunters, office workers
Cyber Monday usually ends up not being a very productive workday for most, but when it comes to your holiday calendar, it might be one of the most productive days you include. The shopping holiday originally started because people would order gifts online when they returned to work after a busy Black Friday shopping day. Plan a second round of discounts to excite your customers if you already had Black Friday deals.
Giving Tuesday
Nov 29th, 2022
Audience: Those that want to give more than “Things” for a gift, philanthropists, do-gooders
Many people focus on the material aspect of the holidays, but Giving Tuesday is a global movement to focus on giving back to your community or a favorite non-profit. This can be a large year-end push to help fund charities. Think about partnering with your favorite charity to help raise money.
December Holiday Dates:
Green Monday
Dec 12th, 2022
Audience: Those that may have missed Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal, Procrastinators
This is the second Monday in December, and one of the busiest shopping days in the US. Customers usually start to realize Christmas is around the corner and need to get moving on their holiday shopping. A good way to capitalize on this is by sending promotions showcasing last-minute deals for your customers. If you are an online store, remind customers on what day they need to have their order in to make it before Christmas.
Panic Saturday
Dec 17th, 2022
Audience: Procrastinators and holiday bargain shoppers
People are starting to panic about finding the perfect gift for friends and family. Panic Saturday is the Saturday before the Christmas holiday, and many people will start to franticly go to brick-and-mortar stores or check to see if they can order online gifts to arrive on time. You’ll want to ensure your message has a sense of urgency to entice your customers to get those last-minute gifts. If you have gift cards, encourage customers to give those as gifts.
Hanukkah
Dec 18th to 26th, 2022
Audience: The Jewish community
Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights in the Jewish community. This holiday is celebrated over 8 nights with friends and family. Incorporate blue and silver (traditionally Hanukkah colors) into your campaign to stand out from the red and green. This shows customers your business is for everyone. If you are not familiar with the holiday, take some time to learn about it. See how you can incorporate a Hanukkah message into your marketing.
Winter Solstice
Dec 21st, 2022
Audience: Customers in the Northern Hemisphere
The Winter Solstice is the darkest day of the year. Use this to send positive and encouraging messages to your customers, help uplift their spirits and keep your brand front of mind.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Dec 24th, 2022 and Dec 25th, 2022
Audience: Anywhere that celebrates Christmas publicly
This is a culture and religious holiday people celebrate with family and friends. At this point, most customers are done buying gifts for everyone. Keep your brand front of mind by sending a thoughtful holiday message. With this holiday in mind, it’s also a great time to give your website a little Christmas refresh!
Boxing Day
Dec 26th, 2022
Audience: Anyone in the UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand
Originally, it was a day employers would give gifts to their servants and tradespeople. Today it’s a day to spend with family and friends going shopping or to sporting events. Share with customers promotions they can use with their new gift cards.
Kwanzaa
Dec 26th, 2022 to Jan 1st, 2023
Audience: People of African descent
Kwanza is a week-long celebration of African heritage. In the end, families come together and exchange handmade gifts. A great tie-in would be to send out a fun DIY project your customers can create for gifts that can be found at your store.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
Dec 31st, 2022 and Jan 1st, 2023
Audience: Everyone that follows the Gregorian calendar
The end of the year is a time to look back at your accomplishments and share them with your customers. Look forward to the next year and share how you plan to grow to serve them more.
These are not the only holidays that are celebrated during this time (hello National Cotton Candy Day). Do your own search and find even more holidays that sync with your business and add them to your own holiday calendar!
