Holiday Marketing Calendar: Dates You Shouldn't Miss in 2024
Holidays are a great time for the whole family to get together, have a nice meal, catch up on life’s events, and watch holiday movies. However, if you’re a business owner, there is much to plan and do before you can enjoy your well-deserved time off.
Claspo has prepared a marketing holiday calendar to assist you with the planning. We will point out important dates and events and some optional ideas to consider if you have the resources.
What is a Promotional Calendar
Let’s learn more about the subject matter. What is a promotional calendar, and why exactly do you need it?
A marketing promo calendar is self-explanatory. It’s a detailed timeline outlining the year's marketing and promotional strategy. Here are the reasons why you need it:
- Strategic planning. By mapping out promotional activities in advance, you can align your marketing efforts with specific goals and objectives.
- Budget management. With a promotional calendar, you can manage your marketing budget more efficiently and ensure that resources are spread evenly throughout the year.
- Time management. With a well-planned calendar, you can avoid the stress and inefficiency of last-minute planning, ensuring that all marketing campaigns run smoothly.
- Targeting seasonal opportunities. Calendars enable you to capitalize on seasonal events like holidays, festivals, or special occasions to create targeted campaigns that resonate with consumers.
- Marketing consistency. Regularly scheduled promotions keep the business in the minds of consumers and help build brand recognition.
- Cross-functional coordination. A calendar ensures that all team members are on the same page and that marketing efforts are synchronized with other business operations.
- Analyzing and improving strategies. By tracking the performance of various promotions throughout the year, you can analyze what works and what doesn't, allowing you to adjust and improve your strategies.
In the wise words of Paul J. Meyer, “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” So, plan your marketing strategy carefully if you want your business to be productive and profitable.
Holiday Marketing Calendar by Month
Claspo is not just an excellent pop-up builder. Its team is also masters of creating great templates.
We’ve created a marketing promotional calendar template for you to follow. Naturally, this is not a one-size-fits-all plan but rather a starting point. Just like no plan fits every business, your ecommerce holiday calendar should be customized for your needs.
Our example is created to work for the following types of companies:
- You have the resources for marketing for 1–4 holidays per month, plus one seasonal promotion per quarter.
- You are an international company that offers services to every country, with no preference for a specific location, trying to hit as many major holidays as possible.
- You know how to target specific demographics for holidays relevant to them.
- Your target audience is literally everyone.
- Your marketing department works 5 days a week, Monday–Friday, regardless of any holidays. Basically, this template excludes the human factor.
- Your marketing operations are reasonably automated. Your pop-ups are set to expire at a specific date, you regularly schedule posts on social media, you’re using an email platform to send out emails to all recipients quickly, etc.
- Our calendar has a lot of discount and sale opportunities, but they’re just that—opportunities. You can choose less or add more sales depending on your industry.
If you don't fit any of these, feel free to adjust this sample promotional calendar for your business situation, target demographic, and ambitions. You will also find additional tips for customizing your plan at the end of this article.
January
The start of the year is typically slow for most businesses, especially for retail. Everyone’s celebrating, stuffing their tummies with cheese, salads, and mash. Only a few post-Christmas and post-New Year shoppers are roaming the shops looking for bargains.
Take this time to reassess your 2023 marketing, especially the Christmas/New Year campaigns, and review your prep for the upcoming holidays in February.
- 1 January. New Year. Convert your New Year promotions and sales into general winter season sales. Summarize the effects of the campaign and all of your 2023 marketing.
- 7 January. Finish winter sales.
- 11 January. Send out emails about sales for Australia Day. Launch pop-ups and local sales.
- 25 January. Schedule social media posts for tomorrow (or post right on the day if you prefer a more personal touch).
- 26 January. Australia Day.
- 27 January. Conclude all marketing campaigns for Australia Day; end sales.
- 29 January. Send emails about Chinese New Year, Super Bowl, and Valentine’s Day sales. Launch targeted pop-ups and begin sales.
February
February has 3 big holidays close together, with just a day between each, affecting 2 local demographics and a global event. Chinese New Year brings roughly 811 billion yuan (~$115.5 bln) to retailers and online sellers, Valentine’s Day brings approximately $24.9 billion, and Super Bowl brings about $23.9 billion. This is a challenge since you don’t want to miss any of them, but you also don’t want to annoy your customers.
We recommend either combining these campaigns under a single slogan or segmenting your audience. By doing the former, you risk being too generic, and by doing the latter, you risk missing some potential visitors, so pick your poison. In this example, we go with separate campaigns.
- 9 February. Schedule social media posts for the Chinese New Year.
- 10 February. Chinese New Year.
- 11 February. Remove Chinese New Year pop-ups. Schedule social media posts for the Super Bowl.
- 12 February. Super Bowl in the USA.
- 13 February. Remove Super Bowl pop-ups. Schedule social media posts for Valentine’s Day.
- 14 February. Valentine’s Day.
- 15 February. Remove Valentine’s Day pop-ups; end sales.
- 29 February. Send emails about sales for International Women’s Day and Ramadan and set up pop-ups.
March
Spring signifies the beginning of a new natural cycle, so you might want to reflect that in your designs. March features plenty of religious holidays, as well as International Women’s Day.
- 1 March. Spring starts. Implement spring designs on your website. Post on social media about the first day of spring.
- 7 March. Schedule social media posts for International Women’s Day.
- 8 March. International Women’s Day.
- 9 March. Remove pop-ups for International Women’s Day. Schedule social media posts for Ramadan.
- 10 March. Ramadan starts.
- 11 March. Launch pop-ups for St. Patrick’s Day and start sales.
- 12 March. Send out emails about sales for St. Patrick’s Day.
- 16 March. Schedule social media posts for St. Patrick’s Day.
- 17 March. St. Patrick’s Day.
- 18 March. Stop St. Patrick’s Day sales. Launch Easter pop-ups. Start Easter sales.
- 19 March. Send out Easter emails about sales.
- 30 March. Schedule social media posts for Easter.
- 31 March. Easter. Schedule social media posts for April Fools’ Day.
April
April Fools is one of the most recognized holidays of the year. Companies prepare funny gags to prank their customers, so join in on the fun. It can be a good opportunity for your team to unwind. On the other hand, Anzac is a remembrance day, so treat it properly. No sales or flashy marketing on this day.
- 1 April. April Fools' Day.
- 9 April. Ramadan ends, Eid al-Fitr. End Ramadan sales and pop-ups.
- 15 April. Launch Earth Day pop-ups and start sales.
- 16 April. Send out emails about sales for Earth Day.
- 21 April. Schedule social media posts for Earth Day.
- 22 April. Earth Day. Prepare pop-ups and sales for King’s Day in the Netherlands.
- 23 April. Stop Earth Day pop-ups and end sales. Send emails about Cinco de Mayo and King’s Day sales in the Netherlands. Launch pop-ups and start local sales.
- 24 April. Schedule social media posts for Anzac Day.
- 25 April. Anzac Day in Australia.
- 26 April. Schedule social media posts for King’s Day in the Netherlands.
- 27 April. King’s Day in the Netherlands.
May
This month is rather chill on the holidays and events. Like Anzac Day, Memorial Day is a solemn occasion, so be mindful of that. It’s also a good time for a general spring sale that can be baked into Mother’s Day.
- 5 May. Cinco de Mayo in Mexico.
- 6 May. Launch pop-ups and sales for Mother’s Day.
- 7 May. Send out emails about sales for Mother’s Day.
- 11 May. Schedule social media posts for Mother’s Day.
- 12 May. Mother’s Day.
- 13 May. End Mother’s Day sales and marketing.
- 15 May. Start spring sale. Send out emails about sales and set up pop-ups.
- 21 May. End of spring sale.
- 26 May. Schedule social media posts for Memorial Day.
- 27 May. Memorial Day in the USA.
- 31 May. Schedule emails about sales and social media posts for Pride Month.
June
June is Pride Month, so if you genuinely support the LGBTQ+ community, reflect that in your marketing. Change the logo, post supportive messages on social media, and donate to charities. You can make a pop-up encouraging people to donate to your charity of choice directly or through you as an intermediary.
And if you don’t feel comfortable supporting this group, the month has other events. Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, will require some toying around since it begins and ends on different days in different countries. You can let the campaign run from the 16th through the 20th for everyone, but your Muslim customers will appreciate it if you pay attention to their regional differences.
- 1 June. Pride Month starts. Summer starts. Implement summer designs on your website. Post on social media about the first day of summer.
- 11 June. Send emails about sales for Eid al-Adha.
- 13 June. Send emails about sales for Father’s Day.
- 15 June. Schedule social media posts for Father’s Day and Eid al-Adha.
- 16 June. Father’s Day. Eid al-Adha starts in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
- 18 June. Eid al-Adha starts in the United Kingdom, Brunei, Singapore, Japan, Morocco, Indonesia, and Malaysia; Eid al-Adha ends in Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
- 20 June. Eid al-Adha ends in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, the United Kingdom, Brunei, Singapore, Japan, Morocco, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Remove all pop-ups and end sales.
- 24 June. Set up pop-ups and sales for Canada Day and the USA’s Independence Day.
- 25 June. Send out emails about sales for Canada Day and the USA’s Independence Day.
- 30 June. Pride Month ends. Schedule social media posts for Canada Day.
July
July doesn’t have many international holidays, but it has plenty of independence days. To fill in the void for others, consider general summer sales here.
- 1 July. Canada Day.
- 2 July. End Canada Day sales and promos.
- 3 July. Schedule social media posts for the USA’s Independence Day.
- 4 July. Independence Day in the USA.
- 5 July. End Independence Day sales and promos.
- 8 July. Start sales and launch promos for Bastille Day.
- 9 July. Send emails about sales for Bastille Day.
- 13 July. Schedule social media posts for Bastille Day.
- 14 July. Bastille Day in France.
- 15 July. End Bastille Day sales and promos.
- 19 July. Set up social media posts for the general summer sale starting on 22 July.
- 22 July. Begin general summer sale. Launch pop-ups. Send emails about sales.
- 28 July. End general summer sale.
August
August is fairly uneventful, with a few local holidays and events. Many children return to school in mid-August or early September, so it’s a good time for a “Back to school” campaign.
- 1 August. Start your “Back to School” campaign. Send out emails about sales, set up pop-ups, and start sales.
- 7 August. Launch pop-ups and start sales for Ferragosto.
- 8 August. Send Ferragosto emails about sales.
- 14 August. Set up social media posts for Ferragosto.
- 15 August. Ferragosto in Italy.
- 16 August. End marketing campaigns for Ferragosto.
- 19 August. Launch pop-ups and start sales for Women's Equality Day in the USA.
- 20 August. Send emails about sales for Women's Equality Day in the USA.
- 25 August. Set up social media posts for Women's Equality Day in the USA.
- 26 August. Women's Equality Day in the USA.
- 27 August. Launch pop-ups, start sales, and send emails about sales for USA’s Labor Day.
September
Autumn slowly starts rolling in, and so does the holiday season. 45% of customers start their Halloween shopping in late September. So start promoting early if you don’t want to miss out.
- 1 September. Autumn starts. Set up social media posts for Labor Day in the USA. Implement autumn designs on your website. Post on social media about the first day of autumn.
- 2 September. Labor Day in the USA.
- 9 September. Launch pop-ups and start sales for Greenpeace Day.
- 10 September. Send emails about sales for Greenpeace Day.
- 14 September. Set up social media posts for Greenpeace Day.
- 15 September. Greenpeace Day.
- 16 September. End all sales and promo for Greenpeace Day. Send out email promotions, start sales, and launch pop-ups for Halloween.
- 20 September. Set up social media posts for Oktoberfest.
- 21 September. Oktoberfest starts. Launch pop-ups and start sales for Oktoberfest.
- 26 September. Send out email promotions, start local sales, and launch pop-ups for German Unity Day.
October
October is Halloween month for retailers and ecommerce, with a bit of Oktoberfest still going on and a few local holidays. But most of your efforts should be poured into All Hallow’s Eve if you don’t want to miss out on sales.
Don’t forget about Christmas. Yep, we’re going for the early promotion here as well. Despite people poking fun at early Christmas promos, 53% of customers will start Christmas shopping before December. Usually in late October and early November. So that’s when you have to engage them.
- 1 October. Set up sales and pop-ups for Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil.
- 2 October. Set up social media posts for German Unity Day.
- 3 October. German Unity Day.
- 4 October. End all German Unity Day promo and sales.
- 6 October. Oktoberfest ends.
- 7 October. End all Oktoberfest promo and sales.
- 11 October. Set up social media posts for Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil.
- 12 October. Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil.
- 22 October. Set up sales and pop-ups for Diwali, Day of the Dead, and Christmas.
- 23 October. Send emails about sales for Diwali, Day of the Dead, and Christmas.
- 30 October. Set up social media posts for Halloween.
- 31 October. Halloween. Set up social media posts for the Day of the Dead and Diwali.
November
It’s November, and the holiday season is going strong. Black Friday used to be just an American tradition, but not anymore, with staggering spikes worldwide. For example, Italy saw a 476% increase, Germany a 440% increase, and Spain a 434% increase. So start promoting it early. Diwali is also a big holiday for Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs. Don’t forget about Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, which is even bigger than Halloween in Mexico.
- 1 November. Diwali. Day of the Dead starts.
- 2 November. Day of the Dead ends. End all marketing for Diwali and Day of the Dead.
- 11 November. Set up sales and pop-ups for International Men's Day.
- 12 November. Send emails about sales for International Men's Day.
- 18 November. Set up social media posts for International Men's Day. Set up sales for Thanksgiving.
- 19 November. International Men's Day. Send emails about sales for Thanksgiving sales.
- 27 November. Set up social media posts for Thanksgiving.
- 28 November. Thanksgiving. Set up sales and social media posts for Black Friday.
- 29 November. Black Friday. Set up sales and social media posts for Small Business Saturday.
- 30 November. Small Business Saturday.
December
And we’re here, at the culmination of the year, when the biggest sales occur, with Christmas and New Year leading the charge and Hanukkah being pretty big. Don’t ignore Cyber Monday if you offer your products online.
- 1 December. Winter starts. Set up sales and social media posts for Cyber Monday. Implement winter designs on your website. Post on social media about the first day of winter.
- 2 December. Cyber Monday.
- 3 December. Send emails about sales for Hanukkah and Christmas (yes, again).
- 23 December. Post Christmas greetings on social media. Set up Hanukkah greetings.
- 24 December. Christmas Eve.
- 25 December. Hanukkah starts. Christmas. Transition your Christmas sales into New Year sales.
- 31 December. Happy New Year!
How to Make a Promotional Calendar: 5 Tips
That was a lot to take in. But we didn’t exactly tell you how to make a promotional calendar on your own. So let’s change that! Here are 5 tips to customize your promotional calendar.
1. Best Time and Day for Emails
You may have noticed that we often separated setting pop-ups and sending emails into different days. That’s because there is a strong correlation between the day the email is sent and its open rate.
Marketers say that the best day for sending emails is Tuesday, followed by Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday in almost equal measure. Friday sees a slight drop-off, and weekends are a no-go. Consider this when customizing your holiday marketing calendar.
2. Understand Your Audience
There’s no point for you to prepare for Anzac Day if you’re only working with the US. Likewise, there’s no point in offering sales for the US Independence Day if you only work with European countries. Know who you’re marketing to and understand what holidays they want to celebrate.
3. Use a Marketing Calendar Tool
As much as we want you to stay with us forever, using this calendar for all your operations is not sustainable in the long run. You will need to transfer info from it into a specialized tool that will organize your marketing efforts. It will help everyone on your team understand what’s being worked on and its progress.
4. Create Content in Advance
You don’t want holidays to catch you with your pants down, so prepare content in advance. Like, way beforehand. Experts recommend at least 3 months to prepare content, depending on your speed and scope. Bigger campaigns, especially with videos, require more time. Coca-Cola’s famous Christmas ad wasn’t made in a day, so don’t expect to come close without good prep.
5. Regular Review and Adaptation
As you jump from one campaign to the next, don’t forget to pause for a second and evaluate your efforts. Did the last campaign meet your expectations? What were the causes for its success or failure? What can you change to improve your situation? These are all important questions, especially when rushing from one marketing campaign to another.
Using Claspo to Boost Your Seasonal Campaigns
We’re not sure if you’ve noticed, but there are plenty of pop-ups mentioned in the calendar. That’s because, despite their bad image in the general public’s eye, they’re an incredibly effective conversion method. And, if done right, they won’t annoy your customers.
Creating a comprehensive marketing plan is a fundamental step for any competitive business. A well-structured plan provides a roadmap for achieving marketing objectives and aligns marketing activities with overall business goals.
It should be dynamic, allowing adaptability to market changes and customer feedback. With a focus on clear goals, target audience understanding, budget management, and a mix of strategic tactics, a marketing plan can guide successful campaigns and long-term business growth.
