a Tactical 8-Week Timeline for founders

did you know that 20% of annual sales happen between Black Friday and Christmas for product brands?

If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, consider this: Last year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday numbers alone combined for $10.8 Billion (with a capital B) in sales!! Talk about a serious Q4 revenue cranker. 🫨

You might think: Oh, so that means Holiday retail is practically low-hanging fruit—minimal effort, no dedication of time required —right? WRONG.

We previously did a deep dive into the importance of nailing that 41-day Holiday marketing window. You’ve crafted the perfect strategy. Next, it’s time to get tactical.

Let’s dive into some key components to leverage throughout our recommended 8-week Holiday marketing timeline, so your campaign hits all the marks and lands the sales expected during this peak selling period.

01: Content that delights with Holiday cheer and brand authenticity

Layer Holiday-themed captions to grow excitement (and urgency) as you move further down the timeline.

“Last year, 89% of surveyed shoppers admitted social media influenced a Holiday purchase. ...”

Picture this: it’s your turn to cook the Holiday family feast, and your customers are guests of honor. But before we fill their bellies you want them to feel welcome, and more importantly, delighted to be there. Start by establishing an emotional connection. Forbes said it best: Holidays bring out SO many emotions: joy, nostalgia, excitement, and even stress. 😬

So shape your campaign around content that triggers the right emotional response from the get-go!

Last year, 89% of surveyed shoppers admitted social media influenced a Holiday purchase, while another 42% even stuck around the same social channels to brainstorm gift ideas. In the early stages, don’t be shy with decorating your landing pages, e-blast communications and socials with festive, wintery visuals!

Layer Holiday-themed captions to grow excitement (and urgency) as you move further down the timeline.

Take this cheeky play out of IKEA’s book for the awareness stage:

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A post shared by Marketing Mentor (@marketingmentor.in)

An adolescent Christmas tree, barely sprouted from beneath the soil, is pictured on a single static graphic. Drape an oversized red ornament over a tiny branch, and you just teed up your captioning — ‘BIG Holiday Sale is coming’.

From static graphics to short-from reels, your channels should sport that Wintery aesthetic with a dash of nostalgia. Give your brand voice a spritz of holiday jargon for a cohesive experience with every piece of content you post. Creative placement of your brand logo (e.g. Target bullseye sprinkled throughout ads) preserves brand identity as well.

02: Are you not Entertained?!

There’s a reason why today’s shopper ditches physical stores. Since last year, User-generated content (USG) and its creators have surged by **93%**!!

UGC entertains and, when done right, adds to the seamless user experience. Here are three ways to do it:

Seasonal sweepstakes such an Instagram giveaway (e.g. comment #FoundersLoveSavings for a chance to score our Holiday care package) to increase excitement🤩.
Gear your messaging towards customer testimonials✍️. Encouraging your audience to share a unique, positive experience with your product (or service) + pocket for the next year’s marketing content = WINNING!🏆
Collab with a micro-influencer who aligns with your brand to increase visibility during the Holiday season. Posting an interactive piece of content (reel, TikTok, Pinterest) according to your audience that promotes your product (or service) in real-life settings.

03: CLOSE the sale

You have them hooked, so reel them in for the sale!

Incentivize a first-time purchase with limited discount codes or free shipping. Remember those leads who opted in for email updates in exchange for free shipping the previous year? Re-engage with those customers with more perks (We missed you! Enjoy 25% off your next purchase) to build trust with your existing audience.

Now, map out your chosen tactics over these four stages for every successful holiday campaign — each tied to a specific window in the lead-up to the season 👇

💡 8–10 Weeks Out: Awareness

Finalize holiday offers/packages
Create lead magnet(s) and landing pages
Develop holiday content calendar

🤔 6–8 Weeks Out: Interest

Launch awareness campaign
Begin promoting lead magnet(s)
Update website with holiday messaging

⏰ 4–6 Weeks Out: Offer

Intensifying lead generation efforts
Start email nurture sequences
Invitation for UGC (user-generated content)
Invite your customers to share their feedback, testimonials, reviews – get them engaged in the campaign. Save these for later!

🎁 2–4 Weeks Out: Purchase

Focus on urgency messaging
Highlight purchase deadlines
Address last-minute objections

🎄 Final Touches

Deliver exceptional customer / product experiences
Collect testimonials and results
Share product reviews and UGC (user-generated content)
These are the ones you saved earlier in the timeline.

❄️ And don’t forget Post-Holiday follow-ups: thank-you messages, review requests, and “you loved this, now try that” offers keep customers engaged into the new year.

What This Means For…

Product Brands
(bundles, gift sets, & VIP spoils)

Spin up bundles/gift sets and a VIP early access list now; launch a quick gift guide/quiz to tag interests. Update site bars (shipping cutoffs/returns). Capture UGC/reviews mid-cycle and reuse as proof near deadlines. Add AOV boosters (order bumps, tiered free shipping, gift wrap) and SMS for last-minute reminders; follow with a post-purchase cross-sell + thank-you/review flow.

I recently saw a candle brand that I follow email a holiday promo timeline to all of their customers so they could earmark when sales would go live and get the best early deals. And guess what, they're on my calendar!

What This means For…

Service Brands (consultations, Audits, & Reflections)

Package offers (audit, strategy intensive, VIP day) with limited spots and clear start dates; use a simple lead magnet (checklist/mini-audit) to route prospects. Warm with case studies/before-afters, drive consult bookings; include a waitlist. Offer invoice-by-year-end and giftable consults, then send a results recap + next-step upsell to roll momentum into Q1.

Holiday success isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing the right things at the right time. Start early, stay consistent, and keep your focus on quality over quantity.

✨Last tip: If you're feeling overwhelmed or behind, schedule one small action you’ll take this week to prep 1 simple campaign for the season ahead. Tiny steps now create big results in November / December.

✌️ Until next time,

Jess, Co-founder of Her Brand & Co, Head of Learning at Full Tilt.

Click here to learn more about Her Brand & Co. and how founders can grow their business with easier, better marketing.

Resources: Collabstr, Sproutsocial, Forbes