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Holiday campaign planner for social media: Black Friday to New Year

A holiday campaign planner helps you choose which holidays deserve a campaign, set a timeline from the first teaser to the last order date, and plan each post. This one is filled in for a fictional candle maker's season from Black Friday to New Year, using dates from our social media holidays calendar. Download the filled example or the blank CSV, free with no signup.

Free, no signup · Updated · Opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers

Download

In Google Sheets: File, Import, Upload, then pick the CSV.

What's inside

  • A holiday shortlist: date, regions, how well it fits, the angle and a go or skip decision, with a link to each day's ideas page
  • A campaign timeline in phases: content making, teaser, gift guide, peak days, shipping cut-offs and wrap-up
  • A post plan with the date, holiday or phase, platform, format, message and call to action for each post
  • A filled example for Ember & Wick, a fictional candle maker (every figure is made up), and a blank CSV of each sheet

How to use it

  1. List every holiday in the season from our social media holidays calendar, then mark the ones your customers care about.
  2. Skip the holidays that don't fit. A campaign for every date leaves less time and money for the ones that matter.
  3. Set your last order and delivery dates first, then build the campaign backwards from them.
  4. Plan the phases: a teaser, the launch, the peak days and a reminder before each cut-off.
  5. Write the posts in batches and schedule them, leaving time for replies on the busiest days.
  6. Plan at least one post a week that isn't selling, such as a thank-you or a look behind the scenes.
  7. After the season, note what sold and what didn't while you still remember, ready for next year.

Preview: Holiday shortlist

A filled example for a made-up small business, first 8 of 11 rows.

HolidayDateRegionsFit for usAngleDecisionIdeas page
HalloweenSat 31 Oct 2026United States, United Kingdom, worldwideLowWe don't make a seasonal scent for itSkipzolyp.com/social-media-holidays/halloween
ThanksgivingThu 26 Nov 2026United StatesMediumA thank-you to customers, no offerGo: one postzolyp.com/social-media-holidays/thanksgiving
Black FridayFri 27 Nov 2026United States, worldwideHighOur one sale of the year: 20% off gift setsGozolyp.com/social-media-holidays/black-friday
Small Business SaturdaySat 28 Nov 2026United States, United KingdomHighThe workshop, the two of us and the wax we pour by handGozolyp.com/social-media-holidays/small-business-saturday
Cyber MondayMon 30 Nov 2026United States, worldwideMediumLast day of the sale, online onlyGozolyp.com/social-media-holidays/cyber-monday
Giving TuesdayTue 1 Dec 2026United States, worldwideMedium5% of the day's sales to a local food bank (example)Gozolyp.com/social-media-holidays/giving-tuesday
HanukkahStarts Fri 4 Dec 2026WorldwideLow for our rangeNo product that fits; a generic greeting would feel emptySkipzolyp.com/social-media-holidays/hanukkah
Christmas EveThu 24 Dec 2026WorldwideMediumLast-minute gifts: shop pickup until 2pmGozolyp.com/social-media-holidays/christmas-eve

Preview: Campaign timeline

A filled example for a made-up small business.

PhaseDatesGoalPostsPlatformsOfferDone
Make the content26 Oct to 13 NovPhotos, short videos and the gift guide finished before posting starts0n/an/aYes
Teaser16 to 22 NovEmail sign-ups for early access to the sale3Instagram, Facebook, PinterestNone yetNo
Gift guide23 to 26 NovHelp people choose; save the posts3Instagram, Pinterest, FacebookNone yetNo
Peak: Black Friday to Cyber Monday27 to 30 NovSales of gift sets6Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest20% off gift setsNo
Giving Tuesday1 DecA reason to buy that helps others1Instagram, Facebook5% of sales to the food bankNo
Christmas shipping2 to 15 DecOrders before our last shipping date (15 Dec, our own cut-off)6Instagram, Facebook, TikTokFree gift wrapNo
Shop pickup only16 to 24 DecLocal last-minute buyers4Instagram, Facebook, Google Business ProfileFree gift wrapNo
Wrap-up and New Year25 Dec to 1 JanThank customers; launch the new scent3Instagram, FacebookNoneNo

Preview: Post plan

A filled example for a made-up small business, first 8 of 15 rows.

DateHoliday or phasePlatformFormatMessageCall to actionStatus
Mon 16 NovTeaserInstagram, FacebookShort videoSomething's being poured in the workshopJoin the list for early accessScheduled
Thu 19 NovTeaserInstagram, PinterestPhotoThe three gift sets, wrappedJoin the listScheduled
Mon 23 NovGift guideInstagram, PinterestCarouselA candle for every person on your listSave this for laterDraft
Thu 26 NovThanksgivingInstagram, FacebookPhotoThank you to everyone who bought from two people in a small workshop this yearNoneDraft
Fri 27 NovBlack FridayInstagram, Facebook, TikTokShort videoOur only sale of the year starts now: 20% off gift sets until MondayShop now (link)Draft
Sat 28 NovSmall Business SaturdayInstagram, FacebookCarouselWho makes your candles: a day in the workshopShop small: link in bioDraft
Sun 29 NovPeakInstagram StoriesStoriesGift sets left, by scentShop nowDraft
Mon 30 NovCyber MondayInstagram, Facebook, PinterestPhotoLast day of the saleShop before midnightDraft

Tips

  • Ember & Wick, its offers and every figure in the example are made up. The shipping cut-off is the example business's own date, not a carrier's.
  • Holiday dates in the example are for 2026 and January 2027, from our social media holidays calendar. Several move every year, including Thanksgiving, Black Friday weekend and Hanukkah, so check the calendar again next season.
  • Pick one offer for the season and keep it. Changing the discount every day confuses customers and staff.
  • Write your last order and delivery dates in every post from the start of December.
  • Schedule the peak weekend's posts in advance so you can spend those days packing orders and answering messages.
  • Zolyp, which makes this template, plans posts around the moments that matter to your business and lets you approve the week before it's published. Plans with AI-written posts start at $29 a month.

Common questions

When should I start planning a holiday campaign?

Start from your last order and delivery dates and work backwards. The example business starts making content about a month before Black Friday and posts teasers the week before. Give yourself enough time to finish content before the first post.

Which holidays should a small business post about?

The ones your customers celebrate and that fit what you sell. Our social media holidays calendar lists dates by month with post ideas, so you can shortlist quickly and skip the rest.

How many posts does a holiday campaign need?

Enough to cover each phase without repeating yourself: a teaser, the launch, a reminder before each cut-off and a thank-you. The example plans about 15 feed posts over six weeks, which is its own choice.

Are the dates in the example right for next year?

They're for late 2026 and New Year's Day 2027. Fixed dates such as Christmas Eve stay the same; moving ones such as Thanksgiving and Black Friday change, so check our calendar each year.

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