What is a Marketing Holiday Calendar?
A marketing holiday calendar is a list of holidays, events, and other occasions that are relevant to your business. It can help you plan seasonal campaigns, promotions, and other events on these dates.
You can use the calendar to plan what kind of content you’ll create for each holiday or event on different marketing channels. This can include giveaways and contests, as well as sharing recipes or decorating tips as appropriate.
Marketing holidays are days people from around the world celebrate and are great opportunities to reach audiences and engage with your existing customers.
Apart from big holidays that are celebrated all around the world, adding special days for marketing is up to you. You can include the special dates and holidays related to your business and tempt target customers to interact with your campaigns!
Why Do You Need a Marketing Holiday Calendar?
Holiday marketing is one of the most effective ways to generate leads, sales, and new customers for your business. It’s a time-tested strategy that you can use to boost your online business and brand awareness and increase traffic!
It is clever marketing that improves your brand and connects with your audience. In addition, it gives you a reason to talk about your business during “down” times and during holiday seasons.
A marketing holiday calendar is a way to plan your marketing efforts around when people are most likely to be online and most likely to engage with you.
It helps businesses plan their social media content, email campaigns, and blog posts to reach more people at the right time of year.
Marketing Holiday Calendar to Use All Year Month by Month
You can use this list as a reference while building your marketing holiday calendar. We included special days and holidays in this list month by month. So start planning your seasonal campaigns now!
January 2024
January is an excellent month for new beginnings and fresh starts. There are many special days in this very first month of the year so you can develop various marketing campaigns.
You can celebrate the new year with special discounts and offers. 🥳 Also, you can start a new email newsletter and announce it to your visitors.
By offering you will share valuable content with them each week starting this month, you can start to grow your email list at the beginning of the year.
Since it is the month of new beginnings, you can promote your new products and brand new improvements on your website with your email newsletter as well.
Special dates in January:
January 1: New Year’s Day
January 1: Veganuary
January 10: Winter Sales (Europe)
January 15: Blue Monday
January 26: Australia Day
January 27: Chocolate Cake Day
January 28: Data Protection Day
February 2024
When February comes, love is in the air!❤️
It is a great month to celebrate love since there is Valentine’s Day. By building Valentine’s Day marketing campaigns, you can convert more!
Adding a popup like this can be great way to increase your website's engagement during Valentine's Day season.
See Valentine’s Day popup examples that you can use to attract visitors.
Also, football lovers are a great target audience since there is a Super Bowl this month. Therefore, you can include special discounts related to the championship as well.
Special dates in February:
February 1: Black History Month (USA)
February 1: LGBT History Month
February 2: Groundhog Day
February 9: National Pizza Day
February 10: Chinese New Year
February 11: Super Bowl
February 14: Valentine’s Day
February 17: Random Act of Kindness Day
Explore Valentine's Day popups to skyrocket your marketing success in Valentine's Day.
March 2024
March is a great time to celebrate women’s history and appreciate women in your life. Your target audience can be women for this month, and organize your campaigns accordingly.
Also, Spring is around the corner, so that you can start including seasonal products and services. 🍃
By organizing St. Patrick’s Day marketing campaigns this month, you can add a little (or a lot) of green and Irish party spirit to your brand’s campaigns!
Special dates in March:
March 1: Women’s History Month
March 1: Pancake Day
March 1: Mardi Gras
March 3: World Book Day
March 3: World Wildlife Day
March 8: International Women’s Day
March 11: Start of Ramadan
March 14: National Pi Day
March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
March 20: First Day of Spring
March 25: International Waffle Day
March 27: Mother’s Day (UK)
March 29: Easter Friday
March 31: Easter Sunday
March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility
April 2024
After long and cold days, the weather gets warmer, and so do the special days in April.
On April Fools Day, try to use humor in your marketing campaigns and send funny emails to your audience! Laughter is the best medicine, so witty content can make your marketing campaigns look delightful.
Easter is an excellent time for seasonal marketing campaigns, and it allows you to gamify your campaigns with challenges and Easter Eggs. 🐣
Also, you can develop sustainable marketing campaigns on Earth Day to show your company’s consciousness.
Special dates in April:
April 1: Easter Monday
April 1: April Fools Day
April 9: End of Ramadan
April 10: Siblings Day
April 11: National Pet Day
April 12-21: Coachella Music and Arts Festival
April 19: Bicycle Day
April 21: National Tea Day
April 22: Earth Day
May 2024
Since it is the last month of Spring, you can offer end-of-season sales and special discounts to your customers during May.
Also, for those who celebrate the Feast of Ramadan and Mother’s Day this month, you can create various marketing campaigns that focus on these dates.
May 4, Star Wars Day is an important day for the fans, so you can consider adding it to your social media campaigns.
Special dates in May:
May 1: May Day
May 4: Star Wars Day
May 8: Mother’s Day (US)
May 11: National Eat What You Want Day
May 13: World Cocktail Day
May 17: World Baking Day
May 27: Spring Bank Holiday
May 29: National Biscuit Day
June 2024
It’s time to add summer energy to your marketing campaigns with the coming of June!
Marketing campaigns’ performances might lower this month because it is the summer holiday season. But you can stand out from the crowd by getting creative, reaching your target audience, and offering special discounts.
You can include summer sales and promote your seasonal products during this month. Also, consider planning conceptual campaigns related to the special dates listed below.
Special dates in June:
June 1: Pride Month
June 1: Global Day of Parents
June 7: National Donut Day
June 8: World Gin Day
June 15: National Beer Day (UK)
June 16: Neurodiversity Pride Day
June 16: Father’s Day (US)
June 21: World Music Day
June 21: Summer Solstice
June 21: International Day of Yoga
June 24: Midsummer’s Day
June 26-30: Glastonbury Festival
June 29: Tour de France (ends on July 21)
Explore Summer email subject lines to write click-worthy emails to your audience.
July 2024
Most schools are on a summer holiday in July, so organizing related campaigns can be great. Try to include holiday products, gamification of campaigns to attract your target customers’ attention.
Customers might not engage with your campaigns as before since it is the summer holiday season. However, it doesn’t have to be like that. If you plan your campaigns creatively and relate them to your target audience, you can increase user engagement.
Also, organizing 4th of July marketing campaigns can be great if you own a US-based company. Try to represent Independence Day soul with your US-related seasonal marketing campaigns.
Sports events such as Tour de France and UEFA Women’s Euros can also be great times to organize special campaigns accordingly.
Special dates in July:
July 1: Beginning of Wimbledon (ends on July 14)
July 1: Canada Day
July 4: Independence Day
July 7: World Chocolate Day
July 14: Bastille Day
July 17: Emoji Day
July 30: International Day of Friendship
July 31: National Avocado Day
August 2024
Time to say goodbye to summer! Also, farewell to summer-related products and services. You can arrange end-of-summer sales this month and sell your seasonal products.
You can remind yourself during August about your inactive subscribers and customers. Then, depending on your industry, you can get in touch with your audience through email newsletters and grab their attention again.
Although there is not a big holiday or national day, there are many other special dates that you can use in your seasonal campaigns, as we listed below.
Special dates in August:
August 2: International Beer Day
August 8: International Cat Day
August 9: Book Lovers Day
August 13: International Left-Handers Day
August 19: World Photography Day
August 22: National Burger Day
August 26: National Dog Day
August 26: Summer Bank Holiday
September 2024
The leaves are falling, and the fall is calling… 🍂
September is the first month of fall, so organizing fall-related campaigns can be great. Also, it is back-to-school season, meaning the target audience is students and their families.
In this season, you can increase sales conversions no matter what industry you are in if you manage to relate your campaigns to the back-to-school and fall seasons.
See 6 Converting Popup Examples For Back To School Season 2024 for building effective back-to-school marketing campaigns.
Although it is a month in the middle of the year, it can be a great time to start new projects and campaigns since customers might engage more after the summer slump.
Special dates in September:
September 1: Beginning of Fall
September 1: Back to School
September 2: Labor Day (US)
September 15: Start of Hispanic Heritage Month (ends on October 15)
September 21: Oktoberfest
September 21: International Day of Peace
September 27: World Tourism Day
October 2024
Spooky season has shown up! Halloween is coming, and October is the perfect time to start your Halloween campaigns. 🎃
You can add challenges and little games to your social media platforms in October. Also, offering special discounts on party decorations and costumes can significantly increase sales during the Halloween season.
Get as imaginative as you can, and ask your audience if they prefer to trick or treat. 👀
It would be better to treat them, so offer special discounts around Halloween time to increase your sales conversions.
Special dates in October:
October 1: Black History Month (UK)
October 1: World Vegetarian Day
October 1: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October 1: International Coffee Day
October 5: World Teachers’ Day
October 10: World Mental Health Day
October 14: Columbus Day
October 14: Thanksgiving (Canada)
October 15: End of Hispanic Heritage Month
October 16: World Food Day
October 25: World Pasta Day
October 31: Halloween
November 2024
With the arrival of November, you can level up your marketing campaigns and get the most out of them.
November is among the most productive months for the marketing world! Black Friday & Cyber Monday days are great times to boost sales.
It is a proper month to buy gifts for holidays because of numerous sales, so you can include Christmas and New Year products in your seasonal campaigns.
Don’t forget to arrange Thanksgiving marketing campaigns as tasty as the foods served on this special day.
Special dates in November:
November 1: Diwali
November 1: World Vegan Day
November 1: Men’s Health Awareness Month
November 5: Guy Fawkes Night
November 20: Transgender Day of Remembrance
November 28: Thanksgiving
November 29: Black Friday
November 30: Small Business Saturday
You can build Black Friday popups to step up your marketing game.
December 2024
Last but not least, December and the festive season have arrived! December is a month full of marketing campaign opportunities, so you can get excellent results if you plan them properly.
Christmas is the main character of this month, so you should start focusing on your Christmas campaigns before this month not to rush anything. You can include infinite ideas in your holiday campaigns, so play with them!
With your creative, generous, and unique campaigns, you can celebrate this year and show appreciation to your customers.
Special dates in December:
December 2: Cyber Monday
December 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
December 4: National Cookie Day
December 4: National Sock Day
December 21: Winter Solstice
December 24: Christmas Eve
December 25: Christmas
December 25: Beginning of Hanukkah
December 26: Boxing Day (UK)
December 27: Bank Holiday
December 31: New Year’s Eve
Tips For Creating a Marketing Holiday Calendar
We gathered a few tips that can be helpful while creating your marketing holiday calendar. Try to adapt them to your own company needs and get better results from your holiday campaigns!
1. Write each special day and holiday beforehand.
By writing special days beforehand, you can get an insight into your upcoming projects. You can use our list and optimize it according to your special dates.
2. Prioritize important dates.
It allows you to focus on important dates that will help you convert more. Give importance to big holidays and organize more comprehensive campaigns related to them.
Christmas, Easter, and Halloween are among the most effective holidays for marketers. These dates are excellent for building comprehensive marketing campaigns that interest a broad audience.
3. Consider possible changes and problems.
By listing possible struggles and problems, you can overcome likely obstacles. When something occurs, fixing the problem becomes much easier when you note them beforehand.
4. Include your goals and measure them later on.
Add your goals while preparing your calendar, and be specific about them. For example, you can include how many products you aim to sell or the number of subscriptions you expect to achieve after your campaign.
By setting measurable goals, you can prepare your campaigns correctly. Then you can measure these goals and see whether your strategies worked or not. It allows you to better your marketing campaigns day by day.
5. Don’t push yourself to come up with a campaign on each special day.
You don’t have to create a marketing campaign on National Cat Day or World Pasta Day if your company has nothing to do with them.
Try to include related dates in your marketing calendar to avoid getting lost. It also helps you to reach your target audience as well.
6. Consider the target audience of different campaigns.
Take the target audience into account while preparing your campaigns and optimize them accordingly. Try to connect with your visitors and consider their interests & needs.
Listen to your customers and give importance to their feedback. Connecting with them makes your job so much easier.
Also, preparing your seasonal campaigns according to the target audience can be more useful in getting feedback.
7. Create a segmented mail list according to different customer profiles.
Since email marketing is a must for almost every marketing campaign, you must create a segmented mail list. Then, you can categorize your visitors into different segments and send them various emails.
For example, find the special days related to different customer segments while preparing your marketing holiday calendar; by doing that, you can get more effective results from your campaigns.
8. Use suitable marketing channels.
Choose the related channels for your holiday campaigns and plan your schedule properly.
The Best Marketing Channels for Holiday Marketing
While planning your marketing holiday calendar, remember the channels you will use. By choosing the suitable channels, you can achieve your goals easily!
To create an organized holiday marketing calendar, you can note which channels will be included with their details.
Here we added the best marketing channels for holiday marketing you can use:
Website
Your company’s web presence is the first thing you should include in your holiday marketing.
If you have a blog on your website, you can also create related content to boost your user interaction.
You can increase your website’s traffic and conversion by providing valuable content during the holiday season. Also, offering your visitors content that can be helpful may lead them to interact with your website.
You can use remarkable smart popups like this one on your website to make your holiday campaigns more engaging.
Email marketing is among the most valuable channels for special days’ marketing. You can announce your upcoming sales, discounts, and many other marketing activities by sending email newsletters.
Also, it is a great way to interact with your customers and increase user engagement. You can get the most out of your holiday email marketing campaigns by generating engaging email newsletters!
Social Media
Social media is essential for effective holiday marketing campaigns. You can increase your brand’s visibility with your social media posts. Each social media platform has its unique style and audience, so make sure you create your campaigns accordingly.
You can use hashtags on social media to appeal to certain audiences. Apart from these, creating content that people can interact with on your social media platforms is a great way to make your campaigns heard.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that holiday marketing could be an excellent way for companies to attract more qualified leads, increase ROI and strengthen their brands.
Marketing during holidays is a great way to promote your business and gain customers. In addition, holidays are always associated with the need for something new, so the visitors will be more likely to buy something for themselves or others.
Managing your marketing plan throughout the year with a marketing holiday calendar can help you be ready and more organized.
You can add this blog post to your bookmarks and refer to it while preparing your seasonal marketing campaigns! But don’t forget to plan them to convert more!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Make an Annual Marketing Calendar?
You can create an annual marketing calendar by listing the important dates and holidays. You can get help from our list in this blog post and create your calendar. Apart from big holidays, don’t forget to add special days for marketing that can interest your target audience.
When Should I Create a Marketing Holiday Calendar?
It is always better to prepare your marketing holiday calendar 2-3 months before. By doing that, you can get organized and create more effective seasonal campaigns.
You don’t have to plan each month’s marketing campaigns for sure, but creating an outline and listing the important dates can be a great start. Then you can organize your campaigns month by month in detail and get better results.
Which Dates Should Be Included in the Marketing Holiday Calendar?
Your marketing holiday calendar can include any date from Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day to World Cup Final Day, when sports fans everywhere are looking for something fun to do with their friends.
Apart from big holidays, you can include special days related to your company. For example, you can add end-of-season and beginning-of-season times to the marketing holiday calendar.
If you own a chocolate company, you can add Chocolate Cake Day to your marketing holiday calendar and build your unique campaign on that specific day.
Which Platforms Can Be Used in Holiday Marketing Calendar?
Your brand’s website, social media platforms, and email are the main platforms you can use in the holiday marketing calendar. In addition, you can add the deadlines of your content to your calendar to organize your marketing activities.
Seeing content workflow in your calendar makes your job so much easier and makes the holiday marketing calendar more effective.
Explore these blog posts:
- What Is A Seasonal Campaign? 11 Seasonal Marketing Ideas
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- 50+ Splendid Holiday Shopping Statistics to Explore in 2024
- Black Friday Marketing Strategies To Get Your Store Ready For BFCM
