How to Plan Ahead for a Strong End-of-Year Marketing Push

For many small businesses, the last few months of the year are some of the busiest and most profitable. Whether you’re ramping up for holiday sales, preparing for Giving Tuesday, or simply trying to finish the year strong, the key to a successful end-of-year marketing push is planning ahead.

At Farmhouse Creative, we love helping local businesses make the most of these important months. Here’s your friendly reminder (and action plan!) to start preparing now before the end- of-year hustle hits full force.

1. Set Clear Goals for the End of the Year

Before diving into design work or social posts, take a moment to define what success looks like for your business this season. Do you want to:

• Boost sales by a certain percentage?
• Grow your email list?
• Raise awareness for a year-end fundraising campaign?
• Clear out seasonal inventory?

Clear goals will guide every decision you make—and help you measure what’s working.

2. Map Out Key Dates and Campaigns

Grab a calendar and circle these important dates:

• Black Friday (Nov 28)
• Small Business Saturday (Nov 29)
• Cyber Monday (Dec 1)
• Giving Tuesday (Dec 2)
• Christmas & New Year’s  (Dec 25 & Jan 1)

Then ask yourself: Which ones make sense for your business? Not every company needs a Cyber Monday deal, but maybe your brand could shine with a heartfelt Giving Tuesday message or a “shop local” push in early December.

Once you’ve picked your moments, build campaigns around them with enough lead time to do them well.

3. Get Your Marketing Materials Ready Early

From postcards and banners to email graphics and website updates, everything takes time. And last-minute print orders or social media scrambling can steal your joy and your sales.

Start creating:

• Promotional graphics
• Email templates
• Social media content
• Print materials
• Landing pages

And don’t forget to review your website, are holiday hours listed? Are your products and services easy to find?

Yes, it’s only July – But now is the time to plan! 

We get it. It’s July. You definitely don’t want to be thinking about Christmas sales or the end-of- year hustle right now. But planning ahead can be the difference between your strongest quarter 4 yet and missing the mark entirely.

Whether you’re dreaming up print pieces, planning a Giving Tuesday campaign, or want help scheduling content before things get busy, we’re here to help.