2025 Holiday Marketing Guide
Warm stories, clear dates, faster wins (and zero chaos)
The holidays are the “heart season” of marketing ❤️
People are looking for gifts, comfort, and connection and they want to buy from brands that feel human.
Translation: your story isn’t “nice to have.” It’s the reason someone chooses you.
We made you something to make this season feel like hot cocoa + conversions. ☕️✨
Introducing the 2025 Holiday Marketing Guide: a warm, human-centric roadmap to help you plan smarter, tell better stories, and create great content for important dates without the chaos.
Whether you’re launching something new, running a values-aligned promo, or simply nurturing your community through year-end, we’ve got you.
This guide gives you three things:
what to prep now,
when to launch, and
how to tell a story that actually moves people.
It’s warm, inclusive, and yes — just cheeky enough to be fun.
TL;DR: Share the unexpected. Spark emotion. Be brave. People buy from people.
Anchor dates you’ll plan around
Thanksgiving (U.S.): Thu, Nov 27, 2025.
Black Friday: Friday, Nov 28, 2025.
Small Business Saturday: Saturday, Nov 29, 2025.
Cyber Monday: Monday, Dec 1, 2025.
GivingTuesday: Tuesday, Dec 2, 2025.
Hanukkah: Sundown Sunday, Dec 14–nightfall Monday, Dec 22, 2025.
Christmas Day: Thursday, Dec 25, 2025.
Pro-move: bake these into your content calendar today (you’ll thank yourself later).
2025 shipping cutoffs (so you don’t become “that brand”)
Official “last-day-to-ship” lists drop close to peak season. As of today, USPS hasn’t posted 2025 recommended send-by dates yet; they typically publish in October (here’s last year’s cadence and newsroom hubs). We shall keep make an update to this guide once the dates are released.
What you can do now:
FedEx: Use the FedEx 2025 Holiday Service Schedule (for ops days), and plan Express final pushes Dec 23, SameDay Dec 24 (service-dependent).
UPS: Check the UPS 2025 Holiday Operations Schedule. (Ops are open Dec 24; closed Dec 25.)
Practical send-by guidance (subject to your origin/destination): third-party roundups estimate FedEx Ground ~Dec 13; 2Day/Express ~Dec 17–23; USPS First-Class ~Dec 18, Priority ~Dec 19, Priority Express ~Dec 21; UPS 3-Day ~Dec 19, 2nd Day ~Dec 20, Next-Day ~Dec 23. Publish your own earlier store deadline (pad 1–3 days) for delight > disappointment.
Also note: USPS announced a temporary holiday price change for 2025 shipping—factor that into margins and promos.
The Story > Sale rule (how to not sound like a walking coupon)
People want heart, not hype. Your content should read like a mini-docuseries, not a clearance rack.
Make it human:
Founder note: why this season matters to you (values, community, the “why now”).
Customer or beneficiary stories: 3–5 proof-points of impact or joy.
Behind-the-scenes: show your team packing orders, designing, troubleshooting—real beats perfect.
Inclusion by design: reflect varied holidays and traditions with respect and care.
Accessibility: alt text, captions, color contrast, readable type.
Urban Dictionary energy: “Big cozy main-character vibes, but for your customer.”
If you loved the tone and values in your past guides (like this guide we made for you last year), we’re building on that same human-first approach here and leveling it up even more
Your campaign timeline (October → New Year)
Want Christmas sales, donations, or new clients before Thanksgiving? You’ll front-load storytelling and launch earlier.
Here’s a practical runway you can copy/paste:
Now–Oct 10: Plan & proof
Audit last year. Pick your core offer (new product, bundle, give-back, or service).
Gather stories/UGC, write your founder note, outline 3–5 emails + 6–10 social posts.
QA: site speed, checkout, returns policy, pixels/UTMs.
Oct 11–24: Asset sprint
Build your holiday landing page with shipping cutoffs and FAQs.
Design social templates/reels, write SMS (opt-in only), set ad audiences/budgets.
Oct 25–Nov 3: Soft-launch
Tease with waitlists, gift guides, and “early-bird” perks for subscribers.
Start “countdown to cutoffs” education now (no panic, just clarity).
Nov 4–20: Main launch
Publish your launch email + hero reel.
Collab posts with partners/creators; spotlight values (sourcing, charity, accessibility).
Nov 21–Dec 1: BFCM runway
Light-touch reminders; pin your FAQs + deadlines; test 2–3 ad variants daily.
Dec 2–14: Ground-friendly window
Push bundles, gift cards, local pickup/in-store if applicable.
Share 1 story/day (short form): “Who it’s for” / “How it helps” / “What to expect.”
Dec 15–23: Expedited & digital
Feature e-gifts, services, digital products, and “promise-keeping” updates.
Dec 26–Jan 5: Bounce-back
Gratitude note + review request; “New Year onboarding” for services.
Retention promos (VIPs first).
Want THIS GUIDE in a printable format?
Grab the checklist/launch map:
Download the 989 Holiday Marketing Launch Map (PDF)
2025 trends worth leaning into
Short-form video that teaches (not just “sells”).
UGC for social proof (curate + credit).
AI-assisted personalization that stays ethical and human-edited.
Zero/first-party data: polls, quizzes, email sign-ups with value.
Inclusive, values-led creative (do it because it’s right, not because it’s trendy).
The Story-First Checklist (save this)
Founder holiday note (long + short)
Three customer/beneficiary stories (written + video)
Behind-the-scenes plan (2 reels/week)
Holiday landing page (cutoffs, FAQs, returns)
Email series (announce, mid-campaign, last-chance, gratitude)
Organic social (6–10 posts), plus 2–4 paid variants
Gift guides by persona/price/mission
Accessibility pass (alt text, captions, contrast)
Analytics + UTMs
Post-holiday bounce-back plan
(Or just use the FREE PDF guide, launch map, and checklist to get your plan done and dusted)
Two clear paths forward
DIY (you’ve got this)
Download the guide, plug in your dates, and run your plan:
Download the 989 Holiday Marketing Launch Map (PDF)
Want extra oomph? Pair this with your existing content library and repurpose your best stories everywhere. Not everyone is going to remember a powerful story you shared a few years ago if you use a new video or graphic to help tell the story.
DFY with 989 (co-pilot energy)
Prefer a steady hand on the wheel? Our bespoke marketing retainers carry you through the holidays and set you up to kick off 2026 with momentum—strategy, creative, and execution aligned to your values. (We don’t do cookie-cutter “holiday packages”—we build what your brand actually needs.)
Ready to make sales feel like service (and not spam)? Let’s have a no pressure chat and explore a partnership. We’ll map a plan that honors your story, respects your capacity, and delivers results.
Final thoughts as we head into the holiday season and year 2026 👀
Let’s make your brand the one that feels like relief this season. Keep it human. Lead with story.
Give people a reason to smile then make it easy to buy, hire you, or support your nonprofit or community organization.
When you’re ready, we will help you pick the fastest path: DIY with our guide or a bespoke DFY retainer that gets the work off your plate and the right message into your audience’s hands. Say hi and let’s have a no pressure chat if you need a marketing partner!
