Reach customers with a holiday marketing calendar

As the year winds down, holiday planning and shopping ramp up. Nextdoor neighbors are early shoppers, with conversations on the app around holiday planning ticking up 3.2x beginning in October*. These conversations mark the start of neighbors’ holiday buying journey.

If neighbors’ holiday buying journey begins in October, your business’s marketing efforts need to align to their mindset. Shoppers need to hear from you seven times before they convert to a customer, so it is important to begin your holiday marketing campaigns early as you’ll want to make sure they hear from you early and often.

An advertising calendar that maps out your holiday marketing strategy and how you’ll achieve those seven touch points can help ensure that you stay top of mind and turn shoppers into customers. From Thanksgiving to Black Friday, Hanukkah and Christmas, there is plenty of holiday cheer to go around. Be sure to plan accordingly and get ahead of important dates for your holiday marketing campaigns with Nextdoor’s marketing calendar.

Read on for a detailed, week-by-week actionable plan that will:

Help neighbors become aware of your business and what you offer
Help neighbors understand why you’re the best option
Help convert neighbors into customers

You’ll need a presence on Nextdoor to make your business discoverable to neighbors. First, claim your free Business Page. Then, follow along with the calendar below.

Important Marketing Holidays

October 24 – Diwali
October 31 – Halloween
November 11 – Singles' Day
November 24 – Thanksgiving Day
November 25 – Black Friday
November 26 – Small Business Saturday
November 28– Cyber Monday
November 29 – Giving Tuesday
December 5-6 – St. Nicholas Day
December 12 – Green Monday
December 14 – Free Shipping Day
December 17 – Super Saturday
December 18-26 –Hanukkah
December 24 – Christmas Eve
December 25 – Christmas
December 26 – Boxing Day
December 26 – Kwanzaa
December 31 – New Year’s Eve
January 1 – New Year’s Day
January 22 – Chinese New Year
February 14 - Valentine’s Day

Holiday Marketing Calendar: Step by Step Plan

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October

October marks the start of the holiday shopping season. Conversations on Nextdoor related to the holidays ramp up, so this is the time to lean in and make sure neighbors are aware of your business.

October 1-8 Holiday-related conversations begin on Nextdoor	Update your Business Page with holiday-themed photos, business hours, and URLs. Update your Business Story – why and how you started your business – on your Business Page so neighbors can learn more about you and better understand why you do what you do.
October 9-15	Use a Business Post to ask for recommendations. All recommendations appear on your Business Page.
October 16-22	Run a Nextdoor Ad with a picture of your most popular products or services, or your new holiday merchandise.
October 23-31	Use a Business Post to help humanize your brand by sharing your business’s story. Be sure to include anything special you’re doing for the holidays, from adopting a local family to running a toy or food drive, or more, and mention how neighbors can join in.

November

With Halloween in the rearview mirror and Thanksgiving – and the big shopping days that follow – on the horizon, neighbors are moving into the consideration phase of their holiday shopping journey. They spent October learning about different products and services that will fit their needs. This month, they’ll weigh their options and narrow their choices. The content you share can help keep your business top-of-mind.

November 1-5 89% of neighbors value neighbor recommendations for products and services*	Use a Business Post to showcase a customer’s recommendation. Neighbors find value in recommendations because they’re authentic and from the people who live closest to them.
November 6-12	Use a Nextdoor Ad to run an early bird promotion. While neighbors may still be weighing their options, an early discount may be what pushes them to an early decision.
November 13-19	Use a Business Post to share gifting inspiration. Neighbors are still considering their options, so making it easy for them to find what they’re looking for can help persuade them towards using your business.
November 20-26 Week of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday 77%of neighbors feel shopping local/at small businesses is important*	Early in the week, use a Business Post to answer common questions about your return or cancellation policies, holiday hours, upcoming sales, and more. Before the holiday, run a Nextdoor Ad that details what discounts customers can look forward to in honor of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday. After Thanksgiving, refresh your Ad or expand its targeting to reach more neighbors on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.
November 27-December 3 Cyber Monday	Whether your business has a web presence or not, take advantage of the Cyber Monday hype and use a Nextdoor Ad to showcase a discount.

December

Most shoppers have now done their research, weighed their options, and are ready to make a purchase decision. Align your marketing with shoppers’ mindset: the holidays are near, they want to finish their shopping while scoring some great deals. Nextdoor Ads can help you reach more neighbors.

December 4-10	Use a Business Post to keep neighbors apprised of your inventory or availability. If your most popular offerings are running low, letting neighbors know can create urgency to secure what they want.
December 11-17	For many shoppers, it’s crunch time. Help the customers who are stumped about what to buy by featuring your best-selling holiday items in a Nextdoor Ad.
December 18-24	There are always shoppers who have waited until the last minute to make their Christmas purchases, only to realize they don’t know exactly what to buy, or what they want is sold out. Use a Nextdoor Ad to promote the easiest, last-minute gifts there are: gift cards for your business.
December 25-31	The heart of the holiday shopping season has passed, but there are customers who are still looking for a good deal, especially on seasonal items. Use a Nextdoor Ad to promote the inventory you need to clear out or to fill any remaining appointment slots.

Don’t let the holiday season pass your business by. With this calendar in mind, now is the time to start your holiday planning for impactful seasonal marketing campaigns.

Other Holidays You Might Consider for Marketing Ideas

These lesser-known holidays might not be major, but they offer unique marketing chances to connect with your audience, express your brand's values, and build relationships.

This list is your guide to creative marketing that strengthens community connections. Don't miss out on these hidden gems!

International Coffee Day - October 1st
World Mental Health Day - October 10th
World Vegan Day - November 1st
Veteran’s Day - November 11th
Kindness Day - November 13th
Black History Month - Entire month of February
World Cancer Day - February 4th

* Internal Nextdoor data, 2023

Reach customers with a holiday marketing calendar

Claim your free Nextdoor business page

Important Marketing Holidays

Holiday Marketing Calendar: Step by Step Plan

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