Your Holiday Social Media Plan: What Local Businesses Should Post From Now Through New Year’s
For most local businesses, the stretch from mid-November to New Year's is the busiest, most competitive time of the year online. Every brand is posting, every feed is crowded and people's attention is split between shopping, travel and family.
The businesses that do well aren't the ones posting the most. They're the ones that planned ahead. Here's a simple, week-by-week plan you can start using now.
Key dates for 2026
Thursday, Nov. 26: Thanksgiving
Friday, Nov. 27: Black Friday
Saturday, Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday
Monday, Nov. 30: Cyber Monday
Tuesday, Dec. 1: Giving Tuesday
Friday, Dec. 25: Christmas
Thursday, Dec. 31: New Year's Eve
Add your own: holiday hours, gift card deadlines, seasonal menus, local tree lightings and holiday events in your town.
Before you start: get set up
Update your holiday hours on Google, Facebook, Instagram and your website. Holiday hours are one of the most-checked details this time of year. Here's how we handle Google Business Profile management.
Shoot your content in one session. Seasonal decor, gift items, your team and your space. One planned shoot can cover the whole season.
Decide on your offers now, not the night before Black Friday.
Make gift cards easy to buy online and link them in your bio.
Weeks 1 and 2 (now through mid-November): Build anticipation
Use these weeks to remind people you exist before the noise starts.
Behind-the-scenes video of your team decorating or preparing for the season
A first look at holiday menus, products or services
Gift guides built around your products: gifts under $25, gifts for hosts, gifts for people who have everything
Save-the-date posts for your Small Business Saturday plans
Week 3 (Thanksgiving week): Gratitude and the big weekend
This is the week to be human.
A thank-you post to your customers, ideally on video, from you or your team
Black Friday and Small Business Saturday offers, posted early in the week and repeated in Stories
On Small Business Saturday itself: real-time Stories, photos of customers (with permission) and a reminder of your hours
Cyber Monday: online gift cards, shipping deadlines and online ordering
Small Business Saturday is the one day of the season built around businesses like yours. If you only plan one big push, make it this one.
Week 4 (Giving Tuesday and early December): Community
Share a cause you support or a local nonprofit you're giving to
Spotlight neighboring businesses or partners. Cross-promotion grows everyone's audience
Introduce your team: who they are, their favorite holiday tradition, their favorite item on your menu or shelves
Weeks 5 and 6 (mid-December): Last-minute shoppers
This is when procrastinators show up, and they're ready to buy.
Last-minute gift ideas and gift cards ("the gift that's never late")
Clear cutoff dates for orders, shipping and pickup
Holiday hours, repeated more often than feels necessary
Short, festive reels that show the atmosphere of your business
Week 7 (Christmas through New Year's): Reflect and look ahead
A year-in-review post or reel with your best moments
A thank-you to customers and your team
New Year's offers, January bookings and what's coming in 2027
What works best during the holidays
Video over static images. Short vertical video gets more reach on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. See the videos every business should create.
Real people over polished graphics. Your team, your space and your customers make content no competitor can copy.
Clear calls to action. Every post should make the next step obvious: book, order, buy a gift card, visit.
Consistency over volume. Three good posts a week, planned in advance, beat daily posts thrown together.
Small ad budgets on your best posts. Putting a modest budget behind proven posts reaches far more local people than organic posting alone. Learn about Facebook and Instagram ads.
Don't forget email
Social media reaches people who follow you. Email reaches people who already bought from you, and they're the most likely to buy again. Send at least three emails this season: your Black Friday and Small Business Saturday offers, a gift card reminder in mid-December and a thank-you at the end of the year. See our email marketing services.
Need help this season?
We plan, shoot and manage holiday content for local businesses across Bucks County and the Philadelphia area. If you want this season handled, get in touch or learn more about our social media marketing services.
