The holidays can be one of the biggest sales opportunities of the year for businesses. But making the most of the season takes more than offering a Black Friday discount or posting a holiday sale on social media.
Every year, small business owners head into November with good intentions. They want to run a promotion, reach more customers, increase sales, and finish the year strong.
Then the holidays arrive.
They're busy serving customers, managing inventory, juggling schedules, and keeping up with everything else that comes with running a business. Suddenly, there's little time left to create a holiday marketing plan.
The good news? You don't need a huge marketing budget, an elaborate campaign, or a dozen different promotions to make the holidays work for your business.
You need a good offer, a way to reach the right customers, and a plan to put it all into motion.
Holiday Sales Are About More Than Black Friday
When business owners think about holiday promotions, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are usually the first things that come to mind.
But the holiday shopping season offers far more opportunities than two big shopping days.
Depending on your business, you might:
Create gift bundles or special holiday packages.
Offer gift cards for products, services, or experiences.
Partner with another local business on a holiday promotion.
Host an open house, shopping event, or customer appreciation day.
Reach out to previous customers with a special offer.
Create a holiday giveaway or referral campaign.
Promote services that help customers prepare for the holidays or start the new year.
Participate in Small Business Saturday or other community shopping events.
And you don't necessarily need to offer a discount.
A thoughtfully packaged gift, a limited-time service, an exclusive experience, or a convenient solution to a holiday problem can give customers a reason to buy.
The key is choosing an opportunity that makes sense for your business and your customers.
Start With What Your Customers Need
Before deciding what to promote, think about what your customers are doing during the holiday season.
Are they shopping for gifts? Planning gatherings? Looking for ways to save time? Preparing for visitors? Trying to finish projects before the end of the year?
The answers can help you identify opportunities you might otherwise overlook.
For example, a photographer might offer family photo sessions or gift certificates. A consultant might create a year-end planning package. A restaurant could promote holiday catering, while a service provider might offer a package customers can purchase now and use later.
Even businesses that don't traditionally think of themselves as holiday businesses can find opportunities.
The question isn't simply, "What can I put on sale?" It's "What would my customers have a reason to buy right now?"
That's where a good holiday offer begins.
One Post Is Not a Marketing Plan
Let's say you've created a great holiday offer.
You post it on Facebook, send an email, and wait.
A few people respond. Maybe someone makes a purchase. But the results aren't what you hoped for.
Does that mean the offer wasn't good?
Not necessarily.
Customers are busy during the holidays, too. They may see your promotion while they're working, shopping, or scrolling through their phones. They might be interested but not ready to purchase at that moment.
That's why timing and follow-up matter.
A holiday campaign should give customers multiple opportunities to discover your offer, understand its value, and decide to buy.
That might include introducing your promotion before it launches, sharing reminders, answering common questions, highlighting gift ideas, featuring customer testimonials, or following up with people who expressed interest.
You don't have to post constantly or send emails every day.
You do need to think beyond a single announcement.
Choose a Few Things and Do Them Well
One of the easiest ways to overwhelm yourself during the holidays is to try everything.
Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Small Business Saturday. Twelve days of Christmas. Giveaways. Discounts. Daily social media posts. Email campaigns. Holiday events.
Before long, you're spending more time creating promotions than running your business.
Instead, choose a few opportunities that fit your goals, your customers, and the time you have available.
Ask yourself:
What do I want to sell? Choose a specific product, service, package, or offer.
Who is most likely to buy it? Think about existing customers, past customers, and potential new customers.
Where can I reach them? Focus on the channels your customers already use.
When should I start promoting? Give yourself enough time to build awareness before your offer begins.
What happens after someone shows interest? Decide how you'll follow up and help them take the next step.
You don't need a complicated strategy. You need one you can realistically execute.
And the sooner you start, the more opportunities you'll have to see what's working and make adjustments.
Don't Forget What Happens After the Sale
Holiday promotions can bring new customers into your business, but the opportunity doesn't have to end when the season does.
Think about what happens after someone makes a purchase.
Could you invite them to join your email list? Encourage them to book another appointment? Introduce them to another product or service? Ask for a review or referral?
A customer who discovers your business in November could become a repeat customer in January.
Planning for that relationship now can help you turn a busy holiday season into longer-term business growth.
Ready to Build Your Holiday Sales Plan?
Knowing what you could do for the holidays is one thing. Finding the time to choose a strategy, create your promotions, and actually get started is another.
That's why the Women's Business Center is hosting the 3-Part Holiday Sales Challenge, a hands-on series designed to help small business owners move from ideas to action.
Rather than spending three sessions simply learning about holiday marketing, you'll build your own holiday sales campaign and start putting it into motion.
3-Part Holiday Sales Challenge
October 13, 20 & 27, 2026
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM each session
Part 1: Build Your Holiday Promotion — October 13
Explore holiday sales opportunities, choose your promotional strategy, create an offer, and identify the first steps to get it moving.
Part 2: Timing, Promotion + Follow-Up — October 20
Create a promotional schedule, build anticipation, plan your follow-up messages, and make adjustments based on what you've started.
Part 3: Your Holiday Sales Game Plan — October 27
Map out your November and December activities, troubleshoot challenges, and create a plan for turning holiday customers into future business opportunities.
Between sessions, you'll take action on your own business so you can return with progress, questions, and real results to build on.
By the end of the challenge, you'll have a clear holiday promotion plan, a schedule for reaching your customers, and practical next steps for the rest of the season.
The holidays are coming whether you have a plan or not. Let's make sure your business is ready.