10 Campaigns to Run Now If You’re behind on Holiday / Q4 Marketing
Most businesses confuse movement for momentum. If you’re behind on holiday marketing, you don’t need more time. You need precision.
Every year, small businesses hit November and panic-launch campaigns (discounts, boosted posts, last-minute ads) and call it “holiday marketing.”
The problem isn’t being late. The problem is being loud without being strategic.
The money’s still on the table: US online holiday sales hit $241.1B in 2024, up 8.7% year-over-year, and mobile purchases are projected to make up 56.1% of all holiday transactions in 2025 (Source: Adobe Digital Insights). The National Retail Foundation projects total 2025 holiday retail sales to reach $1.01-$1.02 trillion, a 3.7% - 4.2% increase from previous year (Source: NRF).
So, no, you’re not too late. You’re just up against brands that now how to turn integration into speed.
TURN SCARCITY INTO STRATEGY
Best for: Restaurants | Med Spas
Forget over-complication. Compress your offer into something that feels rare.
Example:
Restaurant: “12 Nights of Dining” chef’s menu only until December 21.
Med Spa: “Holiday Glow Series” - three services bookable before December 31.
Run a 7-day Meta retargeting campaign for everyone who visited but didn’t buy. This is your most cost-effective, warmest audience.
SELL MEANING, NOT MERCHANDISE
Best for: Hotels | Med Spas | Restaurants
Gifting has shifted - 30% of consumers prefer experiences over products (Source: SurveyMonkey).
So, sell time, not things:
Hotels: The Gift of a Weekend Away
Med Spas: Reset Gift cards for a New Year Glow
Restaurants: Chef-signed tasting menus for two
Lead with emotion: what they’ll feel after purchase.
BORROW REACH THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS
Best for: Restaurants | Hotels | Retail
When you’re behind, don’t rebuild — borrow audiences.
Restaurant x Winery dinner
Hotel x Coffee Shop stay + brunch bundle
Med Spa x Fitness Studio “Detox & Glow” package
Most co-marketing or co-branding partnerships typically reduce acquisition costs while boosting retention because you’ve aligned yourself with complementary audiences.
ACTIVATE THE CUSTOMERS YOU ALREADY HAVE
Best for: All Verticals
You don’t need a full shoot. You already have a marketing team: your customers. User-generated content (UGC) delivers 29% higher ROI than brand-produced creative (Source: SocialTargeter).
Collect tagged photos, repost top reviews, and use captions like “your words, our favorite moments.”
Reward contributors with gift cards or early access.
LAUNCH A COUNTDOWN LOOP
Best for: Restaurants | E-Commerce | Service Brands
Predictability creates engagement. Run a “12 Days of Deals” or “10 Days of Happy Hour.”
Use email and Stories to tease the next drop. You’re training your audience to check back daily and in turn increase retention and repeat visits.
recap, reflect, reconnect
Best for: All Verticals
Your “Year in Review” post isn’t filler, it’s trust building. Share wins, team moments, and thank your audience.
Emotion-led content gets more shares and engagements than transactional posts. Keep it short and sincere — gratitude beats urgency.
USE Q4 TO FILL Q1
Best for: Restaurants | Med Spas | Retail Services
Holiday traffic is future pipeline. Create bounce-back offers: “Book in December, get a January perk.”
Repeat customers spend 67% more on average than new ones (Source: Business.com). Automate a January follow-up sequence through your CRM while you rest post-holiday.
MONETIZE PRIVATE BOOKINGS
Best for: Restaurants | Hotels | Venues
Searches for “private dining” and “holiday event space” typically peak mid-November to mid-December. Optimize your Google Business profile and update photos.
Listings with fresh images typically receive more clicks and more calls on Google Business.
RUN AN INFLUENCER WEEK
Best for: Restaurants | E-Commerce | Hospitality
You don’t need a massive influencer budget, you need micro trust. 47% of marketers had success working with micro-influencers (Source: Later Influencer Report).
Host a 7-day takeover with different local creators each day. They get visibility, you get content and reach, no production required.
REWARD LOYALTY BEFORE CHASING NEW LEADS
Best for: All Industries
Your database is your most profitable audience.
Send a simple message via email or SMS: “You’ve supported us all year. Here’s something just for you.”
Track ROI by revenue, not likes.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Being late doesn’t mean being lost. It means you have to move smarter.
Stop chasing trends. Start using what you already own: your data, your audience, and your momentum.
At Golden Hour Co., we specialize in building integrated marketing systems that turn last-minute effort into measurable ROI, linking organic, paid, and PR into one tight execution plan.
Trending Stories
