A small business marketing calendar is a one-page plan that lists the dates your customers care about and the one thing you’ll publish for each. Below is a ready-to-use 2027 template with the major US holidays and observances already dated, plus a simple weekly rhythm that keeps it going.
You won’t post about every holiday. Seeing the year at a glance lets you plan promotions early, skip dates that don’t fit, and stop scrambling the week before Black Friday.
How to use this template
- Cross out what doesn’t fit. A plumber doesn’t need a Valentine’s post. A florist can’t skip it.
- Add your own dates. Your busy season, your business anniversary, local festivals, trade shows and your industry’s renewal or tax deadlines often matter more than national holidays.
- Pick one theme per month. One clear theme gives you something to write about without a blank page every week.
- Work back from each date. Promotions need lead time. Plan holiday offers four to six weeks ahead and start talking about them two weeks out.
The 2027 small business marketing calendar
Federal holiday dates below come from the US Office of Personnel Management 2027 federal holiday schedule. Where a holiday falls on a weekend, the observed weekday is noted, which matters if you’re posting closure hours.
| Month | Key 2027 dates | Content idea |
|---|---|---|
| January | New Year’s Day, Fri Jan 1; Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Mon Jan 18 | Goals for the year, a “start fresh” offer, your hours for the holiday |
| February | Valentine’s Day, Sun Feb 14; Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day), Mon Feb 15 | Customer appreciation, gift ideas, a long-weekend promotion |
| March | St. Patrick’s Day, Wed Mar 17; Easter, Sun Mar 28 | Spring cleaning or spring prep tips, Easter weekend hours |
| April | Earth Day, Thu Apr 22; end of tax season | A sustainability practice you follow, a “get organized” checklist |
| May | Mother’s Day, Sun May 9; Memorial Day, Mon May 31 | Gift guides, a Memorial Day remembrance post, summer kickoff |
| June | Juneteenth, Sat Jun 19 (observed Fri Jun 18); Father’s Day, Sun Jun 20 | Gift ideas, summer schedule, a mid-year customer survey |
| July | Independence Day, Sun Jul 4 (observed Mon Jul 5) | Holiday hours, a local community spotlight, summer promotion |
| August | Back-to-school season | Back-to-routine tips, a “get ready for fall” offer |
| September | Labor Day, Mon Sep 6 | Team spotlight, behind-the-scenes post, fall planning |
| October | Columbus Day, Mon Oct 11; Halloween, Sun Oct 31 | Seasonal promotion, announce holiday offers early |
| November | Veterans Day, Thu Nov 11; Thanksgiving, Thu Nov 25; Black Friday, Fri Nov 26; Small Business Saturday, Sat Nov 27; Cyber Monday, Mon Nov 29 | Thank-you post, holiday offers, a “why shop local” story |
| December | Christmas, Sat Dec 25 (observed Fri Dec 24); New Year’s Eve, Fri Dec 31 (also the federal observed day for New Year’s Day 2028, which falls on a Saturday) | Holiday hours, year in review, a preview of what’s coming in 2028 |
Circle Small Business Saturday. It’s held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, was founded by American Express, and the US Small Business Administration has supported it since 2011. In 2027 that’s November 27. If you sell to local customers, start planning your offer in October.
Before any of these dates, check the basics. The first thing we tell businesses to plan isn’t a holiday post. It’s a complete brand identity, not just a logo, and a logo file that’s high quality enough to use everywhere.
A simple weekly rhythm
A calendar tells you what to talk about. A rhythm makes sure it actually happens. This one takes about an hour a week once you’re used to it:
| Day | Task | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Check this week’s dates on the calendar and pick the week’s one message | 10 minutes |
| Tuesday | Write or finish one anchor piece: a blog post, email or detailed social post | 30 minutes |
| Wednesday | Cut the anchor piece into two or three short social posts | 10 minutes |
| Thursday | Reply to comments, reviews and messages | 10 minutes |
| Friday | Note what got a response, and jot down ideas for next week | 5 minutes |
If a week gets away from you, do Monday and Tuesday only. One good post a week, every week, beats a burst of ten followed by silence. Our guide to planning a month of small business marketing in one afternoon walks through batching a whole month at once if you prefer that approach.
Tips that make the calendar work
- Post holiday hours early. Update your website and Google Business Profile at least a week before any closure. Customers see those hours in Google Search and Maps, and Google’s guidance for its AI features says to keep your Business Profile up to date.
- Reuse what works. A post that did well in March can be refreshed for September. Keep a short “greatest hits” list.
- Keep a running idea file. Every customer question is a potential post. Write them down as they come in.
- Review quarterly. At the end of each quarter, look at which themes brought inquiries and adjust the next three months.
- Write for search, too. Helpful blog posts answer the questions customers type into search and ask AI tools. See Is Your Business Showing Up in ChatGPT? for how that works.
Turn the calendar into drafts faster
The hardest part of the weekly rhythm is Tuesday: getting from an idea to a finished draft. MyMarketingCompanion turns your notes, existing documents or a quick voice memo into blog post and social post drafts that start from your stored brand voice, so you start each week by editing instead of staring at a blank page, then schedule the finished posts across your channels from one calendar.
Frequently asked questions
What should a small business marketing calendar include?
Include the holidays and observances your customers care about, your own key dates such as busy seasons and anniversaries, one theme per month, and the one piece of content you plan to publish each week.
When is Small Business Saturday 2027?
Small Business Saturday is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In 2027 Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 25, so Small Business Saturday is November 27.
When is Black Friday 2027?
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. In 2027 that’s Friday, November 26, followed by Small Business Saturday on November 27 and Cyber Monday on November 29.
How far ahead should I plan holiday promotions?
Plan the offer four to six weeks ahead, and start mentioning it about two weeks before the date. For November promotions, that means planning in October.
Do I need to post about every holiday?
No. Pick the dates that fit your business and your customers. A few well-planned posts beat a stream of generic holiday greetings.
This article is general information for small businesses, not legal or professional advice.
