Why I Plan My Marketing 2 Months Ahead (And You Should Too)

Holiday marketing feels easier when it’s done early. Here’s why I plan my seasonal marketing 8 weeks ahead, and how you can too, one week at a time.

Let’s Talk About Future Me (She’s Kind of My Favorite)

Can I tell you something a little goofy? I LOVE doing nice things for Future Me!

You know that feeling when you open the freezer and there’s a casserole you made weeks ago and totally forgot about? Dinner is DONE and you didn’t have to do a thing. That’s the feeling I chase with my marketing.

When a holiday rolls around and my pins are already out there working, my emails are already written, and my graphics are already sitting in a folder with a cute little name... marketing doesn’t feel overwhelming anymore. It feels like I’m just showing up to a party I already planned. Instead of “OH NO, Valentine’s Day is FRIDAY,” it’s “Oh look, Valentine’s Day. I’ve got this.”

And honestly? After years of doing it the other way (the night-before, three-cups-of-coffee, why-didn’t-I-start-sooner way), I’m never going back!

So this post is my big “why.” It’s the reason every single post in my new weekly Seasonal Marketing series shows up about two months before the holiday it covers. If you’ve ever clicked on one of those posts and thought, “Tara, it’s OCTOBER, why are you talking about Christmas?”... this is for you. 😉

Reason #1: Nothing Works Overnight (No Matter What the Internet Promises)

Here’s the part nobody likes to hear... most marketing doesn’t work in a day or two. It just doesn’t.

Google, Etsy, and Pinterest need time to find you

Search-based platforms are a lot like a slow cooker. You can’t throw the ingredients in at 5:45 and expect dinner at 6:00.

In my experience, things need to be out there circulating for about 6 to 8 weeks before Google, Etsy, and Pinterest really start to notice them. That’s because:

• Pinterest needs time to figure out what your pin is about, who to show it to, and when. Seasonal pins especially need a head start. Pinners start searching and saving holiday ideas WAY before the holiday, so if your pin goes up the week of, you’ve missed the whole saving season.
• Google has to find your post, figure out where it fits, and decide whether it deserves a spot in the results. That takes a while, especially for newer posts.
• Etsy search works similarly. New and updated listings need some time to build up views and favorites before they settle into a good spot.

So if you publish your Christmas post on December 20th? Bless your heart, but Google and Pinterest are probably going to get around to it right about... January! 🙃

Humans need time too (hello, Rule of 7)

For everything else (Facebook, Instagram, your email list, your shop window), there’s a piece of old-school marketing wisdom called the Rule of 7. The idea is that people need to see your message about seven times before they really notice it and think about acting on it.

Is it exactly seven every time? Nope. Some people need three, some need twelve. But the point stands... one post on the day of your sale is NOT enough. People are busy. They scroll past. They mean to come back and forget. They see it, think “ooh, nice,” and then the dog barks and it’s gone.

Starting early gives you room to show up again and again in a friendly, not-pushy way, so by the time your sale or launch goes live, your people already know it’s coming. And they’re ready. Back in my sales days, the deal rarely closed on the first call. Marketing works the same way.

Reason #2: I’m WAY More Creative When I’m Not Under the Gun

Can we just be honest for a minute? Nobody has ever had their best idea while panicking.

When I’m trying to pull together a marketing plan that has to go out TODAY... ugh. My brain goes into survival mode. I grab the first idea I think of, I make a graphic that’s “fine,” I write an email that sounds like a robot wrote it, and I hit send while muttering “good enough.”

But when I’ve got eight weeks? Oh, that’s a whole different story.

• I have time to brainstorm, toss out the boring ideas, and keep the fun ones.
• I can play with colors, try a few photo setups, and actually enjoy making my graphics.
• I can order supplies or stock without paying for rush shipping (because THAT never feels good).
• I can sleep on an idea and come back to it with fresh eyes.
• And if life happens (and it always does), I have wiggle room instead of a meltdown.

Creativity needs space to breathe. Giving yourself two months is how you give it that space!

Reason #3: Your Customers Are Planning Ahead, So You Should Too

Here’s something that surprises a lot of small business owners... your customers aren’t waiting until the last minute either.

Shoppers start searching, saving, and dreaming weeks before a holiday. They’re building gift lists, pinning party ideas, and bookmarking that shop they want to come back to. If your stuff isn’t out there while they’re in that planning mode, you’re not even in the running when they’re finally ready to buy.

Planning two months ahead puts you right where your customers already are. Instead of shouting “BUY NOW!” at the last second, you’re the helpful friend who showed up with great ideas right when they were looking for them.

How the Seasonal Marketing Series Helps You Do This (Without Doing It All Alone)

Okay, here’s the fun part. Knowing you should plan ahead is one thing. Actually doing it every week, for every holiday, while running a business? That’s the hard part.

That’s exactly why I created the Marketing Artfully Seasonal Marketing series. Every week, I publish one post about an upcoming holiday, season, or event, timed about two months before it happens. So when you read it, you’re right on schedule. No math required.

Each post follows the same simple format, so you always know where to find what you need. Here’s what’s inside and why each piece matters for a solid marketing plan:

💬 The Talky-Talk

Every post starts with me rambling a little (you’re welcome!) It might be a memory, a confession, or a funny story about the holiday. This part isn’t just fluff. It’s a reminder that real people buy from real people, and that your own stories are some of your best marketing.

⏰ Why We’re Talking About This Now

A quick reminder of the two-month rule (with a link back to this info on EVERY POST, you’ll get to know this page pretty well!)

🎉 The Event Breakdown

What the holiday is, when it is, who celebrates it, and whether it actually makes sense for your business. Not every holiday is right for every brand, and that’s okay! This section also includes my “Don’t Be Weird” Guide, a few do’s and don’ts so you can join the fun without accidentally stepping on toes.

And then there’s my favorite part...

📊 The Weird-O-Meter

Every event gets a score from 1 to 5 based on how easy it is to market without it feeling cringe:

• 🟢 1 – Totally Normal: Everyone’s doing it, so jump right in. (Christmas, Mother’s Day)
• 🟡 2 – Slightly Quirky: Fun and easy with a little creativity. (National Donut Day)
• 🟠 3 – Proceed With Personality: Works great if it fits your brand. (Talk Like a Pirate Day)
• 🔴 4 – Tread Lightly: Focus on honoring the day, not selling. (Memorial Day, MLK Day)
• 🟣 5 – Full Weirdo: Only for the bold, but legendary when it lands. (April Fools’ Day)

This little scale helps you decide fast whether to go all in, add a light touch, or sit this one out.

🗓️ The 8-Week Countdown

A simple timeline you can follow so you’re never scrambling:

• Weeks 8–7: Brainstorm and plan
• Weeks 6–5: Create graphics and pins, write your emails
• Weeks 4–3: Schedule everything and start pinning
• Weeks 2–1: Promote and tease
• Event week: Go live and engage

See how pinning starts around weeks 4 to 3? That’s when your pins start circulating so Pinterest has time to pick them up before the big day.

🎨 The Campaign Kit

This is where we roll up our sleeves. Everything builds on the piece before it:

• Color palette with hex codes, so all your graphics match and look polished
• Image ideas you can shoot yourself with things you probably already have
• AI image prompts for Pinterest (tall 2:3) and Facebook (square or 4:5)
• Caption hooks you can steal (I won’t tell)
• Email subject lines for your own newsletter
• Hashtags and keywords: a hashtag set for Instagram and Facebook, plus a keyword list for Pinterest (because Pinterest runs on keywords in your titles and descriptions, not hashtags!)

💡 Ideas by Business Type

Three fun ideas each for service businesses, e-commerce shops, and content creators, plus a ✅ Do It Today action item or two, so you can make progress the same day you read the post.

🎁 The Wrap-Up

A quick recap, a book recommendation tied to the week’s theme, and a reminder to pin the post so you can find it again.

Why This Format Makes Marketing Easier All Year

When you put it all together, you get a whole year of marketing that’s already mapped out. Here’s why that matters:

1. You stop reinventing the wheel. Same structure every week means less thinking and more doing.
2. You build momentum. Small steps every week add up to a full marketing calendar without one giant overwhelming planning day.
3. Your marketing looks consistent. A planned color palette and steady posting make your brand look put-together (even when you’re in your pajamas!)
4. You show up when it matters. Your pins, posts, and emails are already out there when your customers start searching.
5. You get to enjoy the holidays. Imagine actually eating the turkey instead of writing a Black Friday email at the table. Revolutionary!

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming up

• Green Monday (Dec 14): How small shops can win the last-minute holiday rush
• Christmas (Dec 25): 12 Days of Christmas marketing, plus a free printable planner
• After-Christmas week: Turning gift cards and returns into new customers
• New Year’s Day: Launching something fresh in January
• Get Organized Month: Decluttering your inbox, files, and marketing (free checklist!)

...and the list keeps going all year long, from Pi Day and Earth Day to Talk Like a Pirate Day and Giving Tuesday. 🏴‍☠️

How to Get Started This Week

You don’t have to plan your whole year today. Just start here:

✅ Do It Today: Grab a calendar and circle the holidays that make sense for YOUR business over the next three months. Then count back eight weeks from each one and write “START” on that date.

✅ Bonus: Sign up for the newsletter so each week’s plan lands right in your inbox, perfectly timed. No remembering required.

Wrap-Up: Thank You, Past Me! 💛

Let’s recap why I plan my marketing two months ahead:

• Future Me deserves nice things. Doing the work early makes the holidays feel calm instead of chaotic.
• Nothing works overnight. Google, Etsy, and Pinterest need 6 to 8 weeks to notice your content, and people need to see your message several times before they act.
• Creativity needs breathing room. My best ideas show up when I’m not panicking.
• Your customers plan ahead. Meet them while they’re searching and saving.

So here’s what I picture: it’s the week of the holiday, my pins are bringing in traffic, my emails are going out on their own, and sales are coming in. And I get to sit back with a cup of coffee and say, “Thanks, Past Me, for doing all this work to make our sales better this year!”

Let’s make Future You just as happy. 🥰

📚 This Week’s Book Recommendation

If this whole “plan ahead” idea is clicking for you, check out The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington. It’s all about getting more done by thinking in shorter, focused stretches instead of big, fuzzy annual goals. It pairs beautifully with the 8-week countdown!

🎧 Prefer to listen while you work (or fold laundry, or drive the grandkids to the park)? You can grab it on Audible here: marketingartfully.com/audiobooks

📌 Pin This for Later!

Save this post to your Marketing or Small Business board so you can come back anytime you need a reminder of WHY you’re starting early. (Future You will thank you!)