I want to talk about something that might sound a bit crazy at first - planning for Black Friday 2025 in January. Before you think I've lost it, let me share some context.

Shopify just reported some mind-blowing numbers: $11.5 billion in Black Friday weekend sales crushing last year's record of $9.3 billion.

But here's what most people miss - those massive results weren't built in November. They were built through careful planning and execution throughout the entire year.

Let me break down exactly how to start planning your Q4 success right now, and why it matters more than ever.

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1. Your Complete Sales Calendar

This is about way more than just marking Black Friday on your calendar. We need to map out every single promotional event for the year. Why? Because each sale builds upon the last, creating momentum toward Q4.

Think about it - each promotional event is a chance to:

• Test different messaging approaches

• Understand what creative resonates with your audience

• Build your customer base

• Refine your operational processes

• Gather data on what offers work best

By mapping these out now, we can work backwards to plan all the creative assets you'll need.

When do we need Mother’s Day graphics? How soon should we have those Black Friday ads be ready? What content needs to be produced for each sale?

These aren't decisions we want to make last-minute.

By putting together a full calendar of events, you are able to visualize all of your content needs.

2. Product Development Timeline

This is absolutely crucial and often overlooked. Are you launching new SKUs this year? Planning any major product releases? Even if the exact dates aren't set in stone, we need to know what's in the pipeline.

Here's a real example: If you're planning a May product launch, you might need:

• A photo shoot in February

• Video content produced in March

• Social assets ready by April

• Email sequences written and ready to go

• Ad creative tested and optimized before launch

Each of these elements takes time to execute properly. By planning them now, you can ensure they're not just done, but done right.

3. Brand Initiatives

This is where we think bigger picture. Maybe you're planning:

• A complete website refresh

• Targeting a new customer segment

• Repositioning your brand

• Updating your visual identity

• Expanding into new channels

Each of these initiatives needs significant content support. A website refresh isn't just about design - it needs new photos, new copy, maybe new video content. Brand repositioning requires a whole new creative strategy.

If you have any of these initiatives on your new year goals, talk to your content teams to prepare for things now.

4. Q4 Postmortem

Take a hard look at your last Q4:

• What creative assets performed best?

• Where did you run short on content?

• Which channels needed more support?

• What did you wish you had more of?

• Where did you have to compromise due to time constraints?

Use these insights to build your foundation starting now.

Everything you do from January to November is about building demand. Q4 is just about fulfilling that demand with your best offer.

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Success in Q4 2025 isn't about what you do in November. It's about the foundation you start building today. Every piece of content you create, every campaign you run, and every test you perform should be building toward your Q4 goals.

This might seem like overkill in January, but trust me - when November rolls around, you'll be thankful you put in the work now. The brands that crush it in Q4 are the ones that treat it as a year-long journey, not a three-month sprint.

This is something I want to do a better job of this year with our clients as we begin the new year.

Let's make 2025 your best Q4 yet.

Until then, keep creating!