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Email marketing calendar
Plan every campaign, newsletter and flow change for your busiest months in one table. Edit the worked example for a small online shop, then download it for Google Sheets or Excel.
This email marketing calendar is for small online shops that write and send their own emails. It covers campaigns, newsletters, launches and the changes your automated flows need at busy times of year.
Start with the example for November and December, then overwrite each row with your own dates, segments and offers. Keep one row per email, update the status as you go and download the table when you want to share it.
| Send date | Type | Audience or segment | Subject line | Offer | Goal | Status | Remove row |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3 Nov 2026 | Launch | All subscribers | The winter collection is here: five new scents | Free gift wrap on the new collection | Launch the winter range and get early orders in | Sent | |
| Tue 10 Nov 2026 | Newsletter | All subscribers | How to make a candle burn evenly and last longer | None. Helpful content only | Keep the list engaged before Black Friday | Sent | |
| Mon 16 Nov 2026 | Flow update | Abandoned basket and welcome flows | Your basket is saved, and there is still time for Christmas | No discount. Christmas delivery dates added | Recover more baskets during the busiest weeks | Scheduled | |
| Thu 26 Nov 2026 | Campaign | Past customers and subscribers who clicked in the last 90 days | Early access: 25% off starts now | 25% off everything, a day before the public sale | Reward loyal customers and spread orders over two days | Scheduled | |
| Fri 27 Nov 2026 | Campaign | All subscribers | Black Friday: 25% off everything | 25% off everything until the end of Cyber Monday | Drive Black Friday sales from the whole list | Scheduled | |
| Sun 29 Nov 2026 | Campaign | Clicked a Black Friday email but did not buy | Your favourites are still 25% off | 25% off everything | Convert interested subscribers before the sale ends | Drafted | |
| Mon 30 Nov 2026 | Campaign | All subscribers except Black Friday buyers | Cyber Monday: last day for 25% off | 25% off until midnight | Final push before the sale closes | Drafted | |
| Thu 3 Dec 2026 | Newsletter | All subscribers | The gift guide: a candle for everyone on your list | Free gift wrap on orders over £35 | Sell gift sets at full price | Drafted | |
| Mon 14 Dec 2026 | Campaign | Subscribers who have not ordered since 1 December | Order by 17 December for Christmas delivery | Free standard delivery on orders over £40 | Bring orders forward before the standard delivery cut-off | Idea | |
| Fri 18 Dec 2026 | Flow update | Post-purchase flow (every December customer) | How was your order from Thimble & Wick? | None. Reviews are never incentivised | Collect honest reviews by moving requests until after Christmas | Idea | |
| Sun 20 Dec 2026 | Campaign | Engaged subscribers who have not ordered this month | Last chance: express delivery until 21 December | Express delivery available at checkout | Catch late shoppers before the express cut-off | Idea | |
| Tue 22 Dec 2026 | Campaign | Subscribers who have not ordered this month | Too late to post? Send an e-gift card in minutes | E-gift cards from £10 | Keep selling after the delivery cut-off | Idea | |
| Mon 28 Dec 2026 | Campaign | VIP customers (two or more orders) | VIP preview: the January sale opens early for you | Early access to the January sale from 30 December | Reward the best customers and clear winter stock | Idea | |
| Thu 31 Dec 2026 | Campaign | All subscribers | The January sale starts tomorrow | Up to 40% off winter scents from 1 January | Build interest and clear seasonal stock | Idea |
Edit any cell. Your changes save in this browser. The CSV opens in Google Sheets (File, Import) or Excel.
How to fill it in.
What each part is for, so the sheet stays useful all year.
Start with the dates you cannot move: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, your last order dates for Christmas delivery and the start of your January sale. Then space your other sends around them.
Write who each email goes to, not just all subscribers by default. Simple segments, such as past customers or people who clicked but did not buy, make emails more relevant and keep complaints down.
Seeing every subject line in one column helps you spot repetition across a busy month. Keep them clear and specific, and test two versions on your biggest sends if your platform allows it.
Pick one job for every email, such as sales, sign-ups or reviews, so you know what to measure afterwards. Move the status from Idea to Sent as you go.
Download the calendar as a CSV for Google Sheets or Excel. After each send, add clicks, orders and revenue in extra columns so next year's plan starts from real results.
Tips.
What makes the difference when you put it to work.
- Plan backwards from your last order dates. Check your courier's published Christmas cut-offs, set your own a day or two earlier, and add the reminder emails first.
- Check your sending set-up before the busy season. Gmail and Yahoo require bulk senders to have SPF, DKIM and DMARC in place, offer one-click unsubscribe and keep spam complaints under 0.3%.
- Do not send every email to everyone. Leave recent buyers out of sale reminders and send extra reminders only to people who clicked, so you stay welcome in inboxes.
- Update your automated flows as well as your campaigns. Welcome, abandoned basket and post-purchase emails should mention current delivery dates and offers, then switch back in January.
- If you would rather hand it over, Infinity plans, writes and builds email campaigns and automations for online shops.
Questions, answered.
What is an email marketing calendar?
An email marketing calendar is a schedule of the emails you plan to send, with dates, audiences, subject lines and offers. It covers one-off campaigns as well as changes to automated flows. It helps you avoid sending too much, or too little, at busy times.
How many emails should I send over Black Friday?
There is no fixed number. A common pattern is an early access email, a launch email, a reminder to people who clicked and a last-chance email on Cyber Monday. Leave out people who have already bought, and watch unsubscribes and spam complaints: if they rise, send less.
When should I send Christmas last order date emails?
Send a reminder a few days before your standard delivery cut-off and another before your express cut-off. Courier dates change each year, so check their published dates and set your own a little earlier to allow time for packing. After the last date, promote e-gift cards or local collection instead.
Can I email customers who have not signed up to my newsletter?
Under the soft opt-in in PECR, you can email existing customers about similar products if you collected their details during a sale and gave them a clear chance to opt out, then and in every email. For anyone else you need their consent. Every marketing email must include an unsubscribe link.
Does this calendar work with Klaviyo, Mailchimp or Shopify Email?
Yes. The calendar is a planning tool, so it works alongside any email platform. Plan your sends here, build and schedule each one in your platform, then update the status column.
Related free resources.
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