Plan your 2026 marketing calendar in less than an hour

You don’t need a complicated strategy document to stay on top of your marketing next year.

You need a clear goal, a handful of channels, and a repeatable plan that fits around real work.

This guide is for you if:

• You’re busy and wear multiple hats

• Marketing keeps slipping to the bottom of your list

• You want a simple, practical structure you can actually follow

Grab a pen, your calendar, and 60 minutes. We’ll walk you through six easy steps that take ten minutes each.

Step 1: Choose one clear marketing goal 

Your calendar only works if it’s anchored to something specific.

Pick one primary goal for 2026:

• Increase new enquiries by X%

• Improve conversion from enquiry to booking by X%

• Reduce cancellations / no-shows by X%

• Grow recurring work or repeat bookings

• Launch or grow one key service or product 

Then choose one main metric that tells you if it’s working:

• Number of enquiries per month

• Number of bookings per week

• Number of completed jobs or projects per month

• Number of new clients on plans / subscriptions / retainers

Write a simple statement:

“In 2026, I want to [goal], and I’ll track it by [metric].”

 This becomes your filter. If an activity doesn’t help that number, it doesn’t get priority. 

Step 2: Map your busy and quiet seasons 

Most businesses have patterns across the year. Your marketing should follow them.

Take a single page and split it into four boxes:

• Q1: Jan–Mar

• Q2: Apr–Jun

• Q3: Jul–Sep

• Q4: Oct–Dec

Under each quarter, jot down:

1. Busy periods

• Times when you’re usually booked out or running close to capacity

• Seasonal spikes, project cycles, or known “rush” periods

2. Quiet or slower periods

• Months where enquiries or bookings usually drop

• Times when regular clients disappear (school holidays, long weekends, December/January, etc.)

3. Key dates that matter to you

• Public holidays

• Local events

• Industry events or awareness days

• Planned shutdowns or leave 

You’re not planning campaigns yet. You’re identifying:

• When to push for new work

• When to focus on retention and client care

• When to tidy up your online presence and systems

Step 3: Choose your 3 non-negotiable channels

You don’t need to be everywhere. You need to show up consistently in a few places your clients already use. 

For most small businesses, the essentials are:

1. Your website and search presence

• People type “[service] near me” or your business name

• Your website needs to be clear, current, and easy to act on

2. Google Business Profile

• Often the first thing people see in local search

• Needs up-to-date details, reviews, photos, and occasional posts

3. One main social platform

• Choose where your audience actually spends time (often Facebook or Instagram, sometimes LinkedIn)

• It’s better to do one well than three badly

Optional extras (only if you will realistically use them):

• Email newsletter (monthly or quarterly)

• LinkedIn for networking and referrals

• Physical materials (flyers, leave-behinds) for existing clients and partners

Circle three channels only. These are your focus for 2026. Everything in your calendar will plug into them.

Step 4: Set monthly themes for the year 

Now you’re going to sketch the spine of your marketing: one theme per month.

 Look back at the seasons you mapped in Step 2. Then create a simple table: 

MONTH	THEME	FOCUS
Jan	Reset and setup	Start-of-year checks, planning, new enquiries
Feb	Fix what’s been ignored	Jobs, tasks, or issues people have put off
Mar	Prep before it gets busy	Get in early before peak season hits
Apr	Home, family, lifestyle	School holidays, routines, family-focused messaging
May	Winter/seasonal prep	Prepare for the next season, prevent problems
Jun	EOFY tidy-up	Business improvements, claims, planning for next financial   year
Jul	Mid-year check-in	Reviews, progress, follow-ups
Aug	Common problems	FAQs, myths, and mistakes you see all the time
Sep	Spring refresh	Upgrades, improvements, getting ready for the end of year
Oct	Peak preparation	Lock in work before the rush
Nov	Last-minute fixes	Urgent work, final opportunities before holidays
Dec	Thank you and wrap-up	Gratitude, updates, next-year planning

 Adjust the themes so they fit your reality. The goal is simple:

• Each month has a clear focus

• You never sit down wondering “What should I talk about?”

Step 5: Turn themes into a simple content pattern

Now translate those themes into actions for each month.

For your main social platform:

• 1 x educational post

• Explain a common problem or question

• Example: “3 signs it’s time to review [X]”

• 1 x proof post

• Short case study, review, project highlight (respecting privacy as needed)

• Example: “How we helped a client with [situation]”

• 1 x reminder or offer post

• Encourage people to book, call, request a quote, or join a program

• Example: “Spots are filling for [month] – here’s how to secure yours”

• 1 x behind-the-scenes or values post

• Show how you work, your process, or your team

• Example: “What happens in your first appointment / first visit / first project”

For your Google Business Profile:

• 1–2 posts per month linked to the same theme

• At least one new photo per month (team, premises, work in progress, outcomes)

For your website or email (aim for one priority piece per quarter):

• Update one key service page

• Or publish one simple blog answering a common question

• Or send one email with:

• One useful tip

• One short story or example

• One clear call to action

The point is not volume. It’s consistency and clarity.

Step 6: Lock it in and assign owners

Now you turn ideas into habits.

1. Block recurring time

• One 60-minute block each month to plan and schedule content

• One 30-minute block each week to respond to messages, reviews, and comments

2. Assign responsibilities
   For each month, decide:

• Who gathers photos or stories

• Who writes or records content

• Who uploads and schedules it

• Who checks results against your main metric
  This might be you, a team member, or an external partner.

3. Create a simple working sheet
   Use a spreadsheet or shared document with columns like:

• Month

• Theme

• Channel (Website / Google / Social / Email)

• Content idea

• Owner

• Due date

• Status (Planned / In progress / Done) 

4. Build a basic asset library
   Gather in one place:

• 10–20 good images of your work, premises, or team

• Logo files and brand colours

• Short description of what you do and who you help

• Any standard phrases, disclaimers, or key message 

Once this is done, your 2026 marketing calendar is essentially built:

• You have one clear goal and metric

• You understand your busy and quiet periods

• You’ve chosen your main channels

• You’ve assigned a theme to every month

• You’ve set a repeatable content pattern

• You’ve booked time and assigned responsibility

That’s a practical, lightweight marketing plan you can follow without it taking over your week.

Don’t have the time? Give us a call.

Even ten minutes a day can be tricky to find. If you’d like help to get your marketing into shape in 2026, give us a call.

You bring the knowledge of your customers.
You get a clear, realistic marketing plan for 2026 that you can actually stick to.

Keen to give it a crack? Pop over to our DOWNLOAD PORTAL and grab a copy of our 2026 Monthly Marketing Planner and Marketing Overview Template. They’re completely free and completely useful!