The holiday season is the busiest marketing time of the year, and many small business owners find themselves scrambling to create campaigns, emails, social content, and ads.

This is where AI can become your secret weapon. With the right prompts, you can generate compelling holiday marketing content in minutes instead of hours.

That said, generic AI prompts won’t cut it. You need holiday-specific prompts tailored to your target audience for maximum relevancy.

Below, you’ll find actionable holiday marketing AI prompts for small businesses that are organized by channel—ready for you to customize and use right away.

3 quick tips for top-notch holiday AI prompts

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of the prompts themselves, let’s first go over some best practices for creating holiday marketing AI prompts that will help you work more efficiently, effectively, and spend less time re-writing AI-generated content.

Be specific with your holidays and promotions

Instead of asking for general “holiday content,” specify which holidays you’re promoting (Black Friday, Christmas, New Year’s, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa), your discount percentage, your product focus, and your target customer. Sometimes the tool will even ask you to be more specific because the prompt is too broad.

Include guidelines about your brand voice

Holiday marketing can get cheesy, and after a while, it all sounds the same. Use AI prompts that specify whether you want festive and fun, elegant and minimal, humorous, or sentimental. The more detailed you can be about your brand’s personality, the better the marketing content will turn out.

Pro tip: SomeAI tools, like Claude, let you customize your tone and even upload full brand voice guidelines (so you don’t have to do this every time you need a new prompt).

Always edit and personalize

AI is a starting point, not a finish line. Review all outputs, add specific details about your business, and ensure the tone matches your actual brand voice. This “human touch” is what turns AI drafts into content worth publishing.

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39 holiday AI prompts for all marketing channels

Multi-channel marketing is the key to holiday sales success. These prompts will help you succeed on social media, excel in email, and scale all your seasonal strategies.

Holiday AI prompts for social media

Social media is where most holiday shopping decisions happen. Use these marketing prompts to keep your followers engaged throughout the season.

Product promotion posts

Want to drive sales on specific products during the holidays? With these prompts, you can speed up ideation and iteration on the never-ending hamster wheel ofsocial media content that all small businesses need during the holiday shopping season.

Try these prompts to produce premier promotional posts:

• Write three Instagram carousel posts promoting my [product type] holiday sale. The sale is [discount percentage] off from [date] to [date]. My target audience is [describe audience], and my brand voice is [fun and playful, sophisticated and upscale]. Include relevant emojis and a strong call to action.
• Create five short-form TikTok or Instagram Reel script ideas featuring my [product or service]. Each should be 15-30 seconds long, emphasize how this product makes the perfect holiday gift, and include trending audio suggestions. My target audience is [age range/demographic].
• Write three Facebook posts announcing my holiday flash sale on [product category]. Include the sale details, scarcity messaging (limited quantity or time), and encourage sharing. Use a [casual/professional/humorous] tone.

Gift guide content

Gift guides are social media gold during the holidays. They help overwhelmed shoppers make decisions, position your products as solutions, and can be repurposed across multiple platforms.

The key is making your gift guides specific enough to be helpful—vague “holiday gift ideas” posts get scrolled past, but “gifts for the coffee obsessed under $30” stops thumbs mid-scroll.

Give AI these prompts to get gift guides that sell this season:

• Create a gift guide social media post series (5-7 posts) for my [industry] business. Each post should feature one gift idea under $[budget], explain why it’s a good holiday gift, include a link to the product, and use hashtags. My target audience is [describe audience].
• Write a holiday gift guide carousel post for Instagram featuring my top [number] bestsellers. For each product, include the name, price, and a brief description explaining who this gift is ideal for. Use a festive but [sophisticated/playful/trendy] tone.
• Create a ‘Gifts for [the tech lover, the homebody, the fitness enthusiast]’ social media post for my [industry] business. Feature 3-4 products from my store, explain why each is a perfect match for this person, and include price points. Make it helpful, not salesy.
• Write a ‘stocking stuffer’ gift guide post featuring items from my [industry] business under $[price point]. Include 5-6 product suggestions with brief descriptions. Use a fun, festive tone and include relevant hashtags like #stockingstuffers and #giftideas.
• Create a ‘last-minute gift ideas’ social media post series (3 posts) for procrastinators. Each post should highlight [products/services] from my [industry] business that can be purchased/delivered quickly. Include urgency without being pushy, and mention shipping deadlines or digital delivery options.
• Write a luxury gift guide post for my [industry] business featuring premium items over $[price point]. Position these as ‘splurge-worthy gifts’ or ‘gifts for someone special.’ Include 4-5 products with elegant descriptions that justify the higher price points.
• Create a ‘Gifts by personality type’ carousel series for Instagram (4-6 posts). Include categories like: The Adventurer, The Homebody, The Foodie, The Minimalist. Match products from my [industry] business to each personality with short, relatable descriptions.
• Write a ‘Secret Santa gift ideas’ post for my [industry] business with items in the [X]−[X]- [X]−[X] range. Include 6-8 options that work for coworkers or acquaintances you don’t know super well. Make the tone light and helpful.
• Create a ‘Gifts that give back’ social media post featuring products from my [industry] business where a portion of proceeds goes to [charity/cause], or products that are eco-friendly/sustainable. Explain the impact and why these make meaningful gifts.

Holiday giveaway and engagement posts

Looking to drive engagement this holiday season? Encourage people to share and engage in the comments section with an incentive structure like a giveaway or a discussion prompt like these:

• Write a social media caption for my holiday Instagram giveaway. We’re giving away [describe prize]. To enter, followers should [follow, like, tag a friend]. Make it exciting and include relevant holiday emojis and hashtags.
• Create a ‘user-generated content‘ prompt post encouraging my followers to share photos of themselves using my [product] during the holidays. Offer a

. Write the caption in a [brand voice] tone.- Write a ’12 Days of Giveaways’ announcement post for my [industry] business. Explain that we’ll be giving away a prize each day from [start date] to [end date], how to enter, and what followers can win. Build excitement and encourage them to turn on post notifications.

• Create an engagement post asking my followers to comment with their [favorite holiday tradition, dream gift, holiday movie]. Include how I’ll choose [number] random commenters to win [prize]. Keep it conversational and fun.
• Write a ‘Tag someone who needs this’ holiday post featuring my [product]. The caption should be relatable, slightly humorous, and encourage tagging. Include a holiday discount code as an incentive for both the tagger and the person tagged.
• Create a holiday poll or ‘this or that’ post for Instagram Stories that engages my followers while subtly showcasing my products. For example: ‘Hot cocoa or mulled wine?’ ‘Ugly sweater party or elegant dinner?’ Include 3-4 poll ideas and brief explanations of how each relates to my [industry] business.

Seasonal Story content

Instagram and Facebook Stories are perfect for holiday marketing because they’re temporary, casual, and highly engaging. Unlike feed posts that need to be polished and evergreen, Stories let you show the human side of your business—the chaos of packing holiday orders, quick tips, real-time updates, and authentic moments.

They’re also algorithm-friendly and appear at the top of your followers’ feeds. Use these prompts to create a Story series that keeps your audience engaged throughout the entire holiday season:

• Write a series of 6-8 short social media posts (ideal for Instagram Stories or Facebook) counting down the days to [Christmas, New Year’s]. Each post should highlight a different product, promotion, or fun holiday fact related to my [industry].
• Create a ‘Behind the scenes of holiday prep’ Story series (5 posts) for my [industry] business. Show customers what goes into preparing for the holiday rush—packing orders, decorating the store/office, restocking bestsellers, etc. Write captions that feel authentic and build a connection with my audience.
• Write a ‘Holiday survival tips’ Instagram Story series (7-10 slides) relevant to my [industry]. For example, if I sell kitchenware, I can include tips for hosting stress-free holiday dinners. Each slide should include one actionable tip and subtly connect to products I sell. Use a helpful, friendly tone.
• Create a ‘Holiday FAQ’ Story series answering the top 5-7 questions my customers ask during the holidays. Questions like: What are your holiday shipping deadlines? Do you offer gift wrapping? What are your return policies? Write clear, concise answers for each slide.
• Write an ‘Employee holiday favorites’ Story series (4-6 posts) where team members at my [industry] business share their favorite products from our store and why. Include the employee’s name, their pick, and a personal reason why they love it. Make it feel genuine and relatable.
• Create a ‘Holiday gift wrap tutorial’ or ‘How to use [product]’ Story series (5-8 slides) that provides value while showcasing my products. Break down the steps clearly with text overlays for each slide. End with a CTA to shop or DM for more info.

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AI prompts for holiday email marketing

Email marketing is where the real holiday revenue happens. Use these AI prompts to build an email campaign strategy that drives conversions.

Subject line ideas

Your subject line determines whether your holiday email gets opened or ignored. During the holidays, inboxes are flooded with promotional messages, so your subject lines need to stand out while clearly communicating value.

These prompts will help you generate subject lines that cut through the noise and get clicks:

• Brainstorm 15 holiday email subject lines for my [industry] business. The email announces a [percentage] discount holiday sale running from [date] to [date]. Include emojis in some options but not others. All subject lines should be under 50 characters. My brand voice is [describe].
• Generate 10 email subject lines specifically for a Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaign from my [industry] business. Include a mix of urgency, FOMO, playful, and benefit-driven angles. Make sure none include spam trigger words.
• Create five subject lines for a year-end email to my best, most loyal customers. The email thanks them for their business last year and offers them early access to a [holiday promotion]. Use a warm, grateful tone.
• Write eight New Year’s-themed subject lines that encourage customers to [desired action like refresh their wardrobe, start a new routine, upgrade their setup]. Avoid clichés. Make them feel fresh and inspiring.

Seasonal email campaign ideas

A single holiday email won’t cut it. You need a strategic email sequence that guides customers from awareness to purchase—and ideally turns them into repeat buyers. The bestholiday email campaigns tell a story over time, building urgency and value with each send.

These prompts will help you map out complete campaigns rather than one-off messages, so you’re not scrambling to figure out what to send next:

• Create a five-email holiday campaign outline for my [industry] business. Include email topics, ideal send dates/times, key messages for each email, and calls to action. My goal is to [drive holiday sales, build goodwill, increase email subscribers].
• Write promotional email copy for my [holiday open house, gift wrapping service, holiday party package]. Include event details, what attendees will experience, a deadline for registration/booking, and a strong CTA. Create a three-email follow-up series.
• Generate subject lines and brief preview text for a ‘last chance’ holiday email sent on [date]. We’re offering [promotion details]. Make it feel urgent without being pushy. Include [number] different variations.

AI prompts for your holiday content strategy

The holidays don’t leave room for winging it. You need a clear plan that maps out what you’re posting, when you’re sending emails, and how all your marketing efforts work together. Without a strategy, you’ll miss key shopping dates, create content gaps, and end up rushing last-minute campaigns that underperform.

These prompts help you build a complete holiday marketing roadmap before the chaos begins:

• Create a December marketing calendar for my [industry] business. Include key shopping dates (Black Friday, Cyber Monday, holiday shipping deadlines), content ideas, promotional campaigns, and email sends. Align all tactics with my goal to [business goal].
• Suggest ten content ideas for my holiday blog and social media that would resonate with [describe target audience] in my [industry]. Include a mix of gift guides, how-to posts, customer stories, and festive content. Provide post titles and brief descriptions.
• Write a holiday social media content calendar outline (4 weeks) for my [industry] business. Include 3-4 posts per week, organized by theme: week 1 [theme], week 2 [theme], etc. Include content types (carousel, video, static image, user-generated) and posting days/times.

AI prompts for holiday design and visual content

Holiday marketing is visual. Your graphics, photos, and videos need to stop the scroll, communicate your message instantly, and feel cohesive across every platform. But if you’re not a designer, knowing what to create—or how to brief a designer—can be tough.

These AI prompts for images help you generate specific visual concepts and design direction that align with your brand and resonate with your audience:

• Suggest 5-7 visual content ideas for my holiday marketing campaign. My [industry] business is promoting [product/service]. I want to create content that [feels festive, showcases products, tells customer stories]. Include specific video, photo, and graphic concepts.
• I’m creating a holiday email and social media graphic. Please describe the visual design I should use. My brand colors are [colors]. My audience is [describe]. I want the design to feel [minimal and modern, warm and festive, luxury and elegant]. Include specific suggestions for imagery, layout, and typography.
• Write a holiday marketing tagline/slogan for my [industry] business to use across all campaigns. It should be [word count], memorable, and capture [the spirit of gift-giving, smart holiday shopping, family time]. Suggest three variations.

AI prompts for performance and optimization

Creating content is only half the battle—you also need to know what’s working and what’s not. AI can help you identify the metrics that actually matter for your goals, and adjust your strategy based on data rather than guesswork.

These prompts turn AI into your marketing analyst, helping you make smarter decisions throughout the holiday season:

• Analyze what makes successful holiday content for [industry] businesses. Based on industry benchmarks, what types of posts, subject lines, and ad copy typically perform best during November and December? How should I adjust my strategy?
• What are the key metrics I should track for my holiday marketing campaign? My business is in [industry], and my main goals are [goals]. Help me set realistic benchmarks and explain which metrics matter most.

Use these marketing AI prompts to work smarter, not harder, this holiday season

Holiday marketing moves fast. The prompts above give you a foundation, but remember to customize them with your specific business details, promotion dates, product names, audience descriptions, and brand voice. The more specific you are in your prompt, the better your AI output will be.

Always review and edit AI-generated content. Add specific numbers from your business (discount percentages, product prices, real customer names), fact-check details, and ensure nothing contradicts your actual policies or offerings. This is what separates forgettable content from content that converts.

Finally, test everything. Try different subject lines, ad angles, and social media post types. Use this holiday season to gather data on what resonates with your customers—insights you can use to refine your AI prompts and marketing strategy for years to come.

Now, go create. Your busy holiday season just got a lot more manageable.