A D-30 to D+3 countdown for small sellers before 11.11 and 12.12, with chat reply templates, countdown captions and a margin check before you discount.
Preparing your shop for 11.11 and 12.12 does not take a big shop's budget. It takes a clear order of work. This article is a countdown checklist from D-30 to D+3, where D is the campaign day. By the end you can open your calendar, note the date of each step in your phone, and know what to do today. It comes with chat reply templates, countdown captions and a margin formula you can copy and adapt.
Key takeaways
- Start at D-30 with stock and the margin formula, then posts, chat and packing.
- Decide discount conditions in advance and use one set of saved replies everywhere.
- After the campaign, follow up with customers and note the numbers for 12.12.
NoteCalendar dates checked 24 Oct 2026
Calendar dates checked on 24 October 2026: 11.11 is Wednesday 11 November and 12.12 is Saturday 12 December. Campaign conditions, fees and sign-up methods differ by platform and change from year to year, so this article states no platform rules. Check the real start date and conditions in the seller centre or announcement page of the platform you sell on. If you start later than D-30, begin at the nearest step you can still make.
The countdown calendar for 11.11 and 12.12
The campaign dates are fixed. 11.11 is 11 November 2026 (a Wednesday) and 12.12 is 12 December 2026 (a Saturday). The table turns them into a date for each step.
The date of each step for 11.11 and 12.12
Scroll the table sideways to see the remaining columns
D-30 for 12.12 is the day after 11.11. If you plan for both, use D+3 to D+7 of 11.11 to review results and prepare for 12.12 at the same time.
NoteBuyers: a hypothesis
Before a big campaign, some buyers may leave items in their cart, message more about discounts and delivery times, and compare several shops before buying. Treat this as a hypothesis to check with your own data, not a fact for every shop.
An easy check is to look back at your chat and post views from last campaign, or read how to read social analytics and decide where to invest.
D-30 to D-15: check stock and margin before discounting
You do not need to post anything yet. The main job is to know your own numbers, starting with stock and the products in the campaign.
Stock and products
Done 0/5
Before setting a discount, know what is left after a sale. Use this formula for each group and fill in real numbers.
Profit per item formula
ExampleDessert shop
Invented numbers to show the method; use your shop's real ones. Discounted price 250 baht − product cost 100 − packing 10 − fees 20 − shipping you cover 30 = 90 baht profit per item. Take real fees from the latest fee page of the platform you use, since they change.
If the result is negative, reduce the discount or offer a free gift instead. If it is very thin, decide now whether you accept it, for example a small loss to bring in new customers who then add regular items to the same order. Make this decision today, not once the campaign is running.
Next, decide your discount conditions ahead of time, for example a discount on campaign day only, a gift above a set spend, or free shipping on multiple items. Write the conditions as short sentences in a note, so you can paste identical wording into captions and chat.
D-14: prepare a set of 10 posts in advance
Two weeks out is the time to shoot and write everything. On campaign day you can then answer customers instead of thinking of captions.
The 10 posts
Done 0/10
Use this template as the frame for countdown captions.
Countdown caption
ExampleHome-baked treats
7 days to 11.11. We have twin-box brownies ready, and a handwritten card comes with every twin box. Starts Wednesday 11 Nov at 10:00. See which flavours are open in the "11.11" highlight. Numbers and dates in the example are invented; put your own shop's details in.
Shoot everything in one day with the same background and light. A matching set makes a shop look ready. Before shooting, check that products are clean and that any text in the image is correct, since it is hard to fix after posting.
12.12 is followed by Christmas, so you can prepare those captions at the same time with Christmas Captions for Shops with a December Promo Plan.
To help your posts get seen from the first announcement, read about the signals platforms take from posts in likes, comments and saves: which signals matter.
D-7: set up chat, packing and links
The last week before the day is for testing that everything works. Start with saved replies for questions that will be asked over and over on the day. Keep them in a note or your chat app's saved-reply feature. These are invented examples for a home-baked treats shop.
When a customer first messages, use this.
Greeting and asking what they want
When they ask about the promotion:
Discount conditions
When they ask when it will arrive:
Delivery time
When an item sells out mid-campaign:
Sold out
Once the order has shipped:
Tracking number
The delivery reply warns about courier delays in advance, which cuts repeat questions and frustration. If a real problem appears, tell the truth early. Do not wait for the customer to ask.
Packing and links
Done 0/8
D-3 to D-day: rehearse, schedule and plan the day
The last three days are not for adding new work. They are for rehearsing and scheduling.
Rehearse before the day
Done 0/5
If the shop is just you
Plan clearly when to post, when to answer chat, when to pack and when to rest. This is an invented example, so adjust the times to when your customers are online.
Morning: post the opening announcement and answer waiting chats
Late morning: mostly chat, and post hero product one
Lunch: keep answering chat and post a story saying the sale is on
Afternoon: pack confirmed orders and answer chat
Evening: post hero product two and say how much time is left (if true)
Night: clear the remaining chats and tally the day's orders
If you have helpers
Split into three roles and write a name next to each.
Chat: answers customers with saved replies, passes hard cases to the owner
Packing: packs, adds address labels, hands to the courier and sends tracking numbers
Posting and stock check: posts on schedule, checks remaining stock and updates when something sells out
All day, update your posts or highlights as soon as an item sells out, screenshot problem chats in case you need to review them later, and note the questions customers ask most for a Q&A post in the 12.12 round.
D+1 to D+7: follow up, ask for reviews, review results
After-campaign work matters as much as before, because this is when a one-time buyer can become a regular. From D+1 to D+3, check that every order shipped and has a tracking number, clear all pending chats, then post a thank-you and mention the next round.
Thank-you after shipping
From D+4 to D+7, ask for reviews from customers who have received their order. Ask politely, do not push, and do not trade gifts for a full score. Turn common questions into a post or permanent highlight. Sum up orders, best sellers, items that did not move, messages received and problems, and note what you will do differently for 12.12.
Review request
Summary table: what should be done by when
A short sheet you can save.
ArticleNew Online Shop, Zero Sales: How to Win Your First Orders from Social MediaYour product posts get silence because people haven't seen you and don't yet trust you. Here is what to fix before spending on ads, so every selling post works.What should be finished at each step
Scroll the table sideways to see the remaining columns
Common mistakes when preparing for a campaign
These five are where shops most often slip, set against what to do instead.
Do
Work out profit per item before setting any discount
Check real stock before saying an item is available
Use one set of saved replies everywhere so conditions match and chat keeps up
Test the links before campaign day
Make a schedule, estimate how many orders you can handle in a day, and note the results for next time
Don't
Set the discount first and find out mid-campaign that nothing is left
Let posts say it is available when it is gone, and lose customers who may not return
Type every reply from scratch; the caption says one thing and chat another
Leave a broken link live and lose buyers ready to pay
Do everything alone with no schedule, ship late, draw complaints and forget to measure
Note the results every time and use them to prepare for 12.12 and next year
How many days before a campaign should I start?
Start at D-30 if you can. That gives time to check stock, shoot photos and test systems. If you have less, start with the margin formula and saved replies, which prevent the most damage.
Should a small shop with few products join both 11.11 and 12.12?
Decide from your stock and packing capacity, not from a feeling that you must. If stock or people are short, one campaign done well beats two with late shipping.
How big should the discount be?
There is no right number for every shop. Let the profit-per-item formula decide. Discount only as far as the shop still keeps a margin you accept, or use gifts, free shipping or bundles instead of a straight discount.
What if I have no helper and cannot handle the orders?
Cap the number of orders per day, or open in rounds and say so clearly. Customers accept waiting if told in advance, but not silence.
Do I need video, or are photos enough?
Either works. If you have time, a short clip of the product or the packing shows the shop is real. If time is short, clear photos with complete information beat a rushed clip.
What should I do after the campaign ends?
Clear pending chats, check that everything shipped, ask politely for reviews, sum up the numbers and note what to do differently next round. Most shops skip this part, but it pays back the most over time.
Summary
Open your calendar and note the D-30 to D+3 dates for the campaign your shop will join. Then work in order: stock and margin first, posts in advance, chat and packing systems, rehearsal and scheduling. On the day, answer chat by schedule. Afterwards follow up with customers and review the results. A small shop can be well prepared without a big shop's budget.
Article12 Sales Caption Formulas for Online Shops, With Fill-in-the-Blank Thai ExamplesTwelve fill-in-the-blank caption formulas for online sellers, each with a finished example, plus a closing-line bank and a pre-post checklist.During a campaign people open your profile to judge whether the shop can be trusted before ordering. If content and stock are ready and you want follower or view numbers that match the work you do, see Instafollow services for TikTok and Instagram. It needs only a public username, no password. Results vary by account, and a service does not replace good products, ready stock and timely chat replies. For more on planning sales through social media, read your first online sales through social media.
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