How to Kickstart the Holiday Season with a Winning Social Media Campaign
As we head toward the end of the year, brands are gearing up for one of the biggest sales opportunities of the year—the holiday season. With Christmas and New Year just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to launch new products, boost sales, and build lasting relationships. Leveraging social media is becoming more important than ever, as 90% of shoppers buy from brands they follow on social media (Source: GlobeNewswire).
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are where consumers go for inspiration, recommendations, and shopping. In fact, social shopping is projected to become a $1.2 trillion industry by 2025 (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub). This makes social media campaigns one of the most effective ways to get your brand in front of new customers and drive sales during the holiday season.
More than ever, consumers are doing their holiday shopping online, and many of them use social media to discover new brands. A winning social media campaign can capture their attention when they’re most ready to buy, helping your brand make the most of this peak shopping period.
Campaign Examples: Learn from the Best
Starbucks’ “Red Cup” Campaign
Each holiday season, Starbucks brings back its iconic red cups, sparking joy and engagement across social media. In 2023, they encouraged customers to share their creative cup designs and holiday drink experiences using the hashtag #RedCupContest, generating a wave of user-generated content that boosted their online presence and brand loyalty.
Coca-Cola’s “Real Magic” Campaign
Coca-Cola’s “Real Magic” campaign invited people to share moments of kindness and joy during the holidays. Using the hashtag #RealMagic, they encouraged users to post their own stories, creating a heartwarming social media presence that strengthened their emotional connection with customers.
Netflix’s “Wednesday” Campaign
Although not exclusively a holiday campaign, Netflix’s promotion for the series “Wednesday” carried momentum into the festive season. They kept audiences engaged with holiday-themed content and memes on platforms like Instagram and X, showing how a creative approach can extend a campaign’s impact beyond its initial launch.
Why September is the Perfect Time to Start Planning
With the holiday season fast approaching, September is the ideal time to start preparing your social media campaigns for Christmas and New Year. Launching your campaigns early provides your brand with the opportunity to build awareness, fine-tune your messaging, and create a solid foundation before the holiday rush begins.
✓ Stay Ahead of Your Competition
Many businesses wait until December to start their holiday marketing. By planning early, you can grab people’s attention before the market gets crowded. This way, your brand will already be on their minds when they’re ready to shop for the holidays.
✓ Build Anticipation and Excitement
Launching your campaigns early allows you to start talking about your products or offers ahead of time. This helps you build excitement, so when the holiday season hits, people are already familiar with your brand and ready to buy.
✓ Test and Optimize
Starting early also gives you time to test different ideas and see what works best. You can try different types of content and promotions, make adjustments based on what you learn, and enter the holiday season with a solid plan.
Here’s the Best Part: How to Create a Social Media Campaign That Sells
When planning your social media campaigns, follow these actionable steps to ensure growth and success:
1. Set Clear Campaign Goals
Before diving into content, decide what you want to achieve. Are you looking to drive sales, increase brand awareness, or build a community? Setting clear goals will guide your strategy and help you measure success.
2. Identify Your Target Audience
Know who you’re speaking to. Analyze your existing customers or use social media insights to segment your audience. Tailor your messaging to reach groups like holiday shoppers looking for gifts or those focused on New Year’s resolutions.
3. Share Christmas Gift Ideas & Promote New Year’s Resolutions
Highlight top Christmas gift ideas and show how your products can help with New Year’s goals like improving health, saving money, or learning new skills. Position your product as the solution to their holiday and personal needs.
4. Create a Clear and Compelling Brand Story
Use consistent storytelling across your campaigns. Share how your products help customers succeed through customer testimonials or influencer partnerships, building credibility and trust along the way.
5. Use Holiday-Themed Visuals and Messaging
Social media thrives on visuals. Use festive imagery to make your brand relatable and exciting. Incorporate holiday-themed visuals to capture attention and create excitement around your products.
6. Offer Special Promotions
Create a sense of urgency with limited-time discounts or holiday bundles. Promotions like “Christmas Specials” or “New Year’s Offers” can encourage your audience to take action during this peak sales period.
7. Collaborate with Influencers to Expand Reach
Partner with influencers who align with your brand to showcase your products as holiday must-haves or tools to achieve New Year’s resolutions. Influencer endorsements help build trust with their followers and amplify your reach.
8. Use Video Content to Boost Engagement
Create short, engaging videos for platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Showcase your products in action—whether it’s a Christmas gift unboxing or a New Year’s resolution success story. Video content is more engaging and can help your brand stand out.
9. Leverage Retargeting for Maximum Conversion
Use retargeting ads to reach customers who have shown interest but haven’t yet purchased. Target users who visited your site or engaged with your content but didn’t make a purchase. Retargeting helps bring potential customers back when they’re ready to buy.
10. Encourage Customer Feedback and Engagement
Increase engagement by interacting directly with your audience. Use polls, surveys, or open-ended questions in your posts to gather feedback. Responding to comments and messages helps create a dialogue and builds stronger customer relationships.
11. Ensure Multichannel Consistency
If you’re running campaigns across multiple platforms, keep your messaging, visuals, and promotions consistent. This builds brand recognition and reinforces your campaign’s message, no matter where your customers engage with your brand.
12. Track, Analyze, and Optimize
Monitor your campaign’s performance with analytics. Track metrics like engagement rates, conversions, and clicks. Use this data to tweak your strategy in real-time—adjusting content or increasing ad spend on high-performing posts.
Four Reasons Why Social Media Campaigns Are Essential for Brand Growth
The holiday season isn’t just about quick sales—it’s an opportunity to grow your brand long-term. By running consistent, engaging social media campaigns through Christmas and into the New Year, you build a stronger brand presence and connect with new audiences.
Social media also allows you to interact directly with your customers. You can respond to comments, answer questions, and build relationships that last beyond the holiday season. With 67% of global shoppers already buying through social media (Source: VML), this is where your brand needs to be.
1. Reach a Global Audience
Social media platforms allow you to connect with millions of users worldwide, giving smaller businesses the chance to expand their reach and gain recognition in new markets.
2. Build Brand Awareness
Growing brand recognition is critical for long-term success. Social media campaigns help you stay in front of your audience, building familiarity and trust.
3. Engage Directly with Your Audience
Social media provides two-way communication, giving your brand the opportunity to interact with customers in real-time. This engagement builds brand loyalty and helps you understand what your audience really wants.
4. Cost-Effective Advertising
Social media advertising is one of the most affordable ways to promote your brand. With targeted ads, you can reach the exact audience you want without wasting your budget on people who aren’t interested.
Keep the Momentum Going into January
While it’s important to start early, don’t let your campaigns end on New Year’s Eve. Many people continue to act on their resolutions throughout January. Keeping your social media efforts running will help you capture sales and increase engagement.
Consider running follow-up campaigns that offer ongoing tips, promotions, and support for achieving New Year’s goals. This not only drives short-term sales but also establishes your brand as a long-term solution for your customers’ needs.
The Secret Ingredient: Consistency & Authenticity
It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle of the holiday season and lower your marketing resources right after, but remember this—social media success isn’t just about launching campaigns. It’s about staying consistent. Keep posting, engaging, and responding to your audience so your brand stays top-of-mind.
Pro Tip: Authenticity matters more than ever. Customers aren’t just looking to buy—they want to connect with brands they trust. Plan your content thoughtfully, engage genuinely, and use analytics to refine your strategy in real-time. This way, your campaign won’t just be seen; it will resonate and drive real results.
Ready to Make Your Holiday Campaign a Success?
If all of this sounds exciting but a bit overwhelming, don’t worry. We’ve got the tools and expertise to develop winning social media campaigns. Whether you’re looking to boost brand awareness, launch a new product, or engage a wider audience, we’ve got you covered.
For additional tips to supercharge your holiday strategy, check out 7 Last-Minute Holiday Marketing Hacks to BoostSales This Season. These insights can help you make the most of the season, even if time is running short.
Don’t wait until December—start planning now to ensure your brand shines throughout the holiday season and beyond.
Pedro Azevedo
I empower brands to capture hearts & minds through Social Media & Influencer Marketing. Co-Founder at Glitz — Creative Marketing Agency.