How to stand out on socials this holiday season

Peak season is officially here. 

With Black Friday and Christmas around the corner, consumers are being bombarded with ads, deals, and promotions. Of course, holiday marketing strategies have been planned for months now, but that doesn’t mean brands can’t still be reactive to stand out.

Katie Soper from Brainlabs explains how, by utilizing influencer marketing, brands can connect with audiences more authentically, cut through the noise, and drive engagement this peak season.

How influencers connect with customers

Holiday campaigns can often feel generic, but working with the right influencers can bring a personal touch that resonates. Followers trust influencers to share honest opinions, which makes their recommendations more impactful than traditional ads.  

Anyone can churn out generic holiday adverts. However, working with influencers who specialize in specific niches cuts through ad fatigue, and ensures a brand’s messaging is targeted and relevant to its audience.  

Here are three ways that influencers can make a difference in peak season marketing.

1. Sales matter, but creativity is king

With social feeds overflowing during the holidays, standing out requires creativity.

Brands have spent months planning, but they shouldn’t forget to be reactive to stand out on socials (more on this below). Collaborating with influencers on last-minute activations can connect with an audience in ways that traditional adverts cannot. If brands do this right, the sales will follow. Just look at how the luxury brand Jacquemus partnered with @omo.oroje, AKA “Bus Auntie”, on TikTok. This was reactive as they didn’t need to create a heavily planned campaign. They let Bus Auntie do what she does best and watched the world fall in love with this collab (with 8.5 million views, they’ve done something very right).

• Unboxing and product reviews:

We know brands want to focus on their products but how can they make this more creative?

Think about the product packaging, how it represents the brand, and how it makes people feel. And even if it’s not directly Christmas-themed, some holiday spirit will go a long way.

Check out Kiehl’s chocolate snow globe, Some By Mi’s glass skin bauble, and Red Bulls’ crack the ice package for inspiration.

Influencers can host live streams on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube, showcasing deals, answering questions, and building excitement in real time. This interactive format creates a sense of community and fosters engagement. 

• Live streams:

Influencers can host live streams on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube, showcasing deals, answering questions, and building excitement in real time. This interactive format creates a sense of community and fosters engagement.

• Humor and relatability: 

Let’s be real – a lot is going on in the world at the moment, and people may feel differently about celebrating holidays this year. Lighthearted or humorous content can cut through the chaos and provide a welcome break from reality.

2. Niche targeting

While big-name influencers can bring mass visibility, micro and nano-influencers are powerful for targeted campaigns. These smaller creators are huge on socials and passionate about what they promote. This authenticity attracts highly engaged audiences who truly value their recommendations and are more likely to convert.

Eco-friendly brand? Partner with a sustainability-focused influencer like @imperfectidealist to promote mindful holiday gifting. Wellness brand? Try collaborating with a fitness and lifestyle influencer like @hayleymadiganfitness to highlight products for self-care during a stressful shopping season.  

Focusing on niche influencers ensures a brand’s message reaches the right people, maximizing impact and ROI.  

3. Traditional offers won’t cut it

There’s a sense of chaos around the holidays, with brands hyping the flustered panic, convincing customers to grab the latest deal. And while FOMO can work, it’s overdone. Underconsumption core is still very much in season, and many people are prioritizing quality gifts and experiences over piles of presents under the tree.

If brands collaborate with influencers year-round (which they should be doing), this is a fantastic opportunity to revisit their best-performing campaigns. If a creator successfully promoted a product in the summer, why not bring it back? Brands can add a Christmas twist or a Black Friday discount, and the campaign will feel more authentic than just another random offer.

You’ve built your influencer campaigns. Now what?

Even if brands have done all of the above, that’s only half the battle during the holidays. 

The other half? Reacting to trends as they emerge.

We’re loving the TK Maxx trend, which pokes lighthearted fun at some of the more insane items you can find in-store. It would be interesting to see how other brands could tap into this trend to increase visibility in the run-up to Christmas.

Katie says, “Of course, brands need to plan and think ahead, but they also need to be reactive and aware of what’s currently happening. Proactive plus reactive is crucial to success.”

The holiday season moves fast, and brands that are on the ball will reap the rewards. It’s important to pay attention to what people are talking about in the lead-up to Christmas. At Brainlabs, we use our Bytesights 2.0 tool to analyze trends and have found that the hashtag #cosychristmas is currently up by 60%, and #holidayprep has surged 63%. Brands can tap into this trend now to create reactive content that resonates.

Don’t leave it to chance

Brands that work with Brainlabs are a step ahead of the rest year-round, but they can especially benefit through reactive marketing during the holiday season.

Our expertise, and proprietary tech tools like Bytesights 2.0, means our clients have insider knowledge on trending topics before their competitors. It also means that we can find the right influencers that align with their values and goals, and create campaigns that customers actually care about. 
If you’re not feeling confident about your influencer marketing holiday strategies, it’s not too late. Talk to us for specialized advice around peak season. We can help make 2024 your best one yet.