Let me start with the thing every marketer knows but doesn’t always say out loud, Christmas is the final boss.

It’s the moment where all your testing, systems, and learnings either pay off…or you spend January explaining why the numbers didn’t quite land.

I’ve worked on enough holiday campaigns to see the same pattern every year, Christmas rewards the smartest ones.

Christmas Is Your Real Revenue Engine

If Thanksgiving is the warm-up, Christmas is the championship. Just look at what Q4 means for e-commerce:

• 30–40% of annual e-commerce revenue is generated in Q4 alone.
  
  
• In 2023, U.S. online holiday spending hit $222.1 billion, up 4.9% YoY.
  
  
• 87% of consumers say holiday gifting increases how often they shop online.
  
  
• Nearly 60% of shoppers discover new products through creators during the Christmas season.
  
  
• Consumers make 2.5× more impulse purchases at Christmas than any other time of year.
  
  

Why? Because Christmas stacks three powerful triggers:

1. Ritual: People buy because “it’s what we do every year,” not just because they need something.
   
   
2. Emotion: Family, belonging, nostalgia. Emotional framing can lift conversions by ~20%+.
   
   
3. Permission to indulge: We buy for others and for ourselves. “One for them, one for me” is very real.
   
   

So yes, the demand is there. But the problem is attention. In December, your competitors aren’t just other brands. They’re family photos, Spotify Wrapped, travel plans, black Friday/Cyber Monday leftovers, viral Christmas recipes and whatever Mariah Carey posts next.

If your Christmas campaign is just a nice graphic and a discount code, you’re already in trouble.

Story + Frictionless Shopping

The brands that consistently win Christmas campaigns have three things in common:

1. They Use Creators as Storytellers

At Christmas, people buy moments. Picture the pajamas their kids will wear on Christmas morning, the skincare set that finally feels like self-care or the jewelry that says “I really thought of you.”

Creators are the ones who translate your product into meaning. That’s their superpower.

2. They Ruthlessly Reduce Friction

You can’t afford friction in December. You want to avoid slow site traffic (which equals abandoned carts),  confusing bundles mean “I’ll do this later” (they won’t) and no express shipping option implies loss of last-minute shoppers.

However, if you think of one-click checkout, clear gift bundles, express & tracked shipping, Apple Pay or Google Pay options and influencer promo codes that feel special, not generic, it’s a win-win situation.

Even a 1-second delay can hit conversions hard in peak season.

3. They Integrate Channels

Winning brands don’t rely on one hero post. They orchestrate an array of content, such as short-form video (TikTok, Reels, Shorts), influencer-led gift guides, limited-edition bundles,email + SMS with creator content, live shopping events and UGC + retargeting.

It’s the harmonization that drives revenue. Your Christmas campaigns need to feel like one connected story, not random tactics.

Build Your Christmas Creator Bench: Nano to Mega

Your holiday campaign is only as strong as the mix of storytellers behind it.
No single influencer tier can carry Christmas alone.

Think of your creator roster like a Christmas movie cast:

• Nano & Micro influencers (1K–50K): The trusted side characters people love
  
  
• Mid & Macro creators (50K–1M+): The charismatic main leads
  
  
• Celebrities & Mega creators: The special cameo everyone talks about
  
  

Each tier pushes people a little closer to “Add to cart.”

What the Data Says

• Nano influencers can generate 3–5× higher engagement than macro talent.
  
  
• Micro creators drive some of the best conversion rates in e-commerce.
  
  
• Macro influencers boost brand recall by 25%+ as always-on visibility engines.
  
  
• Mega talent can spike search or sales by 50–200% when used for big moments (like a holiday collab or capsule drop).
  
  

How to Use Each Tier at Christmas

Nano & Micro Influencers (1K–50K): Your Trust Builders

These are your “I feel like I know her” creators, the ones whose followers treat recommendations like voice notes from a friend. These types of profiles are great for:

• Gift guides (“5 Gifts Under $30 My Mom Actually Wants”)
  
  
• Cozy at-home content (“Christmas movie night essentials”)
  
  
• Local or niche communities (town-specific, hobby-specific, aesthetic-specific)
  
  
• Everyday Reels/TikToks that feel spontaneous
  
  

The nano and micro tiers normally deliver high engagement, authentic social proof, reviews and great UGC content and on top of it all, relatability (your Christmas “entry point”).

Mid & Macro Influencers (50K–1M+): Your Holiday Hype Machines

These creators give your campaign what it needs most in December, reach and credibility. This tier is perfect for content as polished hauls, “Christmas morning unboxing” content, fashion or home decor transitions and high-quality hero assets to repurpose in ads.

These influencers normally deliver awareness at scale, ad-ready content, broader demographic reach and strong retargeting material for Meta/TikTok ads. Think of them as your campaign’s main characters.

Celebrities & Mega Creators: Your Tentpole Moment

If your brand has the budget, or if you're launching something special, this might be the best option. Typically present in big Christmas moments (limited edition drop, collab, signature gift box), nationwide awareness and press-worthy activations.

The impact this type of move has is getting instant visibility, authority and cultural relevance and viral potential

However, keep in mind that mega talent is powerful, but still works best when supported by micro creators who drive conversions afterward.

A Simple Christmas Funnel by Tier

And yes, you really do need all three layers to compete in December.

Turn Every Order into Content: Christmas Unboxing

Because in December, your packaging is marketing, storytelling, and social fuel.

One thing I’ve learned after years of holiday campaigns is that Christmas unboxings are their own genre of entertainment. And not just for kids. Adults love them too as well.

People love watching others unwrap festive packages. It’s nostalgic. It’s cozy. It scratches the “gift-opening dopamine itch” we’ve had since childhood. And from a brand perspective? It’s conversion gold.

In fact:

• Holiday unboxing videos see up to 70% more watch time than non-seasonal unboxings.
  
  
• 1 in 3 shoppers say they’ve purchased a product because they saw someone unbox it on TikTok or Instagram.
  
  
• Packaging-driven UGC increases conversion rates by 20–40% in Q4.
  
  

How to Design a Holiday Gifting Box That Tells a Story

You don’t need to spend a fortune, but you do need intention:

Festive wrapping and cozy textures. Think red velvet ribbons, gold tissue paper, snowflake stickers or kraft paper with handwritten messages. This instantly sets a mood that influencers can’t resist filming.

A handwritten card. Yes, you read it well, handwritten. Even if it’s one line.
Creators screenshot and share these constantly because they feel personal and human.

A small “extra” surprise. This is your “I didn’t expect that!” moment, which boosts shareability. This could be anything from a tree ornament, a mini candle, holiday recipe cards, a hot cocoa packet or a small branded stocking. Remember that tiny details equals big impressions.

Briefing Creators (So It’s Not Just “Here’s a Box, Thanks”)

Guide them to share a holiday tradition (“Every Christmas Eve we light a candle, this scent took me straight back.”), show how they actually use the product (on the skin, in the home, on the table), not just hold it up or mention who they’d gift it to and why.

Add post of a christmas candle

This shifts content from look at this product to this is what this product means in my Christmas.

Don’t Stop at Influencers

Turn the whole thing into a system. Make your PR boxes shoppable bundles on site, add a simple CTA and save all tagged content (UGC) and reuse it in:

• Retargeting ads
  
  
• Holiday landing pages
  
  
• January “thank you” emails

Tools like Influencity’s content tracking can help you pull in all this content and its performance automatically, without living inside a screenshot folder.

Limited-Edition Christmas Bundles That Actually Move AOV

Because in December, “What should I buy?” becomes your customer’s biggest headache and bundles make the decision for them.

Christmas isn’t just a shopping season, it's a gifting season. People aren’t browsing for themselves. They're shopping for partners, coworkers, teachers, in-laws, Secret Santas, nieces, nephews, and the friend who “already has everything.”

Bundles are the easiest way to remove friction, increase perceived value, and quietly boost AOV (Average Order Value)  by 20–35% without raising CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost).

Build Bundles That Match Real Holiday Behavior

Think like a stressed, last-minute shopper:

“I just need one thing that feels thoughtful, ships fast, and doesn’t look lazy.”

Good options:

• “Under $25” Stocking Stuffers: Great for beauty minis, candles, snacks, accessories.
  
  

• “For Him / For Her / For Them” Sets: Genderless “for them” sets perform especially well among Gen Z.
  
  

• “Last-Minute Gift Box” with Express Shipping: Promise delivery by a given date. Panic buyers will love you.
  
  

• “New Year Reset Kit”: Extend Christmas into Q1 with wellness, planning, productivity, or skincare bundles.
  
  

Use Urgency and Exclusivity, Not Just Discounts

• Christmas shoppers respond to two psychological triggers. The first one is scarcity, “Only available in December.” Typical messages expanding this feeling are “Our Christmas Eve Kit drops Nov 30. Only 500 available.” This works because people hate missing out on seasonal experiences.

The second trigger Christmas shoppers respond to are countdown timers.A timer can increase urgency-driven purchases by up to 32%. Use them on landing pages, emails and influencer stories.

Then measure:

• AOV with bundles vs. without
  
  
• Conversion by creator code
  
  
• Which bundles sold out fastest
  
  

Again, a platform like Influencity helps track which creators and bundles actually moved the needle.

Make Your Brand the Christmas Trend: Challenges that Convert

Christmas is the perfect playground for viral social challenges. And here’s the part marketers underestimate, holiday challenges convert like crazy. Why? Because people are already filming their decorations, gift-wrapping, cooking, cozy nights in, and family chaos. You're not forcing behavior, you’re co-opting what they're doing anyway.

TikTok reports that 68% of users try new products after watching creator content, and seasonal challenges generate 2–5× higher UGC volume than non-holiday challenges. That’s free distribution during the most expensive ad period of the year.

Some plug-and-play ideas:

• #ChristmasWishChallenge – “What’s your Christmas wish this year?” (funny or heartfelt)
  
  
• #GiftRevealChallenge – Transition from wrapped gift → reveal + “who it’s for & why”
  
  
• #CozyNightInChallenge – Show their cozy setup featuring your product
  
  
• #ChristmasHackChallenge – Little tips (wrapping hacks, cleaning hacks, dessert hacks)
  
  
• #LastMinuteGift – “3 gifts you can still get by Christmas Eve”
  
  

How to Launch a Christmas Challenge (Without Overcomplicating It)

ust like with Thanksgiving, success comes from the first wave of seeded creators. But here’s the Christmas twist: your creators should feel like they’re inviting people to a shared moment, not promoting a brand.

1. Seed 5–15 creators across nano, micro, and mid tier.
   
   
2. Give them a simple prompt, then let their personality do the rest.
   
   
3. Keep barrier to entry low (no complex choreography, minimal props).
   
   
4. Use platform-native features: Duets, Stitches, Remix, trending Christmas audio.
   
   
5. Repost the best UGC, tag people, and use top videos as Spark Ads / Reels Ads.
   
   

Light incentives are enough:

• “Win your Christmas wishlist”
  
  
• “Get featured on our page”
  
  
• “For every #ChristmasWith[Brand] post we donate $1 to charity.”
  
  

You’re turning Christmas campaigns into a UGC engine that keeps selling for you.

Turn Influencer Content into Email & SMS Gold

Most Christmas emails look exactly the same. By December 10th, your customers' eyes glaze over. Their inbox is a battlefield… and every brand is shouting the same message.

Influencers can turn your “blah” holiday emails and SMS campaigns into scroll-stopping, conversion-driving moments. This is because influencers feel human, their content feels trusted, their storytelling feels real and during Christmas, when decision fatigue is at its peak, customers want someone else to tell them what’s worth buying.

Creator-Powered Emails That Don’t Feel Like “Marketing Emails”

Use your creators to build:

• Gift guides – “What our creators are gifting this year”

• As seen on TikTok – “The 5 products going viral this week”
  
  

• Story emails – A short, heartfelt note or story from a creator instead of a corporate greeting
  
  
• UGC mosaics – Real customers unboxing, decorating, gifting
  
  

You’re turning your email from a flyer into a curated holiday magazine.

SMS with Creator Hooks

Keep SMS simple and punchy:

Short, creator-backed, and time-sensitive.

Segment Based on Creator Behavior

This is where it gets fun:

Influencer content + smart segmentation = your top-performing Christmas campaigns.

Storytelling & UGC: Make Your Customers the Main Character

Christmas is the only moment in the marketing calendar where customers actually want to tell stories. They’re nostalgic, emotional, reflective and knee-deep in traditions they love to share.

Your mission? Give them the stage. Build a campaign where your customers become the storytellers, the creators, the stars of your brand’s holiday universe.

When you do this right, UGC easily becomes social proof, community building, organic reach and high-converting creative your brand could never manufacture alone.

Pair those prompts with a simple hashtag (e.g. #ChristmasWith[Brand] or #WrappedBy[Brand]) and a light incentive:

• Chance to win back the value of their order
  
  
• Being featured on your channels
  
  
• Early access to January launches

Then repurpose that gold everywhere:

• A “Real Christmas Moments” carousel on your homepage
  
  
• Customer spotlights in your newsletters
  
  
• UGC clips as paid ads (these often beat polished brand videos)
  
  

You can’t out-produce every competitor in December. But you can out-human them.

Live Shopping: Your Digital Christmas Pop-Up

Think of live shopping as your temporary Christmas store, but hosted on TikTok, IG Live, or YouTube.

Creator goes live in PJs, tree in the background, your products on the table.
People watch, ask questions, and buy in real time.

Formats that work brilliantly:

• “Last-Minute Gift Clinic” – Solving gift problems live, with bundles ready to buy.
  
  
• “Wrap & Chat” – Host wraps gifts and chats through products, combos, and stories.
  
  

Make it an event:

• Run it on weeknights or Sundays in early/mid December
  
  
• Offer live-only perks: extra discounts, free express shipping, surprise bundles
  
  
• Add interactive moments: polls, Q&A, “help me choose between these two”
  
  

Then clip the best bits and reuse them as:

• TikTok ads
  
  
• IG Reels
  
  
• Email GIFs
  
  
• Product page videos
  
  

One great line from a creator—

“This literally smells like Christmas morning”
—can sell that candle all season.