Believe it or not, it’s that time of the year again. The holiday season is approaching and marketers need to start gearing up for the biggest shopping season of the year. 

To help you prepare for the upcoming season, we’ve put together a list of influencer marketing strategies to run a successful holiday campaign this year. 

Holiday Influencer Marketing Tips

Although it may seem premature to plan for the holidays while we’re still soaking up summer fun, remember that the holiday season is busy for everyone. Influencers are real people with lives outside of social media — they’ll also be traveling, spending time with family, and taking time away from creating content. Plus, with more brands reaching out to influencers during this time of year, their schedule is even busier than usual. 

Start early so you can secure your influencer partners and give them enough time to plan and create high-quality content for your campaign. In fact, by the end of August, you should have a finalized list of influencers you want to work with for your holiday campaign

To increase your chances of getting your collaborations accepted quickly, work with long-term brand partners who you have collaborated with in the past. Having an existing relationship with the influencer will help your brand stand out in the sea of collaboration proposals and improve the likelihood of getting a quick response.

1. Offer discounts through affiliates 

Create cost saving opportunities by running an influencer affiliate campaign. Give your influencer partners unique discount codes to share with their audience and pay them commission for the sales they drive.

2. Host a holiday giveaway

Use this opportunity to host a holiday-themed giveaway on Instagram. Giveaways are an easy and effective way to increase your brand’s follower count and engagement.  Partner with influencers to promote a sponsored giveaway for their audience. Set rules to enter, such as following your brand account, leaving a comment on the giveaway announcement post, or sharing it to their Stories. 

3. Support a cause

In addition to giveaways, supporting a cause that aligns with your brand is a great way to give back to your greater community during the holiday season. Work with influencers to craft messaging that will drive awareness and raise funds for the cause.

In fact:

• 87% of consumers say they’d buy a product based on a company’s advocacy on an issue they care about.

• 78% of customers say environmental practices influence their decision to buy from a company.

4. Start a countdown

Get followers excited about your upcoming holiday sale or holiday collection launch by running a countdown. Ask influencers to post once a week reminding their audience about your upcoming campaign, with a sneak peek of your new products or some of the can’t-miss deals you’ll be running. You can even give your influencers’ loyal followers an early access link to your latest collection or sales once they sign up for an account on your website or subscribe to your newsletter. Build the buzz around your campaign, so you’ll have an audience eagerly waiting in line at launch — whether it’s online or in person.

5. Invite Consumers to join your brand community.

Keep customers engaged by inviting them to an online brand community, such as a private Facebook group. Create a space for discussion around your brand and products where customers can share tips, reviews, and more with each other. Or, drive more subscriptions to your email newsletter and send them relevant content. For example, if you’re a fashion brand, send weekly “lookbook” emails compiling all of the amazing holiday outfits that your influencers have put together. These types of newsletters will be a seamless way to attract your customers to your future campaigns as well, whether it’s for New Year’s or Valentine’s Day. 

Another way to build a strong community of brand loyalists is through invite-only events and special products. According to a study from Salesforce, millennials and Gen Zers value exclusive access to limited products and experiences nearly 2x more than Gen X and Baby Boomers. So, offer customer-only events and products and create a sense of exclusivity for your biggest brand fans. 

The holidays are right around the corner! With this year’s retail landscape shifting in many different ways, it’s important to start planning early to evolve with consumers’ changing budgets, shopping habits, and sentiments. Work with influencers to reach your target audience, drive conversions, and boost customer retention.

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