Holiday Marketing Do’s and Don’ts: Trends to Avoid & What to Do Instead

First, let’s take a look at some telling 2024 holiday marketing statistics… 

• As reported by USA Today, U.S. online sales during the holiday season from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, 2024 are expected to hit a record $240.8 billion, an 8.4% increase over the year prior. 

• Roughly 60% of both Gen Z and millennials, according to research from Deloitte, plan to shop via their smartphones this year.  

• 13% of consumers plan to buy holiday gifts on social media. 

• Paid search ads run across Google and other search platforms continue to dominate as the top sales driver for retailers, accounting for 29% of online holiday sales. This highlights search ads’ effectiveness in reaching ready-to-purchase shoppers. 

• 68% of consumers say they pay more attention to holiday-themed emails from brands. 

 ‘Tis the Season to Strategize 

Without further ado, let’s unwrap our official list of holiday marketing do’s and don’ts for 2024, starting with #1: 

• Don’t Rely Heavily on Last Minute Promotions and Discounts 

Discounts and money-saving deals can be very enticing incentives for consumers. But focusing solely on this tactic can end up cutting into your profits in the long-run. It can even lead to a perceived decrease in the value of your product or service for consumers and cause purchase regret for those who paid full price. How can you avoid this trend? 

• Here’s what to Do instead:  

The big guy in the red suit shouldn’t be the only one making a list and checking it twice. Begin planning your holiday marketing strategy well in advance to avoid the need for last-minute discounts and promotions to boost sales. Use discounts strategically and focus on highlighting unique selling points, how your product or service addresses common pain points and include social proof such as testimonials and industry recognition. Embrace offers such as guaranteed shipping dates, free returns and exchanges or extended warranties that provide added value without markdowns.

Ditch the Cookie Cutter Approach for Something Sweeter 

Automation is every marketer’s best friend. It can help to streamline holiday campaigns and save time. However, relying too heavily on generic, one-size-fits-all approaches can make your messaging feel impersonal. Shoppers expect brands to understand their preferences and deliver tailored experiences, especially when they’re overwhelmed with promotional content. 

• Don’t overdo it with one-size-fits-all automation 

Blanket messages without personalization or segmentation often get ignored because they don’t speak to the unique needs or interests of your audience. For example, sending the same “Happy Holidays!” email to a customer who hasn’t purchased anything in the same way you would to a loyal shopper diminishes relevance. Automation with a lack of personalization fails to foster genuine customer relationships, leaving your brand feeling cold or disconnected during a season associated with warmth and goodwill. 

• Here’s what to Do instead:  

Looking to reap the benefits of automation tactics without leaving your audience feeling disconnected? Tailor your automation strategies to deliver relevant content while keeping the human touch intact. Here’s some specific ways you can do so: 

• Segment Your Audience: Use purchase history, browsing behavior or demographic data to create targeted campaigns. 

• Personalize Email Marketing: Utilize merge tags to include the recipient’s name in subject lines or opening lines. Mention their past purchases or recommend complementary products. 

• Leverage Dynamic Content in Ads: Use retargeting to remind customers about items left in their cart or promote related products based on previous searches. 

• Add a Personal Touch with Holiday-Themed Messaging: Offer holiday-specific suggestions based on location, culture or weather. For example, “Warm winter gifts for your snowy holiday season.” 

Personalization can increase engagement rates, drive higher conversions and improve brand loyalty. By focusing on targeted, tailored messaging, your brand shows thoughtfulness and care—values that resonate strongly during the holiday season. 

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot?  

The holidays are a prime time for customer acquisition campaigns. But solely focusing on the shiny and new in attracting new buyers can lead to neglecting one of your most valuable assets: your existing customers. 

• Don’t only focus on gaining new customers 

Loyal customers already trust your brand, are more likely to buy again and tend to spend more per transaction than new customers. Failing to nurture these relationships during the holiday season could result in missed revenue opportunities and diminished long-term loyalty. 

• Here’s what to Do instead:  

During the holiday season, showing appreciation for repeat customers strengthens trust and keeps your brand top-of-mind amidst heavy competition. By focusing on rewarding loyal customers, you can strengthen relationships, increase repeat purchases and foster word-of-mouth advocacy during the holidays. Here’s some excellent ways to do just that: 

• Exclusive Offers for Repeat Customers: Create holiday-themed discounts or freebies exclusively for long-time customers. 

• Tiered Loyalty Rewards: Provide incentives based on customer loyalty levels, like higher discounts or bonus gifts for VIPs. 

• Early Access to Sales: Let loyal customers shop exclusive deals before the general public. 

• Exclusive Experiences: Offer perks like free holiday gift wrapping, priority support or invitations to special holiday events. 

• Personalized Holiday Greetings: Send thank-you notes or holiday cards tailored to loyal customers. Include a small incentive like a free shipping code. 

By balancing new customer acquisition with meaningful loyalty rewards, you set your business up for both short-term holiday success and long-term customer retention. 

Sleigh Your Budget  

The holiday season brings increased competition for ad placements as businesses ramp up their campaigns. As CPCs and ad spend hit record highs during the holidays, controlling your bidding strategy can mean the difference between standing out and being overshadowed. 

• Don’t ignore seasonal bidding trends 

Ignoring these seasonal trends can leave you outbid by competitors, drive up your costs unexpectedly, or exhaust your budget prematurely, resulting in lost opportunities at critical moments. The demand for ad space spikes during the holidays, driving up CPCs (cost-per-click) and CPMs (cost-per-thousand-impressions). If you don’t account for this, you may miss valuable impressions or overspend. 

• Here’s what to Do instead:  

By proactively managing budgets and adapting to seasonal bidding trends, you can maintain control over costs while ensuring your ads remain competitive. Here’s how: 

• Analyze Past Holiday Trends: Review data from previous holiday campaigns to anticipate peak bidding periods and typical CPC increases. Use these insights to set informed budgets. 

• Set Clear Daily and Campaign Budgets: Allocate your total holiday budget strategically across campaigns to avoid exhausting funds early. 

• Set Spend Caps to Avoid Overages: Implement campaign-level spend caps or use automated rules to pause campaigns once a threshold is met. This prevents budget blowouts while maintaining control. 

• Adjust for Time-Sensitive Promotions: Increase budgets or bids temporarily for high-impact days like Black Friday but monitor performance closely to ensure ROI. 

A balanced approach to seasonal bidding ensures that you remain competitive without wasting resources. Proper budget management helps you seize high-traffic opportunities while maintaining profitability. 

Add Some ‘Ho Ho Ho’ to Your SEO 

Seasonal keywords drive significant search volume, often accounting for a large percentage of traffic during the holidays. Standard, year-round SEO strategies won’t fully capture the surge of seasonal queries, leaving your content less visible to potential customers. 

• Don’t neglect holiday-specific keywords 

Ignoring or overlooking holiday-specific keywords can mean missing out on valuable seasonal traffic from motivated shoppers actively searching for products, services and holiday ideas. Shoppers use specific phrases like “last-minute holiday gifts,” “Black Friday deals” or “best Christmas decorations.” Without targeting these, your content won’t rank for relevant searches. 

• Here’s what to Do instead:  

Brands should optimize seasonal content and adhere to general SEO best practices to capture holiday traffic. Begin by conducting keyword research for holiday queries, using tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush or Ahrefs to find trending holiday-related terms in your niche. You can update your existing content to feature these keywords by placing a holiday spin on evergreen content or create new holiday-specific content and landing pages. You’ll also want to amplify this seasonal content via email, social media and paid ads to drive traffic and boost rankings. 

By incorporating holiday-specific keywords and tailoring your content, you can attract shoppers at the right time and meet their needs. 

Spread The Cheer 

PR plays a critical role for brands during the holiday season, as it helps create buzz, strengthen relationships with audiences and drive sales. To drive optimized results brands should avoid hanging all of their ornaments on one branch by focusing solely on one pitch or angle.  

• Don’t focus on only one news hook 

Relying on one narrative or event to drive PR limits your ability to connect with diverse audiences. Not all consumers or media outlets resonate with a single story, and you risk missing broader opportunities for exposure. 

• Here’s what to Do instead:  

Diversify your news hooks by using a mix of themes like trends, data insights, charitable activities or fun events to align with varying interests. For example, a holiday donation drive appeals to philanthropic audiences, while a quirky holiday-themed product launch targets lifestyle media. Highlight how your brand relates to trending holiday topics such as sustainability in gifting and last-minute shopping tips. If applicable, create both localized campaigns for regional markets and global hooks for widespread reach. 

By aligning with multiple angles, your PR outreach becomes a well-rounded strategy, ensuring your brand stays relevant throughout the season. 

 What about B2B marketing during the holidays? 

Think holiday marketing is only for B2C businesses? Think again! 

• Don’t count out B2B marketing opportunities  

B2B brands often overlook the holiday season as a marketing opportunity, assuming it’s more relevant for B2C businesses. However, this is a prime time to nurture client relationships, close year-end deals and position your brand as a valuable partner for the coming year. 

• Here’s what to Do instead:  

Engage in effective B2B holiday-themed marketing tactics such as: 

• Offering Year-End Discounts or Incentives: Tailored discounts or flexible contracts can help encourage decision-makers to finalize deals before year-end budgets close.  

• Showing Client Appreciation: Send personalized holiday messages, gifts or thank-you notes to strengthen relationships. Highlighting gratitude can build loyalty and humanize your brand. 

• Sharing Thought Leadership: Publish insightful year-end content, such as industry trend predictions for the upcoming year or holiday-themed blog posts, to position your brand as an expert. 

• Using Holiday-Themed Social Media and Content: Engage your audience with festive posts, client success stories or “best of the year” highlights. Incorporate holiday visuals and messaging while keeping it professional and relevant to your audience. 

Focusing on B2B-specific efforts allows you to capitalize on the goodwill and urgency of the season while positioning your brand as a trusted partner heading into the new year.