The holiday season isn’t just about waiting for that one tiny sale while you buy presents for 13 people, or about setting up decorations for approximately 3 weeks before it’s time to take them down. It’s a golden window to turn that nostalgic and festive feeling into content for your brand. The holidays are here again and most brands will respond by posting cheesy graphics and expecting magic to happen. Spoiler alert, it doesn’t. If you want your content to actually generate sales, leads, or clicks this season, you need more than a red bow on a stock image. Here’s how to create holiday content that works instead of just looking seasonal.
Why the Holidays Are a Goldmine
Here’s a newsflash: people buy stuff around the holidays. Marketing campaigns during this period routinely outperform non-seasonal campaigns and email marketing can account for up to 26% of a brand’s yearly revenue. Social media is swamped with shoppers looking for inspiration, and mobile traffic spikes. So yes, if you ignore the season, your competitors will thank you.
Combining urgency with nostalgia or FOMO encourages action, especially when paired with limited-time offers. Being present across multiple channels, like social media, email, and your website, creates repeated touchpoints that strengthen trust and increase the likelihood of purchase. Personalization and audience segmentation are essential in a saturated holiday environment, helping your messages stand out without relying on festive noise alone.
High-Impact Content Types
Reels
Short-form videos like Reels or TikToks are non-negotiable. No one has the attention span to watch a 2-minute ad anymore. Forget cringy scripts or dressing up like Santa, just show behind-the-scenes prep, last-minute gift chaos, or unboxing moments. Authenticity matters more than a perfectly staged scene. Stick to current 2025 trends like cozy winter aesthetics, panic-buying humor, or last-minute gift hacks. Always include a clear call to action like “Tap to shop,” “Swipe up,” or “Link in bio before we sell out”.
Stories
Most people forget about stories when it comes to their marketing tactics. Stories are equally as important for holiday marketing. Countdown stickers create urgency, polls engage people, and question boxes let your audience tell you what they actually care about so you’re not wasting your time just reposting your own content. Show user-generated content or testimonials from happy customers because nothing says “trust us” like proof someone else already fell for your product.
Emails
Yes, emails still work, and we really hate hearing that they don’t anymore. Just stop sending generic blasts. Personalize your subject lines and segment your audience. Most emails are opened on phones so make them mobile-friendly. Adding a GIF or a short video preview can help your message stand out in a crowded inbox. And yes, telling people “Act now or lose it” still works better than wishing them happy holidays.
Plus, an additional sale, or even an exclusive discount for email subscribers is a huge way to boost sales during the holiday season. People are spending money anyway, remember?
Post Ideas You Can Try Right Now
If you’re looking for some easy, think-less ideas, here’s a few to get you started for the holiday season:
| Platform / Format | Holiday Content Idea |
|---|---|
| Reels / TikTok | Packing gift orders or creating holiday cocktails + holiday music |
| Reels / TikTok | Last-minute gift ideas including your products or holiday gift guide |
| Stories | Poll: “Are you done holiday shopping? Yes / Not yet” → follow up with gift suggestions. |
| Stories | Countdown to final sale days or shipping deadlines. Black Friday is almost here! |
| Holiday Gift Guide 2025 — Ideas for Him / Her / Kids / Home depending on your products. | |
| Early Bird Holiday Offer before Dec 1. | |
| Static Post | High-quality post of your product with holiday colors/visuals surrounding it. Maybe throw it in a stocking if it fits. |
| Static Post or Story | Show real customer gift reviews / testimonials from prior seasons |
Ready to Turn Holiday Cheer Into Real Conversions?
If you want to take the guesswork out of holiday marketing and actually turn holiday engagement into sales, Three Ring Focus can help.
At Three Ring Focus, we help small businesses clean up their social media, sharpen their marketing strategy, and keep their websites as polished as their feeds. Whether you need a full content plan, analytics tracking, or a complete site overhaul, we’ve got the tools to get you back on track. Check out of some the work we’ve done for a little sneak peek. Don’t miss out on the benefits of having an expertly crafted branding identity.