The holiday season is fast approaching, and it’s the perfect opportunity to supercharge your marketing strategy through creator collaborations. Partnering with creators can elevate your brand’s visibility, drive sales, and help build a deeper connection with your audience during this busy season.
If you’re looking to maximize your marketing efforts, our holiday campaign checklist is here to help. This guide breaks down the steps to plan and execute impactful creator collaborations that boost your brand’s visibility, drive sales, and foster meaningful connections with your audience. Ready to take your holiday campaign to the next level? Let’s dive in!
60 days out: Set the stage for success
Define your target
What’s your goal this holiday season—more sales, more followers, or just spreading holiday cheer? Set clear, measurable objectives. These will help you track success (and give you a reason to celebrate after the campaign wraps!).
Which platforms fit the bill?
Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest—oh my! Choosing the right platforms is key. Think about where your target audience is hanging out (and shopping) this season. These platforms are ideal for e-commerce integration, making it easy for your audience to tap, click, and shop.
Research creators and lock them in
This is where the magic happens. With Social Native’s Creator Discovery tool, you can easily find the perfect creators to match your vibe. Whether you’re going for micro-influencers or established names, now’s the time to build relationships. Start the convo early, so you can launch strong.
Set your budget (and be realistic)
Before you dive headfirst into festive collabs, nail down your budget. Plan for both organic and paid amplification to ensure your campaign has room to grow. Just remember to leave enough for those last-minute boosts when you need them.
Creative concept development
Time to brainstorm! Is it a 12-day giveaway? Holiday-themed unboxing videos? Festive Reels? Whatever it is, make sure your content ties back to your brand’s story while keeping it fun and seasonal. Collaborate with your creators to develop ideas that not only showcase your products but also resonate with their audience.
45 days out: Securing collaborations and assets
Finalize your creative calendar
Plan out your promotional schedule like a pro. Identify key dates—think Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or even those last-minute Christmas shoppers—and map out content for each platform. Whether it’s Instagram Reels or TikTok videos, having a detailed calendar will keep your campaign on track.
Prepare your creative brief
Your creative brief is the blueprint for your creator collaborations. It should include clear guidelines, but don’t micromanage. Give your creators the freedom to put their spin on things—that’s how you’ll get authentic content that resonates with their audience. The more flexibility, the better the engagement.
Confirm collaborations
Time to lock it in. Finalize agreements with your creators and ensure everyone’s on the same page with contracts and deliverables. Creators should start producing content based on the approved brief, and this gives you enough breathing room to request any revisions (without the last-minute scramble!).
Create a seamless path to purchase
Whether it’s through a link-in-bio tool or in-app purchases, make sure the shopping experience is smooth. Tools like TikTok Shop allow customers to buy without ever leaving the app. Streamlining the conversion process means fewer abandoned carts and more holiday sales.
20 days out: Content review and scheduling
Review influencer content
Creators are the voice of your campaign, so reviewing and refining their content is key. Start approving the content your creators have submitted, looking for anything that might need slight tweaks. Make sure the content is on-brand, visually engaging, and delivers the holiday vibe you’re aiming for. And remember: the best content feels natural and authentic, so avoid over-editing!
Update product inventory
You don’t want to drive traffic to an empty shelf. Before your campaign goes live, make sure your product inventory is updated. Confirm that your e-commerce platform is ready to handle the holiday rush, and double-check that popular items are fully stocked. Your creators are directing their audience to you—be ready to deliver!
Finalize content calendar and scheduling
It’s time to lock in posting dates with your creators. Spread out your posts strategically to maintain momentum throughout the holiday season, especially in early December when holiday shopping is ramping up. Collaborate with your creators to schedule their content drops for optimal engagement—peak times like weekends or after-work hours often see higher traffic.
Cross-channel integration
Your holiday campaign shouldn’t live in a silo—this is where cross-channel integration comes in. Amplify creator content across all your owned platforms, including social media, email newsletters, and your website. Consider promoting top-performing creator posts with paid ads to extend their reach and impact. Ensure that everything feels cohesive, with consistent messaging and design across all channels.
7 days out: Pre-launch readiness
Final content revisions
The clock is ticking, so make sure every post is polished and ready for launch. Now’s your last chance to fine-tune creator content, check for consistency, and align with your campaign messaging. Ensure your creators are on the same page with scheduling, so content drops are perfectly timed to build momentum. It’s essential that everything is set to go live before the peak holiday shopping days.
Double-check your assets
Ensure that all product tags, links, and shopping features are working properly. Nothing kills momentum faster than a broken link or a missing product tag, especially during a high-stakes holiday campaign. Make sure every route to purchase is seamless, whether it’s through Instagram’s shoppable posts or TikTok’s in-app shopping feature.
Check your call-to-actions (CTAs)
Ensure that every post has a clear and compelling CTA, guiding potential customers toward the next step, whether it’s purchasing, signing up for a newsletter, or exploring your website. Strong CTAs can help push the customer closer to conversion, especially as the holiday shopping window narrows.
0 days out: Campaign launch and activation
Check your platform analytics
Right after your campaign goes live, it’s time to keep a close eye on the numbers. Dive into your platform analytics to monitor engagement and conversion metrics. Which posts are getting the most likes, shares, or clicks? Are certain creators driving more conversions than others? These insights are invaluable for understanding what’s resonating with your audience and fine-tuning your approach.
Stay flexible
Not everything will go as planned—sometimes posts won’t perform as well as expected or audience preferences shift. Stay agile and be prepared to make last-minute tweaks. If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to pivot your strategy. For example, you might find that video content is outperforming static images—lean into that format to keep your audience engaged.
Engage with creator content
Don’t just post it—engage with it! Share, comment, and repost creator content to boost visibility. Interacting with creator posts helps deepen the relationship between your brand and the creators’ audiences, while also driving more attention to your campaign.
Optimize on the go
Looking to guarantee more eyeballs on your holiday campaign? Now’s the time to set up targeted social media ads. Social platforms offer detailed audience targeting, allowing you to reach specific demographics with pinpoint accuracy. Consider repurposing top-performing organic content—boosting the posts that already resonate with your audience can drive even better results. By amplifying content that’s proven to engage, you ensure a strong return on your ad spend.
Get Ready for Holiday Success: Elevate Your Creator Campaigns
As Q4 kicks off and the holiday season begins, the urgency to plan creator campaigns intensifies. By adopting a strategic approach—planning ahead, leveraging social commerce, activating influencers, and monitoring performance—you’ll set yourself up for a successful holiday season. The holidays present an excellent opportunity to connect with your audience, but remember to balance festive fun with genuine value. When executed effectively, you’ll build lasting relationships that extend beyond a one-time holiday sale.
At Social Native, we understand the intricacies of creator collaborations and how they can elevate your campaigns. With our innovative platform, brands can streamline the process of finding, connecting with, and collaborating with creators who are the perfect fit for their brand. Start your journey towards impactful creator partnerships today and elevate your brand’s storytelling to new heights with Social Native.
