December is one of the busiest months for ecommerce stores, and it’s also a golden opportunity to maximize revenue and finish the year strong. 

While Black Friday and Cyber Monday kick off the shopping season, the real magic happens in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This is when customers are in full-on gift-buying mode, and brands that can tap into that energy stand to see massive growth. Customers are not only shopping for gifts but also treating themselves, giving you plenty of opportunities to upsell, cross-sell, and build lasting customer loyalty.

To help you make the most of December, we’ve rounded up ten proven holiday ecommerce marketing strategies to boost your sales, engage your audience, and make this your most profitable month of the year.

Let’s dive in!

Successful Holiday Marketing Campaign Ideas for 2024

1. Create an Advent Calendar

Everyone loves a good countdown – it helps build excitement and hype around an event or product. An Advent calendar can help you do just that.

An Advent calendar is a special calendar used to mark the days leading up to Christmas, with small gifts or surprises revealed daily. It typically starts from December 1 and ends at December 24 or 25.

Advent calendars are such a fun and creative way to connect with your audience during the holiday season. They build excitement with daily surprises that keep customers coming back, eager to see what’s next. 

Plus, they’re a great way to show off your products and introduce people to items they might not have tried before. 

With their festive vibe and shareable moments, advent calendars are perfect for boosting your brand’s visibility and creating a sense of joy and loyalty that lasts well beyond the holidays.

One of the best examples of an advent calendar is Sephora’s Advent Calendar, a curated gift set that includes 24 products. 

The set features a unique design with boxes numbered from 1 to 24, each corresponding to a day in December. Just open the door with the day’s date to discover the hidden surprise. The adventure begins on December 1 and ends on Christmas Eve, December 24.

2. Host a Festive Contest

This is probably the oldest trick in the book that still works.

For your 2024 holiday ecommerce strategy, consider hosting a holiday-themed contest on your social media.

The best part about contests is that they work for every industry. For example, if you’re in the food industry, you can hold a contest asking your followers to create recipes using your product and share their creations online with a branded hashtag. 

Similarly, if you have a clothing brand, you can simply ask customers to share their images flaunting your holiday collection and get a chance to win a gift or voucher.

Here’s why it works:

1. People buy your products to participate in the contest, thereby increasing sales.
2. It amplifies your brand’s reach on social media, introducing your products to potential customers in a fun and engaging way.
3. It adds an interactive twist to your holiday advertising strategy, setting you apart from the competition.

Hence, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t leverage this festive marketing idea this year.

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3. Generate Pre-Christmas Hype

Before your holiday collection launches in-store or online, build anticipation among your customers with teasers and behind-the-scenes (BTS) content. 

Creating hype early on is one of the best ways to drive engagement and set your brand up for successful holiday marketing campaigns. The goal is to create a little suspense and build a “can’t-wait” feeling in your audience. 

Tease your audience by giving sneak peeks of your holiday products, packaging, or offers on your website, social media, and email campaigns. To take it up a notch, you can add people to 

This tactic works especially well for brands introducing limited-time offers or limited-edition products. 

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4. Launch Limited Edition Products (or Packaging)

When it comes to festive season marketing, launching holiday-themed products or packaging is a tried-and-tested approach that consistently drives sales. 

Think holiday-specific colors, packaging, or even new seasonal products. 

Limited-edition products trigger a sense of urgency in customers. They know these items won’t be around forever, promoting quicker purchase decisions. Plus, they make great gift options too!

Starbucks, for example, creates a huge buzz every year with the release of its seasonal holiday cups. People eagerly anticipate these launches all year long and flood social media with excitement and photos as soon as they launch. The result? Free promotion for Starbucks and an increase in sales as people rush to jump on the bandwagon.

5. Bundle Products for Holiday Packages

Holiday bundles are a great way to increase your average order value (AOV) and offer more gift-giving options gifting options for your customers.

You can bundle complementary products into a festive holiday package or offer “his and hers” gift sets with a discount. Here are two reasons why this works: 

1. The discount appeals to customers, as they get more value for less money
2. They’re a convenient gifting option as they take out the stress of searching for the perfect gift

For brands, not only does bundling increase AOV, but it also helps clear out your year-end inventory. 

Consider creating a holiday bundle page on your website, and add it in your website menu. You can also simply add the bundles as products on your product page. 

To make your bundles more enticing, you can add some extra touches, like festive wrapping or gift-ready packaging. 

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6. Collaborate with Influencers

Influencer marketing can be an effective marketing strategy for the holidays, helping you reach new audiences and boosting your brand credibility. 

Micro-influencers, in particular, can effectively promote your products while ensuring authenticity. 

Unlike larger influencers, micro-influencers tend to have smaller but more engaged audiences. Their followers trust their opinions and feel a personal connection, hence why they usually have a higher conversion rate.

Regardless of whether you choose to partner with a macro or micro-influencer, here are a few tips to keep in mind when using influencer marketing for your holiday campaign:

1. Ensure the influencer’s followers match your target demographic and share similar interests with your brand,
2. Focus on genuine engagement rates and audience interactions rather than just follower counts,
3. Choose influencers active on platforms where your target audience engages most,
4. Work with influencers who align with your brand values and have a history of genuine content,
5. Assess whether their rates and past performance align with your campaign goals and expected returns.

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7. Curate Gift Guides

For customers, holiday shopping can be very stressful, especially when they have a long list of people to buy gifts for. Your brand can gain an edge by providing your customers with personalized gift guides. 

This idea is particularly effective for all e-commerce businesses with a wide range of products. A gift guide can categorize products according to interest, age, price range, etc., making it easier for customers to find their desired products, hence increasing conversion rates and average order values. 

This makes it easier for customers to find the perfect gift for their loved ones. 

You can create a blog post or run a series of emails with different themes, such as “Gifts for Her,” “Under $50,” or “Last-Minute Stocking Stuffers.”

Adding a gift guide to your website helps your customers and boosts your holiday advertising by showcasing products customers might not have considered.

8. Share Behind-the-Scenes Content

Behind-the-scenes content lets customers see the faces and stories behind your brand, making it feel more personal.  It also helps build excitement and keeps customers engaged, as they may start looking forward to your content daily.

Show snippets of your team wrapping orders, decorating the office, or having fun at the holiday party. 

This approach brings a human touch to your holiday e-commerce strategy, especially on platforms like Instagram Stories, where the “unpolished” content tends to perform well.

You can also leverage Instagram’s community feature, which allows you to create close-knit groups of followers. This can help build a sense of exclusivity and deeper engagement, making your audience feel more connected to your brand.

Customers appreciate authentic brands, and behind-the-scenes content makes them feel like they’re part of the celebration. 

This personal connection can be a unique touch to your festive marketing ideas.

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9. Engage on Social Media

Social media is oozing holiday content this time of year. Your brand must be part of the conversation. Participating in holiday-related trends helps your brand stay in the market and be more visible. 

Holiday-themed polls, quizzes, and “This or That” games are fun, engaging ways to keep your audience connected and entertained. 

For instance, ask your followers to vote on holiday treats, colors, or decorations, keeping it light-hearted and festive. 

Another great way to engage your audience is by hosting live sessions on social media. You can showcase behind-the-scenes content, host Q&As, or even have holiday giveaways, creating real-time interaction with your followers.

Engaging on social media with holiday content can be a low-cost yet effective way to bring your holiday social media campaign to life and keep your audience engaged.

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10. Create a Christmas-themed Email Campaign

Email marketing remains one of the most powerful tools in holiday marketing. A well-structured Christmas-themed email campaign can drive both engagement and sales and is a direct way to connect with customers. 

Send a festive newsletter with exclusive offers or share a holiday countdown with daily deals. 

To keep your messaging upbeat and in the holiday spirit, consider cheerful subject lines, festive graphics, and holiday colors like red and green. Here are some good subject lines:

1. Just for You: Exclusive Holiday Offers Inside 
2. Unwrap Our Biggest Holiday Deals of the Year 🎄
3. Gifts for Everyone on Your List (Including You! 🎁

A thoughtful email strategy is key to a successful holiday e-commerce strategy, especially as December approaches.

Frequently Asked Questions about 2024 Holiday Marketing

1. How early should I start planning my holiday marketing campaigns?

The best time to start planning is in October or early November. 

Starting early lets you research trends, analyze past campaigns, and understand your audience better. It also gives you time to test your messaging, finalize promotions, and prepare your inventory. 

By December, when the competition heats up, you’ll be ready to execute smoothly without rushing.
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2. What are some good low-budget holiday marketing ideas?

Low-budget ideas can be surprisingly impactful. 

Hosting social media contests or encouraging customers to share holiday-themed photos with your products can generate buzz without heavy spending. Exclusive discounts for loyal followers create goodwill and boost sales. 

You can also collaborate with niche influencers or share simple, helpful content like DIY holiday tips to engage your audience authentically.
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3. What’s the ideal frequency for holiday-themed emails?

During the holiday season, sending one email every 24 hours works well to keep your brand top-of-mind. 

Early on, focus on building excitement with teasers and gift ideas. As the holidays approach, emphasize urgency with limited-time offers and shipping deadlines. 

Just make sure each email feels fresh and relevant to avoid overwhelming your audience.

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Make This Holiday Season Unforgettable

The holiday season isn’t just about increasing your revenue and sales – it’s a chance to create meaningful connections with your customers and build lasting relationships. 

If you have a limited marketing budget, focus on engaging your audience with strategies like social media contests, exclusive discounts, and personalized gift guides to make your brand stand out during this special time of year. 

If your focus is on building a community, authentic approaches like behind-the-scenes content or holiday-themed polls can deepen engagement and loyalty.

That said, executing these strategies while managing your business can feel overwhelming. That’s where DIGITORM comes in. We simplify the process with expert tools, creative solutions, and actionable insights tailored to your goals. 

Let us handle the complexities of holiday marketing so you can focus on what matters most – delighting your customers, boosting sales, and making this season your most successful yet.

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