Have you Locked in your Influencers for the Holiday Push?

You may think we are crazy. While temperatures are sweltering out there, we are only a few months away from holiday season being in full swing! Many brands may wait another month or two to start planning their holiday marketing. However, that is not the case for influencers. 1 out of 2 influencers have already started planning their content for the upcoming season. This means those marketers that wait until a month before the holiday season to plan their campaigns might miss out on some great influencer marketing deals.

The Planning Calendar

Many creators actually start planning in June or July, so some brands may already be behind. If you do plan on utilizing influencer marketing, it is vital that you keep constant communication with your creators throughout the year, so you are ready for the holiday season. This can make a campaign more successful since you won’t be planning at the last minute. Holiday shopping season is also starting to begin earlier in the year, making it more important that your campaign is ready in time.

'Tis the season

Creators make a large portion of their revenue from the holiday season. A reason for this is because creators raise the prices on their posts during the holidays since it such a busy time of the year for them. Currently, Instagram is the most profitable platform for creators during the holiday season. Creators are starting to work with fewer brands that pay more, instead of working with a wide variety of brands.

reach a broad audience

This idea of nurturing long-term brand deals can be beneficial for marketers too since they can look at data from the previous years to help plan their upcoming campaign. Influencer marketing is also a huge benefit for marketers since these creators have a young audience and consider them as a “great source of inspiration for holiday gifting”. This allows marketers to reach a broad audience that they wouldn’t reach if they posted on their own platforms. Social media is becoming the main strategy that marketers use during the holiday season, with many saying they plan to utilize TikTok and Instagram Reels. Live shopping is also becoming more popular during the holiday season.

The holiday season is a time of unity and togetherness, and this sentiment can extend to the world of marketing. If you plan on using influencer marketing this upcoming holiday season, you should start reaching out to creators, so you aren’t late to the “holiday” party!

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Cate Bender, the author, is Project Coordinator of Marketing Keys