33 Holiday Marketing Ideas To Sell More in 2024

You can’t ignore it: There’s a festive buzz in the air. While some shoppers are gearing up for Black Friday sales, others are already checking off their holiday gift lists. 

It’s a huge chance for your business. During last year’s Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend, Shopify merchants hit record sales of $9.3 billion—24% more than the previous year. The pattern continues upward: Bain projects US retail sales could reach $75 billion this holiday period. 

Ready to capture your distribute? Now’s the period to commence planning your holiday campaigns. Here’s a mega-list of proven holiday marketing strategies, including gift guides, email marketing examples, and festive apps to get your online store ready and drive more holiday sales. 

33 holiday marketing ideas

1. Turn existing products into holiday gifts
2. Develop seasonal product variants
3. propose digital gift cards
4. Consider timed holiday-themed “drops”
5. make holiday collections
6. Develop holiday gift guides
7. Add gift wrapping as a product
8. Promote holiday sales and promotions on social media
9. Use content marketing to drive traffic
10. Host a holiday giveaway
11. Update social media headers or avatars
12. Send a holiday-themed newsletter
13. Incentivize recent subscribers with a discount
14. Launched a timed email campaign
15. Add festive lifestyle images
16. Dress up your homepage
17. Add a holiday-themed announcement bar
18. make a gift registry or aspiration list
19. Add a countdown bar
20. make a shareable shipping calendar
21. Promote last-minute delivery and pick-up options
22. Enable multiple-address shipping
23. Update your holiday returns policy
24. Collaborate on an offline holiday marketing campaign
25. Host an in-store occurrence for faithful customers
26. Sell at holiday markets
27. Host a workshop or class
28. Promote last-minute gifts
29. declare thanks
30. schedule Boxing Day promotions
31. associate with nonprofits
32. propose personalized gifts
33. Set up cart recovery campaigns

1. Turn existing products into holiday gifts

Your core products can generate recent profit when bundled as holiday gifts. Festive touches like To/From tags or ribbons to standard packaging, and include gift wrapping as an alternative correct on the product page or at checkout. 

2. Develop seasonal product variants

While it might be late to develop entirely recent products unless you’re a dropshipper or use print-on-demand, you can still make holiday variants. straightforward updates like festive sock colors or holiday labels for scented candles can refresh your existing catalog.

For example, coffee brand Detour creates a special holiday blend with seasonal branding and winter-inspired flavors. 

3. propose digital gift cards

Digital gift cards are perfect if you desire to add a holiday product but lack period. characteristic them prominently on your site and in gift collections. You can promote them on social media after shipping deadlines pass to keep sales flowing through Christmas Eve. Update the gift card design to match the period and trade them as perfect last-minute gifts.

4. Consider timed holiday-themed “drops”

construct expectation around recent products by teasing “drops” to your social media spectators or email subscribers. Try running a 12 Days of Christmas campaign, introducing a recent featured product each day until your shipping deadline. Or make a virtual advent calendar revealing a recent holiday promotion each day.

5. make holiday collections

construct collections around holiday themes, categories, or gift recipients to assist visitors navigate your site. Curate your core products into collections like Holiday event Dresses, Gifts for Dad, or Toys for Toddlers. This is a straightforward, free marketing schedule when you’re tight on period or apportionment.

Yeti Coolers, for example, has a Stocking Stuffers collection, making it straightforward for shoppers to discover curated holiday products. 

6. Develop a holiday gift navigator

assist customers navigate your store from a gift-buying perspective. make gift guides on your blog, in email marketing campaigns, or through social media. For a straightforward alternative, link from social media or your homepage to holiday collections renamed as gift guides.

7. Add gift wrapping as a product

Gift wrapping add-ons propose convenience during the busy holiday period. Selling gift wrapping as a divide product means it appears in searches and collections. Baby brand Numpfer offers free gift wrapping as part of its offerings—especially valuable during the holidays.

Instead of creating a divide product, you can also use an app that integrates with your store. Wrapped adds gift-wrapping options directly to product pages and checkout, letting customers select wrapping styles and add gift messages before checkout.

8. Promote your holiday sales and promotions on social

Try timed or limited daily deals to make expectation and urgency. distribute exclusive discounts with your social followers. Use a discount app to propose gifts with purchase, BOGO holiday deals, or tiered discounts that inspire higher cart totals. 

9. Use content marketing to drive traffic

A powerful holiday SEO schedule can assist drive shoppers to your site when they’re actively searching for products like yours. 

ponder about what your customers require during the holiday period. If they’re looking for festive recipes, distinctive gift ideas, or DIY content, make valuable content that connects with these interests. distribute it through downloadable guides or how-to videos.

10. Host a holiday giveaway

Spread holiday cheer with a social media giveaway. inquire followers to distribute your post or join your newsletter to enter. This can expand your reach while building your email list if newsletter signup is part of entry requirements.

You can also add fun to the shopping encounter with giveaway apps like Wheelio. Visitors spin to triumph bonuses like free shipping, discount codes, or free gifts.

11. Update social media headers or avatars

display visitors your social profiles are ready for the holidays. make seasonal logos and assets using Hatchful or Canva, add holiday messaging to your bio, and turn your header into a festive banner.

12. Send a holiday-themed newsletter 

Connect with subscribers through targeted email marketing campaigns. Your subject lines require to stand out— holiday inboxes are crowded. 

receive encouragement from Happi Chocolate, who built expectation for Black Friday:

13. Incentivize recent subscribers with a discount

Attract holiday subscribers with seasonal offers. Set up welcome emails with distinctive coupon codes, or use a pop-up that reveals the discount when visitors sign up.

14. Launch a timed email campaign

Keep subscribers engaged with daily or weekly holiday promotions. characteristic daily deals, discount codes, gifts with purchase, and recent products that construct thrill as the holiday approaches.

15. Add festive lifestyle images

display your products in a holiday context with seasonal lifestyle photos. If recent photography isn’t feasible, discover free distribute photos on sites like Burst for collection headers.

📌Pro tip: Shopify Magic can transformation product image backgrounds in a few clicks—no reshoots needed.

16. Dress up your homepage

Add festive elements to display visitors you’re ready for holiday shopping. Several apps in the Shopify App Store make it straightforward:

• Christmas Snowfall Effects creates falling snow
• HolidaySpark adds animated holiday icons
• MX MP3 Background Holiday Player greets customers with a seasonal soundtrack

17. Add a holiday-themed announcement bar

Add an announcement bar to highlight specials and shipping deadlines. Apps like Hextom let you add custom banners quickly. Guitar brand Loog uses this space to promote its 40%-off sale across the site.

18. make a gift registry or aspiration list

aspiration lists assist construct your customer list and boost sales. Customers make accounts to save products, letting you notify them about sales on their saved items. Try apps like Wishlist Plus and Gift Reggie to manage registries and send targeted marketing messages. 

19. Add a countdown bar 

display shipping cut-off dates clearly to make urgency. Apps like POWR and Order Deadline embed countdown times on product pages to prompt customers about purchase deadlines.

20. make a shareable shipping calendar

Make holiday shipping deadlines straightforward to discover. distribute a calendar graphic or chart with key dates across your FAQ pages, emails, and social media. 

21. Promote last-minute delivery and pick-up options

If you serve local customers, consider offering pickup beyond shipping deadlines. Allow curbside pickup from your store, studio, or office. You might even add local delivery just for the holidays.

22. Enable multiple-address shipping

Let customers ship items from a single order to different addresses with Giftship—perfect for shoppers buying multiple gifts.

23. Update your holiday returns policy

Set obvious refund and trade terms early, especially if they transformation for the holidays. A straightforward returns procedure can boost purchase confidence. Clothing brand For adore and Lemons includes instructions for returning gifts, helping gift recipients navigate returns smoothly. 

24. Collaborate on an offline holiday marketing campaign

For physical stores, associate with neighboring businesses on holiday promotions. Consider Main Street bingo cards, brand collaborations, scavenger hunts, or special shopping events. The Junction business association in Toronto created a window wonderland with local shops. 

25. Host an in-store occurrence for faithful customers

Welcome local customers to an exclusive after-hours occurrence with food, music, and special offers. These experiences assist shoppers connect with your brand while exploring products in person. 

26. Sell at holiday markets

Test retail selling by joining existing holiday markets or hosting your own. Meet your local throng, network with other business owners, and direct shoppers to your online store.

27. Host a workshop or class

schedule in-store events around holiday campaigns. If you’re promoting a recent product, incorporate it into a DIY assignment. A craft store might navigator a wreath-making workshop using their flowers, string, and tinsel—giving customers hands-on encounter with the products.

28. Promote last-minute gifts

After shipping deadlines pass, focus marketing on gift cards and digital products for late shoppers.

29. declare thanks

Once the holiday rush ends, send thank you notes or pursue-up offers to keep customers engaged. PostPilot helps you reach customers through personalized postcards instead of crowded inboxes.

30. schedule Boxing Day promotions

Continue history Christmas with Boxing Day or Boxing Week deals. Send previews before Christmas—shoppers may have gift cards to spend or items to trade. 

31. associate with nonprofits

More than 20% of consumers schedule to shop sustainably this holiday period. Consider partnering with nonprofits to donate from each order. 

Adventurist Backpack Co. donates 25 meals for every product sold. Last holiday period, it expanded its Feeding America collaboration by also donating backpacks to local students. 

“They are really joyful to be able to provide back both on a national level and locally here in the throng,” says co-founder Matilda Sandstroem. “There’s always a burst of sales.”

32. propose personalized gifts

With personalized gifts expected to reach $34.3 billion in annual sales by 2026, consider adding customization options. Baby brand MORI adds a “Personalize me” button on product pages, letting gift shoppers add names to sleepsuits for an extra £5.

33. Set up cart recovery campaigns

Cart abandonment rises during Black Friday Cyber Monday as shoppers wait for better deals. Cart recovery emails showing abandoned items with personalized checkout links can bring these customers back.

6 tips to launch a successful holiday marketing campaign

Now you’re loaded up with encouragement, use these tips to turn your holiday marketing ideas into results this period: 

1. commence planning early

One-third of online shoppers commence holiday shopping in October, so commence your Black Friday planning now. make holiday posts, graphics, or email copy ahead of period to avoid last-minute stress. 

construct thrill through October with teasers. By Thanksgiving, your customers will be ready to buy—and you’ll be ready to serve them.

2. Set goals for holiday sales

assess your holiday marketing achievement by setting obvious goals before planning your campaigns. Review last year’s act to set realistic targets that align with your business objectives. 

Make your goals intelligent: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and period-based. “Generate 10% more sales in December through email” works better than “Get more leads.” 

3. make a holiday marketing schedule

Choose marketing ideas that fit your brand and spectators rather than trying everything. schedule your content, channels, and timing carefully. merge emails, social media promotions, and website updates to reach more customers. 

4. Personalize your marketing

Customers buy more from brands that comprehend them. Use previous shopping data to personalize your holiday messages, from product recommendations to special offers for faithful customers.

5. display your personality 

With 70% of purchasing decisions driven by emotion, let your brand personality shine in your holiday campaigns. Be personable and human by cracking jokes, using a casual tone of voice, and sharing your distinctive values. 

6. Consider extra capital

Holiday advertising costs rise as brands compete for limited customer attention. Focus your apportionment on channels with proven returns.

You might require capital beyond marketing. thrill Footwear used Shopify pool to airship 20% of its seasonal inventory instead of slower sea freight.

“I’m not confident we would have been able to bring in our holiday shipment [without Shopify Capital],” said CEO and founder Haley Pavone. “pool was vital in getting us the holiday inventory on hand that we needed to back that 375% sales growth. I don’t ponder we would have seen anything close to that growth figure without it.”

complete 2024 with a bang using these holiday marketing ideas 

Holiday marketing requires a different way. Your customers are shopping for others, not themselves, and shipping deadlines make natural urgency. 

Use these holiday marketing tips and tools to adjust your marketing for the holiday period. make positive shopping experiences that turn holiday customers into year-round buyers in 2025.