Make Your Brand Stand Out This Holiday Season: 5 Marketing Tips

As the holiday season approaches, retail and eCommerce competition heats up like never before. Shoppers are looking for meaningful, flexible, and stress-free ways to give, while businesses are navigating rising costs and shifting consumer expectations. To succeed, you need a holiday marketing strategy that goes beyond the basics and connects with customers in memorable, practical ways.

Here are five holiday marketing tips to refresh your approach and capture more value this year:

1. Start Early—Shoppers Already Are

Holiday shopping now begins well before Thanksgiving. According to Deloitte’s 2024 holiday retail survey, 60% of consumers started holiday shopping before November. If you wait until Black Friday to roll out campaigns, you’ve already missed a big share of customer spending.

Action Step: Launch early-bird campaigns in October, offering perks like free shipping, early access sales, or bonus incentives to motivate purchases ahead of the rush. Starting early also helps you gather insights to refine your strategy as the season progresses.

2. Make Gift Cards Central to Your Strategy

Gift cards continue to be a top holiday gift. In fact, Next Gen Personal Finance reported that 55% of U.S. adults planned to give gift cards during the holiday season, making them the most requested gift for the 18th year in a row. They’re practical, flexible, and allow recipients to choose what they truly want.

For brands, gift cards also create opportunities to drive repeat business and strengthen customer loyalty well into the new year.

Action Step:

• Promote both digital and physical gift cards prominently across your website, social channels, and email campaigns.
• Use limited-time holiday packaging or seasonal designs to make them more giftable.
• For brands that want to grow or refine their program, GiftCard Partners’ gift card program management services help you expand into the $58B corporate incentive market, tapping into the B2B sales channels where organizations use gift cards as employee rewards, customer incentives, and loyalty drivers.

3. Harness the Power of Video and Storytelling

Holiday content should connect emotionally. Short-form videos, live shopping streams, and authentic storytelling help customers see your products in action and imagine how they fit into their celebrations.

Action Step: Create content that emphasizes real use cases—like “holiday morning unboxings” or “last-minute gift solutions.” Even short, behind-the-scenes clips of how your brand is preparing for the season can resonate. And don’t forget platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, which continue to influence shopping behavior.

4. Build Holiday-Themed Landing Pages

Consumers often search for inspiration, not just products. A dedicated “Holiday Gift Ideas” page simplifies the shopping process, guiding buyers directly to what they need.

Action Step: Organize your products by theme, such as “For Employees,” “For Foodies,” or “Stocking Stuffers Under $25.” If your business sells gift cards, highlight them at the top of the page as the easiest, no-fail option. Landing pages not only improve user experience but also give you an SEO boost when optimized for holiday keywords.

5. Don’t Forget Corporate Buyers

It’s not just consumers shopping during the holidays—businesses also allocate large budgets to year-end employee recognition and client appreciation. Many companies are turning to gift cards as a practical, scalable solution.

Action Step: Position your gift card program to attract bulk orders from corporate buyers. Offer easy ordering options, volume discounts, or personalized branding to make large-scale gifting seamless. GiftCard Partners helps brands launch, expand, and manage corporate gift card programs, ensuring you capture this high-value audience during the holiday season.

Wrapping It Up

The holidays are a high-stakes time for retailers and brands alike. By starting early, leaning into gift cards, using video to connect, creating curated landing pages, and tapping into the corporate gifting market, you’ll be ready to meet customers where they are.

At GiftCard Partners, we help brands maximize the potential of their gift card programs—especially during the holiday rush—through consulting, distribution, and corporate sales management. If you want to elevate your gift card strategy this season, our team is here to make it happen.