8 Marketing Ideas for a Festive December (Templates Inside)

December ushers in one of the most anticipated seasons of the year. It’s a month filled with family, food, and festivities. It’s also a window of opportunity for businesses to end their year on a high note.

However, when it comes to holiday marketing, the end of the year can leave small business owners feeling pressed for time and resources. Your followers are probably busy thinking about gifts, parties, family gatherings, and travel plans. But they are also on the lookout for great ideas and deals. This is your opportunity to be part of that conversation and reach your network of followers in creative and fun ways that will spark their attention and deepen their connection with your brand.

Whether you’re looking to drive engagement, boost sales, or power your online presence this December, we’ve put together some unique marketing ideas for a merry month. Use them to make the most of holiday traffic and spending to create an awesome impression of your business that will last well into 2022.

Promo Tips for the Month

Just a moment—before you go stuff your customers’ stockings with heartwarming December content, here are some Promo tips you may want to keep in mind.

1. With Promo, you can turn every project into a fun and shareable GIF. Why should Christmas be any different? Stand out this season with Merry Christmas GIFs wishing your customers a happy holiday, promoting a Christmas sale, and more!
2. Don’t forget to add bright and colorful images to your videos this holiday season! Take a dive into our photo library and add light to every December video you create. While you’re welcome to use broader keywords like “winter” and “Christmas,” we recommend that you get more specific and search for exciting keywords like “reindeer” and “Christmas feast.”
3. Nothing says “festive” like a special edition holiday font. Get into the holiday spirit by using our festive holiday text styles. Whether you’re promoting a holiday sale, driving engagement, or spreading the joy, use these merry text styles to add a cheerful touch to each and every one of your videos.

Christmas Marketing Ideas 

Yes, Christmas only occurs at the end of December, but it’s a month-long online and offline celebration. It’s thought of by many businesses as one of the best times of the year to celebrate, rejoice, and connect. But it can be a challenge for many businesses to catch viewers’ and customers’ attention, considering the number of holiday ads and promotions they see left and right. 

This Christmas, give your business the gift of standing out among the rest during the holidays by connecting and building relationships with your audience, boosting sales, and driving engagement. These Christmas content ideas will help you achieve exactly that. 

Holiday Gift Guide 

If there is one thing EVERYONE needs in December, it’s some inspiration for holiday gifts. Putting together a holiday gift guide can be a creative way to give value, raise brand awareness and help followers in their gift-giving journey. It’s also a great way to get your name out there and provide a helpful service to your community.

Gift Guide Content Ideas: 

• Gift ideas slideshow: Your business is more than a brand. It also has a voice. Use it to give your followers a sneak peek into your personal taste by sharing your favorite gift ideas. You can also have each team member send their favorite gift idea and create a video slideshow featuring the results. The guide can also be a great way to promote other small businesses that you love. Another option – ask your audience to share their gift ideas and create a community gift guide. This will create a sense of togetherness around the holidays and serve as a helpful resource. Get the slideshow template here.
• Promotional video: Create a fun video gift guide showcasing the products or services you’re offering this holiday season. Don’t forget to use our special holiday text styles for that festive touch!
• Instagram story guide: Take advantage of Instagram’s latest stories sticker, giving you the power to link from any story you publish. Easily create a holiday gift guide video series by planning a 15-second video for each product you want to promote. You should then add a link back from each story to the product page on your store. Once the posts have been up for 24 hours, add them to an Instagram story highlights tab called “Holiday Gift Guide” so that new viewers who visit your page can check it out!
• Listicle gift guide: Be one of Santa’s little helpers. Create a short listicle video with gift-giving tips that will help your followers make the most of their gifts this season. Get the video here.
• Editorial video: Celebs—they’re just like us! They also give and receive gifts during the holiday season. Theirs are just a little more…exorbitant. Spread the Hollywood holiday cheer and drive engagement by sharing the most extravagant gifts ever given by celebs. Use our exclusive editorial footage to create a video from scratch or customize this template.

Gingerbread House Day (Dec 12th) 

While some might be accustomed to baking and eating gingerbread all year round, baking gingerbread was once a specific profession. In the 17th century, only professional gingerbread bakers were allowed to make it—that is, except for on Easter and Christmas, when anyone was allowed to bake it.

Gingerbread House Day on December 12th recognizes a family tradition for many around the country. Here are some ways you can make it a tradition for your business as well. 

Gingerbread House Day Content Ideas: 

• Social media contest: Hold a gingerbread house decorating contest. Invite participants to send in their pictures ahead of time. Post the finished products on your social sites, and have your audience vote for their favorites. Choose a winner to receive a special holiday promotion.
• Listicle video: Share fun facts about gingerbread houses and their history, invite users to comment with pictures of their gingerbread houses any fun facts or tips for creating them! You may be surprised by their answers.
• Video invitation: Create a gingerbread display at your business for people to take pictures with and post to social media. Posting a fun video inviting them to stop by will go a long way.

**Check out Promo’s amazing gingerbread footage. Make sure to scroll down the page to see all the amazing content Promo has to offer.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Day (Dec 17th)

Since 2011, Ugly Christmas Sweater Day has grown to become somewhat of an international event. Occurring on the third Friday of every December, the celebration gives holiday lovers worldwide an opportunity to wear their ugly Christmas sweaters. 

Ugly Christmas Sweater Day Content Ideas:

• Social media engagement video: Post a fun video on your social media channels offering a nice discount to anyone posting a selfie or visiting in their ugly sweater today! Get the video here.
• Personal video: Post photos of you and your employees in your ugly Christmas sweaters, and encourage your customers to do the same! Remind them to tag your company’s social media accounts so you can share their photos on your feed or in your stories!
• Funny GIF: Use Promo’s GIF maker to create a lighthearted GIF to share on your socials on Ugly Christmas Sweater Day and spread the fun! You can also customize and share the one we’ve created below!

Christmas Eve (Dec 24th)

The day that needs no introduction — Christmas Eve is a wonderful time to reach out to your customers and wish them a happy holiday. Since everyone’s done with holiday shopping, focus your Christmas Eve content on community, family, and connection. There’s no real reason to push sales today; share the joy of Christmas in a 100% wholehearted way.

Christmas Eve Content Ideas:

• Virtual Christmas card: Christmas Eve is the perfect time to reach out to your customers and wish them a happy holiday. Share a virtual Christmas card by creating a Christmas Eve video to share with your customers and followers. If you have a Christmas newsletter that goes out via email, send the card out there! If not, share your Christmas card on your social media assets. Get the video here.

**Check out Promo’s awesome Christmas Eve footage. Make sure to scroll down the page to see all the amazing content Promo has to offer.

Christmas Day (Dec 25th)

It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for. Every year, December 25th marks the celebration of Christmas—a day for spending time with family, taking part in traditions, and spreading holiday cheer. Just as you did with Christmas Eve, celebrate Christmas Day with your followers and customers by sharing a sense of community and togetherness.

Christmas Day Content Ideas:

• Heartwarming GIF: Wish your customers a Merry Christmas using a Merry Christmas GIF. For a personalized touch this Christmas, you can create one GIF template and easily add and change your VIPs’ names accordingly. Get the video here.

• Instagram story poll: Create a poll to drive engagement on Christmas Day. Ask viewers what Christmas traditions they prefer in a fun “this or that” story. Do they prefer eggnog or mulled wine? Were they naughty or nice?

Non-Christmas December Marketing Ideas 

Christmas aside, there are plenty of other key dates you can and should take advantage of this month. December marks the last month of the year, a time to look back at that year that was and look forward to the year ahead.  Occasion-based marketing is an excellent addition to your December marketing strategy; here are the December dates you aren’t going to want to miss!

Free Shipping Day (Dec 14th)

Free Shipping Day started in 2008 and was created by internet entrepreneur Luke Knowles. Knowles noticed that around December 10th, online shopping seemed to drop. Though retailers were able to ship orders on time for the holidays, online shoppers were worried about receiving their packages on time and paying expensive holiday fees. The solution? Promoting free shipping! The first Free Shipping Day earned $764 million in online sales.

As Free Shipping Day continues to grow, more and more retailers are starting to participate in the national day to benefit from holiday sales. While free shipping may seem like a significant stretch for small businesses, there are some things you can do to create positive exposure and take part in Free Shipping Day while minimizing risks and losses.

Free Shipping Day Content Ideas: 

• Promotional video: Invite new customers to enjoy free shipping by creating a video that promotes your offer to all new shoppers. If your free shopping offer requires a promo code, add it to your video’s CTA. Get the video here.
  
• Social media contest: Offer free shipping to customers who participate in the Instagram challenge or poll you post to your stories.
• Members-only: If you have a loyalty or rewards program, offering free shipping for those customers specifically will ensure that your existing patrons feel seen and rewarded this December. Get the video here.
• Slideshow video: Create a slideshow video showcasing the select products you’re offering free shipping on. Post the video on your social media pages and add it to your December email marketing efforts.

The First Day of Winter (Dec 21st)

The Winter Solstice (or December Solstice) is when the sun’s path in the sky is farthest south. This day is the shortest day of the year and the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere.

It also marks the first day of winter! The first day of winter is an excellent time to invite your customers to celebrate winter by promoting winter sales and last-minute Christmas deals!

First Day of Winter Content Ideas:

• Winter meme: Did you know that you can use Promo to create amazing memes?  Even though the cold is no joke, you can still celebrate the official first day of winter with humor by sharing a funny winter meme. Get meme inspiration here.
• Engaging video: Celebrate the Winter Solstice with a video ushering in the first day of winter. Ask your followers to comment on whether they are winter or summer people. For extra fun, ask them to use emojis for the answer.
• Listicle video: Listicle videos are an amazing way to celebrate the coming of winter, and the possibilities are endless. For example, if you’re in the wellness industry, create a video featuring tips for a happy and healthy winter. If you’re in the retail market, make a video with the top winter fashion tips. Another example of a winter listicle video could be reasons to buy a house in the winter! Get the video here.
• Winter sale video: Celebrate the first day of winter by offering a winter promotion/sale that lasts until morning!

Kwanzaa (First Day Dec 26th)

Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration from December 26th to January 1st. It’s an African American and pan-African cultural holiday that celebrates community and family. During Kwanzaa, families celebrate with good music and dance. They also have a day dedicated to reflection and recommitment to the seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Even if you do not celebrate Kwanzaa, acknowledging the holiday and showing respect for those in your community who do will go a long way in building trust and connection with your followers. 

Kwanzaa Content Ideas:

• Thought leadership: Use the seven principles of Kwanzaa as inspiration for thought leadership and value-centered content. Use each day to highlight a different aspect and create a video dedicated to Kwanzaa’s principles. Get the video here.
• Customer takeover: Invite one of your customers who celebrates Kwanzaa to take over your social media today and enlighten your followers.
• Holiday greeting: Share a Kwanzaa GIF to your social media wishing anyone who celebrates a Happy Kwanzaa! Get the GIF here.

New Year’s Eve (Dec 31st)

New Year’s is celebrated with fireworks, parties, and reflection. It also gives businesses a chance to take a look back at the past and give thanks to everyone who has taken part in making the business thrive (customers/employees).

New Year’s Eve Content Ideas:

• A year in review: Create a slideshow summing up your company’s year. From top launches to great reviews you received, now’s the time to say thank you to everyone who took part in your business’ year!
• Promotional video: Offer a New Year’s Eve discount (countdown to midnight) to instill a sense of urgency.
• Editorial video: Take a look back at this fabulous year by highlighting some of its most significant moments. Engage with your viewers by sharing the most memorable celebrity moments of 2021.
  

  ​​Happy Holidays from Us at Promo!

  Whether you focus all of your December marketing efforts on Christmas or sprinkle the joy throughout the month, we hope these ideas merry December ideas inspire you to end your business’s year on a high note. It’s been a heck of a year. Now let’s start 2022 off with a bang!