Here's how to plan your end-of-year content
Who’s ready for the holidays?
Whether you identify with Buddy the Elf or Ebenezer Scrooge, that time of year is coming up quickly. A lot of big brands are probably deep into working on their holiday campaigns, but most of us don’t have big marketing teams (or budgets). That’s why we’ve put together this brainstorming guide, so you can get your content together now as opposed to adding it to the list of endless holiday prep.
Why is it worth tapping into the holiday conversations? Aside from the obvious - being able to join in on a cultural conversation that probably impacts most of your audience - content creators are playing a bigger role each year. New data from Adobe Analytics found that “traffic from affiliates and partners, including social media influencers, will account for a 17.2% share of online spend [this holiday season], and marks the fastest area of growth.”
Plus, in 2024, “Adobe’s data shows that influencers are converting shoppers 10 times more than social media overall, and this trend is expected to continue during the holiday season.”
TikTok is giving similar guidance in its 2024 Holiday Guide:
This doesn’t mean you need to be a full-time creator with a big audience to have an impact [remember what we’ve been saying about side hustles].
If you’re ready to start the brainstorm, here’s a calendar with all of the major days you should consider creating content for:
Remember, you don’t need to hit everything, especially if it’s a holiday you don’t celebrate or your niche isn’t something you can shop for. But even in that case, you might have a unique POV on the meaning of the day, and that will help you stand out in a crowded conversation.
TikTok’s holiday guide shared the top content topics from last year’s holiday season, and we think these are pretty applicable across the board, so use them to plan your efforts to tap into conversations in the coming months:
Comedy
Cooking
Home & Garden
Fashion
Family
Vlog
Pets
Movies & TV
On top of that, according to TikTok, travel is a huge conversation piece. That makes sense, since so many people are traveling to be with loved ones and/or planning the trips they will take in the new year.
A couple of other topics not covered here that we think are worth considering: giving back and underconsumption. Especially at this time of year, when we’re being bombarded with marketing campaigns about what to buy, a message about being thoughtful with your purchases and giving to people in need has the potential to really resonate with people.
Look at these topics and decide what works for you and when. Some of it might be straightforward - if you’re looking to break into the fashion creator space, there’s plenty to be done around the Cyber Monday deals you’re shopping for and what you’re wearing to a holiday gathering.
For many of us, we need to get a little more creative. If you’re an entrepreneur whose job is demanding, talk about the changes you make in the holiday season to ensure you’re spending time with family. If you’re a small business, try vlogging about what it’s like to simultaneously end this year strong while preparing for the next. If you’re an executive who doesn’t have a lot of downtime, talk about what you’re watching [or reading] in that week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve to help you unwind and recharge.
One topic that applies to all of us is year-end content. It always has been a trend, and it always will be. We advocate for keeping that in the back of your mind year-round, but our guide to an EOY lookback will help you get organized.
Finally, let’s be honest, most of us are so busy that we can’t possibly do it all. Maybe you have five great ideas but only have time to do three. Maybe you have your best idea yet but it’s way too late to execute. Don’t worry! Keep a note in your phone with ideas you didn’t get to, and other inspo you see this year, so you can easily return to it when we get to the 2025 holiday season.