Marketing in 2025 has brought more friction than ever. All year, small business owners, digital marketers, and entrepreneurs have been feeling the weight of increasing platform instability, decreasing consumer trust, AI slop clogging up feeds, and increased ad costs. 

But the truth is, even in hard years, business goes on.

People still buy.

And the data supports this: Cyber Week alone surged nearly 6% in 2024, adding $30 billion in new spending to an already massive number. And despite cultural chaos and tighter budgets, about 53% of shoppers say they plan to spend about the same as last year. That means that 2025’s holiday season can still be a huge growth opportunity for your business!

And if you’re reading this thinking: “But I’m already behind! I’ve missed the boat for holiday campaign planning.” You haven’t. November is statistically the most popular month for holiday shopping. 

It’s not too late to start your holiday campaign now. You can still end 2025 strong and set yourself up for success in 2026.

But let’s be clear: 2025 isn’t the year to “post and pray.” Now, more than ever, is the time to lock TF in and make sure that you are working smarter so that your content can work harder for you. 

Here are 5 things you need to do BEFORE you go publishing a bunch of content this holiday season.

1. Get Your Mindset Right

First and foremost, take care of yourself and your team now. Campaign chaos can burn everyone out. Plan ahead, delegate, and protect your bandwidth so you can actually enjoy your own holidays too.

Second, if you’re worried about being “annoying” by selling during the holidays, stop. 

Your people are being bombarded with millions of messages every single day–especially on social, and especially in 2025’s AI slop era. 

Your audience needs to hear from you more than once. But don’t confuse volume with value. In 2025, success looks like fewer, sharper messages that you can carry across every channel (more on that in tip #3). 

Remember: You’re not adding to the noise. You’re acting in service to your customer. You’re helping them make decisions faster, save time, and feel confident in their purchases. Here’s how to do that well…

2. Know Your Audience (As Humans)

Do you know exactly who you’re talking to? What’s happening in their lives right now? What are their wants and needs and how can you directly solve for them?

Your audience isn’t a list of demographic data—they’re humans trying to survive the busiest, most overstimulated season of a particularly chaotic year. They’re likely shopping between work meetings, navigating intense family dynamics, and juggling lengthy to do lists in both their work and home life. 

How do you get to know them? Talk to them! Send an email asking what they want to see from you this holiday season, or do a poll on social to get a quick temp check on how they’re feeling. If you’re just getting started and haven’t built a community yet to tap, then dream it up! Think about who your ideal customer is and imagine what their holiday season might look like.

3. Sharpen Your Message. Make it Platform-Proof. 

Remember: your customers are getting hit with thousands of messages every day. You need to help them decide—quickly—that you’re the one for them.

The biggest mistake brands make in Q4? Trying to say too much in too many places.

Instead, focus on one clear, unified message you can carry everywhere—from Instagram to email, ads to in-store signage. The goal isn’t to be everywhere. It’s to be consistent–meet your people where they’re at with the right message in the right place at the right time. 

Because here’s the reality: shoppers aren’t discovering products in just one place anymore. 55% of shoppers are getting their holiday gift ideas from in-store marketing (yes, brick-and-mortars are still thriving in 2025!), and 28% say they turn to social media for gift ideas. 

The brands winning in 2025 are doing it with stronger, fewer messages that they can repurpose across all of their digital marketing channels and social media platforms.

4. Make Sure You Have A Clear Measurement Model

Before you publish a single post, ask yourself: 

• What are my overall business goals? Am I trying to grow my email list? Increase my Average Order Value (AOV)? Drive repeat purchases?

• How many sales or leads do I need this holiday season to reach my goals?

• Do I know which products or offers I’m selling at every part of my customer journey? 

• Do I have a clear way of measuring my content’s success–which metrics am I tracking for each piece of content we publish? 

Then, use a simple measurement model that tells you quickly and easily what’s working versus what’s not—so you can adjust and optimize in real time.

This is where The S3 System™ shines–if you need our help building a content strategy with a clear measurement model that tells you the ROI of every single piece of content you publish, join us in the next live F* The Algorithm! 2.0 Workshop. 

Because what gets measured gets improved—and what gets ignored gets expensive.

5. Lean Into Your Values

If you’ve been playing it safe, consider this your permission slip to go all in on your values: 61% of shoppers say they prioritize personal values over price when choosing where to shop.

If you’re a purpose-driven brand, especially in this era of consumer distrust and AI sameness, YOUR VALUES ARE YOUR COMPETITIVE EDGE. 

Use this time to remind people who you are and what you stand for. Highlight your mission, showcase your team, and make known all the good you’ve done this year. 

Your customers will remember how you made them feel long after they forget your holiday discount code.

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If you’re thinking, “okay, but how?” and want to ask our Founder, Katie, how to make the most of your last-minute holiday campaign…

Join us for the next live F* The Algorithm! 2.0 and learn how to drive powerful, efficient and 100% measurable growth across your entire digital footprint with ONE simple and sustainable system.⁠

 

Register here for F* The Algorithm! 2.0

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