The holiday season is already in full swing, and e-commerce sellers must implement TikTok-specific strategies without delay.

According to TikTok's 2024 Holiday Playbook, 87% of users engage in gift-buying from October through December, making it an essential time for brands to increase their marketing efforts.

As shopping behaviors intensify during this period, there’s a unique opportunity to capitalize on user trends, particularly around self-gifting​ (HouseMarketers)

1. Leverage TikTok's Peak Holiday Features

Since the holiday rush is underway, implementing TikTok's engagement tools immediately can help brands stay relevant:

• Branded Hashtag Challenges: According to the playbook, launching a holiday-themed challenge such as a "Holiday Wishlist Challenge" encourages user participation and boosts brand visibility.

• This strategy plays into the platform's discovery-based shopping experience, which is crucial during peak shopping months.

• Seasonal Effects and Filters: Based on TikTok's recommendations, integrating festive elements in your content can attract holiday shoppers looking for joyful and trend-driven experiences.

Take a look at @lifestylelucx's wishlist suggestion for 2024 here!

2. Influencer Partnerships for Immediate Reach

With October already here, partnering with influencers can fast-track your holiday marketing goals.

According to Captiv8 and NeoReach, combining micro and macro influencers in your holiday marketing strategy can help tailor your message to different audience segments. Kindly look at the table below:

You can also partner with influencers who are already sharing holiday-related posts. This will make it easier to integrate your brand into their content seamlessly, aligning your campaign with their followers’ expectations​

3. Capitalize on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Other Q4 Events

TikTok's data shows that key shopping dates, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday (#BFCM), offer critical moments to capture the attention of last-minute shoppers.

4. Prepare for Post-Holiday Shopping (Q5)

According to TikTok, the holiday shopping frenzy extends into January—referred to as Q5. Nearly 50% of users continue to engage with holiday-related content during this period.

The playbook emphasizes using this time to clear out seasonal inventory, introduce New Year promotions, or launch products aligned with resolutions, such as fitness gear or productivity tools.

5. Optimize Ad Strategies for Maximum Impact

Since October marks the start of the peak holiday period, sellers need to act fast. Based on TikTok’s recommendations, the following ad formats can help maximize your campaign’s effectiveness:

• In-Feed and Spark Ads: These formats are ideal for fast-tracking visibility and performance. TikTok advises using Spark Ads to enhance high-performing organic content.

• TopView Ads: Given their prominent placement, TopView Ads can be used strategically during peak shopping days to drive traffic to special offers and holiday bundles.

6. Real-Time Campaign Adjustments for Better Results

Monitoring your campaign's performance is essential during this busy season. Tracking metrics shown in the table below helps sellers make necessary adjustments.

Conclusion

With the peak holiday season here, it’s time to urgently act on TikTok’s insights to ensure your marketing strategy resonates with holiday shoppers.

The 2024 Holiday Playbook outlines key phases and strategies that can significantly boost sales during this busy time. By focusing on user trends, influencer collaborations, and timely ad strategies, you can make the most of the remaining months and extend your sales momentum well into the new year.