Influencer Marketing for the Holidays

How many times did you hit the snooze button this morning? Approximately 10? Same.

While we support delaying wake up to catch some extra Zz's, we don't recommend pushing back holiday campaign cutoffs.

We at Fohr understand the pressure of the holidays (Black Friday and Cyber Monday are approaching sooner than you can say pumpkin spice latte.) Yet we do feel the need to emphasize this point: If you're responsible for running influencer marketing campaigns this season, you need to be on top of them sooner rather than later. Let's talk about why.          

Tight Holiday Deadlines + Growing Influencer Demand = Higher Price Tags

We know this to be true: Consumers need to see your product more than once before they are persuaded to buy it. Influencer marketing is an incredible way to get your products out there and in front of your customers in time for the gifting season.

Influencers are in demand now more than ever, which means their calendars fill up quickly. There is always a seasonal demand for holiday campaigns, but the 2021 demand is the highest yet.

The influencer partners you want driving sales in early November into December should be talking about your product today.

It's like the decision to eat an avocado. Once you realize you want one, you need to eat it when the time is ripe, and there's not a lot of wiggle room.

• 8% of respondents say they cut off proposals from brands in Early-Mid October, to leave enough time to shoot content.
• 34% say they cut off proposals from brands in Late October, as they release their gift guides in early November.
• 48% of influencers say they cut off proposals from brands in Early November, to coincide with Black Friday & Cyber Monday. / Fohr the Holidays Report 2021

The Limit Does Exist

It's easy to assume that media space for influencers is unlimited.

You may be saying to yourself, 'There are a ton of influencers out there and multiple platforms to choose from. Plus, influencers can post more than once a day. Clearly, there's enough time, media space, and influencers available for my strategy.'

It is true that the latest reports cite a creator economy of 20M+ people, which feels like plenty of opportunities. Yet, with an estimated $1.46 billion pouring in to the space in Q4, seasonal rate premiums, and demand centralizing in specific creators, the limit, in fact, does exist.

The hard truth is that there is a limited number of influencers that are the right fit for a product.

Pressure mounts on both sides—for brands and creators—to capitalize on fleeting moments such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Yet it's imperative to remember that more is not always better.

Influencers limit how many sponsored posts they do with the intention to avoid several things:

• turning their audience off
• burnout (influencers want to enjoy the holidays, too)
• and impacting their engagement, and thus earning potential, long-term

What Influencers Say

Now with more platforms entering the influencer space, longer-term sponsorships, and repeated diverse campaigns, influencers can feel spread thin. Here’s what a few influencers had to say in our annual survey:

"I take on fewer projects because I limit my work hours to be with family, so I increase rates to balance that + weed out brands most interested in working with me."

"I don’t like overdoing my page with sponsored posts - it takes away from the authenticity of my brand and who I am.”

“The holiday season is high in demand, making ad space on social more limited. I worked with about 5 brands last year and hope to only lock in 2-3 this year. Plus, we could all use a little rest during the tail-end of the holiday season, so less is more.”

Have we stressed you out? There's no need to fear. Check out our 2023 Fohr the Holidays report. In it you'll find survey insights, expert influencer marketing campaign tips, and takeaway strategies.