The holiday deals are upon us—at least the brand-creator ones

‘Tis the season…for holiday planning.

Around 56% of people began their holiday shopping in October last year, and creators are no exception to that start-early mentality.

A new survey from influencer marketing platform Collective Voice found that 27% of creators start planning for the holidays in the first six months of the year and 21% start planning in August.

If you’re worried about falling behind, about 30% of creators begin planning in September and nearly 20% wait til October, so there’s still time for deals to be made. The survey found that about 71% of marketers begin holiday campaign planning between July and September.

Why so early? The stakes are high—and not just for brands hoping to cash in on the holiday buying surge. According to the survey, 57% of creators make a quarter of their yearly revenue during the holidays, and 28% make half of their earnings for the year at this time.

About 85% of creators said they prioritize existing brand relationships during the holidays, preferring to foster more authentic connections instead of taking multiple new offers. In other words, best to start making those connections soon.

What’s driving sales? About 57% of creators said Instagram generates the highest sponsored campaign revenue at the holidays, followed by Facebook at 18%. Blogging may also be on track for a comeback, with 11% of creators saying it generates the most campaign revenue.

“I sense a growing nostalgia for quieter connections that blogging allows, without all the noise of unwanted ads and frustrating algorithms that monopolize social media feeds,” creator Tina Adams told Collective Voice.

Of the marketers surveyed, 59% said they plan to test TikTok and Reels, and 36% plan to explore live shopping this season.