10 Holiday Traffic Strategies for Publishers

We’ve entered the holiday season now, and the time has come to amplify your holiday marketing campaigns and get more ad revenue this Q4. Digital commerce continues to dominate: mobile will account for over 92 % of holiday e‑commerce growth in the US, and connected‑TV and video consumption are rising rapidly. These shifts require publishers to rethink how they attract and monetize holiday traffic.

From leveraging the power of targeted content to embracing the latest in advertising technology, we’ll dive into actionable tips and insights that can transform your holiday campaigns.

Check out our strategies below that are designed to elevate your platform’s appeal to advertisers and maximize your revenue potential during the holiday rush.

1) Harness first‑party data and privacy‑driven personalization

First‑party data, information collected directly from your audience, offers unparalleled insight and is privacy-compliant. Publishers that invest in collecting email addresses, purchase histories, and on‑site behaviour can build audience segments and create personalized experiences that increase loyalty and attract higher ad spend.

Segmenting audiences by behaviour and preferences lets you tailor content and offers. To overcome data usage challenges, adopt data management platforms, train teams in compliance and analytics, and work with the best AdTech partners. Reliance on anonymous third‑party cookies or generic targeting is becoming ineffective.

2) Prioritize mobile and cross‑device experiences

Mobile commerce is the engine of holiday growth. Mobile will drive 92.2 % of holiday e‑commerce growth in 2025 and will account for 56.5 % of online holiday sales. At the same time, 93% of connected TV viewers shop on other devices while watching TV, and 50% of consumers use mobile devices for gift shopping.

Ensure your sites and ad formats are mobile‑optimized with fast load times, simple layouts, and clear calls‑to‑action. Cross‑screen coordination is also critical: many shoppers discover products on connected TV or desktop devices and then purchase on mobile devices. Neglecting mobile speed or assuming users will complete purchases on desktop can cost conversions.

3) Lean into connected‑TV (CTV) and multi‑screen video

CTV and video have become central to holiday discovery. CTV viewing time is projected to grow 7.7 % in 2025, reaching two hours and 35 minutes a day. Seventy‑eight percent of U.S. adults regularly use multiple screens, and 67 % of marketers consider video their most valuable creative format.

Repurpose social‑first assets into CTV and embrace dynamic creative optimization to deliver personalized video ads across screens. Combining CTV with social and web campaigns and measuring cross‑channel performance helps capture high‑intent audiences earlier in the customer journey. Ignoring CTV or treating it only as an awareness channel underuses its conversion potential; dynamic video and shoppable formats can directly drive traffic and sales.

4) Emphasize value, deals, and flexible payment options

Economic headwinds make value messaging essential. Nearly half of holiday gift buyers plan to buy fewer gifts or spend less; 82 % may cut back on groceries to fund holiday purchases. Consumers still respond to promotions: highlighting deals and sales early and often, even outside the Cyber Five, attracts price‑conscious shoppers.

Showcasing value beyond price, durability, quality, or bundled offers gives shoppers reasons to choose you. Promoting smaller‑ticket items encourages impulse buys. Flexible payment options like buy‑now‑pay‑later help shoppers manage budgets and should be promoted in ads. Without clear value propositions, campaigns may struggle as consumers tighten spending.

5) Integration with E-commerce Platforms

For publishers who also operate e-commerce platforms, integrating content and advertising strategies with e-commerce activities is crucial, especially during the holiday season. This approach involves creating content that not only engages the audience but also seamlessly leads them to holiday sales or promotions on the e-commerce side. By using targeted advertising, such as showcasing specific holiday deals or exclusive products within content, publishers can drive traffic directly to their e-commerce platforms. This synergy between content and commerce not only enhances user experience but also significantly boosts sales potential during the high-traffic holiday period.

6) Create your Holiday Content Marketing Plan

Now you’re ready to craft your holiday content marketing plan. Armed with the right data and an optimized website, it’s time to get creative:

• Holiday Graphics – think of one central theme for your holiday marketing. It can be a 12 Days of Christmas content series, or a new coupon code for a sale – anything that you think addresses your audience’s needs during this season. Once you’ve got a theme, incorporate it into your holiday graphics for branding.

• Holiday Freebies – Freebies are always attractive at any time of the year. It’s expected during the holidays. Make your hook stand out by really delving into your users’ needs and searching for a gap in the market. If you’re handing out ebooks and free content, make sure your content adds the most value in your niche. If you’re giving out sale coupons, time your campaign well to give flexibility to shoppers to decide and convert.

• Holiday Landing Pages & CTAs – Prepare your pages. By this time, you should have completed your AB tests to know which CTA and landing page structures lead to conversions. Remember to make use of your keywords and user-behavior data to guide you in building your holiday page section. Prepare the content for your other properties as well, like blog posts, social media messages, emails, and ad copy.

Tip: Calls to action with a sense of urgency  (i.e ‘Limited time offer’) highly boost consumer response.

• Holiday Remarketing – All the hype and buzz that come with the holidays can be overwhelming to compete with. No need to fret, though; you may already have all the necessary tools at your disposal. Research holiday remarketing. This strategy involves looking at your evergreen content pieces and repurposing them into a brand-new, shiny freebie (an ebook, for example). You can also compile all the year’s infographics and other archived listicles, then offer them for download. If you’re a B2C site, check out your overabundant stock and sell it for discounted prices. Create a Christmas wishlist section with both new and old products you carry in stock. For distribution, use paid search, social media, and your email newsletters to encourage both new and loyal users to visit your site again as you remarket existing assets.
• Personalizing ad content-To attract brands to purchase ad space during the holiday season, publishers can employ several strategic approaches. Firstly, showcasing the reach and demographics of their audience can appeal to brands aiming to target specific consumer segments. Other than that, offering custom content solutions, such as sponsored posts or holiday-themed sections, provides integrated advertising opportunities.Additionally, competitive ad packages, including extras like social media promotions, can make the deal more enticing. Don’t forget to share success stories from past holiday campaigns to build trust and confidence among potential advertisers.

7) Video Advertising Strategies

By focusing on engaging, holiday-centric video content and strategic ad placements, you can effectively improve your ad revenue during the holiday season. Here’s how:

1. Create Engaging Holiday-Themed Content: Develop festive video content that resonates with the holiday spirit. This could include gift guides, product reviews, or holiday-themed stories that draw viewers in.
2. Use Video Ads: Implement video ads within content, as they often have higher engagement and CPM rates compared to standard display ads.
3. Partner with Brands for Sponsored Content: Collaborate with brands for sponsored holiday videos, offering a more authentic way to integrate advertisements.
4. Optimize for Mobile Viewing: Ensure videos are optimized for mobile viewing, as a significant portion of holiday traffic comes from mobile devices.
5. Leverage Social Media Platforms: Distribute video content across various social media platforms to increase reach and engagement, potentially attracting more advertisers.

8) Coordinate an omnichannel marketing mix

Consumers move fluidly between channels: they watch TV while browsing on phones, discover products on social, then buy on mobile or in store. In 2025, successful campaigns coordinate messaging across CTV, social media, web display, email, search, and even programmatic direct mail. Sequential messaging should evolve from awareness early in the season to promotions mid‑season and urgency near the end.

FAST (free ad‑supported streaming) channels offer cost‑effective reach, while premium CTV inventory requires careful budgeting. Programmatic direct mail can complement digital efforts when powered by first‑party data and intent signals. Siloed campaigns on a single channel miss opportunities to reinforce messages and capture cross‑device shoppers.

9) Segment audiences and remarket across screens

Precise audience segmentation and retargeting remain core to holiday success. Segmenting by lifecycle stage (prospects, active customers, lapsed customers) and by interests or past behaviour allows publishers to tailor messages.

For example, prospects might see value‑driven introductions, active customers might get new product recommendations and lapsed customers may receive incentives or free shipping.

Dynamic personalization, including local store details or custom offers, drives higher engagement. Invest in retargeting high‑intent shoppers using first‑party data; this could involve CTV retargeting or email sequences. Relying solely on broad acquisition without nurturing past visitors wastes ad spend.

10) Holiday Outreach

Holiday outreach is a good way to acquire new site visitors, as well as to connect with influencers in the industry. Outreach can run in a variety of ways using different channels like email, forums, social media. Content that connects or credits influencers and industry bloggers is a great hook to start conversations. Also, letting them test or try out your holiday offer allows them (hopefully) to become brand ambassadors who can drive conversions beyond the holiday season.

Publishers are now crafting their holiday marketing campaigns, or have implemented one already. If you need guidance in hacking this season’s potential gains to your ad revenue, contact MonetizeMore today.

Get started by signing up for Ad Exchange, or applying as a premium publisher.

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