6 Marketing Traps That Could Cost You Big This Holiday Season

While the holiday season has been dubbed “the most wonderful time of the year,” the fourth quarter also represents an intense, make-it-or-break-it period for many businesses.

For marketers and business owners, it’s not just about riding the wave of increased consumer spending; it's about dealing with fierce competition and standing out in an increasingly crowded marketplace. And let’s be honest, a festive logo or mistletoe icon just isn’t going to cut it.

Instead, you need to have a deep understanding of consumer behavior, along with a strategy that anticipates their needs. This is where many brands stumble, making preventable errors that cost them valuable customers and revenue.

As the season of giving approaches, marketers often highlight the best case studies in holiday season planning. However, there’s much to be said about learning from what not to do.

My work focuses on blending consumer psychology with data-driven insights to help brands craft strategies that truly resonate. Therefore, my agency recently surveyed more than 300 shoppers to better understand what's on their minds as we head into the holiday season.

The survey revealed valuable insights into what consumers are looking for this year. Here are the key holiday marketing mistakes to avoid in 2025 based upon what real shoppers are thinking.

Mistake No. 1: Inauthentic Influencer Marketing

One of the most common pitfalls in holiday marketing is choosing to work with influencers who aren’t genuinely connected to your brand.

It’s an honest oversight: It’s tempting to go after social media stars with big followings. But if there’s no real affinity for what you’re selling, your audience will be able to detect the disconnect from a mile away. Those forced partnerships often do more harm than good. Instead of boosting your brand, they can erode the trust you’ve worked so hard to build.

Authenticity is the heart of influencer marketing. Shoppers are incredibly savvy and can spot when a creator is just reading from a script vs. when they’re sharing something they’re genuinely excited about. According to the core tenets of consumer psychology, people are most inclined to buy when recommendations seem trustworthy and personal.

Our shopping survey results backed this up — only 16 percent of the consumers we spoke to said they were affected by influencer endorsements. This low percentage highlights just how important it is to find influencers whose personalities and lifestyles already align with your products.

The best partnerships happen organically, when brands allow influencers the creative freedom to share their own experiences. In doing so, their recommendations feel genuine and make a real impact with their followers as a result.

Mistake No. 2: Starting Campaigns Too Late

The early bird gets the worm, or in this case, the lion’s share of holiday shopping revenue.

Don’t wait until Black Friday to launch your holiday campaigns. With so many moving parts this time of year, starting late can quickly result in a missed opportunity.

Our research revealed that 45 percent of shoppers are making holiday purchases before November. Fewer than one in five consumers wait until Black Friday or later to begin checking off their holiday lists.

This means that if you delay your campaign rollout you risk losing nearly half of your potential audience before your ads even go live.

The psychology behind this phenomenon is straightforward: People like to plan ahead, and early exposure to deals helps them budget accordingly and feel more prepared. The early bird effect means that brands that get out front and center are far more likely to capture shoppers’ attention before they’re lulled into loyalty somewhere else.

There’s real power in beginning early. Start teasing your promotions now to build awareness over time and keep your brand top-of-mind.

Mistake No. 3: Overlooking Value-Added Promotions

It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of believing the only way to stand out during the holidays is to slash your prices. However, relying on discounts alone seldom sets you apart, especially when every competitor is already waving 20 percent off banners. In fact, focusing solely on monetary promotions can erode your margins without actually building customer loyalty.

Instead, challenge yourself to think about what adds value beyond price. Shoppers want to feel special, and small, thoughtful extras go a long way. Perks like complimentary gift wrapping, early access to new products, personalized recommendations, or even simple handwritten thank-you notes can make a memorable impression, one that’s not tied solely to a lower price tag.

With 57 percent of shoppers in our survey citing high prices as a top frustration, these value-boosting touches can ease sticker shock, especially as inflation concerns and tariff worries continue to weigh heavily on consumers’ minds. These value-added promotions show customers that you appreciate their business and want their experience to be exceptional. This leaves a lasting impression amidst the bargain blitz.

Mistake No. 4: Ignoring Amazon as a Sales Channel

Choosing to ignore Amazon.com means turning your back on the majority of holiday shoppers. Our survey results are stark: Nearly 75 percent of consumers say they’ll shop on Amazon this season.

Convenience is the key factor that continues to draw customers to Amazon again and again. Shoppers crave a seamless experience — we’re talking easy purchases, fast shipping, endless choice and, perhaps most importantly, the trust built by credible reviews. Amazon brings all of these factors together into a straightforward shopping journey, making it the default destination for millions of shoppers each year.

However, listing your products on Amazon and calling it a day isn’t enough. You need to put your best foot forward. That means high-quality images, detailed product descriptions with relevant keywords, and proactive management of reviews and feedback. Competitive pricing also matters, especially to win over comparison shoppers and get featured in the coveted “Buy Box.”

Take the time to optimize your Amazon presence and you’ll meet your customers exactly where they're already congregating.

Mistake No. 5: Over-Reliance on a Single Advertising Platform

Pouring your entire holiday advertising budget into one platform, whether it’s Google, Facebook, or another favorite, can be a recipe for disappointment (and disaster). Online ad costs have skyrocketed, with some reports showing prices increasing by 178 percent over the last year. What worked well last season could now eat through your budget with less to show for it, particularly if your marketing is too narrowly focused.

Shoppers consume media on many platforms and in different ways throughout the season. That diversity in engagement highlights a fundamental truth from a consumer psychology standpoint: people remember brands better when they see them in multiple places and contexts.

Omnichannel marketing is more important than ever, so make sure you’re keeping your message consistent and present across social feeds, emails, search, and even physical retail. Experimenting with emerging platforms — e.g., TikTok for viral moments or Pinterest for visual discovery — alongside traditional favorites and email marketing lets you reach more potential buyers and reduce risk as ad prices fluctuate.

Mistake No. 6: Neglecting AI SEO and Generative Optimization

If there’s anything 2025 has taught us, it’s that the landscape of search is changing rapidly. One of the biggest oversights for holiday marketing this year is failing to optimize content for artificial intelligence-driven discovery.

Shoppers don’t just Google anymore. They turn to AI assistants, conversational search engines, and generative tools to find recommendations, compare products, and unlock the best value. If your site and listings aren’t tailored to be picked up by these advanced systems, you’re not part of shoppers’ holiday conversations. Period.

Convenience rules here as well. Consumers want instant, relevant answers to questions like “What’s a good gift for kids who love science?” or “Best gadgets for under $100?” Generative AI can surface products that fit those needs in mere seconds.

Remaining competitive is about meeting consumers where, when and how they want to search, so update your SEO approach to stay visible. Use conversational keywords that reflect how people really talk, add long-tail phrases that anticipate specific holiday queries, and embed structured data (like schema markup) to help AI tools understand your product details quickly and accurately.

Make This Holiday Season One of Strategy, Not Stress

The holidays are a long race, and there are countless hurdles along the way. The brands that win are those that opt for approaches grounded in a deep understanding of consumer psychology and real data.

That means forging genuine relationships with influencers, getting ahead of the crowd with early campaigns, offering promotions that feel meaningful beyond just price, covering every major sales channel (especially Amazon), and meeting shoppers wherever they search, including AI-powered tools.

Survey trends are clear: Consumers are shopping early, flocking to Amazon, feeling frustrated by high prices, and turning to multiple digital and physical channels for inspiration. By building your holiday marketing plan on these honest insights, you put your brand in the best spot for standout results.

Adam Ortman is the CEO and founder of Kinetic319, a leading marketing and advertising agency headquartered in Denver.