Beyond Black Friday: How to Turn Holiday Wins into Year-Round Revenue

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) may be over, but the smartest brands know that the real opportunity starts after the rush. 

At our webinar last week, our Head of Strategy Magda Houalla broke down what actually drove performance during BFCM 2025 and, more importantly, how brands can turn that holiday surge into sustained growth in January and beyond. 

Keep reading for the main takeaways, or watch the full webinar on demand. 

Key Trends from BFCM 2025

Influencers outperformed brand-owned channels.

Influencer-led content significantly outpaced brand-owned messaging during the 2025 BFCM period. In fact, creator posts converted at 6x the rate of standard brand content, reinforcing the role of third-party validation during high-intent shopping moments. 

While brand ads emphasized discounts and urgency, influencer content translated those offers into personal context and real-world relevance. The result was higher-quality conversions and measurable revenue impact driven directly by creators.

Social commerce continued to shorten the path to purchase.

BFCM 2025 reinforced how quickly social platforms are evolving into revenue-driving channels. More than 57% of online BFCM sales occurred on mobile, marking a meaningful shift in consumer behavior. Social-driven revenue also increased 56% year over year, with TikTok Shop generating $500 million in US sales during the holiday period. 

As mobile checkout experiences improve, shoppers are increasingly completing purchases within the same platforms where discovery happens. The gap between inspiration and transaction continues to narrow, accelerating the role of social-first commerce.

BFCM evolved into a multi-week sales season.

This year, BFCM functioned as a multi-week sales period rather than a single weekend event as brands activated creators early. Top strategies involved:

• Early teaser content from creators
• Ongoing creator storytelling throughout Black Friday week
• Post-sale engagement for Cyber Monday and beyond

This approach aligned closely with real shopping behavior, where familiarity and repeated exposure influence conversion. Campaign timing played a major role in driving results, particularly for brands that invested in consistent creator presence.

3 Ways to Prolong Holiday Momentum

November is often when brands acquire new customers, while January reveals whether those customers are here to stay. Typically after the holidays, brands see a dip in retail spending, increased gift card redemptions, and quieter social feeds. 

At the same time, consumers spend more time on their phones, particularly in the first 2 weeks of the year. This creates an opportunity for brands to shift away from deal-heavy messaging and focus on reinforcing value through storytelling and education. 

So, how can brands leverage creators to sustain performance and avoid the post-holiday slowdown?

1. Extend relationships with top creators.

Rather than rebuilding creator programs in January, the most effective brands start by doubling down on what already worked.

Your BFCM performance data will clearly show which creators truly moved the needle. Identify those top performers and extend partnerships into Q1 to carry existing trust, familiarity, and momentum into the new year, instead of starting from zero.

During the post-holiday season, the biggest strategy shift should be how creators talk about your brand, not whether they talk about it at all. January audiences experience heavy promotional fatigue, which makes sales-heavy, one-off posts far less effective.

So, what performs better in this window? 

• Longer-form storytelling that weaves the product naturally into a creator’s daily life
• Content that shows continued usage after the sale, reinforcing staying power
• Messaging that feels like a natural evolution from BFCM, not a repeat of it

Strong January content themes include product repurchases, holiday empties, real wear-and-tear, and creators openly sharing why a BFCM sponsorship turned into a longer-term partnership. This kind of content builds brand equity and reassures new customers that their purchase was not just a good deal, but a good decision.

2. Convert holiday shoppers into affiliates.

Remember, everyone has influence. Whether you have an influencer sharing your links with thousands of followers or a customer dropping a referral into a family group chat, all of these actions can drive meaningful impact over time.

So, rather than continuing aggressive sales messaging, invite your BFCM shoppers into an affiliate or loyalty program. Give them an easy way to participate as an affiliate (such as by offering a referral code with every purchase) to transform a one-time holiday purchase into an ongoing relationship.

3. Use creator content to power Q1 performance media.

The first quarter offers favorable conditions for paid social, including lower CPMs and reduced competition.

Take advantage of this by repurposing influencer content from BFCM into Meta Partnership Ads or other creator-led paid placements, extending the life of high-performing assets. With minor edits and refreshed messaging, holiday content can remain relevant by focusing on product longevity and real-world adoption. This approach will allow you to continue generating revenue while maintaining a consistent brand presence through creator voices.

Turn Holiday Momentum into Long-Term Growth

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 demonstrated how influencer marketing functions as a full-funnel growth channel. To sustain holiday momentum, treat creators as long-term partners, invest in storytelling beyond peak sales moments, and lean into social-first performance strategies in Q1. When executed thoughtfully, the impact of your BFCM campaign can extend far beyond the holiday weekend.

‍To learn more about turning holiday wins into year-round revenue, watch our full webinar on demand.