Last-Minute Holiday Campaigns: How to Activate Influencers Fast (Without Losing Impact)

It’s crunch time. November is here, and Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just weeks away. But this year’s holiday rush looks a little different.

Holiday influencer deals are coming together later than usual, with many creators reporting that brand partnerships are being finalized less than 30 days before launch — a major shift from the traditional 30-60 day window. 

Behind the slowdown is a mix of economic caution, rising CPMs, and growing pressure to prove performance. Marketers are holding onto budgets longer, seeking flexible, measurable partnerships that deliver clear ROI.

So if your campaigns are running behind schedule, you’re not alone — and you’re not out of time! There are still powerful ways to activate creators quickly and make an impact this holiday season. Here are 4 ideas to help you do it.

1. Tap your always-on creator community for quick turn content

When timelines are tight, your best asset is the community that already knows your brand. These are creators who you’ve partnered with before, have used your products, and can authentically speak to your value without lengthy onboarding or product education.

Working with your existing creator network helps you launch campaigns in days instead of weeks. These creators already understand your tone, your audience, and your message, which means they can produce content that feels natural and on-brand. Their familiarity with your product also builds trust, as audiences are more likely to engage when they’ve seen consistent recommendations from a creator over time.

How to execute:

• Reach out to your most engaged past partners with a short, focused brief that has 1 campaign goal. Consider formats like Instagram Stories, which are quick and easy to produce. 
• Give creators flexibility to post in their own voice to keep content authentic and fast to produce.
• Encourage cross-posting across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts for maximum reach in minimal time.

2. Repurpose top-performing content into Partnership Ads

When you don’t have time to create new assets, the smartest move is to use what’s already working. Repurposing influencer content into Partnership Ads is one of the fastest ways to scale proven creative while maintaining the authenticity that makes it perform so well.

The key is to identify high-performing organic content (i.e. posts that have already driven strong results) and use them as the foundation for paid campaigns. Running those ads directly through creators’ handles adds social proof and credibility that traditional brand ads can’t replicate.

This holiday season, many brands are also negotiating cross-platform usage rights from creators, allowing them to repurpose the same content across Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and beyond. This flexibility not only saves time but also stretches limited budgets further, which is especially valuable when resources are tight at the end of Q4.

How to execute:

• Comb through your analytics to find your top-performing influencer posts from the season so far.
• Leverage Aspire’s CreatorAds Suite to request usage permissions and boost creator content into Partnership Ads directly through our platform.
• Refresh copy or add new CTAs based on what performed best on Black Friday to stay relevant and timely.

3. Run a weekend-only “Creator Picks” campaign

The days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday often get overlooked, but they’re a huge opportunity to stand out. Last year, Cyber Monday marked the busiest online shopping day ever, with US consumers spending a total of $13.3 billion — that’s $15.8 million every 60 seconds! This means shoppers are still browsing, comparing deals, and waiting for that final nudge before making a purchase on Cyber Monday. Your brand can stay top of mind by flooding their feeds all weekend long.

A “Creator Picks” campaign is a quick-turn, high-impact way to do it. Ask your creators to share their favorite products or gifts still in stock, highlight bestsellers from your site, or post about what they’ve personally purchased from your brand. By amplifying real recommendations and genuine excitement, you can sustain momentum right through to Cyber Monday.

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This approach also gives you a chance to apply what you’ve learned from Black Friday performance. Refresh captions, adjust CTAs, or spotlight top-selling products that are still available. With pre-approved content and clear direction, your creators can keep the conversation going while your team enjoys the weekend.

How to execute:

• Ask creators to share their favorite products or gift ideas from your catalog.
• Let creators curate their own “Favorites” of your top sellers and set up a storefront via Aspire’s CreatorStores™, complete with exclusive affiliate links and discounts.
• Drive urgency by using language like, “Run, don’t walk — these are going fast!” or “Get my go-to blush before it sells out,” to drive last-minute conversions.

4. Activate your affiliate network with flash incentives

For your final sales push of the year, activate your affiliates. They’re nimble, conversion-focused, and ready to move fast. With short-term incentives, you can boost motivation and drive meaningful sales right up to the end of Cyber Week. 

To create an instant surge in activity, offer time-sensitive bonuses like a commission boost for sales made through Monday or tiered cash rewards for hitting certain thresholds. Set up a leaderboard so your affiliates can see how they rank against their peers, sparking motivation to climb higher. By gamifying performance and celebrating top sellers, you can turn a last-minute push into a powerful revenue driver.

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How to execute:

• Give your creators unique affiliate codes through Aspire’s SecureCodes™.
• Gamify performance by offering flash bonuses, cash rewards, or temporary commission boosts (e.g. extra 10% commission from Friday-Monday).
• Use Aspire’s affiliate tracking to spotlight top performers and encourage friendly competition.

Turn last-minute plans into long-term wins

Last-minute doesn’t have to mean last-resort. With the right mix of agility and authenticity, you can activate creators quickly and still make a big impact.

By leveraging your existing community, repurposing content, owning the weekend, and motivating affiliates, you’ll not only drive results this holiday season but set your brand up for long-term success heading into the new year.

To learn more BFCM strategies, watch our webinar on demand.