For content creators, the holidays can feel like a paradox. On one hand, inboxes are crowded, feeds are saturated, and audiences are pulled in every direction. On the other, it’s one of the rare times of year when people slow down, lean into rituals, and open themselves up to new routines.
That combination makes the season, stretching from October through January, not just a commercial event, but an opportunity to grow your audience and deepen engagement.
In our new report, Holiday Shopping Unwrapped, we studied more than 9,000 consumers across nine countries and found that the holiday season no longer moves in a single arc. It unfolds in distinct phases, with different emotional beats driving behavior along the way.
There are lessons here for marketers and businesses in many industries. But for content creators in particular, the lesson is clear: if you know how to meet people where they are—in early October, in the quiet days between Christmas and New Year, or in those optimistic, I-can-conquer-the-world days of early January—you can turn fleeting attention into lasting subscribers.
Whether you’re a podcaster building a paying community, a YouTuber growing your channel off-platform, or growing an indie magazine and looking to expand your readership, the opportunity is the same.
Below are five insights for you to keep in mind.
1. Cut through the noise by owning your audience
Holiday Shopping Unwrapped shows how commerce has expanded beyond one “big moment” into a steady drumbeat of campaigns and sales. For content creators, that means attention is harder to earn, and also easier to lose if you rely solely on platforms you don’t control.
This is why owning your audience matters. Email, podcasts, and direct subscriptions let you build a relationship that isn’t at the mercy of algorithm shifts. For independent publications, it’s a way to control distribution. For YouTubers or influencers, it’s a hedge against changing platform rules.
As the report makes clear, the season is a long one: people are active across multiple phases, far before Black Friday and far beyond when those peak sales stop. That gives creators not just one chance to be seen, but several, if they’re consistent. In a season defined by noise, the creators who cut through are the ones who keep showing up with relevance and rhythm.
2. Start early with the planners
In October’s Early Lead-Up phase, many people resist the tinsel. But 43% of shoppers in our research had already made a purchase tied to an October sales event, and in the US, Prime Big Deal Days shoppers were buying gifts for others as well as themselves.
For content creators, this is your moment to reach the early planners. Release your holiday gift guides early, package your content calendars as downloadable resources, or offer “subscriber exclusives” that reward being first.
The audience you capture here often becomes your most loyal, because they’ve already folded you into their holiday rituals before the big rush starts.
3. Lean into meaning in November
Then, by early November, the Pre-Peak Sales phase, cultural cues kick in: seasonal packaging, holiday playlists, the first wave of gift guides. Our research found that during this period, the importance of price drops by 35% compared to the rest of the year. People are buying for meaning, not just deals.
That shift matters for content creators. It’s the perfect time to send the content that feels like a gift: the essay you’ve been keeping in your drafts, a behind-the-scenes video, a personal letter to your audience.
These are the kinds of moments that spark sharing, precisely because they resonate on an emotional level. Plus, with Mailchimp’s segmentation tools, you can send these stories to the people most likely to amplify them—your Joyful Shoppers, as we call them, but in your world, your superfans.
4. Betwixtmas is binge season
The days between Christmas and New Year, what our report calls Betwixtmas, are indulgent and reflective. Shoppers pivot from buying for others to buying for themselves. In the UK, Canada, and Australia, 32% of shoppers make a Boxing Day purchase, and 68% say they’re buying for themselves.
For content creators, this is gold. It’s the week when audiences are curled up with new devices, finally tackling their “to-watch” lists, or lingering over long reads. Dr. Rachel Lawes, a semiotics expert we spoke to, described it as the moment when “you’re off the hook now”. Think of it as a pause that invites a bit of self-indulgence.
Line up your most immersive content here: long-form podcasts, video essays, or special holiday editions of your magazine or newsletter. Betwixtmas is when audiences finally have the time to dive into the things they’ve bookmarked.
5. January is the subscriber surge
And come January, the season shifts again. Nearly two-thirds of European shoppers say their New Year purchases are for themselves, often tied to resolutions. Behavioral scientist Nancy Harhut calls this a “temporal landmark”—a moment when people are especially open to trying new brands, habits, and commitments.
For content creators, this is the ultimate list-building moment. Align with the ‘new year, new me” mindset by launching a subscriber challenge, a new course, or a themed content series that supports personal growth. Whether it’s wellness, creativity, or learning, people are looking for tools that reinforce their fresh start. Be the one to provide it. You won’t just gain a subscriber, you’ll be earning a place in their new routine.
Now put this into practice
The holiday season is no longer one story, it’s a series of shifting moods, from October’s planners to January’s self-improvers. From podcasters and YouTubers to independent magazines and authors, the holiday season offers tons of touchpoints to connect with audiences in ways that feel personal, relevant, and timely.
Download the full Holiday Shopping Unwrapped report to dive deeper into each phase, the consumer archetypes behind them, and the regional nuances shaping behavior, so you can plan campaigns that keep your audience growing long after the holidays.
