The Content Brands Wish They Had Before the Holidays Hit

…Every year.

Same story.

December shows up, inboxes explode, ads go live, timelines tighten, and suddenly everyone is asking the same question.

“Do we have content for this?”

If you have ever felt that pit in your stomach, you already understand why holiday content planning matters more than people admit. I have watched smart teams, talented creatives, and well-funded brands still scramble because the right content simply was not ready when it mattered.

And no, the problem is not effort. It is timing.

Holiday content planning is less about doing more and more about having the right things done before the chaos hits.

Let me show you what brands always wish they had locked and loaded.

1. Evergreen Product Videos (That Don’t Expire on Dec 26)

This one hurts the most.

Holiday traffic spikes, people are finally clicking, and your product page is still rocking static photos and wishful thinking. That is where solid product video content quietly wins.

Evergreen product videos are the backbone of smart holiday content planning because they do not scream “limited time only.” They explain. They demonstrate. They answer objections while shoppers are half distracted and fully impatient.

I have seen brands panic-produce holiday themed videos that die the moment the calendar flips. Meanwhile, a clean, well-shot product video keeps converting in January, February, and beyond.

This is where video content planning separates reactive teams from prepared ones. When your product video content is designed to live everywhere, site, ads, Amazon, email, social, it stops being seasonal and starts being strategic.

And yes, this is the content everyone wishes they had when returns start creeping up.

2. Short-Form Cutdowns Ready to Deploy Anywhere

Let me guess.

You have a long video. Somewhere.

Now you need vertical. Immediately.

Short form video content is always in demand during the holidays because attention spans shrink while competition explodes. The mistake is thinking you can just crop later and call it a day.

You cannot.

Holiday content planning means deciding before filming which moments need to live as 6, 10, or 15 second pieces. Hooks first. Captions considered. Safe zones respected.

Without that forethought, video content planning turns into late-night edits that feel rushed and kinda desperate (been there).

When short form video content is planned intentionally, it becomes plug-and-play. Paid ads. Organic posts. Retargeting. Same footage, multiple wins.

That flexibility is priceless when everyone else is scrambling.

3. Behind-the-Scenes Content That Builds Trust Fast

Here is a weird truth.

During the holidays, audiences trust real people more than polished ads.

Perhaps it is the overload. Perhaps it is the noise. Either way, behind-the-scenes content works because it feels human when everything else feels loud.

Holiday content planning often ignores this because BTS feels “extra.” It is not. It is leverage.

A few raw clips. A crew moment. A product being tested. Someone laughing off camera. That content travels far when people are tired of being sold to.

I once posted a grainy behind-the-scenes clip from a shoot that outperformed the hero video. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. But it made sense. It felt honest.

Smart video content planning bakes this in early so you are not trying to manufacture authenticity later. And unlike holiday promos, BTS content does not expire.

It ages like wine.

4. A Clear Content Stack (Instead of Random One-Offs)

This is where things usually fall apart.

Teams create content in isolation. One video here. One post there. No connective tissue. No plan for reuse.

Holiday content planning works best when you think in stacks, not singles.

One shoot should support multiple outcomes. Product video content. Short form video content. BTS clips. Website assets. Ads. Emails.

This is not about doing more work. It is about extracting more value from the same effort.

Video content planning done right starts with the end in mind. What platforms. What formats. What moments need to be captured.

When brands skip this step, December becomes chaos. When they embrace it, holiday execution feels weirdly calm.

That calm is not luck. It is planning.

Why Brands Feel This Pain Every Year

Here is the uncomfortable part.

Most brands do not fail at execution. They fail at anticipation.

Holiday content planning gets deprioritized because December feels far away. Until it is not. Then everyone is shocked that production timelines did not magically shrink.

It seems obvious in hindsight. Content takes time. Approvals take longer. Distribution is unforgiving.

Add in year-end fatigue and suddenly every request feels urgent.

This is why video content planning cannot be a Q4 conversation. It needs to happen when things are quiet. When calendars are open. When decisions can breathe.

The pain repeats every year because the pattern repeats every year.

Plan Once, Win All Year

Here is the part people miss.

The brands that look effortless during the holidays are not moving faster. They are moving earlier.

Holiday content planning is not about chasing trends. It is about building assets that work before, during, and after December. Product video content that keeps converting. Short form video content that adapts anywhere. A content stack that does not collapse under pressure.

I have learned this the hard way. Rushed shoots. Missed moments. “We’ll fix it in post” optimism that never quite lands.

When video content planning is intentional, holidays stop feeling like a fire drill and start feeling like momentum.

And momentum, especially at the end of the year, carries further than most people expect.

A Small Holiday Thank You

Before you scroll away.

If this piece felt familiar, that “oh wow, we have been there” feeling, you are not alone. Holiday content planning is one of those things everyone understands after December hits.

So we wanted to do something small to say thanks for reading, sharing, and thinking a little more intentionally about video content planning this season.

If you enjoyed this article, invite five people you know who would benefit from smarter holiday content planning to join our newsletter. Teammates. Founders. Marketers. That one friend who is always scrambling in Q4.

As a thank you, we will send you a limited-edition Sparkhouse BYLT shirt. No catch. Just a genuine holiday gesture.

Good content deserves to travel.

And maybe, just maybe, next December feels a little calmer because of it.

‍

‍

"PS: Sticker Mule just launched Give!"