As per a Deloitte study, the consumer confidence during the upcoming festive season is soaring, thanks to improved financial stability driving consumer interest towards luxury items, travel and vehicle purchase.  "Festive season business" is a time for increased  economic activity and commercial opportunities that arise during the festive season in various regions and cultures around the world. This period is characterized by a series of major holidays, celebrations, and festivals, during which people engage in heightened spending, gift-giving, and festivities. In India, this period typically begins in October and extends through November. With Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali right around the corner, the season represents a prime opportunity to boost sales, launch new products, start festive influencer campaigns and usher in increased sales and profitability. 

Although impulsive buying or planned purchases are at an all time high during the festive season, the market can get quite competitive. Businesses strive to seize this opportunity to capture the large share of the market and get the consumer’s attention. With the growing relevance of social media, influencer marketing platforms like galleri5 help large brands to launch influencer marketing campaigns. One of the key benefits of partnering with an influencer marketing platform is that it allows marketers to leverage AI in influencer marketing. 

Influencer marketing platforms are driven by an intelligent algorithm that will help festive influencer campaign managers handle large size influencer marketing campaigns with relative ease. The technological advancement in influencer marketing campaigns has revolutionized the way brands identify, collaborate with, and measure the impact of influencers on their marketing efforts. This is particularly important when the festive influencer campaign is underway, every metric of the campaign has to be measured in real-time. Besides, being backed up by robust technology, the success of a festive influencer campaign rests on other factors as well. We have listed the following five factors, which every marketer should consider before laying down the plan for an influencer campaign for the upcoming festive season. 

# 1 Start an Affiliate Program with Influencers 

Starting affiliate marketing with influencers during a festive influencer campaign can be a strategic move to maximize reach, engage with a targeted audience, and drive conversions while benefiting from the authenticity and credibility that influencers bring to the brand.

Affiliate marketing often operates on a performance-based model, where influencers are compensated based on the sales or leads they generate. This can be a cost-effective approach, especially when several brands these days are looking to bootstrap their marketing budget. Since brands only pay for the actual results, the marketing budget can be sensibly spent. At the same time, tracking results from affiliate marketing is very easy. 

Affiliate marketing allows businesses to track the performance of influencer marketing campaigns with precision. Marketers can monitor key metrics such as clicks, conversions, and revenue generated by each influencer, enabling them to optimize strategy as per the need of the campaign. 

At the same time, influencers can significantly benefit from such affiliate programs. To begin with, affiliate marketing allows influencers to monetize their content and social media platforms. Successful affiliate marketing campaigns can serve as a valuable addition to an influencer's portfolio. It demonstrates the influencers ability to drive results for brands, thus  improving their reputation and attracting more affiliate partnerships and brand collaborations in the future.

Even customers benefit from affiliate marketing. Affiliates often promote exclusive discounts, promotions, or coupon codes, providing customers cost saving opportunities on best products and services. In short, affiliate marketing is a win -win situation for all parties involved. The brands can keep a track on their marketing budget, it fuels influencers brand value and allows customers to buy products on discount during the festive season. 

# 2 Create Meaningful Festive Theme Influencer Content 

When creating festive-themed influencer marketing content for festivals like Diwali, Dussehra, and Navratri, the marketers and influencers need to be culturally sensitive, respectful, and engaging. India is a diverse country with various regional traditions and customs. Therefore, the content should be inclusive and consider the unique practices associated with each festival in different regions.

To showcase cultural diversity in content, it is a good time to explore the use of AI in content generation. Generative AI for instance has the ability to produce visually stunning photos and images with prompt messaging. We all know that the favlour of Navratri festival is very region specific. The festival is celebrated differently in Gujrat than how the festivities are carried out in West Bengal. 

In order to capture this regional diversity, it is time to give AI in content generation a go ahead. It is a cost-effective and time saving alternative to traditional photoshoots. With the right messaging and text prompt, it is quite possible to create very stunning images for the festive influencer campaign. 

In addition to emerging technology in content generation, advertisers must brief the influencers and emphasize on the importance of authentic and respectful content. It would be best if influencers could share their personal experiences, stories, and traditions related to the festivals with sincerity.

# 3 Don't Ignore the Power of Live Commerce 

Live commerce is highly relevant during a festive influencer campaign for several reasons. It is a  time when people actively shop for gifts, decorations, appliances, jewellery and cars. 

Live commerce is an excellent way to involve social media influencers for marketing and sales. It allows influencers to engage with their audience in real time, answer questions, provide product recommendations, and address concerns, creating a more interactive and personalised shopping experience.

By engaging with their followers through live streaming, influencers can visually show and demonstrate the products and how to incorporate them into festive celebrations. This visual element during a festive influencer campaign helps for an emotional connect which in turn can boost sales. 

Festive-themed live commerce sessions often feature limited-time offers, exclusive discounts, or special bundles, creating a sense of urgency. Viewers may be more motivated to make a purchase during the live stream to take advantage of these time-sensitive promotions.

# 4 Launch Festive Themed Products and Service 

Launching festive-themed products and services during an influencer marketing campaign can be a strategic way to capitalise on the festive season and generate excitement among your target audience. 

Reimagine products or services to align with the chosen festive theme. Consider incorporating festive-themed designs, packaging, colors, scents, or flavors. Ensure that the products or services cater to the needs and desires of your target audience during the festive season

Partner with influencers who have an audience that matches your target demographics and who can authentically promote your festive-themed offerings. Influencers should align with the festival's spirit and have a genuine interest in your products or services.

Plan a promotion strategy that includes exclusive discounts, limited-time offers, or bundle deals for the festive-themed products or services. These promotions can create a sense of urgency and encourage purchases.

# 5 Go local- with regional influencers 

Region specific  influencers play a vital role in ensuring that festive influencer marketing campaigns are culturally relevant, authentic, and effective in connecting with the local audience. Their local insights and understanding of regional traditions make them valuable partners for brands aiming to capture the essence of a particular festival in a specific area.

Festivals in India, for example, are celebrated with varying customs and languages in different regions. Local influencers can communicate in the local language or dialect, ensuring effective communication and engagement with the local audience.

Festivals can also have regional variations in how they are celebrated. Local influencers can highlight these regional nuances and showcase how the festival is unique to their specific area, making the content more relevant.

Influencer marketing is a very dynamic field. As a brand, one needs to remain open to adjusting the strategies based on real-time performance of the campaign. All the pointers discussed in the blogpost can be scaled and adjusted as per the need of the hour. For instance, in the case of affiliate marketing, brands can choose to work with influencers who are bringing the best results. Similarly, the content of the campaign should be meaningful and sensitive in nature. If it doesn't resonate with the audience, there should be scope for change. Lastly, embracing new trends like incorporating live commerce, influencer seeding and exploring the potential of regional influencers for festive influencer campaigns will take the festive influencer campaign to the road of success. 

galleri5 is an award winning influencer marketing platform that has worked with several successful festive influencer marketing campaigns that has given brands great marketing results. For more information, book a demo today!

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