Consumer expectations are evolving, and competition continues to increase along with advertising costs. To help you stay ahead during the peak shopping season, here, industry experts at Taboola have shared their informed predictions and strategies for this year’s holiday shopping trends.

Follow These 10 Holiday Season Trends by Our Taboola Experts

1. Keep Testing Your Creative

This holiday season, advertisers should resist the temptation to rely solely on what’s worked before. As Katia Gelfman, senior growth marketing manager at Taboola, explains, “A new year is a great opportunity to challenge your creative tactics, whether it’s trying a new format that you didn’t try before, or thinking about new ways to have a better understanding of your creative’s results.”

Successful campaigns are the result of constant iteration and a willingness to try new things. You can uncover winning combinations by testing new formats, such as user-generated content (UGC), motion graphics, or AI-generated visuals.

That said, the creative testing process should go beyond just changing visuals. As Gelfman notes, “You can try to find the strength of your creative — is it a high CTR? High CVR? Then, think about how you combine these two strengths together, and iterate again. If a woman creative worked for you, try a man. If a specific hook worked for you, try it with a different angle. Remember, your customers are relying on your advertisements when they’re considering whether to buy your product/service or not, so remember to be innovative, and don’t just stick with the ones that are already working. Maybe there’s another creative iteration that could have worked even better!”

In short, continuous experimentation could be the secret to discovering your next top performing ad.

2. Maintain Precise Tracking

With increased competition and the shift toward AI-powered performance marketing, precise tracking of your campaigns has never been more critical, especially during the peak holiday season.

“As the holiday shopping season approaches, brands face increased pressure to maximize performance across every touchpoint,” says Shani Zagron, an expert campaign manager at Taboola. “With Google’s shift toward first-party data and similar changes across platforms, precise and privacy-compliant tracking is now essential. Strong data infrastructure enables real-time optimization, accurate attribution, and smarter budget allocation — all critical for capturing demand during the most competitive retail period of the year.”

As we head toward holiday season, then, now is the time to ensure your tools and processes are set up to provide you with a clear view of the factors driving results. This way, you can adjust your ad spend dynamically as consumer behavior shifts throughout the season.

3. Navigate Higher Digital Marketing Costs

Not surprisingly, the holiday season brings increased competition, but there are ways to keep your costs manageable. Taboola’s demand generation director, Rima Sherman, says that, “Marketers need to think outside the box when it comes to campaign timing — success during the holiday season isn’t just about showing up, it’s about showing up early and strategically.”

By ramping up campaigns in Q3, Sherman suggests, marketers can establish their brand voice, refine their messaging, and stay top-of-mind for consumers before peak shopping season begins. “This early momentum reduces acquisition costs and ensures brand familiarity when shoppers are ready to act. You can then also double down in Q5 to capture last-minute buyers and extend the season’s impact beyond the traditional peak.”

Rather than relying on traditional channels, Sherman adds, try to think strategically about when and where you spend. “Diversifying channels and identifying new growth engines — whether it’s emerging platforms, new placements within existing ones, or untapped audience segments — can give your brand a competitive edge,” she says. “Early action, creative timing, and smart platform choices are key to winning the season.

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. For the glaze: Combine the apple cider, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, paprika, and 2 grated garlic cloves in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer , and cook, stirring often, until syrupy, about 15 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter and the juice of ½ lemon. Set aside half of the glaze in a small bowl for serving.
2. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and place in the prepared baking dish. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, then brush with the remaining glaze in the saucepan. Roast until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add the potatoes, cover, and cook for 8 minutes. Add the green beans on top of the potatoes, cover, and cook until the beans are crisp-tender and the potatoes are easily pierced with a paring knife, about 5 minutes.
4. Carefully remove the steamer basket and vegetables from the pot. Wipe the pot clean, then add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and melt over medium heat. Stir in the remaining 3 grated garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the potatoes and green beans to the pot. Toss with the juice of the remaining ½ lemon, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
5. Brush the salmon with the reserved glaze and serve with the vegetables.