Your Guide to Creating an Amazing Holiday Video This Season
Written By: Luke Steichen
Published: 11/18/2025
The holiday season arrives quickly every year. Before you know it, your calendar fills up, your to do list gets longer and your marketing plans start pulling you in ten different directions. One thing that continues to shine during the busiest time of year is a great holiday video. Whether you want to thank your customers, celebrate your team or boost your year end campaign, holiday videos help you stand out when everyone else is sending long emails and crowded graphics.
Holiday videos have become one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience. They feel warm, human and personal. More importantly, they build emotional connection at a time when people crave something joyful. If you want to create a holiday video that actually makes people feel something, this holiday video guide will help you get started.
First, Understand Why Holiday Videos Work So Well
Before planning your shoot, it helps to understand why these videos have such an impact. To start, the holidays are a naturally emotional season. People think about family, generosity and gratitude. When a brand shows up with a message that feels heartfelt, the audience recognizes it immediately.
Additionally, holiday videos help you humanize your brand. When customers see real people on screen, they feel a stronger connection to you. This matters whether you are a nonprofit sharing your mission, a small business highlighting your team, or a company in Fargo, Nashville, North Dakota or Tennessee hoping to end the year with momentum.
Finally, video remains the most engaging type of content online. When someone scrolls through social media during December, a well crafted holiday video grabs their attention faster than anything else.
Now let us walk through the steps to create one that truly works.
Step One: Choose the Purpose of Your Holiday Video
To begin, ask yourself one simple question. What do you want the video to accomplish? Holiday videos typically fall into a few categories.
A “Thank You” Video- This type of video expresses appreciation to your customers, donors, partners or community. It is warm, simple and sincere.
A “Year In Review” Video- This option highlights your biggest wins and most meaningful moments of the year. It celebrates progress and reminds your audience how far you have come.
A “Team Focused” Video- This style is fun and playful. It showcases your people, your culture and your personality. It often becomes one of the most shared videos of the season.
A “Campaign” Video- Many organizations use holiday videos for fundraising or end of year campaigns. When done right, these videos inspire people to take action.
Once you choose the purpose, your creative direction becomes much clearer.
Step Two: Plan Your Message
Next, think about what you want to say. A holiday video does not need to be long. In fact, shorter is often better. Still, a great holiday video feels intentional.
Start by outlining three things:
- The main emotion you want to create
- The core message you want to deliver
- The people who will appear on camera
For example, if you are a nonprofit in North Dakota working with families, your message might focus on gratitude, hope and community support. If you are a business in Nashville, your message might highlight customer appreciation and holiday cheer.
Step Three: Choose Your Style
Holiday videos come in all shapes and sizes. Here are several popular styles we see.
Warm and Heartfelt- This style includes thoughtful messages, soft music and genuine emotion. It is perfect for thank you videos and nonprofit storytelling.
Fun and Energetic- Some brands prefer a playful approach with humor, quick cuts and team moments. These videos show personality and usually become the most shared content in December.
High Energy Montage- This format works well for year in review videos. It includes quick clips from the past year, paired with upbeat music and text on screen.
Cinematic Holiday Spot- Some companies prefer something bigger and more polished. A cinematic holiday video from a video production service often includes drone shots, interviews and creative storytelling.
Once you choose your style, the rest of the process moves forward smoothly.
Step Four: Prepare for the Shoot
After choosing your direction, preparation becomes essential. To help you get ready, here are some tips we always share with clients.
Choose outfits that match the tone.
If your video is heartfelt, choose simple and warm colors. If it is fun, feel free to add sweaters or holiday colors.
Keep your team relaxed.
Not everyone feels comfortable on camera. A good director helps people relax, smile and speak naturally. Feel free to share your talking points with your team in advance.
Select your locations.
Holiday videos often look great indoors. Office spaces, decorated areas or natural light windows help create a warm atmosphere. For outdoor shoots, winter lighting can also add a beautiful touch.
Gather any props.
Hot chocolate, lights, mugs, ornaments or handwritten cards all add charm to a holiday video.
Once you prepare these details, the shoot becomes far easier and more enjoyable.
Step Five: Capture Great B Roll
Strong b roll helps bring a holiday video to life. Viewers want to see real moments, not just talking heads. Here are some ideas.
- Team members laughing or interacting
- Close ups of holiday decorations
- People writing thank you notes
- Community moments such as volunteering or gift giving
- Product shots for businesses promoting items
B roll adds texture and emotion which helps your audience stay fully engaged.
Step Six: Edit with Intention
Editing is where the magic happens. It shapes the tone, emotion and pacing. When we edit holiday videos for businesses in Fargo, Nashville or beyond, we focus on three things.
First, we keep the pace lively, since attention spans tend to be short during the holidays.
Next, we choose music that fits the emotion. Warm piano tracks feel sincere, while upbeat music creates excitement.
Finally, we include captions or text so viewers can enjoy the video even with their sound off, especially on social media.
A strong edit ensures your holiday video looks polished and professional.
Step Seven: Share It Everywhere
Once your holiday video is ready, sharing it strategically helps you maximize momentum. You can post it on social media, add it to your website, include it in a holiday newsletter or use it as part of your end of year email campaign.
Businesses in North Dakota and Tennessee often choose to post their holiday videos early in December. Others wait until closer to Christmas to deliver a heartfelt message. No matter what you choose, make sure it reaches the people who matter most.
Holiday Video Ideas You Can Use
To help spark ideas, here are a few holiday video concepts that always perform well.
Highlight your people.
Show clips of your team decorating, sharing memories or talking about their favorite holiday traditions.
Show gratitude.
Record team members saying a short thank you to customers, donors or community members.
Create a fun script.
Many companies choose something lighthearted. Maybe the CEO tries to wrap gifts and fails. Maybe your team recreates a holiday movie scene. Play is part of the magic.
Share a year in review montage.
This style shows your journey over the past year. It helps your audience remember your impact and accomplishments.
Capture a volunteer moment.
If your organization participates in Giving Hearts Day, toy drives or food pantry donations, include that in your holiday video to highlight your values.
These ideas bring warmth, personality and storytelling to your holiday season.
Why Now Is the Best Time to Start
The earlier you begin planning, the more creative you can be. When teams wait until December, schedules become tight and ideas feel rushed. Starting early allows time to brainstorm, film, edit and deliver something truly memorable.
Additionally, holiday videos help set the tone for the new year. They strengthen brand perception and leave your audience with a positive feeling about who you are. That matters whether you are a small business, a fast growing company or a community focused nonprofit.
Final Thoughts
Holiday videos continue to be one of the most impactful tools in modern video marketing. They create joy, build trust and remind people that behind every brand is a group of real humans who care. With the right planning and a thoughtful approach, your video can become the highlight of your audience’s season.
If you ever want help bringing your ideas to life, Chezy Video Co. is here to make the process simple, fun and completely stress free. However, even if you choose to create it on your own, this guide gives you all the steps you need to produce something meaningful.
When your video goes live, your audience will not just watch it. They will feel it.
Looking for more? Visit our blog page for video marketing insights, travel stories, and featured videos.
Don’t forget to share this post!