How to Use Affiliate Marketing to Maximise Seasonal Events
Seasonal events are huge opportunities for brands — whether it’s Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, Father’s Day, Halloween, Black Friday, or Christmas. These key dates bring in shoppers looking for gifts, deals, and experiences, making them the perfect time to boost sales through affiliate marketing.
The problem? Many brands focus all their efforts on ads or short-term promotions and miss out on the power of affiliate partnerships — where trusted publishers, influencers, and content creators promote your brand to their highly engaged audiences. The good news? A well-managed affiliate strategy can help you reach the right customers at the right time, while only paying for actual results.
So, how can you make seasonal affiliate campaigns work for your brand? Let’s break it down event by event.
Valentine’s Day: Love is in the (Affiliate) Air
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about chocolates and roses — it’s a peak shopping period for everything from jewellery and personalised gifts to romantic getaways and restaurant experiences.
Affiliate strategies that work:
- Gift guide placements – Partner with bloggers and publishers to create “Top Valentine’s Gifts” articles.
- Influencer campaigns – Work with couples or lifestyle influencers to showcase your products with authentic storytelling.
- Cashback and voucher sites – Offer exclusive discounts to capture last-minute shoppers looking for deals.
Best-fit partners: Influencers, lifestyle blogs, gifting websites, cashback & deal publishers.
Mother’s Day: A High-Intent Shopping Event
Mother’s Day is a time for treating mums, grandmothers, and mother figures — meaning shoppers are actively looking for the perfect present.
Affiliate strategies that work:
- Brand collaborations – Work with complementary brands to create curated gift sets promoted through affiliates.
- Social proof – Encourage influencers to share personal stories about their favourite Mother’s Day gifts.
- Time-sensitive offers – Use affiliate partners to promote exclusive “order by this date” reminders for last-minute buyers.
Best-fit partners: Parenting bloggers, lifestyle influencers, content publishers, gift guides, cashback & loyalty sites.
Easter: More Than Just Chocolate
Easter isn’t just about eggs — it’s a major sales opportunity for fashion, home decor, travel, and family activities. With schools on holiday and families planning getaways, travel brands especially can benefit from a strong affiliate presence.
Affiliate strategies that work:
- Travel partnerships – Work with travel bloggers and deal sites to promote Easter getaways.
- Easter gift guides – Secure placements in “Non-Chocolate Easter Gift Ideas” content.
- Kids & family bloggers – Engage parenting influencers to promote family-friendly Easter experiences.
Best-fit partners: Travel bloggers, deal sites, parenting influencers, lifestyle & fashion bloggers.
Father’s Day: A Market Still Growing
While Father’s Day sales don’t always match Mother’s Day, it’s still a strong seasonal opportunity — particularly for grooming, fashion, tech, and experience-based gifts.
Affiliate strategies that work:
- Niche influencer campaigns – Work with dad bloggers and lifestyle influencers to promote “dad-approved” gifts.
- Subscription box offers – Use affiliates to push last-minute, easy-to-buy subscription gifts.
- “Best gifts for dads” content – Get featured in Father’s Day roundups on affiliate publisher sites.
Best-fit partners: Dad bloggers, lifestyle influencers, tech & grooming review sites, cashback publishers.
Halloween: Not Just for Costumes
Halloween is becoming a bigger sales event in the UK, with consumers spending on decorations, fashion, food, drink, and experiences.
Affiliate strategies that work:
- Costume & beauty tutorials – Partner with influencers to showcase costume ideas using your products.
- Event & experience promotions – Use affiliates to push ticket sales for Halloween-themed events.
- Home decor & food guides – Work with lifestyle bloggers to highlight Halloween party essentials.
Best-fit partners: Fashion & beauty influencers, food bloggers, event & experience affiliates, cashback sites.
Black Friday & Cyber Monday: The Biggest Affiliate Opportunity
Black Friday & Cyber Monday (BFCM) are huge for affiliate marketing — deal-hunting consumers rely on trusted publishers to find the best discounts. If your brand isn’t using affiliate partners during BFCM, you’re leaving money on the table.
Affiliate strategies that work:
- Early deal access – Work with affiliates to promote pre-Black Friday deals and VIP early access.
- High-traffic placements – Secure coverage on major deal, voucher, and cashback sites.
- Flash sales & urgency tactics – Use affiliates to drive time-sensitive offers with countdown timers.
Best-fit partners: Cashback & voucher sites, deal bloggers, major content publishers, influencers.
Christmas: The Ultimate Shopping Season
Christmas is the biggest retail period of the year, but competition is fierce. A smart affiliate strategy helps your brand stand out, whether you’re selling gifts, holiday experiences, or travel packages.
Affiliate strategies that work:
- Gift guides & roundups – Get featured in “Best Gifts for…” articles by content publishers.
- Social media collaborations – Run Christmas-themed affiliate campaigns with influencers.
- Last-minute shopping promotions – Use affiliates to push “last chance” delivery cut-off dates.
Best-fit partners: Influencers, lifestyle & gifting blogs, cashback & voucher sites, travel & experience publishers.
Not Just Seasonal Events — A Year-Round Strategy Wins Every Time
The biggest mistake brands make? Only focusing on affiliate marketing during peak sales events. While seasonal campaigns can drive huge spikes in revenue, an always-on affiliate strategy ensures:
- Stronger relationships with top-performing affiliates
- Consistent revenue throughout the year
- A head start on competitors when seasonal peaks roll around
At SYYCO, we don’t just manage affiliate campaigns — we build long-term, high-performing programmes that deliver results all year round.
If you want to stop missing out on seasonal revenue and create an affiliate programme that works 365 days a year, let’s chat.