By the end of the Christmas content rush, YouTube creators are running on fumes. You optimised the schedule for peak holiday CPM, and you’re probably ready to turn your camera off and hibernate until January.

You will be missing out on a great opportunity before the year is out, though. On Christmas Day and Boxing Day, Millions of people are unwrapping new iPhones, Sony cameras, iPads, and PlayStations. These people aren’t looing for gifts anymore, they’re searching with intent. They really want to know how their new gear or piece of tech works, which apps are the best, the best settings, or how to start the hobbies they just received “starter kits” for.

Let’s run through 4 practical steps to capture that final surge of the year! Some of which don’t even require you to get your camera out!

The “Current Year” Thumbnail Refresh

So let’s say someone opens a new device on Boxing Day, they’ll want the most relevant and up-to-date info. If they search for “Best settings for Sony ZV-E10“ and see two videos, one from 2023 and one with a “2026 Ready” badge on the thumbnail – they will always click the newer one.

  • The Action: Try to identify your “How-to”, “Beginner’s Guide,” or “Setup” videos. Use Canva to add an “Updated for 2026” or similar badge and re-upload the thumbnail.
  • The Tweak: This small tweak takes 5 minutes but has the potential to double your Click-Through Rate (CTR) during this time of year.

 Set Your “Newcomer” Welcome Mat

People that are looking for this content are likely newcomers to your channel as they found you via search. This is your chance to convert them from a one-time viewer to a long-term subscriber.

  • The Action: Leave a pinned comment on your most helpful tutorials.
  • The Script:  > “Just unboxed a new [Product]? Welcome to the community! I’ve put together a ‘Beginner Bootcamp’ playlist to help you get started: [Link to Playlist]. Reply with your first impressions of the gear below!”
  • Why it works: It provides immediate value and encourages engagement right when the viewer is most excited.

 Pivot Your Links to “Gift Card Spending”

By the time it’s December 26th, the window for “Gift Guides” is closed, but it’s now prime “Gift Card Spending” time. People with gift cards burning a hole in their pocket are a prime example of the opportunity you have here.

  • The Action: Update titles and video descriptions to target this.
  • The Tweak: Change titles and descriptions from “Best Christmas Gifts for [X Demographic]” to “What [X Demographic] Should buy with their Amazon gift card” or things like “Essential accessories for [X Device]”.
  • Pro Tip: This is a peak time for affiliate revenue. Focus on “essential” add-ons like SD cards, cases, or subscription services.

Optimize for the “Sofa-Viewer” (Mobile & Tablet)

The data shows that Boxing Day viewership sees a heavy lean toward mobile and tablets as people are lounging around.

  • The Action: Open your channel on your phone or tablet.
  • The Audit: Be critical of your channel.
    • Does the trailer get to the point in 10 seconds or less?
    • Is your about section short enough to be read on a small screen?
    • Have you got organised playlists such as “Getting started” or “Beginners guides” – these give your potential viewers a great entry point to your content.
  • Pro Tip: Ensure your channel looks like a curated resource. Nobody likes a random and unorganised collection of videos.

The Final Gift

This ‘Boxing Day Surge” will be your final gift of the year to your viewers. You’ve already done all the hard work producing your content, now optimise it using the steps above to ensure that the millions of people opening their new device over Christmas can find it!

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