🎁🎄 In this years edition, Meta describes the four festive phases (try saying that fast) and how to optimise your ad spend across them for maximum results! 📈
Considering this year may just be one of the strangest Q4s we’ve seen with disturbingly high energy prices and inflation set to raise even further, this festive guide is well worth a deep read for anyone advertising; whether on Meta or not. ✅
To summarise, the four phases are as follows:
1. Pre-October – Establish Foundations
Basically, get your shit together. Make sure your tracking systems are in place and working, think Pixels, Events, Conversion API, UTMs and so on. Once you know everything is working have a clear strategy on which KPIs you’re going to use and your targets. 💰
Alongside data and tracking you need a clear creative plan. 🎨 Since creative is the most time-consuming aspect of Meta ads you need to be on this WAAAY before the season starts. Have your creative planned out, drafts drawn up and templates made so you can easily change variances such as discounts and products allowing you to react in the moment. 🫡
2. 11th Oct – 15th Nov – Reach Customers Early
Take advantage of lower CPMs at the start of Q4 to prep users to purchase. Run brand awareness campaigns to get eyes on ads 👀 to fill your funnel and audiences. Then during peak season retarget these engagement audiences; including video viewers, page engagers and website visitors. 🤳 You’re much more likely to convert these people during peak than trying to cold prospect at such a high CPM.
3. 16th Nov – 20th Dec – Maximise Purchases
This is it. 🚀 This is where you go all in with everything you’ve got. 💪
Boost your budgets and don’t run caps, let the algorithm take hold. Launch your offers from the 16th onwards, don’t wait for Black Friday ⚫ and double down on re-engagement and retargeting.
Push your best creatives across all format types, utilise your influencer colabs 👩🎤, keep your ad copy short, sweet and to the point. Consumers want offers 🔖, that’s what they’re looking for so give it to them first on the top line.
Don’t forget recovery either! Make sure your Advantage+ catalogue campaign is picking up product and cart abandonments 🛒 with a juicy offer to bring them back!
4. 20th Dec – End of Jan – Stay Top Of Mind
It’s not over yet! Yes, you can’t ship in time for Christmas 🎅 but there’s still demand out there.
CPMs are usually at their lowest during January 📉 but conversion demand is still high 📈 since users have the time to shop! So don’t stop running ads.
You’ve likely just onboarded loads of new customers 👩, so keep them engaged, push new products, new offers and January sales. Keep budgets high, in line with conversion demand and only tail off inline with KPIs. Don’t just assume budget needs to be cut in January. 💸