Top Tips for Ads this Holiday Season

As the holiday season approaches, brands and businesses are ramping up their paid advertising strategies to capture the attention of eager shoppers. Stay updated with new ad formats, advanced technologies, and evolving trends this year, which will make or break your strategy. In today’s blog, we've compiled top tips for paid ads and expert guidance to help you make the most of this peak season. 

A highlight of this year is everything related to AI. And with that is the upcoming Perplexity Ads launch, expected for Q4. According to a report from Search Engine Land, these ads will introduce a conversational search format, where brands can integrate their messaging directly into AI-driven responses. This could be a game-changer for brands as they will be able to engage users in a more customized way. 

Marketers will also benefit from this, as they can offer more personalized and relevant responses during the consideration phase of the customer’s journey. To get the most out of this new ad format, the focus should be on creating ads that encourage meaningful interaction. Keep an eye out for this new feature as it rolls out!

This September, Google hosted an event (to watch it on demand, click here) to equip us with the latest holiday shopping insights, strategies, and success stories, offering practical advice for businesses looking to refine their ad strategies. This event had some great takeaways!

Maximize Your Campaigns With a Focus on Budget Optimization Using Performance Max:

• Boost intent with broad match + Smart Bidding: What consumers want and how they're searching for it constantly changes. You can use auction-time signals to set the right bid for each query by pairing broad match with Smart Bidding.
• Align budgets with key periods: Plan and set the proper budgets using Performance Planner to forecast optimal targets and budgets for your business.
• Differentiate beyond promotions: Ensure creative coverage for each holiday mindset. This means 4+ unique image assets, 1+ RSA (Responsive Search Ad) with good or excellent ad strength, and business information. 

Employ Full-Funnel YouTube Strategies to Amplify Your Impact:

• Adopt ABCD Framework: Improve outcomes by aligning bids to KPIs using multiple creative variants (vertical, square, and horizontal assets).
• Lower-funnel YouTube Strategy: Drive lower-funnel actions using video remarketing lists—Retarget users who have previously engaged with your ads earlier in the year.
• Attach your product feeds and use custom labels to prepare your digital storefront.
• Align campaigns with your goals and test in advance: Tune CTAs and bid strategies (volume; profitability) for conversion-focused campaigns to achieve better results throughout the season. 

Google Shopping: Stand out Among Your Competitors.

• Use the Sale Price Annotation: Add sale_price and sale_price_effective_date attributes to schedule price change.
• Implement Shipping Speeds: Activate the Fast & Free and Same Day Delivery annotation to highlight faster shipping speeds vs. competitors.
• Timely deals by leveraging Merchant Promotions: Utilize Merchant Promotions if you have coupon codes or special promos such as BOGO, gifts, or % off discounts.
  TIP: Build out promotions three weeks out and submit them early for smooth promotional launches. 
  
  

Joinative published an article describing the 16 Tips For a Holiday Ad Campaign This Year. One of their top recommendations was expanding your reach using native ads across multiple platforms. This way, you can engage holiday shoppers wherever they spend their time.

Starting your planning early is also important, as it allows you to test various ad formats across platforms for maximum relevance and helps align your ad creatives with seasonal trends.

Additionally, using retargeting strategies for previous site visitors and adjusting bids based on ad success will help you stay competitive during holiday demand fluctuations.

While it’s always important to optimize your PPC (Pay-per-click) campaigns, during the holidays, it’s a necessity.  See below for key strategies by Inflow’s Holiday PPC guide:

• Focus on high-performing keywords: Allocate your budget on terms with proven results. 
• Adjust bids frequently to maintain visibility as search volume and competition increase.
• Prepare Holiday-specific Ad Copy: Use urgency tactics to increase conversions. 
• Test Ad Variations in Advance: Monitor performance and tweak 

Conclusion:

This holiday season presents many opportunities for brands to capture customer attention and drive sales with well-executed paid ad strategies. From leveraging cutting-edge features like Perplexity Ads to leveraging Google Ads tools and other platforms, it’s all about staying up-to-date and adaptable. Diversifying your ad formats, optimizing audiences and budgets, and refining PPC campaigns can make a difference in standing out. Start early, test thoroughly, and stay agile to ensure your holiday ads deliver the best results.