Why Christmas Comes So Early for Meta Ads Marketers

It may be topping 30 degrees this week, but we’re already elbows-deep in Q4 strategy.

Yes, we’re thinking about Black Friday on a sunny Thursday. Because whether you’re a major retailer or a small indie brand, what you do now will decide whether you're breaking sales records or just breaking even come November.

The brands that win Christmas are the ones that started in summer (or earlier). Here’s why.

It takes time to build an audience

While we wish it was that easy, Meta ads aren’t a tap that you switch on when you’re ready to sell and the money comes flowing back out. 

The brands that perform well in Q4 are the ones that don’t panic launch a campaign a week before the Black Friday sales. They’re the ones who have been quietly (or not so quietly) priming their audiences for months. 

Right now, in sweaty -sunglasses on July,  we are focusing on warming people up. In short, we are running campaigns that are designed to show up in our idea audiences feeds with value led content, testing creatives and getting people to engage before we ask them to buy. 

It’s a lot like dating. Unless you’re a love-bombing psycho, you wouldn’t propose on the first date, so you also can’t expect a large swathe of your audience to drop £50 on a product the first time they see it. And the Black Friday/Cyber Monday (annoyingly know as BFCM in paid ads circles), is also about getting that gifting audience in the mood, too. 

This is especially pertinent if you’re a smaller brand. You might not have the budget to outbid the big names in Q4, but you can win on relevance. If someone's engaged with your content or maybe dipped their toe into your products before November hits, you’l be miles ahead fo the brand that’s trying to woo them from cold. 

This is something we help clients with every day as a social media agency - crafting full-funnel strategies that gently move people from “who are you?” to “add to basket”.

Meta Ads Costs get more expensive in Quarter 4

Here’s the bit no one wants to hear. Meta ads can get eye-wateringly expensive in Q4. Every brand and their dog is trying to flog something in the run-up to Christmas, which means CPMs (cost per thousand impressions) rise as advertisers battle it out to get in front of audiences. This means that it can cost you a lot more to break through the noise. 

Here’s an example from a genuine account, of the difference in costs in Q3 vs Q4.

It’s not so different to the pre-digital days when you know that if you want your TV ads to straddle the Stars in their Eyes Celebrity Christmas special, it’s going to cost a lot more than the standard Saturday night when Tony from Truro does his best Barry Manilow.. 

And as on Meta, you pay for impressions for your audience, you’re not just competing with other small brands. You’re in the same auction as John Lewis, Boots, Marks & Spencer, Amazon, and every high-street name with a festive campaign and a six-figure media budget. 

Because, essentially - you’re targeting the same audience. 

But here’s the good news: if you start now, while it’s quiet(er), you can build your audiences at a lower cost. You can warm people up with value-led content, drive traffic to your site, and get your retargeting pools set up before the bidding war begins. Now is also the ideal time to build your email list. 

So come November, you’re not trying to reach total strangers at £18 CPM - you’re speaking to people who’ve already seen your stuff and are way more likely to convert.

Trust Takes time

Sure, someone might impulse-buy a lip balm or a novelty mug for themselves from a brand they’ve never seen before-no big deal if it doesn’t turn up or smells a bit funny.

But their Christmas shopping list? Their sister’s main present? The outfit they’re banking on for the office party? That’s not getting left to chance.

In Q4, people become a lot more cautious about who they buy from.  While they may be buying more, they want to feel confident the product will arrive on time, look like the photos, and not ruin the big day. This means if they’ve never heard of you before, they’re more likely to scroll no matter how good your offer is.

That’s why trust-building can’t be left to the last minute. If you want people to buy from you when it really counts, you need to show up now.

People shop for themselves now – and others later

During Q3, people aren’t Christmas shopping-they’re self-gifting.

They’ve just come back from holiday, they’re feeling the post-summer slump, and suddenly a new candle, notebook, or pair of earrings feels very justified. It’s payday, it’s raining, or they’re simply bored at their desk and fancy a little dopamine hit.

So while everyone else is gearing up for gift guides and festive bundles, you’ve got a golden window of opportunity right now to show up with products people want for themselves. That self-gifting behaviour peaks in early autumn-and often, those customers will come back when the Christmas panic sets in.

Because if they loved your product in September, guess what? You’ve just made their present list ten times easier. And if you’re at the right price point, they may well buy for their friends and family too.

So even if your product feels “giftable,” don’t sit back and wait for December. Start positioning it now and speak to the people who are in buying mode already.

How you get ahead?

The brands that win the battle in Q4 are the ones who don’t wait until the Tinsel is up to start touting their wares.

Right now, in the heat and the holiday mood is where the groundwork happens and that’s what pays off when the real spend-fest starts.

So, if Meta Ads are part of your strategy this year, now’s the time to line everything up from creative testing and audience building to planning your funnels and gathering those all-important reviews.

We’re already helping clients get their campaigns in place for Q4- So if you need support with strategy setup, Meta Ads Training to help prepare or want someone else to take the reins, get in touch.