The holiday shopping doesn’t end with Christmas and New Year. After the peak season is over, buyers are still looking for deals.
The post-holiday season is known as the fifth quarter or ‘Q5’ — the period in between Christmas and midway into January when shoppers search for bargains, exchange return gifts, and spend their gift cards — often with an eye toward new year resolutions.
In a recent YouGov survey commissioned by Meta, 41% of shoppers said their shopping continues after the holidays. Surprisingly, many marketers decrease or cease advertising after holiday shipping deadlines. Therefore, advertisers who capitalise on Q5 demand often benefit from lower media costs. In fact, global data reveals a 15% average CPM rate decrease in January 2023 compared to October 1st levels.
Let’s look at some powerful statistics from Meta:
- Impression growth: A 21% increase in overall impressions compared to the previous three-week period.
- Cost efficiency: A 10% decrease in CPCs across all devices, presenting cost-saving opportunities.
- Mobile dominance: Significant jumps in mobile and tablet impressions, up 23% and 32%, respectively.
- Geo-specific trends: A 94% surge in U.S. impressions, while the U.K. experienced a 10% increase.
Key Q5 insights on TikTok from 2023:
- Post-holiday shopping surge: Shopping-related content and user interest peak in January.
- Efficient ad inventory: Reduced competition leads to more efficient media spend.
- Self-care and treat-yourself focus: Users actively seek self-care and treat-yourself products.
- Emerging categories on the rise: Non-traditional sectors like fitness and finance gain traction.
Why Does Q5 Matter For Brands?
Think of Q5 as a golden opportunity. With fewer competitors in the ad space post-holidays, you can capture more attention for less. But here’s the twist: the playing field isn’t level across regions.
How can your business drive sales in this post-holiday period when competition in the ads auction is down?
In January 2023, CPM rates were down 4% while there was only an 8% decrease in average conversion rates. For small brands, Q5 offers a strategic advantage by reducing competition on auction-based platforms like Meta. By continuing to run PPC ads during Q5, brands can capture valuable ad inventory as CPCs drop and impressions increase which can lead to a significant cost-savings opportunity.
Top 5 Strategies To Boost Q5 Sales
Don’t let the holiday rush end your sales momentum. Here are five strategies that will help you maximise Q5 and close out the year strong:
- Target Individual Shoppers: With New Year on the horizon, people are looking to “New Year, New Me” in their lives. Whether it’s fitness goals, hobbies, or self-care, cater to their aspirations by promoting products that help them achieve them. After buying for others, many are ready to treat themselves. Highlight enticing deals and self-gifting ideas to tap into this spending behaviour.
- Use The Power Of Commerce Solutions: Use Video Shopping Ads to showcase your product catalogue and drive traffic to your website. For a seamless shopping experience, add Shoppable Videos and Shop Ads to guide users directly to products. To optimise performance and ROI, you can also explore TikTok’s automation solutions like Smart+ and GMV Max.
- Tap Into Creator Power: Collaborate with influencers across Facebook, Instagram and Meta to create engaging content like shopping hauls, reviews, and unboxings. This authentic approach helps build trust and showcase your products in a relatable way.
- Capitalise On Gift Cards and Gamification: With nearly 40% of users planning to shop during Q5 to use up holiday gift cards, running promotions that encourage gift card redemptions or highlight special deals can significantly boost conversions. Boost your engagement with gamification — they’re a fun way to increase engagement, generate leads, and ultimately, boost sales. Offer rewards like discounts or exclusive content to complete the game.
- Learn From Your Christmas Marketing: Analyse the data-driven insights from your Christmas campaign to tailor your Q5 approach. Identify popular products, successful discounts, and high-performing ad formats. Incorporate these key takeaways to fine-tune your Q5 plan for maximum impact.
Bonus Tip: Use a Q5 marketing strategy template or interactive experience finder to streamline your planning and identify the best tactics for your business.
Ready to capitalise on Q5? With less competition and a highly engaged audience, this quarter makes it an ideal time to boost your brand’s visibility and drive sales.
Need a fresh perspective? Let’s talk.
At 360 OM, we specialise in helping businesses take their marketing efforts to the next level. Our team stays on top of industry trends, uses data-informed decisions to maximise your ROI, and provides full transparency through comprehensive reports.
