Running a digital campaign this Christmas?

Sookio’s Campaigns and Insights Manager, Clark Chapman, answers the burning questions about running successful digital campaigns through Google Ads, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more!

Learn how to manage your budget, choose the right platform and develop the right creative.

Does it matter which platform you run ads on?

It’s incredibly important. Think about your choice of platform very carefully. Is the platform more B2C-focused, like Instagram? If so, this will heighten ad costs, as they sell e-commerce products (like toys).

Christmas can also see people spending more time on certain platforms as they upload pictures of festive parties and other antics. If you are a B2C company, then your ad costs are likely to start rising in November in the lead-up to Black Friday.

Think about your return on investment, and what actions you consider progress. Ask yourself important questions, such as, ‘What would my audience be interested in?’

Should B2B businesses run ads at Christmas?

Yes! But it’s all about your messaging.

Running ads at this time of year will probably be cheaper, but there’s a reason for that. There are fewer people on B2B-adjacent platforms like LinkedIn, which means fewer eyes seeing your ads.

If you’re running ads on LinkedIn, it’s worth trying to offer something of value to raise awareness of the business to other organisations.

People in the B2B space will also often delay the purchasing decision until January, so any heavy sales marketing won’t necessarily resonate or generate the actions you want.

How much should you expect to pay for ads during the festive season?

The million-dollar question! As an online ads specialist, this is the question I get the most. The truth is, there’s no perfect answer. It depends largely on your industry, location, campaign aims, and who it is you’re targeting.

However, I think it’s handy to think about the ROAS (return on ad spend) and how much each lead or purchase is worth to you when setting your budget.

What sort of creative should you use for your ads?

Not every business has John Lewis-level production values, so from a branding perspective, it’s important to work with the resources you do have. There’s also no need to focus on the ‘festive’ angle in your creative content if this isn’t a good fit for your brand. But helpful content will always be well-received by your audience.

Provide a creative that shows the worth of your offer or answers questions about planning for the year ahead – for example, ‘Top Ten Trends in X Industry for 2023’.

When should companies ‘switch off’ their ads in December (and start prepping for January)?

If you’re running Google Ads, I’d suggest keeping them running. As these are search-based, if people are still looking for your business or service, then why not run ads to draw them in over Christmas?

As for social media ads, think about the platform and start testing ad copy now. This will help you get fully optimised by December. Then you can go all-in on the best-performing content.

What other factors should you consider when running ads over the festive season (and into the new year)?

Despite living online, ads across the internet can’t escape real-world issues. With the Bank of England predicting a recession for 2023 and into 2024, we’ll gradually see a general decrease in ad costs.

This provides an opportunity to build your brand, The competitive ad costs may not get you as many sales throughout the recession, but they will keep you front and centre, ready for when spending returns to normal levels.

Are there any reasons why you shouldn’t run ads over Christmas?

If you’re targeting people in an industry where you know they’re closed over Christmas – for instance, manufacturing – then it’s probably worth saving your budget, and instead running tests throughout December, aimed towards other potential audiences.

This will help you discover new opportunities and start the new year with greater insight into the people you can reach through your campaigns.

Any other tips for a successful festive campaign?

Make sure you start testing now! There’s lots of scope for success across all kinds of organisations in many varied industries and sectors. For B2C, it’s a potentially costly (but also potentially fruitful) time of year for encouraging engagement and sales.

If you’re a B2B company, now is a particularly good time to start testing some alternative creative ideas!

Ready to launch?

Talk to the digital marketing experts at Sookio for more tips, guidance and practical help with your campaign.