How many times have you heard the statement; ‘Facebook Ads are more expensive in Q4'? If I had a dollar for every time I've heard or said that statement… I'd have a lot of dollars.
But in all seriousness, this is a statement I hear floating around the web A LOT… so much so that I used to believe it. You may have even heard me say that on the podcast in the past.
But after seeing the results from multiple students and clients, and learning more about ads from Nicole Diedrich (my Lounge co-host) I see that actually the opposite is true! Ads are CHEAPER during Q4 because you have more customers who are ready to buy.
Keep reading to learn the ONLY 2 ads you need this holiday season and why ads are not a dirty word.
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Debunking Myths About Q4 Advertising
Contrary to popular belief, Q4 is a fantastic time to start advertising. Although it's often said that ad rates increase during the holiday season, but that's a common misconception. It makes sense why most people think that… more competition usually leads to an increase in pricing.
But the truth is, because there is an increase in shopping activity and so many more customers looking and ready to buy, your ad costs go down and your return on ad spend (ROAS) increases.
The Q4 Ad Funnel Strategy for Success
During Q4, we recommend a specific funnel strategy that has been proven effective, particularly when capitalizing on high-traffic events like Black Friday Weekend. This works well even if you're not doing a promotion but are offering a new product or collection.
1. Your Offer
The first step in creating your Q4 ad funnel is creating an enticing offer to build an early access list. Whether you're offering a Black Friday Weekend sale or just releasing a new product, the promise of early access is a great way to attract new leads to your email marketing list.
2. Lead Generation Ads
Once you've finalized your offer, you'll want to create a paid lead generation campaign. The goal of these ads are to reach brand new shoppers who aren't already your customer. You'll want to create cold targeted interest audiences and promote your offer.
3. Nurture Sequence
Once you've got these new leads on your email list you'll want to make sure you have a follow up email series to build trust and engagement with your new leads. This step is critical to ensure you keep your audience excited for what's to come.
4. Middle of Funnel Retargeting Ads
Once your Black Friday sale or new product launch goes live you'll set up retargeting ads to re-engage your existing customers and the new email subscribers you acquired during your cold lead generation phase.
Investing in Repeat Customers with Retargeting Ads
Running middle of funnel retargeting ads makes sense for brand new customers who just discovered you a few weeks before your Black Friday offers, but why spend money to bring back existing customers?
This is a point of contention for a lot of business owners, but I promise it's worth the investment… especially if you're seeing a dip in revenue like most eCommerce stores are right now.
Maximizing Revenue from Your Existing Customers
A deeper look into your revenue trends might reveal that a dip in revenue isn't necessarily due to a shortage of new customers. Instead, it could be attributed to a decrease in spending from your existing, higher-repeat customers. This shift in consumer behavior, particularly for products with a consumable nature, is often due to the nature of the economy… not necessarily anything related to your business or marketing.
Repeat Customers Are More Valuable
Consider this: acquiring a new customer is often more labor-intensive (and expensive) than re-engaging an existing one. While it may initially seem counterintuitive to invest in those who've already purchased, the reality is that repeat customers are approximately ten times more likely to make a purchase than new prospects and they spend more when they do make a purchase.
Additionally, by investing in your existing customers and encouraging repeat purchases, you can significantly increase your customer lifetime value. The lifetime value of your customer is what makes for a profitable business so it's worth investing time and money into increasing this.
Retargeting Ads Help to Break Through the Noise
With so much noise on the internet these days it's becoming more difficult to catch the consumers attention. Statistics prove that it takes 10+ touches with a brand before they finally make a purchase. That's why omnichannel marketing campaigns are the key to success.
Ultimately, the goals is to hit your customer from all angles like a pinball machine. Your email and organic social are two easy ways to create touchpoints with your customers. Combing those with retargeting ads can amplify your message and make sure you get seen during the holiday season.
You Can Tailor Your Messaging to Different Segment of Your Audience
A key to successful advertising is understanding your customer segments and tailoring your ad content to their unique preferences and habits. This includes considering their purchasing patterns and their reasons for shopping with you.
For instance, customers who tend to shop with you exclusively during Q4 are likely purchasing gifts for others. In contrast, repeat customers who buy for themselves might be more interested in new arrivals or special offers. By customizing your ad content to cater to these unique preferences, you can maximize the impact of your advertising efforts, especially during peak seasons like Q4.
Using email marketing tools that integrate with Facebook Ads Manager like Klaviyo* makes it super easy to sync these customer segments to your ads so you can create different ads with different messages for each group of customers.
Customer Segments to Target With Your Ads
- Shoppers who haven't purchased in X days (30-90 days depending on your typical repeat customer behavior) Show them what's new and exciting since they visited you last.
- Shoppers who only shop with you during the holiday season. Pull people who shopped with you from October – December last year and the year before. Target them with a “perfect gift” ad
The Best Ad Creative for Paid Social
Videos, and images, and carousels… oh my! Creating great creative for your ads can be an overwhelming process. If you pay attention to the “gurus” you'll hear everyone shout how important your creative is and that video is king.
Surprisingly though, what we've seen with students in the Lounge and what Nicole has seen with her clients is that static images outperform videos every single time. This is likely because it's much easier and quicker for a potential customer to absorb the content of a static image than a video. They can see right away what product is being advertised and if they want to learn more.
Ultimately, let the data tell you what is and isn't working in your business. Test different types of creative and see what resonates with your customers and drives them to take action.
Overcoming Fear and Uncertainty in Advertising
Ads can be incredibly triggering, often evoking feelings of uncertainty and self-doubt. However, with the right guidance and support, you can turn fear into a driving force for positive change in your business.
Education is a powerful tool in overcoming fear. By learning about advertising strategies and understanding how they can benefit your business, you can confidently implement your campaigns. Remember, every business decision involves an element of risk, but the potential rewards often far outweigh the apprehension.
Embracing Ads During Uncertain Times
Even during challenging economic periods, there's value in advertising. Think of your advertising spend as an investment in your business's future. While some businesses may pull back on their advertising efforts due to financial strains, this creates a vacuum in the market that you can step in and fill.
By maintaining or even increasing your advertising efforts during tough times, you're positioning your business to thrive when the market rebounds. Plus, with fewer businesses competing for ad space, you have a better chance of capturing your audience's attention and standing out in the crowd.
Prioritizing Your Path to Success
Ultimately, your business decisions should be guided by what aligns best with your goals and vision. While external opinions can be valuable, they should not supersede the needs and aspirations of your business. Trust your instincts, prioritize what will lead you down the path to success, and remember that simplicity and precision are key in advertising.
In conclusion, advertising, especially during Q4, can be a powerful tool for your business's growth. By understanding your audience, crafting compelling ad creatives, and overcoming your fear of Facebook ads, you can unlock the full potential of your business. So, are you ready to conquer Q4 advertising?
Meet Nicole
Nicole Diedrich is a Facebook Ads Strategist, Boutique Agency Owner, and Co-host of the Lounge Membership. She's made millions of dollars for her ad clients and she's teaching her tried and true strategies so eCommerce business owners can implement ads in their business without the additional agency fees.
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Episodes & Links Mentioned
The Lounge eCommerce Marketing Membership
How to Create an OmniChannel Marketing Campaign
