As the 2024 holiday season sneaks up on us, businesses everywhere are getting ready for the busiest time of the year. With a shorter shopping period this time around, it’s more important than ever to start your prep early and get strategic. In this guide, we’ll walk through some must-know holiday marketing and PPC strategies to help your business thrive during the festive rush.

Get a Head Start

With a compressed 2024 holiday schedule, getting your campaigns up and running early is essential! You’ll want to kick off your campaigns by September or October, giving yourself a good two to three months before the shopping frenzy begins.

At this stage, focus on building brand awareness. Use broader keywords and get your brand in front of potential customers early. Once November hits, that’s when you can crank up your budget and dive into holiday-specific promotions.

Let Data Lead the Way

Before deciding where to put your PPC budget, it’s time to dive into past data. Check out key metrics like impressions, return on ad spend (ROAS), which creative performed best and see how your competitors performed in previous years. This will help you make smarter decisions and allocate your budget where it’ll make the biggest impact.

Take advantage of Google Ads’ automated rules to help manage budget shifts. This way, you won’t blow your budget too soon or miss out on high-traffic opportunities!

Separate Your Star Products

Here’s a winning tactic: create separate campaigns for your best-selling products. This way, you can manage your budget and targeting more efficiently. When holiday traffic hits (and it will), you don’t want your top products to be held back by budget restrictions.

Write Holiday-Themed Ad Copy That Pops

Get into the festive spirit alongside your customers! Your ad copy should reflect all the excitement and joy of the holiday season. Think about using phrases that get people in the holiday mood, like “Exclusive Christmas Deal,” “Black Friday Flash Sale,” or “Only X Left in Stock – Don’t Miss Out!”

Get creative with seasonal hooks such as, “Gifts That Spark Joy” or “Wrap Up Your Shopping Early – Special Holiday Discounts.” Use playful, festive language like “Sleigh Your Shopping List” or “Unwrap Big Savings Today!”

And remember, A/B testing is your friend! Try out different approaches to see which festive phrases and offers get your audience the most excited.

Target the Right People

Personalisation is key. Use audience segmentation to tailor your ads to the right people. Retarget those who’ve already shown interest, and segment based on demographics, past behaviours, or product preferences to create more relevant ads.

By segmenting your audience based on their behaviour or preferences, your ads will speak directly to their needs.

Mobile-Ready Is a Must

We all know that mobile-first indexing is now the standard, so making sure your ads and landing pages are mobile-friendly is non-negotiable. Fast loading times, clear calls to action, and a design that works well on mobile will boost your holiday conversions.

Go Omnichannel

PPC is just one part of a bigger picture. A successful holiday strategy involves using all your marketing channels—SEO, email, social media, you name it. Each one helps you reach your customers at different stages of their holiday shopping journey.

Keep a Close Eye on Performance

The holiday rush means you need to keep a close eye on your key metrics—click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), conversion rate, and ROAS. Real-time data analysis will help you make quick tweaks and optimise your campaigns for the best possible outcome.

Automation is Your Friend

Automated tools can really lighten your load during the busy holiday season. Set up automated rules in Google Ads, use dynamic keyword insertion, and add countdown timers to your ads for a sense of urgency. These tools will help you scale your efforts while maintaining control.

And That's a Wrap…

The 2024 holiday season is going to be intense, but with some early prep and the right strategies, you’ll be ready to make the most of it. By starting early, making data-driven decisions, and adopting an omnichannel approach, your business will be in a prime position to succeed.

The Ultimate Guide to Holiday Marketing and PPC Strategies for Ecommerce Brands