It’s no secret that Black Friday and Christmas are the biggest shopping events of the year, where brands can achieve record sales. But the truth behind that secret is that brands that win the holiday sale season begin in September.
Meta’s latest update now places greater importance on ad creative, meaning businesses can no longer rely on last minute discounts or generic sales messaging. Achieving success will now come down to strategically planning campaigns, engaging audiences earlier, and focusing on content that feels authentic and community-driven.
In this blog, you’ll learn why September is the key to holiday sale success. Take the lead by laying the foundations early, testing creative, and scaling. We’ll show you how to set your brand up now for improved Black Friday and Christmas sales.
Why creative matters now
Get your creative ready! Meta’s recent update has centered ads as the creative lead. Meta ads are no longer just about placement or budget; they’re now won and lost on engagement, relatability, and authenticity.
That’s why starting now is crucial, as it allows time to experiment with creative, messaging and storytelling to see what resonates with your audience before the busy period. Focus on campaigns that showcase your brand’s value, build community, and foster trust. The brands that focus on creative testing now will have the upper hand when competition heats up in November.
And remember the dos and don’ts of Meta ads:
Do prioritise creative storytelling, highlight value, and focus on audience connection.
Don’t compete purely on price. Avoid the race to the bottom dollar.
Building and nurturing your audience early
Building your audience takes time, which is why starting in September is essential. New leads rarely convert on first impression, and especially not when they’re being bombarded with hot sales during Black Friday or Christmas.
Starting early allows you to nurture your audience with content that feels less like a sales pitch, so by the time the sales time rolls around, you’ll have warm leads ready to convert.
Key ways to nurture your audience
- Focus on community-driven content–more we and less me content
- Include Founder-led storytelling that shares the “why” behind your brand
- Add social proof into your ad creative, like;
- Endorsements from followers (comments, reviews)
- Follow a customer’s journey
- Awards, recognition, or press
- Feature your subscriber amount as social proof (e.g., our community of 10K+ loves this)
- Partnerships and integrations
All of these together provide customers with the trust and confidence needed to purchase when the sales season begins. Start implementing these strategies today to build your audience and maximize your sales opportunities.
September: Foundation & Planning
September is all about laying the groundwork for your success. So where should you begin?
First things first, you should define the main product range that will be on sale. Choose 2 – 3 “locomotive” products. Hero Items that are attractive in both price and value for the customer.
With your sale picks chosen, check stock levels and ensure logistics and fulfilment can handle the seasonal surge.
Following logistics confirmation, plan your funnel strategy. This should include tailored offers to excite customers and exclusive discounts for loyal shoppers. Incorporate lead magnets to attract new audiences and broader incentives to further widen your reach.
As you move forward, consider your landing pages. It’s no good putting in all this effort to convert leads if your website has a poor user experience (UX). Learn why UX is crucial to winning ad campaigns.
Lastly, allocate your budget strategically between brand awareness, retargeting, and conversion phases to maximise impact at each stage of the marketing funnel.
October: Creative Testing & Audience Warm-up
In October, CPM and CPC rates rise as big brands with large budgets enter the market. This is why October is the best time to put your plan into action and experiment with creative ideas, while costs and risks remain low.
Run small-budget campaigns to identify which creative, offers, and ad formats (video, carousel, or stories) work best with your audience. During this pre-sale phase test messaging, visuals, offers using the results and data to refine your approach.
While you’re testing creative, start warming up your audiences for the sale season. This can be achieved by sharing value-driven, community-focused content that nurtures confidence in your brand and positions you as a trusted authority, rather than just another retailer.
Include subtle reminders of your upcoming sales, paired with authentic storytelling and examples of social proof, such as those we shared above. This technique works to keep your brand top of mind without feeling overwhelming.
With this strategy, by the time November comes you’ll have a better understanding of which offers are converting and which audiences are most engaged enabling you to scale quickly when it matters most.
Keep an eye on key important metrics like Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Lifetime Value (LV), Gross Profit Margin and Average Order Value (AOV). These metrics will show you which campaigns are driving profitable results and not just clicks. By monitoring and optimising these in real time you can maximise conversions during the Black Friday and Christmas sales period.
November – December: Scaling & Conversion
When November arrives, it’s time to move the focus from testing to full-scale conversion. Your earlier preparation offers you a competitive edge, keeping you in the game now that the big brands have entered the market.
Kick things off by starting to increase the budget on campaigns that performed well during the testing period and optimise them, ensuring our ads reach the right audiences.
During the Black Friday and Christmas sale period, your marketing tactics should include aggressively pushing your offers, maintaining a sense of urgency by using countdown timers, limited-time offers, and exclusive deals to encourage immediate action.
With these tactics in place, combined with a warm audience, strategic scaling, and precise targeting, your campaigns will turn holiday sale shoppers into loyal repeat customers.
Having a successful Black Friday and Christmas sale period is all about early preparation, solid strategy, and smart creative. By starting things in September, you set the stage for campaigns that connect with your audience, convert leads and build lasting rapport with your community.
Ready to see your brand achieve success this Black Friday and the Holiday season? Book a strategy session with Red Herring Digital for a tailored marketing plan that will see your conversions grow.
