The 4th quarter is coming up faster than we know! We’re already into September, which is kind of insane to me. Fall and then the holidays are just around the corner.
We have four months left this year. And, that makes this the perfect time to focus on finishing this year strong!
One thing that many people assume will be an easy way to bring in an end-of-the-year boost, but often fails – is paid ads.
However, it is possible to successfully use paid ads in the 4th quarter, you just need to know how!
Today I want to share with you a story about a potential client who tried to go about using paid ads in the 4th quarter all wrong, and what they could have done instead to be successful.
The Situation.
Last October, a potential client came to me and wanted to launch a Mastermind the week before Black Friday. If you’re doing that calculation in your head, I’m sure you’ve realized by now, that was only four weeks in advance.
The condensed timeframe wasn’t the only thing we had stacked against us. Additionally…
- There was no funnel built out
- They hadn’t yet done any lead generation
- There was no established or warm audience
- They only had a $500 budget for ad spend
So, what do you need to know to successfully run paid ads in the 4th quarter?
1. Be prepared to spend more.
The truth is, ad costs go up in the 4th quarter. They just do. There is more competition for ad space during that time of year no matter what platform you’re advertising on.
If you’re getting leads right now at $3, you can expect those leads to go up to $5 in the 4th quarter. This is why you want to begin generating leads and warming up your audience BEFORE the 4th quarter. If you do that, each lead will be less expensive and, with the same budget, you’ll be working with more leads.
If you still want to or need to run ads in the 4th quarter, make sure that you’ve set aside the budget to do so effectively.
2. Use retargeting.
If you’ve spent the time generating leads and you have an email list, you can use ads in the 4th quarter to retarget them.
Think about it this way… if you have 1000 people on your email list, you can import that list into the ads manager on any platform and target those people directly with your ads. That will keep your cost lower and also turn warm leads into hot leads.
This type of retargeting is especially important in the 4th quarter because you’re advertising to people who want to buy from you. The 4th quarter is the perfect time to focus on your already existing audience.
3. Plan and execute your full-funnel strategy.
What do I mean by that? Well, all the way from introduction all the way to commitment – look at how you are connecting with, interacting with, and engaging with your audience. Making sure your funnel is tight from top to bottom is one of the best ways to prepare for the 4th quarter.
4. Lead generating.
As I’ve mentioned, you don’t want to pay for lead generation in the 4th quarter. I suggest starting to generate leads and build your audience early in the year. If you haven’t yet, start now and you can get a few weeks in before the 4th quarter cost increases. Pour as much time, effort, and money into it to create an effective lead source. If you have this solid base established before the 4th quarter, then you can retarget them in the 4th quarter.
5. Offer early incentives.
Of course, Black Friday is the biggest day for deals all year. But, what if instead of launching a new product or service or a sale on Black Friday, you instead shoot for the Monday before or even Halloween? If you pivot your strategy so that you’re not in direct competition on the costliest week of the year, you may find better success.
6. Awareness ads.
I know a lot of people are weary of running awareness ads, but they work really well in the 4th quarter. Finding your audience is incredibly important. When you use awareness ads to do that, you’re better able to retarget your leads.
If you’ve created short video assets, like Reels and Stories, that capture people’s attention, you can use these in awareness ads during the 4th quarter to build relationships with those leads.
The Bottom Line
The 4th quarter can be the most profitable quarter of the year. With some advanced planning, it doesn’t have to be the most stressful quarter of the year. Take a look at the 4th quarter and your options for running ads in the 4th quarter, then assess how and what will work best for you and your business.