Why October Is the Time to Launch Your Holiday Marketing
The holidays might feel weeks away, but for your marketing, the clock is already ticking. If you want your business to capture attention (and sales) this holiday season, you can’t afford to wait until November or December. The right time to start your holiday ads is October.
Here’s why.
1. Google Ads & Meta Ads Need 4–6 Weeks to Perform at Their Best
Both Google Ads and Meta Ads (Facebook & Instagram) go through what’s called a learning phase. During this time, the platforms are gathering data, testing different combinations of your creative, placements, and audiences. It takes 4–6 weeks of real campaign activity before ads fully stabilize and deliver consistent results.
If you wait until November to start, you’ll still be in learning mode during the busiest, most expensive weeks of the year. Launching in October means your ads are optimized and running at peak performance by Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
2. Avoid Skyrocketing Holiday Ad Costs
Ad competition surges in late November and December, driving costs way up. If you start earlier, you’ll:
- Lock in lower CPCs (cost-per-click) and CPMs (cost per thousand impressions).
- Stretch your budget further.
- Reach shoppers before your competitors flood the market.
3. Build Awareness Before the Buying Frenzy
Customers rarely purchase from a business the first time they see an ad. They need to see your brand multiple times before deciding to buy. Running campaigns in October warms up your audience, so by the time they’re ready to spend, your brand is already familiar and trusted.
4. Test, Learn, and Fine-Tune Ahead of the Rush
Launching in October gives you time to see which ads, offers, and audiences are working. That way, when November arrives, you’re investing your holiday budget in the campaigns that are already proven—not experimenting when every dollar counts.
5. Capture the Early Shoppers
Holiday shopping starts earlier every year. Many people are spreading out their purchases as early as October to avoid last-minute stress. If you’re not in front of them now, you’re missing a major piece of the market.
6. Carry Momentum Into the New Year
Strong holiday campaigns don’t just drive sales—they also build your customer base for January and beyond. Early campaign launches give you more time to build retargeting audiences, loyalty offers, and repeat sales.
Bottom Line: October Is Non-Negotiable
Waiting until November means higher costs, weaker performance, and missed opportunities. Starting in October gives your ads the runway they need to learn, optimize, and scale—so your business can hit the ground running when the holiday rush begins.
At Ranalli Marketing, we specialize in building Google Ads and Meta Ads campaigns that are optimized from the start and deliver measurable results during the busiest season of the year.
📩 Email us today at info@ranallimarketing.com and let’s get your holiday campaigns live before it’s too late.