5 Tips to Push Through the ‘Q1 Advertising Hangover’

Traditional wisdom may tell you that the slowest advertising period of the year occurs between January and mid-February, as post-Christmas signals the beginning of a sales hangover.

But don’t knock hangovers. While tradition may dictate you wait it out, some of the most important advertising happens during this time. Q1 represents a great opportunity to not only achieve success in the short-term, but build upon it throughout the year. Here are Q1 advertising tips to help your business thrive:

1. Look Beyond Sales Shoppers
2. Focus Beyond Social
3. No Downtime for Valuable Content
4. Be Ahead on the Consumer Experience
5. Build up for the Long Haul

Look Beyond Sales Shoppers

• Consumer behavior during Q1 can be classified into 3 categories:
  • “The Browser” – they seek to discover something new despite a clear direction
  • “The Lister” – they know what they want to do in a fresh new year, but are unsure which product does it for them
  • “The Abandoner” – they expressed interest in your product but didn’t complete the transaction, perhaps due to self-imposed spending limits during the holiday season

Each of these categories is relevant for advertisers. You want to bring back old leads while acquiring new ones. Native advertising helps you personalize your message no matter the stage of the buyer’s journey, thereby appealing to the different personas that seek different outcomes.

Focus Beyond Social

• There are over 2.5 billion people online every day with different ways to reach them
• Native is thriving outside the walled gardens of Facebook, Google, and other social platforms:
  • Publishers in editorial environments are opening up their inventory for native ads due to its combination of quality content, reach, efficiency, and brand safety.
  • Contextual targeting with native ads in editorial environments is better controlled compared to social
  • Relying on social media leaves you susceptible to the unpredictable nature created by user generated content

Your audience seeks personalization, so deliver hyper-relevant content across the different channels where they engage without putting your brand at risk. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket!

No Downtime for Valuable Content

• Content is about starting a conversation:
  • Ensure your messaging aligns with consumer tastes to uphold quality and relevance
  • Create a blog and promote what you’re doing in ways that generate buzz and increased traffic to your site
  • Get creative and keep it fresh so your audience remains engaged. Remember, you’re in an era where everyone is competing for attention, and ad fatigue is real.

There is never downtime to build your brand. Further your narrative and enhance brand experiences through meaningful content.

Be Ahead on the Consumer Experience

• Messages should be relatable, educational, and entertaining
• Audiences are becoming more mobile-oriented for their content consumption
• People are no longer as engaged with content on social
• Video is becoming an increasingly powerful way to communicate to your audience

The way your audience experiences your ads determines how far they go through the marketing funnel. Understand which messages, channels, and formats are most effective to deliver a greater experience.

Build up for the Long Haul

• Use Q1 to stay in front of consumers and reach them when they are ready to take action.
• Retarget users to restart their journey
• Based on their past actions, convey the right, creative messaging and push them forward towards sales
• Even for those who aren’t ready to buy immediately, it is worth reminding them how your product solves their needs for when they are ready.

The long-game is key because only a small portion of leads actually convert on their first visit. Retargeting users is a cheap and effective way to get sales that have yet to happen. Keeping old leads engaged while adding new ones during this period will have a great impact on your success in the long haul.