Every marketer knows the holiday season is a shopping frenzy, but what about the period right after? TikTok has dubbed this time “Q5,” a golden opportunity from late December to mid-January. With holiday shopping completed, consumers often shift their focus to self-care, using gift cards, and finding deals. And to better help brands take advantage of this period, TikTok has released their first Q5 Marketing Guide. Here’s a break down of some of the key highlights and how your brand can maximize impact during Q5 with TikTok’s latest guidance.
What is Q5 and Why Should Marketers Care?
Q5 (Dec 26 – Mid-January) on TikTok is a high-engagement period where users are actively browsing for new trends and deals. During this time, TikTok users report increased shopping activity, with 85% planning to spend as much or more post-holiday. With nearly half of users engaging with creator shopping content, the platform is ripe for targeted campaigns.
Key Marketing Strategies for Q5 on TikTok
- Capture Post-Holiday Sales
- Utilize Video Shopping Ads and Web Conversion Ads: Drive conversions with video ads or web conversion campaigns, especially if you have a product catalog synced on TikTok. TikTok reports that using their Video Shopping Ads with Carousel formats can lead to a 20% higher click-through rate, making it easier to attract buyers in the post-holiday rush.
- Drive In-Store and Offline Sales
- Leverage Reach and Frequency Ads: TikTok’s Reach and Frequency Top Feed ads can amplify your brand’s visibility, especially if you aim to draw foot traffic. This format helps sustain awareness and boosts in-store sales by positioning your brand at the top of users’ feeds.
- Use TikTok Pulse for In-Feed Ads: Position ads next to trending content to increase relevance, ensuring your brand stays top-of-mind.
- Promote New Products with TikTok’s Shop Ads
- Launch TikTok Shop and Use Shop Ads: TikTok Shop allows brands to facilitate seamless in-app shopping, an ideal feature for Q5. Use Shop Ads in various formats (video, LIVE, or product cards) to boost discovery and engagement. Additionally, TikTok’s Search Ads can help brands reach users actively searching for products, driving high-intent traffic.
- Maximize Your Return on Creative (ROC)
- Prioritize Diverse, TikTok-First Creative: TikTok users expect fresh, engaging content. By experimenting with varied and value-based creative, brands can increase their Return on Creative. Utilizing tools like the Symphony Assistant or Script Generator can help develop TikTok-native content that aligns with current trends and resonates with viewers.
Audience Insights to Guide Your Campaign
Understanding TikTok’s Q5 audience behavior can be crucial for campaign targeting:
- Top Purchase Categories: Apparel, beauty and personal care, food, and tech items rank high among Q5 shopping interests.
- Post-Holiday Shopping Motivations: Many users shop to take advantage of sales (59%) or use gift cards (40%) received during the holidays. With self-care as a major theme, 69% of shoppers focus on buying items for themselves.
Flexible Measurement Solutions
To fully understand and optimize Q5 campaigns, TikTok offers various tools for measuring impact, such as:
- Conversion Lift Studies and Multi-touch Attribution to track offline conversions.
- Split Testing and Post Purchase Surveys for campaign refinement, helping advertisers make data-driven adjustments.
Conclusion
TikTok’s Q5 playbook underscores the importance of a targeted and creative approach during this prime post-holiday season. Brands can unlock incremental sales by leveraging TikTok’s shopping, creative, and measurement tools. As 2025 approaches, incorporating Q5 strategies into your marketing calendar could mean starting the new year with impactful growth.
