Timing is everything in holiday marketing, and waiting until November might be your biggest mistake this season. Our latest Kickstart Your Week episode dives into why October is the critical month for launching your holiday campaigns and how this simple strategy shift can dramatically improve your results.

Ad costs skyrocket during the Black Friday to Christmas window as competition intensifies across all platforms. Companies that rarely advertise suddenly appear, while regular advertisers increase their budgets substantially. By starting in October, you avoid the most expensive period while your campaigns complete their learning phase. This optimization process, where platforms like Meta determine which audience segments and creative elements perform best, requires valuable time that you can't afford to waste during peak holiday shopping.

The advantages of early campaign launches extend beyond cost savings. October provides the perfect testing ground for different creative approaches – from product images to videos, copy variations to calls-to-action – without the pressure of holiday performance expectations. We share real examples of effective testing strategies, including audience targeting insights that can dramatically improve conversion rates when the holiday rush begins.

Perhaps most valuable is the opportunity to build warm audiences before your competitors even enter the game. Early awareness campaigns create pools of engaged users who have already shown interest in your brand, making them significantly more likely to convert when presented with holiday offers later. As we discuss in the episode, consumer behavior continues to shift earlier each year, with many shoppers already making holiday lists in September and October.

Don't let your holiday marketing become a last-minute scramble. Start today and position your business for a more successful, less stressful holiday season. Your future self (and your Q4 revenue) will thank you.

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Meet your hosts and learn more about Kickstart Collective at kickstartcollective.co

Kickstart Collective is a creative marketing agency based in Wilmington, NC. We offer our clients a creative advantage through creative content and marketing strategies.

Ever feel like content creation never ends, or it's too overwhelming to even begin? You're not alone. In this practical conversation with our videographer and podcast producer Joshua, we unlock the secrets to making your video content work harder for your business.

Creating high-quality video is an investment, whether that's time, money, or both. As a business owner, you need to understand how to extract maximum value from every minute of footage.

In this episode, we break down exactly how to plan your brand videos and podcasts with repurposing in mind from the very beginning, ensuring you walk away with not just your primary content piece, but a treasure trove of social media clips, email newsletter snippets, and more.

From the technical aspects of proper framing (nobody wants to see a giant face filling the entire screen on Instagram Reels!) to strategic interview questions that naturally yield standalone quotable moments, we cover the practical details that make content repurposing seamless.

You'll also discover why podcasting has become such a powerful content engine for businesses—providing both valuable long-form content and an endless supply of engaging social media clips that drive listeners back to full episodes.

Whether you're planning your content strategy for the coming year or looking to get more mileage out of your existing video production, these insights will help you work smarter, not harder. Ready to turn one video shoot into months of content? Listen now and transform your approach to video marketing.

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Meet your hosts and learn more about Kickstart Collective at kickstartcollective.co

Kickstart Collective is a creative marketing agency based in Wilmington, NC. We offer our clients a creative advantage through creative content and marketing strategies.

Feeling the pressure of year-end marketing goals while watching ad costs climb? You're not alone. The holiday season brings opportunities but also challenges as advertising platforms become increasingly competitive and expensive. In this return of our "Kickstart Your Week" series, we're tackling Q4 marketing strategies that won't deplete your budget.

Digital advertising costs, especially on platforms like Meta, see significant increases as brands compete for consumer attention around Black Friday and throughout the holiday shopping season. Your regular ad budget simply won't stretch as far during this period. But don't panic, higher costs don't necessarily signal campaign failure. We share practical advice on how to adjust your expectations and strategies accordingly.

One of our key recommendations is starting early with awareness-focused campaigns. These more affordable ads help build familiarity with your brand before the holiday rush, creating warm audiences you can later target with conversion campaigns when they matter most. We explain why keeping early messaging educational rather than sales-focused pays dividends when competition heats up. Additionally, we explore how email marketing provides a cost-effective alternative to paid social during peak periods, allowing you to nurture leads without paying premium prices for each impression.

Service-based businesses face unique considerations during Q4. While e-commerce brands naturally lean into the holiday shopping frenzy, companies with longer sales cycles might benefit from a different approach. We discuss strategic budget allocation that might involve maintaining presence during expensive periods while saving major pushes for January when costs typically decrease. This episode delivers practical, actionable marketing advice to help you finish the year strong without unnecessary budget strain. Subscribe to our channel and join us every Monday morning for more business and marketing insights designed to kickstart your week!

Get more from Toucan Talks!

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Meet your hosts and learn more about Kickstart Collective at kickstartcollective.co

Kickstart Collective is a creative marketing agency based in Wilmington, NC. We offer our clients a creative advantage through creative content and marketing strategies.