In related news, Meta has released a new Holiday Planning Guide to help guide your seasonal promotion efforts – which you should be planning now, as their value will be maximized if done so ahead of the holiday season.

Meta's publishing regional versions of its holiday planner, with the ANZ version out now, although localized versions will also be available soon. But most of the tips are universal, in any case, in terms of practical planning and implementation, and as such, the regional variances do not change the fundamentals of the guidance.

You can download the full guide here, but in this post, we’ll take a look at some of the highlights.

First off, the guide notes that people are beginning their Christmas shopping earlier, and are looking for bargains amid tougher economic conditions.
 more and more consumers are beginning their Christmas shopping journey as early as October, in order to capitalize on sales opportunities, and make smarter buying decisions.

That may be an important element in your planning and communicating to shoppers in advance. Which might be as easy as seeding early, or perhaps providing interest-free payments, or even pre-sales to capture maximum response.

The guide further stresses that Meta – which is assumed to include Facebook and Instagram – is an important platform for product discovery.

Based on this, Meta advises that brands should be considering a 'three month runway' into Christmas.

"Instead of just selling, let's actively reach out to customers and invite them into the Christmas spirit early. Create an always-on connection to delight customers with unexpected discoveries and alleviate their frugal concerns."

Meta also touts the performance of its improving AI ad tools, including Meta Advantage, which can improve targeting to active shoppers.
There are also further notes on how to best utilize Meta's array of ad tools, including ideas to maximize audience reach.

There are also case study examples, basic ad tips, and audience segmentation notes to boost resonance by personalizing.

Meta has also given planners for major shopping campaigns that include when exactly you need to get moving along with examples of what works best through effective creative and influencer marketing initiatives.

It's a very handy guide, with a range of notes to assist in your holiday planning.