- Holiday Facebook ads are crucial for boosting sales, building brand awareness, and engaging customers during the holiday season.
- Effective ad types include static image ads, video ads, carousel ads, and collection ads, each with unique benefits.
- Benefits of holiday Facebook ads include increased sales, improved brand awareness, and enhanced customer engagement.
- To maximize holiday ad success, define your target audience, set clear goals, use compelling offers, and optimize for mobile.
The holidays are crucial for businesses to boost their sales and engage with customers. And one of the most effective ways to achieve this is through targeted Facebook ads.
However, with increased competition during the holiday season, it is important to create ads that stand out and resonate with your audience.
After all, the holidays are times of increased spending, with $221 billion spent in 2023 over the Christmas season, marking a 4.9% increase in online spending compared to the previous year, and an overall 3% spending increase from the previous year.
Holiday sales in 2024 are also expected to increase to over $240 billion, rising 8% from 2023. With figures like these, it’s not hard to see why investing in some targeted Facebook advertising is a good idea.
However, finding inspiration for your Facebook holiday ads and putting together a successful campaign can be difficult. Many face this issue, and we’ll help you solve it today. This guide will provide you with some excellent examples of holiday Facebook ads, explain the different types, and show you how to make them perform the best.
Keep reading our guide on the best holiday Facebook ads to find out how to create a holiday and Christmas Facebook advertising campaign that will blow the competition out of the water!
What are holiday Facebook ads?
Holiday Facebook ads are targeted advertisements that run on Facebook during the holiday shopping season. These ads promote seasonal offers, products, and holiday-themed content to drive sales, increase brand awareness, and engage with customers.
Businesses across industries leverage holiday Facebook ads to capitalize on the increased consumer spending and gift-giving during this time of year. By creating ads tailored to the holiday season, businesses can capture shoppers' attention and stand out in a crowded advertising landscape.
Let’s look at some classic types and examples of holiday Facebook ads.
Examples of holiday Facebook ads
To give you a better idea of what holiday Facebook ads look like in practice, here are some common examples:
Seasonal promotions and discounts
One of the best examples of a classic holiday and Christmas Facebook ad is a festive discount or limited-time promotion, which taps into the holiday shopping mindset.
Ads that highlight special offers, like “25% off all holiday gifts” or “Free shipping on orders over $50”, create a sense of urgency and incentivize customers to purchase. These promotions catch the eye and encourage shoppers to act quickly before the deal expires.
This Holiday Sale ad for LipoWrap displayed below features a straightforward yet eye-catching promotion with a 20% off sitewide discount. The ad shows a close-up of someone wearing the LipoWrap device, which emits a vibrant red light across their midsection, hinting at its purpose related to body sculpting or wellness support.
The words “Holiday Sale 20% off Sitewide!” are displayed prominently in pink text on a black background, making the discount stand out. Additionally, the brand logo in the corner reinforces brand identity, ensuring that viewers know exactly where the promotion is coming from.
As a Facebook ad, this setup is effective for capturing attention and generating interest. The bright, high-tech appearance of the product combined with the festive holiday discount is likely to appeal to those looking for wellness gifts or fitness solutions.
The ad takes advantage of the holiday shopping season, presenting an opportunity for customers to take advantage of a limited-time offer. By emphasizing a sitewide discount, the ad increases perceived value, suggesting that this deal applies to all products, making it more attractive to potential buyers who may be interested in purchasing multiple items.
Holiday-themed creative
Incorporating holiday-themed creative elements into your ads is a powerful way to attract attention and evoke festive emotions among your audience.
You can immediately set the mood and establish a warm, festive atmosphere by using classic holiday imagery, like snowflakes, Christmas trees, and ornaments, alongside traditional holiday colors like red, green, and gold.
Adding holiday-themed copy, such as “Spread some holiday cheer” or “Celebrate the season,” further strengthens the emotional connection, inviting viewers to embrace the holiday spirit.
This example from Hortons Home Lighting’s Christmas Open House perfectly illustrates these principles. The display is filled with festive decorations, including Santa figurines, nutcrackers, and poinsettias, all arranged to create a holiday wonderland.
The red and green colors dominate the scene, making it visually synonymous with Christmas. The ad also uses holiday-themed typography and phrases, which enhance the festive ambiance and make the event feel like a special, seasonal celebration.
Now that we’ve looked at a couple of examples of classic holiday Facebook ads, let’s talk about the main types of Facebook ads you can take advantage of this holiday season.
Types of holiday Facebook ads
When creating your holiday Facebook ad campaigns, you have several ad formats to choose from, such as static image ads, video ads, and carousel ads, each with its own strengths and use cases.
Here's a breakdown of the main types of holiday Facebook ads:
Static Image ads
Static image ads are the most straightforward and widely utilized format in digital advertising. They consist of a single, powerful image, concise ad copy, and a clear call-to-action button, making them quick and easy to create.
Despite their simplicity, static image ads can effectively showcase products or promotions. The key to success lies in using high-quality, visually engaging images that reflect your brand and capture the essence of the holiday season.
By incorporating holiday elements like festive colors and seasonal decorations, these ads can resonate with customers and encourage them to click.
This example from Magic Christmas is an excellent illustration of a well-designed static image ad. The ad features a vibrant red background, Christmas trees, and decorative ornaments, immediately conveying the holiday theme.
The message is clear and enticing, with large, bold text advertising a “Christmas Sale” and a discount of up to 40% off, which draws attention to the promotional offer.
The call-to-action button, “Shop Now,” is prominently placed, guiding the viewer to take the next step. This kind of ad is visually appealing and effective in promoting holiday sales, making it ideal for capturing the interest of holiday shoppers
Video ads
Video ads are powerful for capturing user attention and delivering a compelling brand story or product showcase. Unlike static images, video ads autoplay in users' feeds, instantly grabbing their attention and drawing them in.
These ads are especially effective for highlighting holiday offers or showcasing products in action, as the dynamic visuals can evoke emotions and create a sense of urgency. To maximize impact, keep videos short and engaging; around 15 to 30 seconds is ideal to ensure viewers stay through to the end.
In this example from Gold Belly, the ad is a concise, 11-second video that promotes their Thanksgiving meal delivery service. It uses mouth-watering visuals of holiday staples like pie and turkey, which resonate strongly with viewers planning for the holiday season.
The slogan “Thanksgiving Shipped by Gold Belly” reinforces the convenience and appeal of having a holiday meal delivered straight to your door.
The ad ends with a bold “SHOP NOW” call-to-action, making it easy for viewers to take the next step. With bright, appealing visuals and captivating music, this video ad effectively draws in viewers, quickly and memorable connecting them to Gold Belly’s service.
Carousel ads
Carousel ads are a versatile format that allows you to display multiple images or videos within a single ad, with each frame linking to a different landing page.
This format is perfect for showcasing a range of products, presenting various gift ideas, or highlighting distinct features of a single item.
Carousel ads encourage users to engage by swiping through each image or video, increasing the likelihood of interaction and making exploring more content without leaving the ad easier. Each slide can have its own caption, price, or call-to-action, allowing for a more customized and engaging experience.
The images in these carousel ads are a great example of making the most of this format. Each frame highlights a different festive gift box filled with treats like fudge, mince pies, shortbread, and various chocolates, all packaged beautifully with holiday-themed designs.
The rich green backgrounds, paired with traditional holiday decorations like holly and candles, set a cozy, seasonal tone that invites viewers to explore each product in the collection.
The ad presents these different gift options in a carousel, allowing users to browse through a variety of products, making it easy for them to find something appealing for holiday gifting.
Collection ads
Collection ads are a highly interactive ad format that features a main video or image, accompanied by a series of smaller product images. This setup allows users to engage with the main creative and, upon clicking, opens up an immersive, full-screen experience.
This ad format is ideal for holiday campaigns, as it allows you to feature gift guides or product catalogs in a visually engaging way, making it easy for users to discover, browse, and purchase items directly from the ad. Collection ads enhance the shopping experience, keeping viewers within the platform while offering a seamless path to explore more products.
The images in these collection ads showcase a festive assortment of holiday treats and gifts, such as gingerbread stars, Santa-shaped chocolates, and hot chocolate kits, all presented with vibrant holiday-themed packaging.
Each product is beautifully arranged with holiday decorations like mini ornaments, ribbons, and holly, which help to create a seasonal atmosphere. This layout effectively encourages users to browse through the selection, exploring different holiday-themed items that could make perfect gifts or treats for the season.
By using a collection ad format, brands can create a virtual holiday shopping experience, making it easy for users to explore multiple products in one place and boosting the chances of engagement and conversion. Thanks to these features, this is one of the best Christmas Facebook ads out there right now.
Stories ads
Stories ads are a dynamic ad format that appears in users' Stories feeds on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. These full-screen, vertical ads are designed to take up the entire screen, creating an immersive experience.
Stories ads can feature images, videos, or even carousels, making them versatile for different types of content. They are particularly effective for promoting limited-time holiday sales, creating a sense of urgency, or showcasing products in a more authentic, behind-the-scenes way.
To maximize engagement, use bold visuals and clear calls-to-action, prompting users to swipe up for more details or to make a purchase.
The image here is a perfect example of a Stories ad for Evolve You’s New Year’s promotion. It features a simple, eye-catching design with a vibrant pink background, which stands out in the Stories feed. The ad highlights a "30% OFF" New Year’s promotion, immediately capturing the viewer's attention.
The model is centered, wearing Evolve You’s fitness apparel, subtly showcasing the product in action. With a prominent call-to-action, the ad encourages users to take advantage of the limited-time discount.
Adding “34,000 5* reviews” builds credibility and trust, further motivating viewers to explore the brand. This style of Stories ad effectively combines an engaging visual with a compelling offer, making it an excellent tool for driving sales during holiday or seasonal promotions. Facebook holiday posts like these are generally very effective.
Benefits of holiday Facebook ads
Holiday Facebook ads offer many benefits, including increased sales and revenue, improved brand awareness, and enhanced customer engagement.
Here’s why you want to take full advantage of Facebook ads this holiday season.
Increased sales and revenue
Running Facebook ads during the holiday season can significantly boost your sales and revenue.
As more people shop for gifts and take advantage of seasonal promotions, they're more likely to make purchases when they see relevant ads in their Facebook feeds.
Targeted holiday ads can drive traffic to your website or online store, leading to higher conversion rates and increased sales.
Improved brand awareness
Holiday Facebook ads help improve your brand awareness by putting your products or services in front of a large, engaged audience.
As people spend more time on Facebook during the holidays, sharing photos and engaging with friends and family, your ads have a greater chance of being seen and remembered.
Running ads consistently throughout the holiday season can help establish your brand as a go-to source for gift ideas or seasonal promotions.
Enhanced customer engagement
Facebook ads provide an opportunity to engage with your customers more personally during the holidays.
You can use ads to showcase your holiday spirit, share festive content, and encourage users to interact with your brand through likes, comments, and shares.
Running contests or giveaways through your Facebook ads can further increase engagement and create excitement around your brand.
Competitive advantage
With many businesses vying for customers' attention during the holidays, running Facebook ads can give you a competitive edge.
By targeting the right audience with compelling ads, you can stand out from the competition and attract more customers to your business.
Additionally, Facebook's advanced targeting options allow you to reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, ensuring that your ads are shown to the people most likely to convert.
If you want to know just how much of a competitive advantage you have, using Foreplay’s Spyder Ad Spy tool to monitor competitor ad performance is highly recommended.
Cost-effective advertising
Facebook ads are a more cost-effective way to advertise during the holidays than traditional methods like print or television.
You can set your budget, choose the duration of your ad campaigns, and only pay when users take a desired action, such as clicking on your ad or making a purchase.
This level of control allows you to maximize your return on investment and ensure you're getting the most out of your advertising spend.
Now that we know what is beneficial about holiday Facebook ads, let’s find out how to create the most effective ones to drive conversion and sales.
How to create effective holiday Facebook ads
To create effective holiday Facebook ads that will resonate with your audience and increase your holiday revenue, you must define your target audience, set clear goals, and develop a compelling offer, among other tactics discussed below.
Here’s how to create effective holiday Facebook ads.
Define your target audience
To create effective holiday Facebook ads, you must first clearly define your target audience. By understanding your ideal customers, you can tailor your ad content to resonate with them and use Facebook’s targeting tools to reach them more precisely.
Facebook’s targeting options allow you to segment your audience based on various factors, including demographics (age, gender, and location), interests, behaviors, and past interactions with your brand.
This targeted approach helps ensure that your ads are shown to people most likely to engage with your content and convert, increasing the overall effectiveness of your ad campaigns.
This video ad for the FlyHugz Neck Pillow uses a straightforward, informative style, with a narrator highlighting the product’s key benefits: reducing neck pain, relieving stress, and providing a restful sleep experience, especially for travelers.
The narrator’s direct approach is complemented by text overlays that emphasize the 50% off Halloween Sale along with free shipping. This tactic effectively grabs attention, particularly for those who are motivated by holiday promotions.
Targeting frequent travelers, the ad outlines practical features of the FlyHugz Neck Pillow, such as its compact and lightweight design, which makes it perfect for travel. The mention of the 60-day money-back guarantee offers an added layer of reassurance, especially for those who may be hesitant to try a new travel accessory.
The halloween special bonus, where customers who buy three pillows receive three free sleep masks, provides a strong incentive for bulk purchases, appealing to both individual buyers and those looking for travel-related gifts.
By combining a seasonal promotion with specific benefits for alleviating neck pain and enhancing travel comfort, the ad speaks directly to travelers who are keen to upgrade their travel experience while taking advantage of a limited-time Halloween sale.
Set clear campaign goals
Setting clear campaign goals is essential when planning your holiday ads. Whether you aim to increase sales, boost brand awareness, or drive traffic to your website, having specific objectives enables you to tailor your ads to meet these needs and measure the success of your campaign effectively.
With well-defined goals, you can focus on creating content that resonates with your audience and aligns with your business strategy.
For example, the Halloween-themed products shown in this image, festive treats designed for pets, could be part of a campaign to inspire pet owners to involve their pets in the Halloween fun while driving sales.
Develop a compelling offer
Developing a compelling offer is key to capturing your audience’s attention and encouraging them to take action. This could involve offering a discount, free shipping, a gift with purchase, or a limited-time bundle, whatever provides real value to your target audience. The offer should be attractive enough to make users want to click on your ad and complete a purchase.
In this Halloween-themed ad, the “Save Up to 40% Off” promotion is compelling and appeals to parents shopping for Halloween items for their kids. The ad showcases adorable, personalized trick-or-treat bags in various designs, which add a fun and practical touch to the holiday festivities.
By providing a significant discount on these holiday-specific items, the brand entices parents to purchase personalized bags for their children, helping them get into the Halloween spirit. This limited-time offer makes the ad even more compelling, encouraging users to act quickly to take advantage of the seasonal sale.
Design eye-catching creatives
Designing eye-catching ad creatives is essential for capturing attention and making your products stand out. Use high-quality images or videos that showcase your products and align with the holiday theme.
Incorporate bright colors and festive elements to evoke emotions and establish a strong connection with your audience, creating a timely and visually engaging ad. By using seasonal colors and themes, your ad can resonate more deeply with viewers who are in the holiday spirit.
This New Year’s Eve ad from SKIMS perfectly exemplifies this approach. The bold, vibrant pink bodysuit immediately draws the eye, while the star-shaped prop hints at the festive, celebratory theme associated with New Year's Eve.
The clean, minimal background focuses on the model and the product, while the text “NYE SHOP” clearly communicates the holiday context.
By blending a striking color palette with a glamorous New Year’s Eve vibe, this ad effectively grabs attention and aligns the product with the excitement of the holiday, encouraging viewers to explore SKIMS' NYE collection.
Write persuasive ad copy
Write persuasive ad copy highlighting your unique selling points, seasonal promotions, and the benefits of your products or services. Use language that creates a sense of urgency and encourages users to take action.
Writing persuasive ad copy is crucial for capturing attention and driving action. Highlight your unique selling points, seasonal promotions, and the key benefits of your products or services. Use language that creates a sense of urgency, like "limited time only," and emphasize how your products can solve a problem or meet a need.
Crafting copy that resonates with your audience can make all the difference in encouraging users to click and engage with your ad. For more insights, our complete guide to winning creative Facebook ads offers tips and examples for compelling ad copy.
Our guide to winning creative Facebook ads provides tips and examples for crafting compelling ad copy.
The copy in this New Year's-themed ad from Ritual is clever and persuasive. The play on words with "reSolution" immediately ties the product to New Year’s resolutions, making it relevant to the season.
The phrase, “Trade impossible goals for science that sticks,” positions the product as a practical alternative to overly ambitious resolutions, suggesting it’s a sustainable choice backed by science. The 40% off promotion with a “Limited Time Only” label adds urgency, encouraging viewers to act quickly.
The ad copy effectively drives interest by combining a seasonal message with a clear benefit and time-sensitive offer. It motivates users to consider Ritual as part of their New Year’s wellness routine.
Optimize for mobile
With more people shopping on their mobile devices during the holidays, optimizing your ads for mobile is important. Use mobile-friendly ad formats, such as vertical videos or full-screen experiences, that fit seamlessly into social media feeds and Stories.
Also, make sure your landing pages are mobile-responsive and load quickly to minimize friction in the shopping experience. A well-optimized mobile ad helps capture users' attention, encourages engagement, and ultimately drives conversions.
This image from Holden is a great example of a mobile-optimized ad. The vertical format fills the screen, showcasing the elegant rings visually appealingly.
The simple yet compelling copy, “Better than a box of chocolates,” is immediately visible, evoking the idea of a thoughtful, premium Valentine’s Day gift or holiday present. By using a full-screen, vertical layout, the ad caters to mobile viewers, ensuring the product details are clear and captivating.
This approach helps capture the attention of users scrolling through their feeds, making it easy for them to click through and explore Holden’s jewelry collection on a mobile-friendly site.
Strategies for successful holiday Facebook ad campaigns
Aside from the effective ways to produce successful holiday Facebook ads mentioned above, there are also additional strategies to take advantage of. These include planning early, using retargeting, offering free shipping, and creating a sense of urgency.
Here’s how to make the most out of your Facebook holiday ads:
Start early and plan ahead
Be sure to create your holiday Facebook ad campaign before the last minute. Starting early lets you plan your strategy, develop creative assets, and test different ad variations.
This gives you time to optimize your campaigns for better performance and ensures you're ready to launch when the holiday shopping season begins.
If you’re having trouble planning due to a lack of inspiration, the countless ad examples found on Foreplay’s Discovery platform can help get you on the right track for success.
Leverage retargeting
Retargeting is a powerful strategy for reaching people who have already shown interest in your products or services.
You can increase the likelihood of conversion by targeting people who have visited your website, added items to their cart, or engaged with your Facebook page.
Use Facebook's retargeting tools to create custom audiences based on past interactions and serve targeted ads during the holidays.
Offer free shipping and returns
Free shipping and returns are major incentives for holiday shoppers. Offering these perks in your Facebook ads can help you stand out from the competition and encourage users to buy from your business.
Highlight free shipping and returns in your ad copy and visuals to make it clear to potential customers that they can shop confidently.
For example, the video ad displayed here, for DIY gifts for kids, advertises free shipping worldwide to entice users to purchase by offering a type of discount.
Create a sense of urgency
The holiday shopping season is a time-sensitive period, and creating a sense of urgency in your Facebook ads can drive users to take action. Use language emphasizing limited-time offers, exclusive deals, or low stock levels to encourage users to buy now rather than later. Countdown timers or phrases like "Only X days left!" can add more urgency to your ads.
Although very simple and straightforward, the video ad included here for kids' toys features the words “LIMITED SALE” at the bottom. The fact that it does not define an exact timeline or limit creates a strong sense of urgency, as viewers don’t know when the sale will end.
Highlight customer reviews and testimonials
Social proof is a powerful tool for building trust and credibility with potential customers. Incorporate customer reviews, ratings, or testimonials into your holiday Facebook ads to show users that others have had positive experiences with your products or services. This can help ease any concerns or doubts users may have and encourage them to make a purchase.
Interestingly enough, the above ad example also applies here. It features a woman talking about how easy it was to buy the TinyTendo online and how much her child loves it. The ad also incorporates other elements, such as offering free shipping, to make the offer more enticing.
Align ads with your overall marketing strategy and maintain brand consistency
Your holiday Facebook ads should be a cohesive part of your marketing strategy. Ensure that your ad messaging, visuals, and promotions align with your other marketing channels, such as email, social media, and website. This creates a seamless customer experience and reinforces your brand's holiday offerings across touchpoints.
While it's important to incorporate holiday themes and elements into your Facebook ads, stay within your brand's visual identity and tone of voice. Maintaining brand consistency helps build trust and recognition with your audience, even during the busy holiday season. Use your brand colors, logos, and messaging style in your ads to create a familiar and cohesive experience.
Now that you’ve created your Facebook holiday ads, let’s help you measure their success and adjust as needed.
How to measure the success of your holiday Facebook ads
To ensure your holiday Facebook ad campaigns are delivering the desired results, it's important to track and analyze key metrics throughout the season. You can do this by setting key performance indicators, tracking conversion rates, analyzing ROAS, and by monitoring engagement metrics.
Here’s how to measure the success of your holiday Facebook ads:
Set key performance indicators (KPIs)
Before launching your ads, define the KPIs that align with your campaign goals, such as sales revenue, website traffic, or lead generation. Having clear, measurable KPIs helps you evaluate the success of your ads and make data-driven decisions.
Track conversion rates
Monitor your ad's conversion rates to see how effectively they drive desired actions, like purchases or sign-ups. Use Facebook's conversion tracking tools to measure conversions and identify which ad elements, such as visuals or copy, resonate with your audience.
Analyze return on ad spend (ROAS)
Calculate your ROAS to determine the profitability of your holiday Facebook ad campaigns. Divide your total revenue from the ads by your total ad spend to see how much you earn for every dollar invested. A high ROAS indicates that your ads are efficiently driving sales and revenue.
Monitor engagement metrics
Monitor engagement metrics, such as likes, comments, and shares, to gauge how well your ads resonate with your target audience. High engagement rates signal that your ad content is relevant and compelling, which can lead to increased brand awareness and customer loyalty.
Review these metrics regularly throughout your holiday ad campaigns and use the insights to optimize your strategies. Adjust your targeting, ad creative, or budget allocation based on what's working well and what needs improvement. By continuously monitoring and refining your ads, you can maximize their impact and achieve your desired results during the busy holiday season.
Utilize A/B testing
A/B testing is a powerful tool for optimizing your holiday Facebook ads. Create multiple versions of your ads with different visuals, copy, or targeting options, and test them against each other to see which performs best.
Facebook's split testing feature allows you to easily set up and run A/B tests, providing valuable insights into what resonates with your audience. Use these learnings to refine your ads and improve their effectiveness throughout the holiday season.
Foreplay’s Swipe File is a great tool for keeping all of your ads organized, so you can easily test them against each other.
Monitor and adjust campaigns in real-time
The holiday shopping season is fast-paced, and consumer behavior can change quickly. Monitor your Facebook ad campaigns to track performance and adjust as needed.
Use Facebook's Ad Manager to view metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per acquisition, and optimize your campaigns based on these insights. If certain elements aren't performing as expected, be prepared to adjust your targeting, budget, or ad creative.
Final thoughts on the best holiday Facebook ads
Holiday Facebook ads present businesses with a valuable opportunity to connect with customers, increase sales, and enhance brand awareness during the busiest shopping season of the year.
Businesses can capture the holiday spirit and attract more potential buyers by carefully planning and choosing the right types of ads, such as static image ads, video ads, and carousel ads. With benefits like increased sales, boosted engagement, and competitive advantage, holiday Facebook ads can make a significant impact.
Remember to start early, define your goals, and target the right audience to create ads that resonate. You can maximize their effectiveness by continuously monitoring and optimizing your ads to ensure your holiday campaigns drive results.
If you’re having trouble finding ad inspiration and organizing your creative, Foreplay can help.
Frequently asked questions
What types of holiday Facebook ads work best for small businesses?
Small businesses can benefit from static image ads and carousel ads. These formats are cost-effective and allow for focused messaging, showcasing products, and seasonal offers efficiently.
How far in advance should I plan my holiday Facebook ads?
Ideally, you should start planning a few months in advance. This allows time for developing creative assets, testing different ad variations, and setting up retargeting strategies to maximize engagement and conversions.
Why are video ads effective during the holidays?
Video ads can capture attention more effectively by using dynamic visuals and sound. During the holidays, they help create a festive mood and can showcase products in action, making them appealing to holiday shoppers.
