Plan your Q5 marketing on TikTok

With the 2023 winter holiday season just around the corner and 2024 kicking off shortly after, now is the time for marketers to start thinking about Q5, the small but mighty post-holiday shopping period between Christmas and mid-January.

The TikTok community never takes a holiday from the For You page

Even as decorations go into storage and leftovers go into the microwave, opportunities for marketers to make the most out of 2023 are in full swing on TikTok. While the rest of the world might still be on holiday, our platform's communities of shoppers and brand loyalists never are.

On TikTok, Q5 is a time for:¹

• More engagement: 81% of TikTok users plan to spend the same amount of time or more on TikTok in Q5.

• More shopping: 79% of TikTok users are likely to continue shopping in Q5.

• More mobile activity: 67% of TikTok users are likely to spend the same amount or more time downloading apps in Q5.

• More self-reflection: 96% of TikTok users have specific goals they're focusing on in 2024.

TikTok communities are engaging more in Q5

With more downtime during the post-holiday season, TikTok users are spending even more time on our platform than usual. Following up the largest gifting season of the year, the FYP is a hot spot for shopping content that captures attention, comments, and shares.

During Q5, we see:

• 25% increase in total video views compared to a typical week.²

  • 70% increase in views for #haul.³

  • 76% increase in views for #sale.³

The added time our community spends on TikTok in Q5 creates added opportunities to tout product inspiration, which is really the clearest route to purchases on TikTok.

TikTok communities are shopping more in Q5

As the holiday giving season winds down, self-care ramps back up: the number one person TikTok users plan to shop for in Q5 is themselves. This season of consumers making space for their own needs and wants creates an opportunity for advertisers to inspire the TikTok community to treat themselves in Q5.

The top three reasons TikTok users plan to continue shopping in Q5:¹

• To treat themselves (51%)

• To take advantage of post-holiday sales (50%)

• To spend cash and gift cards received over the holidays (32%)

And, of course, that begs the question: What are they shopping for? In Q5, the majority of purchases go towards essentials like food, clothing, and personal care. However, tech and gaming purchases stand out as non-essential, but heavily sought-after items, with at least a third of TikTok users shopping in Q5 planning to purchase from each of these categories.

TikTok users who plan to continue shopping in Q5 plan on purchasing...¹

• 58% food

• 55% apparel

• 52% tech or gaming

TikTok communities are using mobile more in Q5

As TikTok users both receive new devices over the holidays and purchase new devices for themselves in Q5, gaming and app downloads really ramp up. With more free time to relax in Q5, mobile devices play a big role for users looking to have fun and to connect with friends and family.

• 60% of TikTok users who plan to shop for gaming in Q5 plan to purchase either mobile games (45%) or make in-game purchases (38%).¹

• 61% of TikTok users plan to spend the same amount of time (or more) playing video games in Q5.¹

• On January 1, 2022 installs of gaming apps were 47% higher than December's average.⁴

TikTok communities are reflecting more on themselves in Q5

In their downtime, consumers everywhere treat Q5 as a period of preparation for the year ahead. They turn to TikTok creators, apps, and more to help them reach their New Year's resolutions, and TikTok is their destination of choice for sharing their goals with the community.

• More than 1 in 4 TikTok users with goals for 2024 will download an app or service to help them achieve their 2024 goals.¹

• 30% of TikTok users with goals for 2024 will turn to TikTok creators to help them along their journeys.¹

• 55% want to see tips about health and wellness from creators.¹

• 41% want to see creators post about their New Year's resolutions.¹

For advertisers, understanding what TikTok users are working towards in the new year can be a major advantage for driving sales and engagement.

TikTok users' goals for 2024:¹

• 46% focusing more on themselves

• 43% working towards a healthier lifestyle

• 41% learning something new

• 40% traveling more

Activating on TikTok is easy: Choose your own Q5 adventure

The Q5 opportunity on TikTok presents three main objectives for marketers to strive towards: extending holiday campaigns to drive further sales, kickstarting Q1 campaigns early, and driving performance for mobile app advertisers. In our playbook, you can dive deeper into the TikTok solutions and frameworks that drive these strategies at scale.

Turn Q4 gifting into Q5 shopping

Leverage Video Shopping Ads to extend the lifetime and impact of holiday campaigns in Q5. Video Shopping Ads drive 15% more conversions (vs non-Shopping Ads campaigns).⁵

Test and learn in Q5 to soar in Q1

Take advantage of Q5 with a test-and-learn approach to supercharge your video spend ahead of the Q1 buzz. Learn more about TikTok Fundamentals and best practices to test and learn here.

Hold Q5 performance in the palm of your hand

Mobile app and gaming marketers can drive downloads, purchases, and more by leaning into cost-efficient performance campaigns in Q5. Advertisers see a 10-20% increase in deep conversions when implementing App Event Optimization.⁶

Sources

1. TikTok Marketing Science Global Custom Q5 Survey via AYTM, September 2023. (n= 2240)

2. TikTok Internal Data, Global, September 2022-January 2023, Based on Top 100 Hashtags

3. Adjust, Global Mobile app trends over the holidays 2022: Installs and sessions, 2022

4. TikTok Internal Data, Global, September 2022-January 2023

5. Internal Global TikTok Campaign Data compared to non-Shopping Ads campaigns, 2023

6. TikTok Internal Data