Blog post
Pop quiz: Connecting with last-minute buyers in December and beyond
How prepared are you for last-minute shoppers and carrying holiday season momentum into January?
Test your readiness with these five questions before exploring the data-backed insights and strategies below to help you make the most of this buying season...
Last-minute holiday advertising pop quiz
- How late in the holiday season are you extending your campaigns?
- Is retargeting part of your strategy?
- Are you exploring messaging around seasonal plays like gift cards and New Year’s?
- How often are you refreshing creative in December and January?
- When does your 2026 holiday planning begin?
Got your answers written down? Read on to discover why the smart move is keeping your campaigns active to meet your audience right where they are: still shopping.
See how your quiz answers stack up to the below best practices to keep celebrating into the new year.
From last-minute discount hunters to people diving into "New Year, New Me" purchases, there's a wave of high-value shoppers to reach. Maintain strong campaign performance through the holidays and beyond by following these tips.
1. Keep campaigns active through the end of January
Last-minute December shoppers are racing against a deadline and ready to act. Fast shipping, digital delivery, or BOPIS (buy online, pick up in store) are very attractive models to highlight in ad campaigns. That doesn't include the huge wave of post-holiday buyers who keep shopping from late December into January: the bargain hunters, self-gifters, New Year's resolution buyers, and gift-card redeemers.
Microsoft internal research shows that U.S. advertisers saw 25% more conversions after the holidays year-over-year and, in Australia, January conversion rates increased 15% in the same period.1 Last year, the National Retail Federation reported that 157 million people expected to shop on the "Super Saturday" before Christmas.
Keep your campaigns active but within budget by using the lifetime budget feature on Microsoft Advertising Platform to connect with these buyers. Set a limit for the total you would like to spend across the life of your campaign, and then let it run through the end of January.
Your brand will stays front and center with late-season shoppers and then translates into New Year's-related searches for everything from wellness to productivity.
2. Retarget with precision
December's traffic can be used to prime January sales. Tap into user lists built from November and December product views, abandoned carts, site visits, or email clicks, then use impression-based remarketing tactics.
For example, if a person searched for fitness gear in mid-December, they can be the perfect audience for "New Year, New You" messaging in January. Layer categories like self-improvement, deals, and wellness into your retargeting strategy for even greater precision.
3. Promote gift cards strategically
Gift cards are another smart option for advertisers to promote, both for buyers' convenience and the post-holiday traffic they drive to your business. Capital One Shopping notes that 64% of consumers in the U.S. purchase at least one gift card during the holidays. In addition, 76% of people use a gift card within one month, and 61% spend more than its value.
Brands catering to late shoppers win twice with gift cards—helping last-minute shoppers get the gift they need and then reaching new customers or growing revenue during redemption.
Ad extensions and search-friendly phrasing help tap into this built-in demand with options like "digital gift cards," "gift cards you can print," and redemption-focused messages like "use your [brand] gift card today for deals."
4. Refresh your creative throughout the season
Cyber 5 "best deal" messaging evolves into late-December ad copy highlighting last-chance offers, digital delivery, and BOPIS. As the holidays are wrapping up, it's a great time to move messaging toward the New Year, trending picks, and self-investment.
Headlines, copy, and images that focus on starting the year strong and what's trending in your category for 2026 can kick off a healthy Q1—and tools like Copilot and Ads Studio can help make these refreshes a breeze during a hectic time.
5. Wrap this year and start the next year strong
Use data and trends to identify standout creative executions, audience segments, and placements and then share these insights to power smarter Q1 decisions. While the insights are fresh, start sketching out your holiday 2026 strategy.
Now is the perfect time to review your seasonal campaign performance and discover how Microsoft Advertising’s AI-powered solutions can help you optimize for maximum success this holiday season. Get in touch today to learn more.
Your next steps for holiday campaigns
Celebrate Smarter by using strategies that keep your campaigns in-market through late December to capture last-minute shoppers. Then carry that momentum into January with deals, New Year's messaging, and trends for the year ahead.
Learn more about holiday advertising with Microsoft for more insights and tips to wrap up the season on a high note.
[1] Microsoft Internal | Supply | US Only | Search Only; Microsoft Internal | Retail & CPG Demand | Search Network | Oct – Dec 2024. AU Only
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