Meta’s 2025 Holiday Playbook – What You Need to Know

Meta have just released their Holiday Playbook. I’ve waded through it (so you don’t have to!) and pulled out the insights ecomm brands need to know as we head into Q4.

The ecommerce world is winding up. Make sure you’re ready.

Why Meta Still Matters at Peak

The numbers speak for themselves:

👉 63% of shoppers say Meta will influence their peak season purchases

👉 57% use Meta for research and evaluation

👉 79% of people who discover a product on Meta end up buying it

If anyone’s still questioning whether Meta should be part of their peak strategy… the answer is pretty clear.

Step 1 – Nail the Foundations

Peak performance starts with the basics. Meta highlights five must-dos to get sorted before you even think about Black Friday:

👉 Make sure your product catalogue is set up and optimised

👉 Collect leads now (to re-engage when things get busy)

👉 Check your tracking is on point (Pixel + Conversions API)

👉 Optimise the Conversions API (deduplicate + keep events fresh)

👉 Simplify campaigns (don’t run endless overlapping ad sets)

Not glamorous. Not exciting. But if you get this right in September, Q4 will be a LOT less stressful.

I highly recommend a monthly tech check – something we do for clients as standard – to ensure nothing goes wrong unnoticed.

Step 2 – Advantage+ Is Non-Negotiable

Love it or hate it, Advantage+ is now the standard in Meta.

👉 Advertisers saw a 9% lower cost per conversion with Advantage+ Sales Campaigns

In other words, the AI is working.

You don’t have to hand over everything to automation, but turning Advantage+ off is basically choosing to pay more than you need to.

And if you’re still running Advantage+ Shopping campaigns – Meta have confirmed functionality is disappearing little by little. Their advice: upgrade your campaigns to Advantage+ Sales now before performance drops.

Step 3 – Don’t Overlook the Small Wins

Not everything in the Playbook is big picture. Some of it’s about the tweaks that add up:

👉 Opportunity Score – Ads Manager’s “report card” for campaigns. Brands following recommendations saw a 12% drop in costs. (Tip: don’t follow blindly – sometimes you’ll know better!)

👉 Meta Verified – that little blue tick can increase reach, build shopper confidence, and unlock features like links in Reels. Get it on both Instagram and Facebook.

Individually, these aren’t game-changers. But at scale, those marginal gains are what can push you over target in peak.

Step 4 – Why Q4 Lead Gen Still Matters

If you’re not leaning into Lead Gen in September, you’re missing out on a big opportunity to build your list ahead of the busiest season of the year.

Keep it cost-effective:

👉 14% cheaper CPL with Advantage+ audience

👉 20% cheaper using Instant Forms vs website forms (though usually lower intent)

👉 19.2% better quality with Conversions API CRM integration

Collect those leads now and you’ve got a warm audience to hit when CPMs double in November.

Step 5 – Creative Still Closes the Deal

Yes, AI will find the audience. But your creative still has to make the sale.

Meta’s Playbook calls Reels a “holiday essential”:

👉 79% of people purchase after watching Reels

👉 71% buy within a few days of seeing creator content

Their creative checklist:

👉 Go vertical (9:16)

👉 Design for sound on

👉 Hook them in 5 secs

👉 Show faces (people sell to people)

Automation will get your ads in front of the right people – but creative storytelling is what turns that reach into revenue.

Final Word

Meta’s Playbook reinforces what I see every day in client accounts: the brands that win in Q4 aren’t just the ones who spend the most – they’re the ones who get their foundations right, leverage automation smartly, and invest in creative that sells.

If you don’t yet have a Q4 strategy in place, don’t panic – there’s still time.

👉 Book a strategy power hour with me and we’ll map out your plan to get you peak-ready. Not sure? Let's have a discovery call to chat it through.