TikTok is encouraging advertisers to rethink their end-of-year marketing plans. The platform has released two new promotional guides designed to help gaming companies and mobile app developers attract users during the quieter advertising period after Christmas.
The TikTok Q5 marketing guides, released in November 2026, focus on the period surrounding Christmas and New Year, when consumer spending habits shift and advertising competition often declines.
While many brands reduce their marketing budgets after the holiday shopping rush, TikTok believes this period offers an opportunity to reach audiences who remain active, particularly those interested in gaming, entertainment and mobile applications.
The new playbooks provide recommendations on campaign setup, advertising optimization, creative development and performance tracking, giving marketers practical ways to make better use of their remaining budgets.
TikTok Identifies Q5 as a Valuable Marketing Opportunity After Christmas
The period between Christmas and New Year, commonly referred to as Q5 or the fifth quarter, often receives less attention from advertisers than major shopping events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Many businesses have already completed their holiday campaigns, leaving fewer brands competing for advertising space.
TikTok argues that consumer interest remains strong even after Christmas Day. Instead of buying gifts for family and friends, shoppers begin looking for personal purchases, entertainment and products that support their plans for the new year.
According to research cited by TikTok, 70% of consumers plan to shop during the week immediately following December 25 to take advantage of discounts and redeem gift cards. The platform also reports that 75% of its users spend the same amount of time or more shopping during Q5, while 63% shop specifically for themselves.
These findings suggest that the end of the traditional holiday shopping season does not necessarily mean the end of consumer demand.
For gaming companies and app developers, this change in purchasing behaviour creates opportunities to introduce new products, promote downloads and reconnect with audiences who may have more time to explore digital entertainment.
TikTok’s Gaming Marketing Guide Highlights Lower Advertising Costs
TikTok’s new gaming playbook focuses on helping mobile game developers and publishers attract players during a period when advertising costs may become more affordable.
The company reports that global cost-per-thousand-impression rates, known as CPMs, generally decline after reaching their peak in November. With fewer advertisers competing for attention, gaming brands may have opportunities to reach users at lower costs.
The guide encourages developers to prepare their campaigns before the post-holiday period begins, allowing them to adjust advertising budgets as market conditions change.
TikTok also recommends focusing on users who are likely to generate long-term value through in-app purchases and advertising engagement rather than concentrating exclusively on installation numbers.
That distinction matters for gaming businesses. A campaign might generate thousands of downloads, but those installations offer limited financial value if players abandon the game shortly afterward.
The platform’s recommendations are designed to help advertisers identify audiences who are more likely to continue playing, make purchases and engage with the game over time.
Mobile Game Spending Shows Continued Demand Beyond the Holiday Season
TikTok’s interest in Q5 gaming promotions comes as mobile entertainment continues to attract substantial consumer spending.
Citing Sensor Tower data, the company reports that global mobile game spending reached $7.1 billion in January 2026, representing a 5.4% increase from the previous month.
TikTok also says its audience is between 1.3 and 1.9 times more likely to include core mobile gamers compared with the average internet audience.
Another survey referenced by the platform found that 64% of respondents expected to spend the same amount of time or more playing video games after the holidays.
These figures provide context for TikTok’s decision to develop a dedicated gaming advertising guide.
The post-Christmas period can give consumers additional time to explore new games, return to familiar titles or spend money on digital entertainment.
For developers planning new releases or promotional campaigns, this period may offer opportunities to reach players without facing the same level of advertising competition seen during the busiest shopping weeks.
TikTok Introduces Value-Based Optimization Strategies for Gaming Advertisers
The gaming playbook also explains how advertisers can use TikTok’s automated campaign tools to improve user acquisition and advertising performance.
One of the highlighted solutions is Day 7 Value-Based Optimization, or D7 VBO, which uses early revenue signals to help identify users who may generate greater value during their first seven days after installation.
Advertisers can select bidding strategies based on their business objectives, including Target Return on Advertising Spend and Highest Value optimization.
These options allow gaming companies to prioritize revenue performance rather than simply increasing the number of installations.
TikTok also recommends giving campaigns enough time to complete their initial learning phase before making significant adjustments.
Creative testing remains another important part of the strategy. The platform encourages advertisers to prepare multiple video assets, experiment with different messaging approaches and use automated tools to identify stronger-performing advertisements.
Interactive advertising formats, including TikTok Playables, can also give potential players an opportunity to experience elements of a game before downloading it.
TikTok’s App Marketing Guide Focuses on Downloads and User Engagement
Alongside its gaming playbook, TikTok has introduced a separate guide for mobile app developers looking to improve promotional campaigns during Q5.
The resource covers advertising setup, conversion tracking and campaign optimization for businesses seeking to attract new users or encourage existing customers to take action.
TikTok highlights its Smart+ advertising solutions, which use automation to help marketers manage campaign delivery and optimize performance.
Depending on their objectives, advertisers can focus on increasing app installations, encouraging in-app purchases or generating subscription revenue.
The guide also emphasizes the importance of measuring what happens after someone downloads an application.
For subscription-based services, a free-trial registration does not necessarily translate into a paying customer. Developers need accurate conversion data to understand whether their advertising campaigns are attracting users who eventually generate revenue.
TikTok recommends configuring tracking systems carefully so advertisers can distinguish between installations, trial registrations, completed subscriptions and other valuable actions.
New Year Goals Could Increase Interest in Mobile Applications
The beginning of a new year often encourages consumers to explore services that support personal goals, including fitness, productivity, financial planning and education.
TikTok believes this change in consumer interests creates an opportunity for app developers to reach audiences looking for new tools and experiences.
According to the platform’s research, 85% of surveyed users expect to spend the same amount of time or more on TikTok after the holidays, while 73% expect to maintain or increase the time they spend downloading apps.
The company also reports a 169% increase in content associated with the “New Year, New Me” trend within 30 days of Christmas, based on its internal data.
For developers, these trends suggest that advertising messages tied to personal improvement and fresh routines may resonate with audiences during the transition into January.
A fitness application might promote workout plans for beginners, while a budgeting platform could focus on helping users manage their finances in the coming year.
The opportunity is not limited to self-improvement services. Entertainment, social networking and other mobile app categories may also benefit from continued audience activity after the holidays.
TikTok Encourages Brands to Improve Campaign Tracking and Creative Performance
Both marketing guides place considerable emphasis on campaign preparation and performance measurement.
TikTok recommends that advertisers establish their tracking systems before launching campaigns, particularly when measuring subscriptions, in-app purchases and other revenue-generating activities.
Reliable data helps marketers understand which advertisements attract valuable users and which campaigns may require adjustments.
The platform also encourages businesses to experiment with different creative approaches rather than relying on a single promotional video throughout the advertising period.
Creative AutoSelect, one of TikTok’s automated advertising tools, can help identify and distribute stronger-performing creative assets.
For mobile app advertisers, TikTok Playables offers another way to introduce products through interactive experiences.
These recommendations reflect the growing importance of automation in digital advertising, where platforms increasingly use performance data to determine how campaigns reach potential customers.
However, advertisers still need to monitor results carefully. Lower advertising costs do not guarantee stronger conversion rates, and campaign success will depend on the product, audience and creative execution.
What TikTok’s Q5 Marketing Guides Mean for App Developers and Brands
TikTok’s latest resources offer a reminder that the final weeks of the year can still provide opportunities for digital advertisers.
For gaming companies, the potential benefits include lower media costs, continued player activity and opportunities to attract users who may generate long-term revenue.
Mobile app developers can use the same period to promote downloads, subscriptions and services connected to changing consumer interests.
The guides also suggest that advertisers should avoid treating Q5 as an afterthought.
Preparing creative materials, setting campaign objectives and configuring conversion tracking before the holiday period ends can help businesses respond more effectively when advertising conditions change.
TikTok’s findings are based on a combination of internal platform data, consumer surveys and third-party research. These figures describe broader trends rather than guaranteeing specific results for individual campaigns.
Businesses will still need to evaluate their own performance data before deciding whether to increase spending.
TikTok Wants Advertisers to Look Beyond the Traditional Holiday Shopping Season
TikTok’s decision to release dedicated gaming and app marketing guides reflects its effort to encourage advertising activity beyond the busiest holiday shopping weeks.
The platform believes the period after Christmas offers a combination of continued consumer engagement, changing purchase priorities and potentially lower advertising costs.
For gaming brands and mobile app developers, that could mean opportunities to attract new audiences while preparing for the first quarter of 2027.
The challenge will be turning those opportunities into measurable business results.
Advertisers that understand their audiences, prepare campaigns early and focus on meaningful conversions may be better positioned to benefit from the post-holiday period.
TikTok’s message is straightforward: consumer attention does not disappear when Christmas ends.
For some brands, the next opportunity may begin just as the holiday rush starts to fade.
Sources
- Social Media Today – TikTok Shares Gaming and App Promotional Guides for End-of-Year Period
- TikTok for Business – Why Q5 Is a Golden Opportunity for Advertisers on TikTok
- Mobile Marketing Reads – TikTok Releases Q5 Marketing Guides for Mobile Apps and Games as Post-Holiday Ad Costs Decline
- TikTok for Business – TikTok Q5 Marketing Playbook (PDF)