Holiday Playbook 2026: How Dealers Can Win the Busiest Shopping Weeks of the Year

The holiday season brings more shoppers to search, social media, and streaming. For dealers, it’s also a key time to meet year-end goals and move aged inventory.

A strong Q4 plan keeps your dealership visible through all three phases of the season: early research, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and final year-end promotions.

November is almost here. Here’s how to leverage a few critical digital advertising channels to have the strongest Q4 yet.

1. Paid Search: Increase your budget to keep pace with demand

The holiday lift in shopping activity isn't just a general traffic bump- it shows up in actual search behavior. Google's own research on the 2025 holiday season found that purchases are becoming less spontaneous and more research-driven year over year, which means shoppers are typing more queries, comparing more options, and taking longer to decide before they act.

Holiday search demand can rise by as much as 43%, while increased competition can push cost per click up roughly 15%. A 15% budget increase may help you maintain your current volume, but it is unlikely to be enough to help you grow market share.

We recommend increasing spend on your existing paid search campaigns by 20–25%. That increase gives you more room to not only stay visible but also to compete for high-intent searches as shoppers look for holiday deals.

2. Meta Ads: Put aged inventory in front of deal seekers

86% of global holiday shoppers use social media for inspiration across Reels, Stories and Feeds.

Shoppers also spend more active time in apps during the holidays, creating more opportunities to reach them on their phones. It’s also a timely moment to spotlight older vehicles you want to move before year-end.

Our Aged Vehicle Promoted Post Package uses Meta promoted posts to feature selected vehicles individually. Send us the aging units you’d like to sell, and we’ll help put them in front of local shoppers looking for a year-end deal.

3. Connected TV: Reach viewers during peak streaming weeks

Streaming viewership increases during the holidays: views rise by 11% during Thanksgiving week and 19% during Christmas week. With more advertisers competing for those viewers, CPMs can also climb. In most streaming platforms, the same budget may deliver less reach than it did in October.

In addition to that, 90%+ of consumers planning a vehicle purchase in the next 12 months are active ad-supported CTV viewers.

Connected TV and Programmatic video sit in the upper middle of the funnel, reinforcing a shopper between the moment they see a dealer on social and the moment they search or visit. CTV's near-95% completion rate and outsized recall lift mean a 15-second video spot actually gets watched and remembered.

If you already have CTV campaigns, November and December are the best months to add additional campaign funds. If you’re new to CTV, plan for a dedicated Q4 launch to take advantage of the increased streaming views.

Your options are limitless - from Amazon CTV to ESPN Sports Packages, YouTube TV, blended CTV, and direct publisher deals, we can launch campaigns in every market to reach your specific audience without the waste.

4. ChatGPT ads: Reach shoppers while they’re still researching

More shoppers are turning to AI assistants to ask questions during their car search. ChatGPT ads offer a way to introduce your dealership earlier in the process, while shoppers are still exploring their options.

They can support awareness and help you reach potential customers who might not find you through traditional channels.

While this is a timely seasonal opportunity, ChatGPT ads may also be worth considering as part of your year-round strategy.

Several of our clients have launched their year-round ChatGPT advertising and are already benefiting from increased website traffic and form submissions they wouldn’t have gotten through other advertising tactics.

Your Q4 2026 holiday advertising checklist

Dealers who use historical data to plan their Q4 budgets and strategy will remain more competitive than dealers who choose to do nothing. Let us help pick the channels that fit your goals, then layer in additional data surrounding your markets, competitive vehicle offers, and launch timing. Not sure where to start? Reach out to your Click Here Digital consultant, and we’ll help build your Q4 plan.