Every year, Q4 feels like a sprint. The holidays are coming, budgets are closing, and brands are either pushing hard to finish strong or scrambling to catch up. For many businesses, this is the season that determines how the year ends and how the next one begins.
The problem is that most companies approach Q4 the wrong way. They either wait too long, push too hard, or move without a plan. The result is wasted money, exhausted audiences, and campaigns that fall flat right when it matters most.
Here are three of the most common mistakes we see in Q4, and how to avoid them.
1. Waiting Too Late to Launch
Too many businesses hold back until November or even December to start their big holiday push. By then, the noise is deafening. Your competitors are already in-market, audiences are already overwhelmed, and ad costs are higher than ever.
The solution is to think ahead. Campaigns need to be planned, designed, and scheduled weeks in advance so they have time to build momentum. The brands that win in Q4 are the ones that started preparing in Q3.
2. Relying Only on Discounts
The holiday rush creates pressure to slash prices. But if your only message is “20% off,” you blend into the sea of promotions filling inboxes and feeds. Discounts can drive sales, but they cannot be the strategy.
Instead, lead with story. Connect with your audience’s aspirations, pain points, and hopes for the new year. Create campaigns that make people feel something, and use promotions as an accelerator, not the main attraction.
3. Burning Out Your Audience
Q4 often brings a flood of emails, posts, and ads. In the effort to squeeze everything in before year-end, many brands overwhelm their audience with too much, too often, without enough value in between.
The result is disengagement. Audiences tune out. The very people you are trying to reach stop paying attention.
The antidote is consistency with purpose. Show up with a clear cadence, not a frantic one. Share content that inspires, educates, or entertains as much as it sells. Build trust by proving that you value your audience, not just their wallet.
The Takeaway
