October is crunch time for e-commerce brands. The holiday season is around the corner, and Black Friday is closer than it feels. While your inventory, logistics, and promotions might already be in place, there’s one area that still makes or breaks conversions: your creative.
This is your last-minute checklist to ensure your product photos, ads, and campaigns are ready to win the busiest shopping season of the year.
1. Audit your product pages (PDPs)
- Do all SKUs have at least 6+ product images?
- Are angles, detail shots, and lifestyle images covered?
- Is every photo consistent in framing, lighting, and style?
Shoppers trust what they see. A quick PDP audit now prevents abandoned carts later.
2. Add in-scale and lifestyle shots
A product without context feels incomplete. Add:
- In-scale shots (e.g., hand holding, on-model, in-room).
- Lifestyle variants to show seasonal use (holiday décor, gifting setups, cozy winter vibes).
These small tweaks reduce hesitation and build buyer confidence.
3. Refresh ad creatives
Ad fatigue sets in fast, especially during Q4. If you’ve been running the same creatives for months, now’s the time to:
- Generate seasonal variants of your hero shots.
- Adjust colors and props for holiday themes.
- Prepare 3–5 fresh ad concepts per channel.
With AI, refreshing doesn’t mean reshooting—it’s minutes, not weeks.
4. Prepare “deal-state” assets
Black Friday campaigns move quickly through phases:
- Teasers → subtle “coming soon” visuals.
- Live offers → bold sale overlays and high-contrast designs.
- Last chance → urgency-driven creatives.
Having all three ready ensures you won’t scramble during the busiest week of the year.
5. Build a mini creative calendar
Map out October through Cyber Week:
- Week 1–2: PDP updates and teaser creatives.
- Week 3: Finalize Black Friday ads.
- Week 4: Load everything into your ad platforms.
This way, you launch into November with confidence and consistency.
Takeaway
It’s not too late to polish your creative before holiday season kicks off. A focused October prep ensures your brand stands out when competition peaks.
