As the end of the year approaches, after months of conservative spend management many businesses are left scrambling to spend the last of their marketing budget. Often, that final push to make every penny count can feel overwhelming, especially when the pressure is on to deliver strong results before the books close. Microsoft Performance Max (PMax) offers a powerful solution to spend your remaining budget efficiently and effectively across multiple channels. Here’s how to make it happen.

1. Leverage Multi-Channel Reach for Maximum Impact

Microsoft PMax isn’t just about Search – it’s a fully integrated campaign type that reaches users across multiple platforms, including a number of search engines, Microsoft properties such as Microsoft Start, and the wide-reaching Audience Network. In other words, you’re not limited to a single channel or type of ad placement, so this makes it the perfect solution for those end-of-year campaigns when you want to spread your message far and wide.

With Microsoft PMax, you simply provide your creative assets such as images, headlines, and descriptions, and the system uses machine learning to automatically build and place ads in the most effective placements. This allows you to reach users in various contexts, whether they’re searching, reading news, or checking their emails, making it an efficient way to spend your remaining budget without the need for detailed campaign planning.

Here’s What to Do:

• Create a range of high-quality assets, including images, headlines, and descriptions. Microsoft will mix and match them to create winning combinations.
• Let the algorithm do the heavy lifting. The automation behind PMax ensures that your budget is allocated where it’s most effective, saving you time and effort.

2. Target Your Highest-Value Audiences with LinkedIn

One of the key benefits of Microsoft Performance Max is its integration with LinkedIn, a goldmine for B2B advertisers. As you race to finish the year strong, now is the perfect time to hone in on decision-makers and professionals who are likely planning their 2024 budgets. Whether you’re targeting job titles, industries, or even specific companies, LinkedIn’s precision targeting can help you hit those high-value users through Microsoft Advertising that are more likely to convert.

By focusing on professionals, you’re making the most of Microsoft’s unique positioning in the B2B space. It’s not just about showing ads to more people – it’s about showing them to the right people at the right time. With budgets needing to be spent, decision-makers are often looking for solutions to carry into the new year, and your ad could be just what they’re seeking.

Here’s What to Do:

• Use LinkedIn’s targeting options to reach decision-makers and high-value professionals who are likely to be planning for the future.
• Use remarketing to re-engage your B2B audience throughout long procurement processes, keeping your brand top-of-mind as they move through the decision-making cycle.

3. Push Seasonal Offers with Urgency

End-of-year campaigns thrive on urgency. Shoppers and business buyers alike are used to seeing ‘last chance’ offers, and they respond to them. Microsoft Performance Max allows you to tap into this urgency by running ads across its network that communicate deadlines and seasonal promotions. Whether it’s a special discount, a year-end clearance, or a time-sensitive service offer, the ability to serve ads across search, display, and native formats ensures that your message gets noticed.

Your job is to create the kind of messaging that makes people take action now. Make your promotions clear, emphasising limited-time, and value. Don’t beat around the bush – let your audience know exactly what they’ll get and what they need to do to take advantage of your offer. Microsoft PMax will do the rest, pushing your ads where they’re most likely to convert.

What to Focus On:

• Highlight the urgency in your copy – ‘Last chance,’ ‘Ends soon,’ or ‘Limited time only’ will encourage immediate action.
• Feature your best offers front and centre, and use simple, bold language to cut through the noise.

4. Optimise Budget Allocation with Microsoft’s Automation

One of the biggest advantages of Microsoft Performance Max is the ability to optimise budget allocation automatically. You don’t have to worry about fine-tuning every single ad placement or bid – Microsoft’s machine learning does the work for you, ensuring your budget is spent where it’s most likely to drive results. This is a lifesaver when you’re working with a fixed budget that needs to be spent before the year ends.

The system continuously evaluates performance across all channels and adjusts bids, placements, and even creative combinations based on real-time data. This ensures that your money goes further, delivering conversions across the surfaces chosen by Microsoft’s algorithm.

Here’s How to Make It Work:

• Set clear conversion goals for your campaign – whether that’s lead generation, purchases, or bookings, Miicrosoft PMax will optimise towards these goals.
• Let the automation handle the rest. The system will automatically shift budget between search, display, and native ads to maximise your return.

5. Capitalise on Year-End Search Behaviour

As the year draws to a close, buying behaviors shift significantly. Many consumers actively search for solutions, products and services to wrap up the year and prepare for the next. For instance, 52% of Bing shoppers conduct research before making a purchase, with 47% falling within the 18-44 age range. This demographic is keen on finding the best prices and discovering deals, with 52% prioritising price comparisons across retailers and 30% looking for new items.

Microsoft Performance Max enables you to take advantage of these trends by displaying your ads across the Microsoft network, including Bing Search, which experiences heightened activity during this period. By combining search, display, and native ads on platforms like Microsoft Start and Co Pilot, you can effectively engage with users at various stages of their purchasing journey, ensuring that your offerings resonate with the audience as they seek the best options to close out the year.

To Leverage Seasonal Search:

• Optimise your keywords and targeting for year-end behaviour. Think about the kinds of products, services, or solutions that are in high demand during this time.
• Match your ad copy to deal-hunting behaviors. Focus on the excitement of seasonal sales and promotions, such as Black Friday, Thanksgiving and Boxing Day. Highlight limited-time offers and discounts to capture the attention of shoppers looking for the best deals as they prepare for the new year.

Conclusion: Finishing the Year Strong with Microsoft Performance Max

The final stretch of the year is the time to make your marketing budget work overtime. Microsoft Performance Max provides a robust, multi-channel approach that helps you spread your message across the entire Microsoft network, reaching professionals, shoppers, and business decision-makers alike. With precision targeting, the automation of budget allocation, and the ability to create urgency with seasonal offers, this campaign type is the perfect tool to ensure you’re spending your budget wisely and driving results right up until the clock strikes midnight on 31st December.

Your Final Steps:

• Prepare your creative assets and get them ready to be distributed across multiple channels.
• Set clear goals for your campaigns and let Microsoft’s automation take care of the rest.
• Allow the algorithm to build momentum – initial volumes may take a little time to pick up, but the results will follow!

With the right strategy, you can turn that leftover budget into meaningful results, helping you close the year on a high note and set yourself up for success in the new year.