TikTok publishes Q5 guides for gaming and app promotion

TikTok released two Q5 playbooks for gaming and app marketers, citing high post-Christmas shopping intent and lower ad competition, with campaign and tracking guidance for the year-end window.

What happened

TikTok has published two new guides covering the end-of-the-year period between Christmas and New Year, which is often referred to as Q5. The playbooks offer tips on how to maximize gaming and app promotions during this window.

TikTok said consumers are highly active and seeking entertainment during this period, which could be a big opportunity for gaming and app companies. The platform shared specific shopping intent data: “Seventy percent of consumers plan to shop during the week immediately after December 25 to take advantage of sales and redeem gift cards. On TikTok, 75% of users spend the same amount of time or more shopping during Q5, while 63% shop specifically for themselves.”

The gaming guide is a four-page resource that highlights a lower cost per ad during the Q5 period due to lower competition. It also includes tips on how to set up specific campaign types and overall notes on maximizing opportunities. The app marketing guide includes similar notes, as well as info on tracking setup and best practices for different promotion types.

Key facts

• TikTok published two new guides for the end-of-year period between Christmas and New Year, often called Q5.
• Seventy percent of consumers plan to shop during the week immediately after December 25 to take advantage of sales and redeem gift cards.
• On TikTok, 75% of users spend the same amount of time or more shopping during Q5, while 63% shop specifically for themselves.
• The gaming guide is a four-page resource that highlights lower cost per ad during Q5 because of lower competition.
• The app marketing guide covers tracking setup and best practices for different promotion types.

Our analysis

The guides suggest TikTok is treating Q5 as a distinct paid media window, not just a post-holiday afterthought. High user shopping intent combined with lower competition likely creates a narrower but more efficient moment for gaming and app advertisers to reach engaged users.

For social media managers and creator partners, the timing matters. Because TikTok points to the week immediately after December 25 as the key shopping period, campaign briefs and creator content should likely be ready before the holiday rather than launched reactively afterward. Brands that wait until January may miss the strongest self-purchase window.

The separate app guide’s focus on tracking setup signals that measurement is a known operational hurdle for app campaigns. TikTok is not only giving creative advice; it is pointing marketers toward conversion visibility before spend scales. That makes the guides useful as pre-launch checklists, not just inspiration.

What it means for operators

• Prepare Q5 campaign briefs and creative before December 25 so launches align with the immediate post-Christmas window TikTok identifies.
• Use the gaming guide’s campaign type tips to test lower-competition placements rather than repurposing broad holiday creative.
• Review the app guide’s tracking setup and promotion-type best practices before spending, so attribution is ready for Q5 install or purchase events.
• Schedule app and gaming creator content for the week after December 25 and build in a self-purchase angle, since 63% shop specifically for themselves.