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Seasonal PPC Strategies for Year-Round Growth
The Podcast Gold Rush: Media Companies Race to License Star Creators
Seasonal PPC Strategies for Year-Round Growth
Most people think of PPC seasonality as big events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Those matter—but if that’s all you plan for, you’re leaving money on the table. Real growth comes from recognizing the smaller, repeating patterns that happen all year.
1) Use historical data to forecast. Every account has trends. Pull past performance reports, check for spikes or dips, and cross-check with sales intel. Review the campaigns from those periods to see what worked and what didn’t, then apply those lessons forward.
2) Customize ad copy for seasonal moments. Don’t just recycle the same ads—build specific units for seasonal periods so you can measure results clearly. If that’s not feasible, rotate headlines and descriptions on a schedule so your copy feels timely.
3) Match budgets to seasonal demand. Not every season means spending more. In B2B, holidays often slow traffic but keep intent high—worth maintaining budget. For periods with traffic surges, scaling spend is essential or you’ll miss the lift.
4) Use Smart Bidding seasonality adjustments. Google lets you signal expected short-term swings (e.g. a 25% conversion rate bump). Without those signals, Smart Bidding may misfire and waste efficiency during peak windows.
5) Monitor and optimize in real time. Seasonal campaigns move fast. Performance can shift within hours, so set up alerts for major swings. You don’t need to live in the dashboard, but you do need to act quickly when the data calls for it.
Takeaway: Seasonality isn’t just about the obvious holidays. It’s about finding patterns, adjusting ahead of time, and staying agile when consumer behavior shifts.
The Podcast Gold Rush: Media Companies Race to License Star Creators
Traditional media companies are scrambling to strike deals with podcasters, YouTubers, and social-media personalities as the podcast boom reshapes how people consume information.
The big picture:
Legacy outlets like Fox, ESPN, Vox, and the New York Times are paying top dollar to license shows from independent creators.
With AI threatening to flood feeds with generic content, publishers see unique human voices as a defensible moat.
U.S. audiences are now spending 773M hours a week on podcasts, up from 170M in 2015, according to Edison Research.
Recent moves:
Fox News inked a licensing deal with Ruthless, a political podcast, and acquired Red Seat Ventures, which develops creator-led shows including those of Megyn Kelly and Nancy Grace. Fox also brought on conservative YouTuber Brett Cooper to license her program.
The Athletic signed a seven-figure agreement for Pablo Torre’s Pablo Torre Finds Out, blending sports and culture.
Vox Media announced partnerships with Bella Freud (Fashion Neurosis) and political veterans David Axelrod, Mike Murphy, and John Heilemann (Hacks on Tap).
ESPN cut a five-year, $85M+ deal with Pat McAfee, the ex-NFL punter turned podcast star. McAfee’s freewheeling style has since tested the network’s comfort level.
Why it matters: Independent podcasters proved their influence during the 2024 election cycle, driving news cycles and pulling in top-tier guests. For traditional outlets losing ground to YouTube and on-demand audio, these licensing deals are a way to win back younger audiences and diversify away from declining linear TV.
Case in point:
The Shawn Ryan Show, hosted by the former Navy SEAL, is close to a deal that could earn Ryan more than $10M a year through ad revenue splits.
Ryan’s COO says the show’s appeal lies in “depth and nuance”—qualities audiences feel are missing from mainstream coverage.
The tradeoff: Media companies get relevance and reach, but risk ceding editorial control. Many podcasters keep full creative authority while receiving guaranteed ad revenue shares, making them powerful partners who can’t be easily “reined in.”
As Fox’s Paul Cheesbrough put it: “The role of the creator becomes even more important in a world where content can be generated by algorithms.”
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This newsletter is a publication of Vector Research Partners (v4rp.com), a data and insights firm powering diligence and growth strategies for top operators and investors.
