As the holiday season approaches, email marketing reaches its peak. Every year people look forward to receiving festive emails from their favorite brands.
As a business it’s a great opportunity to capitalize on that excitement and increase customer loyalty. To get your holiday marketing email campaign off to a great start, you need to make sure you’re following best practices.
The holiday season is a crucial time for many businesses, as it is a time when people are actively shopping and looking for deals. Holiday marketing allows businesses to connect with their customers and drive sales during this busy time.
Holiday marketing campaigns typically run during major holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other popular holidays. These campaigns are designed to stand out in customers’ inboxes and capture their attention with eye-catching graphics, compelling copy, and exclusive deals.
Why Email Marketing Is the Best Holiday Marketing Tool
Cost-Effective
Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies for businesses. Email marketing allows businesses to reach a large number of customers at a fraction of the cost.
High ROI
Email marketing has a high return on investment (ROI). According to a study by Campaign Monitor, for every dollar spent on email marketing, businesses can expect an average return of $44.
Personalization
Email marketing allows businesses to personalize their messages to customers based on their preferences and past behavior. This helps to create a more meaningful connection with customers, which can lead to higher engagement and sales.
Measurable
Email marketing is highly measurable, allowing businesses to track the success of their campaigns and make data-driven decisions. This helps businesses to optimize their campaigns and improve their ROI over time.
Types of Email You Can Send for Holiday Campaign
Promotional Emails
Promotional emails are a great way to announce special holiday deals or promotions. These emails can include discount codes, limited-time offers, and free shipping.
Make sure to include eye-catching graphics and a clear call-to-action to encourage customers to make a purchase.
Holiday-Themed Emails
Holiday-themed emails are a great way to get customers in the holiday spirit. These emails can include holiday greetings, festive graphics, and seasonal messaging.
Use this opportunity to connect with customers on an emotional level and show your appreciation for their business.
Gift Guides
Gift guide emails are a great way to help customers find the perfect gift for their loved ones. These emails can include product recommendations, customer reviews, and a clear call-to-action to encourage customers to make a purchase.
Abandoned Cart Emails
Abandoned cart emails are a great way to remind customers about items they left in their shopping cart. During the holiday season, customers are often busy and may forget about items they were interested in purchasing.
Use abandoned cart emails to remind customers about these items and offer special promotions to encourage them to make a purchase.
What Is the Best Time to Kick-Start Your Holiday Email Marketing Campaign?
The best time to start your holiday marketing campaign depends on your business and your target audience. However, most businesses start their holiday marketing campaigns in November, with a focus on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
These are two of the biggest shopping days of the year and can generate a significant amount of revenue for businesses.
Quick Hacks for Holiday Marketing Email Campaign
1. Use Eye-Catching Graphics
During the holiday season, customers are bombarded with marketing messages from all directions. Use eye-catching graphics and visuals to help your emails stand out and capture customers’ attention.
2. Keep It Simple
During the holiday season, customers are busy and may not have time to read long emails. Keep your emails short and to the point, with a clear call-to-action to encourage customers to take action.
3. Offer Exclusive Deals
Offering exclusive deals to your email subscribers is a great way to build loyalty and encourage customers to make a purchase. Make sure to highlight these deals in your email campaigns to increase their visibility.
4. Segment Your Email List
Segmenting your email list based on customer behavior and preferences can help to improve the effectiveness of your email campaigns. Use this information to personalize your messages and create more relevant content for your subscribers.
5. Use Social Proof
Including customer reviews and testimonials in your emails can help to build trust and credibility with your audience. Use social proof to show customers that others have had positive experiences with your products or services.
6. Optimize for Mobile
More and more people are checking their emails on their mobile devices. Make sure your emails are optimized for mobile to ensure they are easy to read and navigate on a small screen.
7. Use Urgency
Creating a sense of urgency in your emails can help to encourage customers to take action. Use phrases like “limited time offer” or “while supplies last” to create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to make a purchase.
Tips to Boost Your Holiday Email Marketing
Plan ahead: Start planning your holiday email marketing campaign well in advance. This is to ensure you have enough time to create high-quality content and graphics.
Personalize your messages: Use customer data to personalize your messages and create a more meaningful connection with your audience.
Test and optimize: Continuously test and optimize your email campaigns to improve their effectiveness and increase your ROI.
Focus on the customer: Keep the customer at the center of your email marketing campaign. Make sure your messages are relevant, engaging, and provide value to your audience.
Follow up: Follow up with customers after they make a purchase to thank them for their business. This will encourage them to make future purchases.
However, to be successful, it’s important to plan ahead, segment your email list, and continuously test and optimize your campaigns. By following these tips and best practices, you can make the most of your holiday marketing email campaign and drive revenue for your business.
Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.