It’s true that as Christmas approaches, email volumes rise, so it’s more important than ever to get your campaigns in top-notch condition with help from our guide to email marketing during the holiday season…
Timing
Be aware that even though it’s only September, plenty of consumers are already starting to look into Christmas gift ideas. If they find it for the right price, they go ahead and purchase to be ahead of the game. Position your emails for that audience and craft emails to capture those buyers now. Some of the major dates you’ll also want to prepare for are Black Friday (Friday 27th November), Cyber Monday (Monday 30th November) and of course, Boxing Day (Saturday 26th December).
Holiday templates and ecards
Around the holidays is one of those times most email marketers can step out of the box and add a little holiday flare to their templates – ‘tis the season to be jolly after all. The extra creative will likely encourage subscribers to click through and purchase. We also recommend sending a thoughtful, non-sales based ecard to your subscribers as it’s a great way to show the friendly face of your business, and it’s a good opportunity to include other bits of helpful information such as your holiday opening hours.
Provide an incentive
With promotional emails on the rise over the holiday season your subscribers are going to be hunting for the best deals possible, and this is where incentives can give you an extra edge. Include coupons or special offers along with possible gift ideas for family members, friends, and even children’s teachers. Subscribers will appreciate the discount at such an expensive time of the year, and the fact you’ve done the work for them and have given them some ideas.
Go mobile
According to CMO, mobile will account for more than 20 percent of site sales and more than 43 percent of site traffic by November. This means it’s vital that your email marketing campaigns and website are mobile responsive. You want to make sure it is easy for subscribers to navigate and use. If not, they will leave and find a competitor to buy from instead.
Social sharing
Hopefully you are already including social links in your emails, however, around the holidays it’s even more imperative to add these. You should also try thinking outside the realms of Facebook and Twitter. If your company uses Instagram or Pinterest, you might want to direct subscribers to your profile to see products visually and to make purchases.
The holiday period doesn’t end at Christmas
Your holiday marketing efforts shouldn’t stop on the 25th. Boxing Day is still the biggest retail day of the year and you’ll want to make sure you’re getting in on those sales. If your business is closed over this time then make sure you’ve created your campaigns in advance and scheduled them to go out even if you’re not at the office. You may also want to think about running a New Year’s promotion – whether that’s some kind of special offer or a simple ‘Happy New Year’ ecard is up to you.
Gracie Stewart is chief blog editor and marketing excutive at NewZapp Email Marketing.
