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21 Holiday Email Marketing Ideas That Will Make You a Marketing Pro
The holiday season is when businesses can shine and increase their revenue. Your prospects and repeat customers are in the mood to spend money on gifts and decorations.
However, you can’t rely on holiday shoppers to come to your website or store; you need to put in some effort and send out effective holiday email marketing campaigns that will get them excited about what you offer.
Table of Contents
Things To Consider When Choosing a Holiday Email Campaign
Before we get into holiday email marketing ideas, there are four things you should keep in mind when planning your holiday email campaign.
- Consider your audience
- Think about your goals
- Use proper timing
- Keep it simple
Types of Holiday Email Campaigns
You should understand the three basic types of holiday email campaigns before sending out email messages to your list.
Welcome Emails
The first type of holiday email campaign is the welcome email. It is an email that you send to new subscribers when they sign up for your list.
Your welcome email should introduce them to your brand and let them know what kind of content they can expect to receive from you. It’s also a good opportunity to promote any holiday sales or deals you may offer.
Copy your regular welcome email to a Google doc. Then, write your holiday welcome email. Then, after the holidays, you can easily paste your normal welcome sequence back to your email service provider.
Promotional Emails
The second type of holiday email to send is the promotional email. You send emails to your entire list to promote a holiday sale or deal you’re running.
Strive to create eye-catching promotional emails. Include a call-to-action that encourages recipients to take advantage of your holiday offer. Make it easy for them to find the products or services they’re looking for on your website.
Abandoned Cart Emails
The third type of holiday email is the abandoned cart email. You want to send these emails to people who have added items to their shopping cart but have not completed the purchase. Abandoned cart emails are a way to increase holiday sales because they target people who have already shown an interest in what you’re selling.
To create an abandoned cart email, start by retrieving the items left in the shopping cart. Then, create an email template that includes those items and offers a discount or incentive for completing the purchase.
Types of Holiday Specials, Promos, Deals, and Offers
Let’s review how you can use promotions and offers to increase revenue during the holiday season.
Start Early With a Black Friday Special
Black Friday is the start of the holiday shopping season. As a small business owner, you can take advantage of this time by starting your holiday promotions on Black Friday. It will help you stand out from the competition and get people interested in your holiday offerings early on.
To create a Black Friday sale, use the following tips.
- Plan what products or services to discount
- Send a few emails that promote your sale
- Include a strong call to action
- Attract immediate holiday income
Create Urgency: Holiday Sale Ends Soon
Throughout the holidays, stress the urgency of your holiday sale in your promotional emails. Let people know they need to take advantage of your deals before they expire. A sense of urgency will encourage holiday shoppers to buy from you sooner rather than later.
To create a sense of urgency, use phrases like the following.
- “limited time only”
- “while supplies last”
- “expires soon”
Two-for-One Deals
Another way to increase holiday sales is to offer two-for-one deals. A two-for-one promotion encourages people to buy more than one item from you at a discounted price. It is a way to increase the average order value and boost holiday sales. For example, if someone buys a holiday card, give them a second-holiday card for 50% off.
Large image files can make your holiday email load slowly, especially on mobile devices. Slow-loading emails frustrate people, and they are likelier to delete the email without reading it.
Tips for Your Holiday Marketing via Email
The following holiday email marketing ideas will help you to take full advantage of your email subscriber list.
Segment Your Holiday Email List
The first step is to segment your holiday email list. Look for ways to create different lists for the people on your newsletter list. You might segment by separating people who purchased from you in the past, people who subscribed to your email list within the last several months, and people already expressing interest in holiday deals.
Use Holiday-Themed Email Templates
A holiday email template will help your holiday marketing campaign stand out in the inbox. Look at the options offered by your email service provider. Most providers give you free templates that you can use for each holiday.
Seasonal Emojis Are Fun
Add some holiday cheer to your emails using emojis. Emojis are small images that you can insert into the email body’s text. For example, during Thanksgiving, you might use a turkey emoji. Or, for Christmas, you might use a holiday wreath emoji.
Trying Using Festive Puns
To get people laughing, try using holiday puns in your email subject lines and content. Puns are jokes that play on the meaning of words. For example, you might say, “We’re going nuts this holiday season!” during a holiday promotion for a nut company.
CTA Buttons Are Better Than Long Links
When you include a call to action (CTA) in your holiday email, use a button rather than a long link. A button is more eye-catching and will help people know what you want them to do. For example, your CTA button might say “Shop Now” or “Get Your Holiday Gift Today.”
Say No To Large Image Files
Large image files can make your holiday email load slowly, especially on mobile devices. Slow-loading emails frustrate people, and they are likelier to delete the email without reading it. To avoid this problem, use small files or compress your images before adding them to your holiday email.
Use Attention-Grabbing Words
Your holiday email should grab attention and encourage people to read it. Use attention-grabbing words in your subject line and email content to do this. For example, you might use words like “free,” “sale,” or “holiday.”
Use Countdown Timers
Include a countdown timer in your holiday email to create a sense of urgency. A countdown timer is a clock that counts down the days, hours, or minutes until an event occurs. Place these timers inside the body of your email content and on your sales pages.
Create Mobile-friendly Holiday Campaigns
Many people enjoy reading emails on their mobile devices. Use a responsive email template to ensure your email subscribers can read your holiday email on their phones. A responsive template automatically adjusts to the screen size of the device.
Make Good Use of Your Email Template’s Footer
Your email template’s footer is an excellent place to include holiday-themed images, links, and deals. For example, you might use your holiday email footer to offer a holiday discount code or holiday shipping information.
Test Each Campaign Before Sending
Avoid that awful feeling of finding mistakes after you send out the campaign. Before you send your holiday email to your entire list, test the email campaign. Send a test email to yourself and even a colleague. It will help you to catch any mistakes in the email.
Types of Email Content
Below, you’ll discover four types of content to use with your subscribers during the holidays. Use these ideas to create engagement and encourage your prospects to click on your website.
How To Create Your Holiday To-do List
The holiday season is a busy time for many people. To help your subscribers stay organized, send them an email with a holiday to-do list. It is a type of email that is helpful and informative. Plus, it will keep your subscribers engaged with your brand during the holiday season.
Contest and Giveaway Emails
Another method for engaging your email subscribers is to run a contest or giveaway. For example, you could ask people to share their holiday pictures with you for a chance to win a holiday-themed prize.
Ask a Question Email Message
Engage your holiday email subscribers by asking them a question. For instance, you might ask, “What is your favorite holiday tradition?” or “What is the best holiday gift you’ve ever received?” Consider entering top answers into one of your giveaway deals. Doing so will likely get more people to participate.
Promo Code Emails
People love getting discounts, especially during the holiday season. So send your holiday email subscribers a promo code they can use on your website. Make sure the code is holiday-themed, such as “SANTA10” or “HOLIDAYSALE.”
Things To Consider When Choosing a Holiday Email Campaign
We mentioned four key factors to think about above. Let’s provide more detail now about those key ideas.
Consider your audience: Who are you trying to reach with your holiday email marketing campaign? Segment your list so that you can send targeted emails. | Think about your goals: Are you trying to increase a specific product’s sales or promote holiday discounts or coupons? |
Use proper timing: Don’t send out too many emails and risk annoying your subscribers. However, avoid missing the opportunity to capitalize on holiday shopping. | Keep it simple: Keep your subject lines short and sweet, and use clear and concise language in the body of the email. |
Main Takeaways
Remaining vigilant with your holiday email marketing will help you increase sales during this time of year. Use these holiday email marketing ideas to create engaging content for your subscribers. Each holiday email marketing strategy will help keep your list warm, encourage subscribers to purchase before your offer ends, and grow your business during the holidays.
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