Ready for the most beautiful (or the busiest) time of the year? I know, you’re probably not. As marketers, the beauty of the winter holidays is often shadowed by the amount of work on your plate.
eCommerce marketers are by far the busiest of the crowd, but other industries have their own share of festive marketing to deal with. Because, yes, you have to send out more than a promotional offer on the season’s hottest items.
Your holiday email marketing can include:
On top of everything you usually have to communicate, you have to add at least a few of the items above to the list. Then you need to cross your fingers really hard for your latest email campaign to work.
Just kidding! Finger crossing doesn’t bring better email ROI. Better insights gathered across platforms do! Try our integration solutions for FREE and send better email campaigns this holiday season!
Why even bother with holiday email campaigns? Why not go against the grain and avoid the one thing everyone is doing?
Here are some numbers to explain while everyone is still doing holiday campaigns.
Americans check their emails almost obsessively, with 58% of them admitting that they do it first thing in the morning. Now that’s not bound to stop for the holiday, is it? We think not, especially since the number of email users is still on a steady growth path.
Image via Statista
Better yet, consumers want your emails, according to a recent Adobe study, so don’t worry about being just another “ignorable” email in their inbox. Worry instead about missing the party.
73% of holiday shoppers shop primarily online. So email is definitely the way to get to them.
The average order value is three times higher if a customer was targeted via email than if they were targeted via social media.
Pretty much every study or report out there says the same thing: email has the best ROI, especially on festive occasions. So why miss out on it?
Spur some holiday spirit and spread some joy with our ready-to-use emails that you can simply copy-paste into your email marketing solution with a few minor edits.
The universal symbol of the winter holidays is Santa Claus. So our list of email ideas has to start with him, right?
Just a quick note, though: be mindful of people’s beliefs and traditions. If they don’t celebrate Christmas, move on from this idea. You’ll have plenty of others to choose from below.
Email subject line: A note for [Customer Name] from Santa’s shop
Dear [Customer Name],
Santa’s elves have been hard at work this year. Here’s what they cooked up for you:
[Add a list of products that are relevant to your customer based on their history with your business.]Since Santa knows you’ve been SO good this year, he’s got another surprise for you: the shipping is 100% handled by the reindeers this year, which means ZERO shipping fees for you, irrespective of the value of your order or the size of your gift.
Ho Ho Ho!
P.S.: Santa’s on a diet this year, so milk and cookies are also optional.
Last-minute shoppers are often disappointed when they can’t get their order in time. Of course, this is not on you. But you can do your best to make sure you’re not part of the reason why they’re disappointed.
Discuss things with your courier company and find out what is the last day they pick up orders with guaranteed delivery before the holidays. Take another one or two days as a margin of error, then write this email:
Email subject line: Want it by Christmas? Order NOW!Dear [Customer Name],
We know you want everyone you love to have presents that they’ll love. So do we!
This is why we thought we’d let you know that you can place your order until 12/19 to ensure that your gifts get there before the carolers do.
Since everyone has been raving for [name one or two best-selling products] and the stocks are limited, please place your order as soon as possible and we’ll do our best to get it to you in time.
Happy Holidays from all of us here at [Company Name]
Want to graciously avoid Santa, bells, carols, and snowflake references? We’ve got you covered:
Email subject line: Massive Winter Sale! Limited StocksDear [Customer Name],
How about kicking off 2022 in style? Whether it’s warm boots to keep you cozy or a new bathing suit for your upcoming exotic trip, we’ve got you covered with a wide selection of items at incredible prices.
Shop today and get exclusive up to 70% discounts!
Enjoy our biggest sale of the year!
Got nothing to sell? Nothing to promote? No extraordinary announcement for the upcoming year?
This doesn’t mean you should stay quiet during the winter holidays. Quite the opposite, your email might be a welcome breath of fresh air among the thousands of offers people usually get this time of the year.
Email Subject Line: Happy Holidays from Your Friends at [Company Name],Dear [Customer Name],
Thank you for being with us throughout 2021. Without people like you, our company couldn’t further its mission to … [add a few words about your companys mission].
We wish you a wonderful holiday season, filled with love and shared with everyone that matters for you.
Don’t forget that we are always here for you, whenever you need us.
Happy Holidays,
Your Friends at [Company Name]
For bonus points, make this email a tad more personal by turning it into a note from the CEO, signed by them and sent from their email address. In this case, you can start with: “I wanted to take some time and personally thank you for…”.
It’s the time to give, right? Why not offer a real gift to all your subscribers? Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be anything expensive. You can offer:
You can pretty much offer anything, as long as it’s relevant to your customers. The email should be as simple as it gets, too:
Email subject line: You’ve got a gift from [Company Name]Dear [Customer Name],
I’ve got a special gift for you. This week, coffee’s on us, please enjoy your attached Starbucks coupon!
Happy Holidays from your friends at [Company Name]
P.S.: If you’ve got the time, shoot me an email to tell me what your beverage of choice is. I’m dying to know if you’re more of the expresso shot type or the all-in caramel macchiato double-everything type. No judgment, just honestly curious!
Another option:
Dear [Customer Name],
Got big plans for 2022? Need a helping hand? Click here to schedule your free, no-obligation one-on-one consulting call with our financial expert.
You can talk about anything you want, pick their brain or get their help in finding the best financial strategy for the upcoming year. Since there are limited slots, please book your call as soon as possible. This is a free offer, so we expect it to “sell” out pretty quickly!
Can’t wait to learn what you’ve got cooking up for 2022 and to support you in any way we can.
Your friends at [Company Name]
One final word of wisdom here: timing is everything. Don’t send your campaign too early, but don’t do it too late, either.
For instance, if you want to let people know what the last day to place orders and get them by Christmas is, don’t send out the email mid-November -- they’ll definitely forget about it by then. But don’t do it on the very last day, either. Ideally, leave two days between them.
If you want people to book your consulting call, mid-November (early December at the latest) is the perfect time to send out the campaign). Any later than that and they’ll be too busy with their own holiday rush.
