In five months, after greeting 2014, we’ll be sweeping up confetti, washing champagne glasses and breathing a sigh of relief that another holiday season is history. But while your beach tan is still aglow, it’s time to think about the snow — and how to differentiate your products and services from those of your competitors.
If email campaigns are part of marketing your business, planning now for the busy holiday season can yield a profitable edge. Exact Target, a digital marketing shop, recently shared some valuable data about the impact of holiday email campaigns and suggestions to ensure their success. Here’s Quinter Design’s take on the matter.
In August and September, consumers’ focus is on back-to-school. Although it’s early to mention the holidays in your email messages, it is time to prime the pump.
Average number of promotional emails received by consumers: 18
Suggestions for differentiating your message:
- invite subscribers to join your loyalty club
- offer a free download of your mobile app
- encourage them to update their preferences
- ask them to connect on Facebook, Twitter and other social media
Helping your subscribers with their holiday needs starts in October. The frequency of messages relating to Christmas increases dramatically by the end of the month.
Average number of promotional emails received by consumers: 20
Suggestions for differentiating your message:
- encourage followers to create a “wish list”
- provide information about layaway and other similar practices
- offer incentives for early orders of holiday catalogs, cards and decor
In November, add visual cues to your emails by using holiday graphics to signal your subscribers that it’s time to start shopping. Keep in mind that for many consumers the 2013 shopping season will start earlier than in previous years. This year, Hanukkah coincides with the Thanksgiving holidays and concludes on Dec. 5.
Average number of promotional emails received by consumers: 25+
Suggestions for differentiating your message:
- schedule special offers valid only on Fridays, leading up to Black Friday
- link holiday purchases with donations to a local charity
- share popular recipes and decorating tips
- provide specialized gift guides
December kicks off with CyberMonday on Dec. 2, the busiest email marketing day of the year. More than 90 percent of the nation’s retailers will send promotional emails on CyberMonday. It’s a challenge to make yours memorable!
Average number of promotional emails received by consumers: 27+
Suggestions for differentiating your message:
- coordinate your emails with some of the significant deadlines of the shopping season: Dec. 18 is free shipping day, Dec. 20 is last sleigh day (or the last day for online orders to be delivered by Christmas), and Dec. 23 is egift card day
- emphasize the ease of ordering in response to your emails, especially with egift cards
- send sincere and authentic “Seasons Greetings” messages to your subscribers
The frequency of promotional emails sent to consumers drops quickly after the first of the year but the benefits of a carefully planned campaign can continue into January.
Average number of promotional emails received by consumers: 18
- invite subscribers to redeem gift cards
- suggest accessories to items received as gifts
- accept trade-ins of outdated products
Crafting a deliberate and organized strategy for your holiday email campaign ties up your marketing efforts with a big, beautiful bow in every business professional’s favorite color: green.
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