Holiday Email Marketing: Tips For High Converting Campaigns

There's no question that the holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year. That's why it's so important to take advantage of holiday email marketing while the time is right.  Between parties, family get-togethers, and traveling to visit loved ones, there are lots of reasons why people aren’t using their desktop but still using their mobile phone and checking emails at various points throughout the day.

While people are on the go, a quick reminder about all of the incredible deals you have available might work wonders. They might also want to take advantage of a sale that won't last long and a quick email will allow them to do just that. Holiday email marketing allows you to reach your customer when they're on their mobile phone and looking for ways to save time and money.

To add a sense of customization during the holiday season, why not use some of the tools that email marketing gives you? Personalize emails, send videos to your subscribers with some holiday cheer, or even a voice message letting them know what’s happening in your business. 

Personalization allows you to create a sense of connection with your customer. You can send out emails offering holiday coupons for similar products to those they've purchased in the past or wish they could buy if the price was just right. 

The holidays are a great time to go above and beyond with the people that make your business a success and quickly become their favorite online retailer.

By using images that are bright, cheerful, and contain fun graphics, you'll be sure to reach out to your customers in the spirit of the holidays while also providing them with important information about purchasing any items they need before the big day arrives. 

Try adding animated GIFs or even traditional static images - but make sure all graphics are clear and defined enough so that people can easily see the emotions that you want to share with them.

To send out holiday email marketing campaigns that get results, you need to know precisely who your customer is and how they think. The easiest way to do this is by creating a personalized message that varies from one email group to another using detailed email segmentation.

So what does this mean? It means that you enhance the content within your campaign based on which of these segments your customer falls under. You can group customers based on their past purchases with you, the types of emails they typically open, how often they open them, etc. By doing so, you provide the most relevant information possible without becoming overbearing or running into spam complaints.

During the holiday period, it's essential to focus on how your customers want to hear from you and what they're looking for in their inbox. Look at the types of emails that subscribers have been opening recently. This helps you determine the best way to connect with them during this busy time of year.

Understanding what makes your audience tick is crucial if you want to see increased sales and positive brand interaction, all of which can be done by using personalized holiday email marketing campaigns.

If there's one thing that marketers should take away from the holidays, it's that you need to be prepared. During these upcoming weeks, you're probably going to receive an increase in orders because people are looking for last-minute gifts or trying to avoid crowded shopping malls.

What can you do? Well, for starters, consider using marketing automation workflows to create a personalized experience for every customer based on what they're doing within your website.

So when does this happen? Suppose somebody lands on your homepage and then finally decides to add an item into their cart. By using marketing automation, you could begin sending them relevant email campaigns that include discounts and coupons attached to specific products - without ever having to lift a finger.

Holiday email campaigns based around a calendar are an easy way to show customers that you're thinking of them when coming up with relevant ideas for the upcoming season. 

Of course, this doesn't mean you have to send out something new every single day - but it does mean you should write campaigns around special events, including historical dates and notable moments. Doing so ensures your holiday email marketing stays on point while avoiding any spam complaints or unsubscribes in the process.

By basing your holiday email marketing ideas around a calendar, you can create something that anyone would find appealing. The right email marketing software can help you create content in advance during this time of year so you won’t have to get everything done just before it goes live.

Here are a few special occasions and types of items that you can offer around Christmas time. These should definitely have a place in your content calendar.

Holiday shopping is a big deal for people, so your email marketing campaign must be different when compared to what everyone else is sending out.

To craft subject lines that result in increased open rates, you have to go above and beyond to immediately capture the attention of your customer base. 

Above, you can see an example that definitely stands out when it comes to an email subject line that will get opened.

If there's one thing that can help you increase sales during the holidays, it has to be relevant content being sent out directly to your customers.

Use your content creation skills and knowledge of your brand and audience to anticipate any questions and concerns they might have during this busy season. Perhaps someone needs help picking out a specific item or desires faster shipping options just before Christmas day.

You should do all you can within reason to handle these requests quickly and efficiently because it will provide customers with an exceptional experience just before and after the holidays.

Preempting questions by bringing them up and then answering them before your customers even have a chance to ask them takes time and the right experience. It's also the reason why you should work with your marketing team to come up with holiday email marketing strategies that are effective.

These should be based on past concerns and common questions people often have when purchasing gifts for friends, family members, or clients.

Holiday marketing campaigns should always include a landing page, and this is no different for email marketing.

Regardless of whether you're sending out an email to one person or thousands, you'll want to create a specific landing page that's tied into your holiday message.

Just because you are promoting products or services, it doesn't mean that you can’t also inform people about the various values that your company holds. 

Don't just stick to talking about sales - add some warmth to your content and write about how your company is giving back this holiday season. Rather than just pushing products onto people, you want them to be excited to do business with you.

If applicable, create a space within the emails you send out to include important information like the types of charities or businesses you are working with, how you’re giving back to your employees this year, and the types of values you hold the dearest in your company.

People love knowing that they're part of something bigger when engaging with your company and these types of emails will help solidify the business relationship they have with you.

Many companies don't even think about design, but an unprofessional-looking email that lacks creativity might deter people from opening your holiday message. Whether you're sending out an email to one person or thousands, the last thing you want is for them to be turned away by shoddy design work.

Don't be afraid to show some personality within the mail you send. Give it a personal touch and help people understand that you took the time to write a personalized message rather than sending a generic message found on a random template. Showing people that you genuinely care about them (rather than throwing something together in five minutes) will go a long way.

Email marketing design should always be clean and well-organized, so also remember to not cram in too many images or videos. Keep it simple but elegant.

Also, think about creating a minimalist design that will allow you to provide people with all the information they need without overwhelming them. Colors play an essential role when designing this type of email, so make sure your colors are not too flashy or attention-grabbing.

The one thing that should remain constant in your holiday campaigns is your dedication to tracking the right email metrics.

Although this might seem like it's taking away from the holiday spirit, remember that you're still running a business and that means needing to know precisely what is (and isn't) working.

This way, you can make changes to future emails as needed. Such data can help you think about trends in sales. Holiday emails and tracking go hand in hand because this is your chance to see if you're reaching the correct type of people with your message.

Use the resources in your email service provider to test holiday marketing ideas and see which ones work best. Is your target audience resonating with your exclusive deals, and are such deals helping to boost sales?

Gift shopping should be both fun for people and a successful venture for you. By tracking your performance you’ll be able to give people more of what they want.

Finally, consider that during the holiday shopping season, people will more than likely be on the go. Mobile devices will be in the hands of many of your customers, so you need to make sure that your message is mobile-friendly.