The holiday season is a critical time for businesses to connect with customers and drive sales through email marketing. With inboxes becoming increasingly crowded during this period, it’s essential to make your emails stand out. Here are five tips to help you craft a successful holiday email marketing campaign, backed by industry insights and best practices.
To ensure your holiday email marketing campaign is successful, start planning well in advance (just like this blog post!). Early planning allows you to develop a comprehensive strategy, create high-quality content, and segment your audience effectively. One in two holiday shoppers plan to begin or have already begun making purchases before Halloween, according to a new Bankrate survey.1 This makes it crucial to start your campaign early to capture their attention. Consider sending teaser emails months in advance to build anticipation for your upcoming holiday promotions.
Your subject line is the first impression your email makes, and it plays a significant role in open rates. A study by Campaign Monitor found that 47% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line alone.2 Create subject lines that are attention-grabbing, concise, and relevant. Adding emojis can also give your subject line a festive touch. Try incorporating urgency into your subject lines. Phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Exclusive Holiday Deals” can help to create this sense of urgency and encourage immediate action.
Personalization is key to engaging your audience and driving conversions. According to research by Experian, personalized emails deliver six times higher transaction rates than non-personalized emails.3 You can go beyond using the recipient’s first name and leverage your data to tailor to their preferences, past purchases, and browsing behavior. This holiday season, try sending personalized gift guides or product recommendations based on their previous interactions with your brand.
With a significant number of consumers checking emails on mobile devices, it’s essential to optimize your emails for mobile viewing. A study by HubSpot found that 46% of email opens occur on mobile devices.4 Use a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes, keep your layout simple, and use tappable buttons for calls-to-action (CTAs). Test your emails on various devices to ensure they display correctly. Avoid using too many images or large files that can slow down loading times on mobile devices.
A clear and compelling call-to-action (CTA) is crucial for encouraging your audience to take the desired action. Your CTA should be easily noticeable and convey a sense of urgency. According to WordStream, emails with a single CTA can increase clicks by 371% and sales by 1617%.5 Place your primary CTA above the fold so recipients see it without scrolling. Use contrasting colors to make it stand out and repeat the CTA at the end of the email for those who read through.
The holiday season offers a prime opportunity to engage with your audience and boost sales through effective email marketing. By starting early, crafting compelling subject lines, personalizing your content, optimizing for mobile, and using clear CTAs, you can create a successful holiday email marketing campaign that stands out in crowded inboxes! Analyzing your campaign’s performance and using insights to refine future strategies is also crucial. Good luck, and may your holiday season be merry and profitable!
If you are ready to get started today contact our team by emailing us at info@connextdigital.com.
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Author
Maria Fintanidou works as a Copywriter for email marketing automation software Moosend, having created the Help Articles (FAQs) and overseen the platform’s translations in Greek and Spanish. She loves exploring new cultures and ways of thinking through traveling, reading, and language learning.