As we hear Christmas songs playing in shopping malls and on the radio, we know it’s that time of the year again. Christmas is a wonderful time not only for people but businesses as well.
Customers are primed to buy during the holidays, businesses are excited about their new marketing campaigns, and everyone is sharing joy and positive energy as the year ends.
Christmas is also a great period for successful email marketing. There’s no better way to win new customers than through this form of marketing. But how do you do it well? Keep reading to find out!
Getting started with your Christmas email campaign
To adjust your email marketing campaigns for the festive holiday period, begin with a complete analysis of your previous campaigns and a rehaul of your subscriber list.
For the former, you should refer to some email data hygiene best practices and remove contacts (usually invalid or unengaged) to keep your lists healthy. For the second, try revisiting old campaigns and ensure you don’t repeat your past strategies.
Focus on data, too — it can give you a lot of insight into all previous successes and failures.
If you have an in-house marketing team, connect with them to exchange and gather new ideas, see which promotions were most successful in the past, what products drove the most revenue, and realign your efforts as you create your new email campaign.
For successful Christmas emails, timing is everything
To prepare for the season, you’ll need to divide your Christmas email campaign into three stages: pre-Christmas, Christmas, and post-Christmas.
The first would be a few weeks before the Christmas period, the second would be timed for Christmas and the days surrounding it, and the last would be reserved for the few weeks after the holidays.
You can also use marketing automation software to divide the email campaigns and see which recipients would be the best fit — and even plan out your entire email campaign at once. But what should your emails consist of?
Marketers usually send out early (pre-Christmas) email campaigns to announce potential sales or discounts, allow customers to create wishlists, set up gift guides, and so on.
Their Christmas email campaign usually promotes a massive sale (for example, 30% off site-wide with a coupon), but also shows appreciation as it wraps up another successful year.
In the post-Christmas email updates, you can share useful content and keep customers updated about the latest developments in your company.
Send out gifts to show how much you care
If you are looking for ways to elevate your brand and show appreciation to your partners or loyal subscribers, you can send out gifts. You’ll show them how much you care, spread brand awareness, and promote your brand or product.
It’s a great way to ramp up your email marketing and ensure better responses and open rates.
You can use the same approach when targeting previous Christmas purchasers and send out tiered rewards that follow a series of targeted emails. And if you want to take it to the next level, personalizing your messages will show them how valued their loyalty is.
Promote your brand by highlighting the people behind it
Who doesn’t love seeing happy faces — especially at Christmas? If you’re hosting an in-office Christmas party, take some inspiration from an event marketing guide on how to make sure everything is well organized and ensure you have a good photographer.
Using seasonality to boost your marketing campaigns is a proven way to increase your click-through rate.
When it comes to Christmas email marketing ideas, you can always show your subscribers the Christmas mood in your office, spread the festive energy, and uncover the faces behind your brand.
This is a great idea for an email marketing strategy that you can also tie into your brand values and major accomplishments throughout the year.
Another pro tip is to experiment with emojis and consider using optimized GIFs to catch the reader’s eye. After all, the festive season is about positivity, and emojis will certainly increase your open rate. You can use them in your subject line, do A/B split testing, and see which one has the best open rate.
Add more flair to your email signature
Last but not least in our Christmas email marketing tips list is your email signature. Nowadays, there are many ways to personalize it and use it to lead people to a designated landing page or campaign.
You can also show client appreciation by adding a custom greeting this Christmas and leading them to a specific page or virtual Christmas card.
A QR code within a signature is a great way to provide more information about yourself, share marketing invites, and lead to promotional offers.
Once the users scan the QR code placed in your email signature with their mobile phone, they can be automatically redirected to a specified page or channel.
You can generate a dynamic QR code and insert it into your email signature — to reveal discount coupons, navigate users to your Christmas sale, or a relevant blog post. These codes should promote transparency and must have a dedicated mobile-friendly landing page.
Summary
The Christmas season is a festive, merry, and bright time of the year everyone looks forward to. It is also a major opportunity for businesses to ramp up their marketing and finish the year strong.
To succeed with your emails this Christmas, make sure that you start building interest early on, give your subscribers an offer they can’t refuse, and thank (and reward) them for another great year.
