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5 Fresh Holiday Email Ideas to Drive Conversions
The holiday season makes marketers incredibly excited while also making them want to rip their hair out from stress. This year, we want you to keep every strand of hair on your head by sharing better holiday email ideas that will drive conversions during this important time of year.
And this year is poised to be a particularly profitable year for sales.
How to create content that converts
A Deloitte retail survey says that 73% of consumers feel positively about the economy and that could lead to a nearly 6% increase in holiday sales with a whopping 17% to 22% increase in online sales.
Needless to say, your email marketing needs to be on point if you hope to earn your share of the pie.
Of course, consumers expect more from marketers in this day and age. People want content that is relevant to them, delivered in a way that stands out among the other marketing offers they will be presented as we get closer and closer to the holidays.
As a marketer, it’s also important to recognize the benefit of personalization and delivering relevant content: people are 26% more likely to open an email if they feel it is personalized to their interests.
Combine personalization with these fresh holiday email ideas and you are well on your way to hitting your holiday email marketing campaign out of the park.
Kick your campaign up a notch
Marketers are going to spend a good portion of their budget on securing their share of the holiday consumer spending.
How do you compete without going over budget?
Email marketing has been shown to deliver an ROI of $38 for every $1 spent. This is an effective way for you to make the most of your budget, capture the excitement of your subscribers, and deliver exceptional results this holiday season.
How do you make the most of your marketing dollars?
These holiday emails ideas should help you make your mark on the inbox of your subscribers.
1. Offer a buyer’s guide
How do you share information about your products without pushing the same old sales message? Try creating a buyer’s guide for your email subscribers. Include relevant details about products, the type of person that the product is perfect for, and any other important nuggets of information.
A buyer’s guide is a helpful piece of content that can inspires consumers to get their shopping done for their friends, family, and co-workers. Who knows, they might even treat themselves to something after reading your buyer’s guide.
Another great reason to send out a buyer’s guide is that it also serves as a piece of branding material. Using a buyer’s guide format, you can position your business as an expert advisor rather than someone who is just pushing a hard sell message into their subscriber’s email inbox.
2. Share a feel-good story
The holidays aren’t just about spending money and getting gifts. Many businesses take part in holiday campaigns and volunteerism that shows their human side. Be sure to pass along your efforts to your email subscribers and share the spirit of the holidays.
Many brands have regular feel-good campaigns around the holiday season that are designed to raise brand awareness rather than increase sales. This is a great holiday marketing idea for businesses that may not directly benefit from increased holiday spending due to the nature of their industry.
The airline, WestJet, regularly runs a holiday campaign that has become a cornerstone of their annual marketing. Their videos often go viral and email subscribers receive the videos directly to their inbox. Needless to say, there is rarely a dry eye when opening a holiday email from WestJet.
Incorporate your good deeds into your marketing to help build your brand. This will translate into immediate recognition as well as long-term brand awareness. This style of email campaign will also stand out among the sales offers and discount codes that have become common in most marketing campaigns.
3. Look back on the year
With the New Year right around the corner, the holiday season is a great time to deliver personalized content that looks back at the previous year.
This kind of unique content is fun for subscribers to read and helps build your brand. Plus, the holiday season is the perfect time for sitting down and reflecting on the year as people also plan ahead for next year.
A year in review email also helps summarize everything your business has done over the past year. Subscribers will be reminded of their strong relationship with your brand and, hopefully, keep your company top-of-mind throughout the holiday season and into the New Year.
Many businesses including Spotify, Uber, Facebook, and others have opted for year in review campaigns around the holiday season. This unique, personalized content can help your email campaign stand out among the other holiday campaigns your subscribers will be receiving.
4. Last minute holiday shopping offers
If you’ve never fought the large crowds at a mall on Christmas Eve then congratulations! You aren’t among the millions of people that leave their holiday shopping until the final days before Christmas.
Create email campaigns to target last minute shoppers who may be desperate to find the right gift at the last possible moment. While options may be limited, this could be the perfect opportunity to drive in-store traffic or sell e-gift cards to people who decide to start shopping right as Santa does his final safety check before taking off on his sleigh. You could use a last minute email to let people know this is their last chance to order and receive their purchase before the holidays.
Develop a last-minute offer that’s easy for shoppers to take advantage of and make the email simple. These shoppers don’t have time to compare features and prices. They simply need a gift that their special someone will love.
5. Gift ideas for those on a budget
These days, it feels like you have to buy a gift for everyone. You kid’s teachers, bus driver, sports coach, guidance counsellor, and best friend’s parents are all on the shopping list. It can make the holidays expensive.
In fact, the average person will spend nearly $1,000 on gifts this year.
Many holiday marketing campaigns focus on big ticket items to impress that special someone or make children jump with joy. However, there is a huge market for budget gifts.
People often scour the lanes of their local department store for deals and budget gift ideas. Why not deliver the budget gift ideas right to their inbox?
Bring together your best selection of gifts under a certain dollar amount that could be an easy impulse purchase for most shoppers. These budget gifts will prove to be popular among those who aren’t looking to spend hundreds of dollars on people who don’t fit into their circle of close friends and family members.
Wrap Up
Consumers are expected to spend more money this holiday season than they did last year. How are you going to make sure you earn your fair share of their holiday spending?
High-performing holiday email marketing campaigns are a great way to keep your marketing budget in check and deliver exceptional results when your subscribers are looking to open their wallets.
The holiday season lends itself to many creative marketing ideas that can help you set your business apart from the competition. This year, use our holiday email ideas to create a unique campaign that helps you finish the year strong.
