How to Get Your Email Marketing Program Holiday Ready

1. Prioritize timing

While the majority of Black Friday emails were sent ahead of the shopping holiday (as early as 30 days in advance), the bulk of Cyber Monday emails were sent on Cyber Monday itself. Surprisingly, 20 percent of retailers sent a post-Black Friday email, while 26 percent sent a post-Cyber Monday email up to a week after the holiday, usually to announce the extension of sale prices. To ensure your timing is on point when it’s time to hit send on holiday marketing emails, you should begin preparations now.

In the weeks leading up to Halloween, you should aim to finalize your holiday targeting strategy by re-engaging any lapsed or inactive subscribers that you haven’t engaged with recently. Additionally, marketers should find meaningful ways to stay connected with their subscribers year-round to reduce long-term, non-engaged segments of the email list.

2. Make an offer they cannot refuse

In 2017, “percentage off a purchase” was the incentive retailers used most often to entice shoppers, followed by “dollars off” a purchase. However, what works for some won’t work for all. Allow for flexibility in your marketing campaign plan to let the metrics speak for themselves. If your unsubscribe rates or spam placement rates spike, adjust your strategy accordingly.

The holidays are not the time for win-back or re-engagement campaigns. When it’s time for holiday deployment, focus only on your subscriber base who have been actively engaged with your brand to avoid risk and unwanted delivery issues.

3. Balance your marketing channels

An overwhelming majority of consumers prefer email to other marketing channels, but that doesn’t mean you can’t leverage other channels to get back into the inbox. If you haven’t “heard” from someone via email in 10 months, consider sending a push notification to their phone to make sure the email address on file is correct.

This is an organic way to clean up your email lists and naturally re-introduce subscribers to your emails. On the flipside, however, don’t force a non-email person into your subscriber list. Use non-engagement as a sign that those consumers are not email people and reach them another way. Engage with your audience and subscribers on the channel on which they are most comfortable.

4. Adjust frequency gradually

Email volume naturally increases during the holidays. However, doubling your email volume in a single day will have your carefully crafted emails deferred queued, or potentially blocked. The holidays are not the time play games with brand reputation. Gradually build up the volume in advance of peak sending days to help establish volume expectations with mailbox providers and avoid volume spikes. Respond to engagement rates, click rates, and unsubscribe rates throughout your holiday campaign.

If “unsubscribes” go through the roof, dial it back. Don’t keep pushing if your metrics are advising you to do otherwise. Watch the results and be ready to make changes accordingly.

The holidays are a busy time for everyone, your customers included. By giving yourself time to solidify marketing strategy, engaging with your audience on their preferred platforms and adjusting volume gradually, your holiday marketing program will be a success!