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Email is a goldmine for businesses: people who make purchases via email tend to spend up to 138% more than those who don't. During major shopping days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, email campaigns can significantly increase your income for the last quarter. But sending a few random emails to your list isn't enough to make a difference. To see results, you need to be strategic in how you reach your prospects.
Here are nine tricks to improve yours holiday email marketing strategy and drive more sales.
1. Get your holiday marketing emails ready now
“It's later than you think.” It's one of my favorite quotes from the show “Mad Men.” Although Roger Sterling's character was referring to the “finite nature of life” and urging us to enjoy each day more, I often think of this quote as it relates to my business. It also applies very well to holiday email marketing.
Many business owners underestimate the effort it takes to create effective email campaigns. READY 46% of consumers start their holiday shopping before November due to shipping concerns, so you don't want to start your emails too late. Give yourself plenty of time to decide on your offers, audience, and email delivery speed.
2. Slowly increase your email volume
Your pace of delivery has a dramatic impact on your email deliverability. Depending on how often you've sent emails in the last few months, start slowly increasing your cadence. Any sudden increase can trigger spam filters, so speed up your volume to avoid your emails going to spam. It's natural to send more emails during the holidays, but in the meantime, reach out to your list regularly to build trust with email service providers.
3. Offer exclusive holiday deals
People like to feel special, especially during the holidays. So think about how you can reward your email subscribers for being part of your club. ABOUT 40% of consumersemail is a discount treasure trove — they check their inboxes looking specifically for brand deals. During the holidays, your customers may be even more inclined to buy via email, so come up with relevant offers for increases engagement and sales.
4. Give your email list a cleanup
The junk folder is the last place you want your holiday emails to land, but a messy email list can cause that. High inflation rates and spam complaints can make you look like an annoying sender, so your campaigns won't reach your inbox.
Use an email verification service to remove outdated contacts and ensure your email list is healthy. with Google is deleting dormant accounts and Yahoo too tightening of shipping rulesyour data must be fresh for your campaigns to be effective.
5. Get the most out of automation
Automation doesn't just save you time; it can also increase your holiday email conversion rates. READY 40% of people those who click on an automated email go on to make a purchase, so if your resources allow it, set up the right emails to go out at the right time. Welcome messages, stock emails and cart abandonment see more engagement. Automating them now means you won't be leaving money on the table.
6. Ensure a seamless experience across devices
Your emails may look great on desktop, but do they render properly on phones and tablets? The 2024 holiday shopping season will be the “most mobile ever,” Adobe predicts, with a record $128.1 billion spent through mobile devices.
A broken image or poorly formatted text can turn off your customers, so remember to proofread every email before you send it. You don't want a small mishap to prevent someone from making a purchase. Plus, it leaves a poor impression of your brand and can cause your future emails to get dropped or deleted.
Related: 3 tips and tricks you can use to boost your holiday emailing
7. Create a sense of urgency with subject lines
During the holidays, inboxes are so full that your subscribers can just scan your subject lines, so you need to make each one worth a click. It's smart to avoid spammy buzzwords like “free,” “buy” or “urgent” and find other ways to convey the value you offer and instill a sense of urgency. Calls to action like “last chance” or “don't miss out” work well for my business. Feel free to experiment with less common approaches.
8. Consider a countdown timer
Countdown timers add even more urgency to your campaign, so test them out this holiday season and measure their performance. Add them to your website and marketing emails to give people a quick visual representation of your offerings and build anticipation.
9. Monitor metrics and adapt quickly
Finally, don't just set up your holiday email campaigns and forget about them. Instead, monitor your own performance measurements in real time. Track open rates, click-through rates and conversions and be ready to adjust if results are poor. You can always change your offers, improve your copy, and try different send times to make your campaigns resonate more.