At Shero Commerce, our mission is to empower brands to engage with their audience throughout the year effectively. As the 2023 Holiday Season approaches, brands can reconnect with their audience, creating a sense of warmth and belonging. It is a time to refine marketing strategies and extend heartfelt offerings to their loyal customers – thus embracing the true spirit of giving.
The Power of Email Marketing
Email marketing has emerged as a profoundly lucrative channel for generating revenue. Through skillfully crafted email campaigns, customers stay informed about your latest products, exclusive offers, and enticing sales. Best of all, you own the email list and customer information. Over time, as the list grows, so do your sales.
For most eCommerce businesses, the Holiday Season, November and December, can make up a large portion of their annual revenue. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), last year’s holiday sales increased by 5.3% to $936.3 billion. Five years ago, the numbers from the same report were $720.89 billion. Thus, it is imperative that creative email campaigns find unique and dynamic ways to not only engage with customers but also translate that engagement into purchases.
In this post, we will guide you through a list of recommendations that will assist you in increasing your holiday sales for 2023.
Reviewing the Email Marketing Fundamentals
The email marketing landscape continues to witness a huge change in technologies and approaches used to do email marketing. They offer innovative design capabilities, advanced email marketing software with prebuilt templates, and segmentation that allows merchants to create rich, engaging emails with dynamic content. Yet, the bedrock of email marketing remains anchored in four basic elements:
- Simplified Subject Lines: Clarity matters in the email deluge. Imagine receiving an email titled “Gifts Galore – Unwrap the Magic!” You instantly know what to expect – a delightful array of holiday gift options. In contrast, a vague subject like “Holiday Savings!” leaves customers uncertain and may get overlooked.
- Clean Copy: Customers appreciate concise and compelling messaging that continues to build on the subject line promise/messaging. Email copy that is too heavy can overwhelm the customers, and your message can get lost. Readers quickly understand the most important information by keeping it concise and centered on the sale or promotion. Using straightforward copy conveys excitement and entices customers to explore your collection or offer.
- High-Quality Imagery: Whether it’s interactive design elements or still photography, the quality of these elements directly reflects the brand and conversions – the visual story you tell your audience about your promotion.
Spending time developing high-quality visuals representing both the brand and the promotion can heavily influence customer purchasing. For example, picture a travel company using stunning images of exotic destinations in their email campaign. Customers will be enticed to explore further and fulfill their wanderlust.
- Compelling Call To Action: The heartbeat of email marketing lies in a compelling call to action that uses strong action verbs to communicate your offer clearly. The key is to make it irresistibly inviting. The following are some good examples of compelling calls to action:
- “Buy now” – A classic CTA that encourages immediate purchase.
- “Complete my purchase” – Instills a sense of urgency to finish the transaction.
- “Treat yourself today” – Appeals to the user’s desire for self-indulgence.
- “Grab it today” – Creates a sense of urgency and limited availability.
- “Try out today” – Invites users to experience a product or service firsthand.
- “Get the look” – Appeals to fashion and style-related products.
- “Buy now to avoid disappointment” – Emphasizes potential regret if the user doesn’t act quickly.
- “Buy now and enjoy {add user benefit}” – Highlights a specific benefit the user will get from the purchase.
These straightforward yet enticing calls to action create an emotional connection, compelling customers to click through and explore the possibilities.
Though there are standards to email marketing strategy, creative influence and direction vary from brand to brand. Identity is where a brand cultivates and differentiates itself creatively, and finding ways to reflect that in your holiday campaigns will drive your audience toward purchases.
What specific email marketing strategies can be applied for the 2023 Holiday Season?
Now that we have explained the four bedrocks of email marketing, let’s move to some actual strategies you can apply for the upcoming 2023 Holiday Season.
Remember that being explorative in your campaigns will help you discover and understand how your audience engages with your content and products. Look at previous emails that have seen high click-through rates and have generated revenue to get historical data on your customer’s behavior. Using insights from data, paired with a clearly defined concept, is a strong starting place for an effective email campaign.
To create a successful holiday email campaign, consider the following strategies:
- Start early: One of the best strategies for a successful holiday sales season is to start early. By promoting your sales and offers well in advance, you can build anticipation and avoid the last-minute rushes that can lead to stress and chaos. This allows you to reach more customers and generate more revenue while ensuring that your staff is prepared and able to handle the increased demand. Start promoting your holiday sales well ahead, whether you offer discounts, special deals, or free shipping.
. - Segment your audience: When you segment your email list into different groups based on customer interests, demographics, and past purchase behavior, you can create targeted and relevant content that resonates with each group.
By doing this, you can increase your email open rates, click-through rates, and, ultimately, your conversion rates. Take the time to segment your audience and tailor your content accordingly, and you’ll be sure to see better results from your email marketing efforts.
- Leverage automation: Email automations, or flows, effectively improve your customer engagement and increase sales. By sending personalized messages to your customers based on their behavior, you can create a more tailored and relevant experience for them.
For example, if a customer abandons a cart without completing their purchase, you can set up an automated email reminder encouraging them to return and complete their order. Similarly, after a customer makes a purchase, you can send them a follow-up email asking for feedback and offering them related products or services.
By using email automation to send these targeted messages, you can build stronger relationships with your customers and drive more sales for your business. If you haven’t already, consider implementing an email automation strategy today! - Create a sense of urgency: You can achieve this using countdown timers or limited-time offers. Countdown timers are great for building anticipation and excitement around a product or promotion. By displaying a ticking clock, you can motivate customers to act fast before time runs out. Limited-time offers can also be a powerful tool for driving sales. By setting a deadline for a promotion, you create a sense of scarcity and urgency that can spur customers to make a purchase they might otherwise put off.
Whether you choose to use countdown timers, limited-time offers, or both, make sure to communicate the urgency of your message clearly and effectively to your customers.
- Offer exclusive deals: To encourage more email engagement, you can offer exclusive deals and promotions that are only available to subscribers. This can be a powerful incentive for recipients to open and engage with your emails, as they’ll feel they’re getting access to something special. Whether it’s a discount code, a free trial, or a limited-time offer, the key is to make your subscribers feel like they’re part of an exclusive club that’s getting access to something valuable.
By using this tactic, you can boost your email engagement rates and keep your subscribers returning for more.
- Utilize gift guides: One great way to assist customers in finding the ideal present is by utilizing gift guides. You can curate a collection of product recommendations based on various categories, price ranges, or the recipient’s interests. This can help take the guesswork out of gift-giving and ensure your customer finds something they will love.
. - Celebrate lesser-known holidays: To make your brand stand out and engage customers, you could look at celebrating lesser-known holidays. By running campaigns around niche holidays or events, you can tap into the interests of your target audience and create a sense of community around your brand.
This approach helps differentiate your brand from the competition and fosters long-term customer loyalty. So, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and find unique ways to celebrate lesser-known holidays throughout the season.
- Optimize email frequency: When it comes to optimizing email frequency, it’s important to find the right balance between engaging your audience and avoiding excessive unsubscribes. One effective strategy is to test different sending frequencies to see what works best for your particular audience.
By experimenting with various schedules and observing how your subscribers respond, you can fine-tune your approach and optimize your email campaigns for maximum effectiveness. Remember to keep your subscribers’ preferences and interests in mind, and always strive to provide valuable and relevant content that keeps them coming back for more.
- Optimize for mobile: When creating your emails, be sure to consider how they will appear on mobile devices. Many people check their inboxes while on the go, so optimizing for mobile is important. Make sure your emails are responsive and easy to read on smaller screens. This will ensure that your message is effectively delivered and received by your audience.
- Track and analyze performance: An important aspect of email marketing is tracking and analyzing performance. Monitoring key metrics, such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, helps identify areas for improvement and inform future campaign strategies. This allows you to optimize your email marketing efforts and achieve better results. Make sure you pay close attention to these metrics and use the insights you gain to continuously improve your email marketing campaigns.
Email Personalization Techniques
Now that you know all about email marketing strategies, let’s move to some personalization techniques to use in your email marketing.
To expand on the concept of personalization in your holiday email campaigns, there are a few techniques you can consider implementing.
- Dynamic content: To personalize the shopping experience for customers, an effective way is to use their data to show them tailored content. For example, you could display product recommendations based on their browsing history or past purchases. This can help customers find products they might not have otherwise discovered and increase the likelihood of purchasing.
By using dynamic content, you can show customers that you understand their needs and preferences, leading to greater customer satisfaction and loyalty. - Behavioral triggers: It’s important to note that this approach can be highly effective in increasing customer engagement and conversion rates. By customizing email messages based on specific actions taken by the customer, such as abandoning a shopping cart or browsing a particular product category, you can create a more personalized and relevant experience for each individual. This can build trust and loyalty and encourage customers to take action and complete their purchases.
Tracking and analyzing these behavioral triggers over time can also gain valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences, which can inform your marketing and sales strategies in the future.
. - Customized design: Adjust email designs to cater to different customer segments. This could include using varying imagery or messaging based on demographics. By doing so, businesses can better resonate with their audience and increase the effectiveness of their email campaigns.
. - Personalized subject lines: To increase the chances of your email being opened, it’s important to personalize the subject line. You can do this by incorporating the recipient’s name or other relevant information in the subject line. This will catch their attention and make them more likely to open the email. So, take a few extra seconds to personalize your subject lines and see if it makes a difference in your open rates.
- Develop buyer personas: Create detailed profiles of your target customers. By understanding their needs, preferences, and motivations, you can better tailor your marketing efforts to reach and engage with them effectively. Take the time to gather insights through market research, surveys, and customer feedback to create comprehensive and accurate buyer personas. Buyer personas help you narrow down your target client and enable you to attract, market, and retain more customers.
- Use Emojis in Subject Lines: 🦃 🥳 🎄🎅 ⛄️ ❄️ Using emojis in email subject lines can be an effective way to grab the attention of your recipients and add a touch of personality to your emails. However, using them strategically and considering your audience’s preferences is essential. Here are some tips for using emojis in email subject lines:
- Keep it relevant: Use emojis related to your email’s content and complement the subject line. Avoid using emojis to make your subject line stand out, as this may come across as unprofessional or spammy.
- Convey an emotion: Emojis can help convey emotions and set the tone for your email. Choose emojis that accurately represent the feeling you want to evoke in your recipients.
- Please don’t overdo it: Using too many emojis in a subject line can make it look cluttered and unprofessional. Stick to one or two emojis that effectively convey your message.
- Test and optimize: Not all email clients and devices display emojis the same way, so testing your subject lines across different platforms is essential to ensure they render correctly. Additionally, monitor your open rates and engagement metrics to determine if using emojis in your subject lines is effective for your audience.
- Consider your audience: Be mindful of your target audience and their preferences when using emojis in subject lines. What works for one demographic may not resonate with another
Email Design Trends
Okay, now that you have learned all about different email marketing strategies, and are clear on different personalization techniques, let’s move on to some email design trends to consider incorporating into your holiday campaigns.
- Floating products: One way to make your product showcase stand out is by utilizing the floating product technique. By creating a visually appealing display where items appear to float on the email background, you can capture the attention of potential customers and make your products more memorable. This technique creates a unique and engaging experience for your audience, which can help increase conversions and drive sales. Consider experimenting with this approach in your next email marketing campaign to see how it can benefit your business.
- Irregular frames: To expand the visually appealing display where items appear to float on the email background, try increasing the size of the images or adjusting the spacing between them. This can help create a more dynamic and engaging layout for your recipients.
- Overlapped lettering: Layer text elements to create a sense of depth and dimension.
Colorful and patterned drop shadows: Add vibrant shadows to text and images for a more dynamic look. Consider creating a more dynamic and engaging layout for your tips to catch the attention of potential customers. This could involve eye-catching graphics, bold headings, and well-organized content to make your tips more visually appealing and easily read. By putting in the effort to make your tips stand out, you can attract more customers and build a stronger brand identity. 
Consider creating a more eye-catching and interactive layout to make your promotions more effective. This can draw in potential readers and keep them engaged with your content. Some ways to achieve this could be through images, videos, or infographics to illustrate your points or by incorporating interactive elements such as quizzes or polls.
Examples of Successful Holiday Campaigns
Here are five concrete examples of successful holiday campaigns from well-known brands for Christmas, Black Friday, and Thanksgiving:
Apple – Share the Joy (Christmas): Apple’s holiday campaign focused on sharing the joy of the season with their customers. The email showcased their products as perfect gift options and encouraged customers to explore their holiday gift guide.
Coca-Cola – Christmas Always Finds Its Way (Christmas): Coca-Cola’s Christmas campaign emphasized the magic of the holiday season and the brand’s connection to it. The email featured heartwarming visuals and a festive message, reinforcing the brand’s association with Christmas.
Amazon – Joy is Made (Christmas): Amazon’s Christmas campaign highlighted the joy of giving and receiving gifts during the holiday season. The email showcased a variety of products and encouraged customers to shop for their loved ones on the platform.
Puma – Email Marketing Example (Black Friday): Puma’s Black Friday email campaign used bold visuals and a clear call-to-action to promote their sale. The email highlighted the discounts available and urged customers to shop before the sale ended. 
Casper (Thanksgiving): Casper’s Thanksgiving email campaign focused on expressing gratitude to their customers. The email featured a simple design with a heartfelt message, thanking customers for their support and offering a special discount as a token of appreciation.
These examples demonstrate various approaches to holiday email campaigns, such as promoting special deals, expressing gratitude, and showcasing products. You can use these ideas to create your own unique holiday email campaigns that resonate with your audience and boost sales during the holiday season.
By incorporating these strategies, personalization techniques, and design trends into your holiday email campaigns, you can create engaging and effective content that resonates with your audience and drives conversions during the festive season.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the holiday season serves as a great opportunity for brands to foster meaningful connections with their audience through email marketing. Businesses can achieve remarkable results by embracing the fundamentals and infusing creativity into campaigns. Remember, each email presents a chance to weave stories that resonate with customers, leaving a lasting impact. So, as you embark on your holiday email campaign, let the spirit of storytelling guide you, for it is the stories that bring magic and meaning to this joyous season.
Remember, “The more you know about your customers, the better you will be able to serve them.”
Happy emailing, and may your campaigns evoke smiles and warm hearts!
If you’d like to discuss how we can help, contact us!
Further Reading
For those interested in diving deeper into the world of email marketing and eCommerce strategies, we recommend the following resources:
From Shero Commerce:
- What is Email Marketing Automation + How to Get Started: A comprehensive guide on setting up email marketing automation, including Welcome Series and Abandoned Cart series.
- Guide to SMS Marketing: What is SMS + Benefits, Stats, and SMS Services: Learn how SMS marketing can complement your existing marketing efforts to increase brand awareness, engagement, and sales.
- Klaviyo vs Mailchimp: A detailed look into the features that top brands rely on for enhancing customer experience between these two email marketing platforms.
External Resources:
- HubSpot’s Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing: A deep dive into the world of email marketing, from basics to advanced strategies.
- Mailchimp’s Holiday Marketing Tips: Specific strategies and tips for maximizing your holiday email campaigns.
- Campaign Monitor’s Email Design Trends for 2023: Stay updated with the latest design trends to make your emails stand out.
We hope these resources provide further insights and strategies to enhance your email marketing campaigns, especially during the holiday season. Happy reading!
Ashley is a versatile marketing pro with years of experience in content strategy, social media, email marketing, SEO, CRO, and UX. Her diverse background provides a deep understanding of client needs and project management, while her entrepreneurial spirit drives her to create unique and engaging content. Her broad skill set and innovative approach make her a valuable asset in dynamic marketing.
