Tips for Promoting Holiday Marketing with Email

Every year the holiday season seems to start earlier and earlier with more and more competition. The holidays provide a great opportunity to connect with customers both new and old, but how do you get them through the door (or into their inbox)? If you’re looking to promote holiday sales and events, a great answer is email marketing. With early planning and some great promotion tools, you can be ready for the holiday sales rush.

1. Start Holiday Sales Planning in September and October

Surprised to see a blog about holiday sales in September? You shouldn’t be. As we’ve mentioned before in our blog, A Productive September and October = a Happier November and December, planning out your holiday sales and events well in advance isn’t just for Christmas with the family. Not only should you be planning out what your holiday sales will look like but planning the promotional material for them (especially email campaigns) now will allow you to run those sales in November – without having to scramble to get them set up. With the great new sales and gifts you can offer, this is also a great time to update your double opt-in emails to remind those who sign up to your list of the great offers.

2. Design Holiday Promo Codes and Sales with Email in Mind

A great tool to boost sales at specific times for specific products is the use of promo codes – of which email makes a great tool to send them with. Want to boost online sales? Make an online-only code to see your website’s store boom. Or make one that can only be redeemed at your physical store. These, combined with sales, are great tools to send out in an e-flyer to all your customers – and a great incentive to get new people to subscribe to your emails.

3. Figure Out Free Gifts That Work for Your Business

Now it’s no secret that people love free things. If you’re uncertain about what kind of products you can give to customers for free, take a look at three popular holiday “Free with Purchase” strategies that will make customers take notice:

• Free Shipping or Giftwrap: For those who buy online, free shipping can be a godsend. Also for those who are in a hurry or want to ship directly to family or friends, gift wrapping can make the difference between a purchase and a pass.
• Gift Card with Purchase: Taking more of a “cash back” approach, you can provide gift cards with purchases that reach some sort of monetary threshold, such as a $5 gift card with every $50 purchased. This makes a great gift for them to use or pass on – bringing another customer to your business.
• Free Accessories to Purchase: Looking to provide something a little more substantial? Look at providing free accessories to popular items with their purchase. This could be a travel-sized version of the product, matching slippers to PJs, or any other great combo.

These offers make great rewards for existing clients on your email list, but also a great way to incentivize new signups to your list. Remember that sales and events should only be part of your email campaign strategy – it’s important to provide additional emails other value to avoid recipients feeling bombarded and opting out and to keep engagement high. After all, an unengaged list is a useless list.

Are you ready for the holidays? Any questions on how to make the most of these suggestions? It’s time to reach out to us here at FeedBlitz. Send our team an email at support@feedblitz.com. You can also use our chat, check out our Help Forum, or give us a call at 1.877.692.5489. Our Support and Sales Desk is available Monday – Friday from 9 am to 5 pm EST.