Christmas is a special and important holiday for businesses and consumers around the world. One of the most positive aspects of the Christmas season is that customers are already prepared to make purchases. All you have to do is steer them in the right direction. To do that, there are many smart tools you can use, such as Marketing Automation. is one of them. Below we share some successful Christmas marketing tips that you can use to strengthen your relationship with your customers during one of the most profitable times of the year.
Look back for a moment
Our first marketing tip for Christmas is to look back. A good start can be to analyze the previous year’s results. What went well and what went less well? Which campaigns over the years have been the most profitable and what did you do that was special at the time? Perhaps it was that you used a tailor-made template in a promotional mailing, or included an exclusive offer for loyal members? Analyzing past activities is an important piece of the puzzle, giving you insights and laying the foundation for how best to run a successful campaign this year.
A targeted and personalized Christmas mailing will have a much higher engagement rate than a typical mass mailing. Personalization means using customer data to create a targeted message. Instead of speaking to the recipient as a general customer, we speak to them as a unique person. By including names and personal recommendations in the email, the customer will immediately feel a stronger connection to your company and be perceived as important to you. Many studies suggest that targeted messages have as much as 6x the opening rate as regular mass mailings.
Send a gift guide
Even though people often seem to plan their Christmas shopping well in advance, all too often they wait until the last minute. The reason this happens year after year is because customers are not sure what to buy for their loved ones. Customers may need help with inspiration, so give it to them! Create a gift guide with fun and creative ideas on what to buy for family and friends. Divide the guides into different categories and use customer behavior data to find out what your customers are looking for most. For example, send a guide that has gifts under €100 or one with gifts for your mom, colleague, etc. Don’t forget to link directly to the products in the email to increase the chance of conversion.
This year we give more - offer free shipping
In these times, sales are really important for businesses to stay alive. For this very reason, the promotion of your brand should be a central focus of your email marketing efforts. A smart way to make online orders go through the roof is to offer free shipping. Oftentimes, shipping costs are a major factor for abandoned shopping carts. By offering your customers free shipping on their order, you also give them a safe and attractive alternative to visiting your physical store.
See Marketing Automation as your secret weapon. Reaching the right people, with the right message, at the right time, is the best way to increase open rates and engagement. Facilitate email communication with your customers during one of the busiest seasons of the year. Set up automated flows on repetitive processes that include everything from welcome messages and abandoned shopping carts to offers and reminders. This way you can both increase conversions and increase the completion rate.
Fronting with digital gift cards
When consumers have no idea what to buy for a particular person, a digital gift card is a perfect gift to give. They are both super easy to get because they are purchased online and often very much appreciated. This gives your business an excellent opportunity to attract customers to your e-commerce site by clearly advertising that you have digital gift cards available. If you haven’t started using digital gift cards yet? Then take a closer look at how and why you should get started and the striking benefits of them.
The importance of an accurate subject line
Our final marketing tip for Christmas comes down to a few words. Some words and phrases attract more attention than others, these powerful words are called power words. That’s why it’s important to have a striking and accurate headline in your emails. This will determine whether the recipient will open them or not. The purpose of the subject line in your mailing is to get the customer to act quickly. Be creative and check your own inbox to see which subject lines caught your attention. Tips on some effective power words are sales-driving words such as discount, promotion and offer as well as time-pressured prompts such as don’t miss, today only and last chance!cing elite. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
To tie the (Santa) sack together
Make sure you strategize your marketing activities in time for the holiday season. Take a second to look back, analyze the results of previous years and come up with a new, fresh campaign plan. Don’t forget to personalize your mailings and show appreciation to your customers. In times like these, extra care is needed, so consider including an exclusive offer in your mailings. Take the stress out of Christmas and use tools that make communication with your customers easier, such as Marketing Automation. And perhaps most importantly, spread energy and joy. These two ingredients go a long way.
Need help with your Christmas strategy? Don’t hesitate to contact us. Don’t have a Rule account yet and want to get started with digital communication? Get started with Rule free today and explore all our benefits.
