Christmas is a special and important holiday for both companies and consumers, worldwide. Although the corona pandemic means that Christmas will look very different this year, there are still many ways you can get in touch with your customers and keep the Christmas spirit going, in challenging times like these. The positive thing about the Christmas holiday is that customers are already prepared to make purchases. All you need to do is steer them in the right direction. To do that, there are many smart tools you can use, Marketing Automation is one of them. Below we share some successful marketing tips for Christmas that you can use to strengthen the relationship with your customers, during one of the most profitable holidays 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 most profitable and what did you do that was special at the time? Maybe it was that you used a customized template in a campaign email, or included an exclusive offer for loyal members? Analyzing previous activities is an important piece of the puzzle, which both gives you insights and lays the foundation for how you can best succeed with a successful campaign this year.
Segmentation is A and O
A targeted and personal Christmas email will have a much higher commitment, than a typical mass email. Personalizing means using customer data to create a targeted message. Instead of speaking to the recipient as a general customer, we instead speak to it 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 indicate that targeted messages have as much as 6 times as high an opening rate as ordinary mass emails.
Send a gift guide
Even though you often seem to be out in good time to plan your purchases of Christmas presents, it happens all too often that you still wait until the last minute. The reason why this happens year after year, is because customers are not completely sure what to buy for their loved ones. Here, customers may need help on the stack 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 the most. For example, send a guide who has gifts for less than SEK 100 or one with gifts for mom, colleague, etc. Do not forget to link directly to the products in the email, to increase the chance of conversion.
This year we give more – offer free shipping
With all the limits and restrictions on staying at home, online shopping has become increasingly important for consumers this year. For this very reason, the marketing of your ecommerce should have a central focus in your email marketing efforts. A smart way to get online orders to hit the ceiling is by offering free shipping. Often, shipping costs are a major factor in 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.
Use Marketing Automation, your secret weapon
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 the opening rate and commitment. Facilitate email communication with your customers during one of the busiest seasons of the year. Set up automated feeds 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 closing rate.
Front 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 flexible to get hold of because they are purchased online and are often very much appreciated to get. In addition, the annual growth for e-commerce is expected to be as much as 40% instead of the 30% previously estimated. It gives your company an excellent chance to attract customers to your particular ecommerce, by clearly fronting that you have digital gift cards available. Haven’t started with digital gift cards yet? Then take a closer look at how and why you should get started with it and the striking benefits of them.
The importance of an accurate subject line
Our last marketing tip for Christmas is about a few words. Some words and sentences attract more attention than others, these powerful words are called power-words. Therefore, it is important to have a prominent and accurate headline in your emails. It will be absolutely decisive for whether the recipient will open them or not. The purpose of the subject line in your email is for the customer to act quickly. Dare to be creative and look in your own inbox at which subject lines caught your attention. Tips on some effective power-words are sales-driven words such as discount, promotion and offer as well as time-constrained calls that do not miss, only today and the last chance!
To tie together (Santa) the sack
Be sure to set up a strategy for your marketing activities in time for the Christmas holidays. Look back for a second, analyze previous years’ results and set up a new, fresh campaign plan. Do not forget to personalize your emails and show appreciation to your customers. In times like these, extra care is needed, so consider including an exclusive offer in your emails. Avoid Christmas stress and instead use tools that facilitate communication with your customers, such as Marketing Automation. And perhaps most important of all, spread energy and joy. We would all need an extra dose of these two ingredients, after a shattering and strange year to say the least.
