4 tips for your holiday email campaigns
Dear Emma,
I need help. Maybe it's me, but I swear I'm getting more emails as the holidays approach. Literally, I'm swearing. At cardboard elves outside the mall. That I pelted with tiny peppermint candies. Clearly I'm a little stressed about my holiday emails standing out. Any tips?
Thanks,
Merry Meltdown in Dallas
Dear Merry,
Not to worry, Merry. Or be arraigned, for that matter. While you're right about the uptick in email volume -- 83% of major online retailers increased their email volume during November and December, according to the Email Experience Council's Retail Email Guide to the Holiday Season 2010 -- great emails still get noticed. Take a deep breath, then try our ideas for helping your holiday emails stand out in the crowd:
1. Mind the basics.
With the increased holiday email volume, it's more important than ever to make sure your subject lines, preview panes and content are at their best. Review the basics before every send-off -- our email checklist is a good guide to keep handy.
2. Find new segments of your audience.
If it's healthy to love a statistic, we adore this one from MarketingSherpa. They found that, during the last 90 days of the year, click rates for segmented campaigns are five times higher than nonsegmented campaigns. So, now's a fine time to try Emma's search and segment feature to target your subscribers based on just about anything you know about 'em.
3. Do the numbers.
If you see a dip in your open or click rates, it may be time to tweak your promotion or retool your content. And an increase in opt outs may mean you're sending too frequently. Those response numbers are your subscribers talking back to you (in a silent-numeric way), so don't forget to listen (in a not-expecting-to-hear-actual-voices way).
4. Stand out with design.
Great design helps your emails grab attention in any season, and the same goes for a festive holiday treatment of your usual look. A bit of visual inspiration may be just the thing that motivates someone to donate, buy or visit your website. (Check the sidebar for details on how Emma's design team can add a little style to your holiday campaigns.)
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There you have it -- a few ideas that can improve your holiday email results (and possibly keep you out of trouble with the mall cops). Of course, if you've got questions or your own holiday ideas to share, don't hesitate to drop us a line.
Cheers,
Emma