Launching early holiday campaigns sets the stage for a successful seasonal run for your business. They expose your brand to potential shoppers before the holidays hit full swing.
This proactive approach allows you to capture attention, create anticipation and connect with your audience just when they’re starting to plan their holiday purchases.
But is getting ahead alone enough to rake in holiday sales and meet your targets? How exactly should you approach your overall holiday marketing strategy for email or go about choosing holiday email templates?
Let this blog guide your holiday season marketing plan.
First, here’s a quick relevant stat to underpin the importance of having effective holiday email marketing strategies:
Image: Consumer holiday spending plans data / NRF
Holiday spending is hitting a new high, with shoppers planning to spend around $902 each this year on gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items. According to a survey, most of this increase is driven by gift-giving.1
About $641 of the total is expected to go toward presents for family, friends and co-workers, a bump up from last year’s $620. The remaining $261 will cover seasonal extras like food, decorations, greeting cards and other festive purchases.1
Nearly half of shoppers (45%) are starting early, browsing and buying before November, a trend that’s been steady in recent years. Reasons for this early bird approach? Many (59%) spread their spending over several months, avoid the last-minute rush (45%), skip crowded stores (42%) and snag deals they don’t want to miss (42%).1
Even with this early start, though, most shoppers (62%) expect to wrap up their holiday buying in December.
Image: Holiday shopping channels data / NRF
For where they’ll shop, online is the top pick this year, with 57% of shoppers planning to buy online. Department and grocery stores tie at 46%, while 45% will shop at discount stores.1
It’s good to see that the majority are planning to shop online. Although, no matter where people shop, you can engage them through email marketing.
📗 Related read: 30 Key Social Shopping Statistics You Need To Know in 2024 + Tips
Holiday Email Marketing Best Practices
Let’s take a closer look at these holiday email marketing best practices to inform your strategy.
1. Segment Your Email Subscriber List
It’s all about relevance. When your emails are segmented, they feel less like spam and more like a message made just for them. This leads to higher open rates, more engagement and just better results for your holiday campaigns.
One of the easiest ways to segment is by tracking who’s opening your emails and clicking through. Focus your efforts on sending more targeted content to these engaged users.
You can create different groups based on factors like:
• Demographics (age, location, gender)
• Interests or preferences (products or services they’ve shown interest in)
• Engagement (open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates)
• Customer journey stage (new subscribers vs. loyal customers)
• Behavior (website activity, product views, cart abandonment)
Additionally, you can create custom segments using unique data about your subscribers to craft even more specific holiday campaigns for email.
Instead of blasting the same content to everyone, segmentation allows you to tailor your campaigns based on what really matters to your audience.
2. Run Early Holiday Email Campaigns
Getting a head start on your holiday email campaigns can give you a big advantage. When you launch early, you capture shoppers’ attention before their inboxes get flooded with promotions from other brands.
You can kick off your campaign with a teaser. A “coming soon” email or countdown to your big sale creates excitement and gets people ready to act when your promotions hit.
Some early holiday email marketing ideas:
• Black Friday sale countdown
• Cyber Monday exclusive deals
• Helpful holiday content (more on this in the next section!)
Image: Example of holiday email promoting early campaigns / 177 Milk Street
It’s simple. The earlier you start, the more time you have to build anticipation and grab those early bird shoppers. In fact, around 75% of holiday shoppers keep an eye out for deals throughout the season, so you want to be on their radar from the start.2
It’s clear that timing matters.
To add, in a 2023 survey, about 35% of marketers across several countries chose Tuesdays as their top day for sending marketing emails, with Wednesdays being a close second, preferred by 20%.3
3. Share Helpful Holiday Content Like Gift Guides
While running special offer campaigns is effective, don’t overlook the value of sharing helpful content. You can craft a well-designed email featuring a holiday gift guide or use your email to distribute a blog post that provides useful tips for subscribers during this busy time. This not only helps them out but also drives traffic to your website.
Image: Example holiday email sharing gift guides / McGee & Co.
Now, beyond gift guides, here are some other holiday marketing ideas for content to consider:
• Countdown to the holidays
• Holiday vacation or travel tips
• Holiday dining and recipes
• Party planning ideas for the season
When you share helpful and relevant content with your subscribers, your brand becomes a trusted source. During the holidays, people are more likely to turn to you not just for products or services but also for advice and inspiration.
4. Feature Your Popular Products (And Less Popular Ones)
What’s flying off the shelves in your store? Those are the ones you should feature front and center. If you’re a service-based business, highlight your top services or run a special on subscription packages.
Add a little social proof while you’re at it. Featuring reviews or customer testimonials alongside your popular products adds credibility and encourages more people to click “buy.”
And don’t forget about your less popular items. You want to direct attention to them through your campaigns. A well-timed promotion could help turn those overlooked items into holiday favorites, too!
5. Emphasize Offers Like Discounts or Free Shipping
Who doesn’t love a good deal? Whether it’s for your bestsellers or items that need a little push, offering discounts or perks like free shipping can make a big difference in your sales.
Here’s how you can pull it off in email marketing:
• Make sure your offer is front and center in your subject line and at the top of your email. Try “15% Off Your Next Purchase Inside” or “Exclusive: Free Shipping for This Weekend Only!”
• Use strong, action-oriented calls to action like “Shop Now to Save” or “Unlock Free Shipping” to guide readers toward a quick decision. Bold buttons and eye-catching colors can boost clicks.
Image: Example of holiday email with emphasized offering and bestsellers / Keurig
Some more holiday email marketing ideas for your promos:
• Buy One, Get One Free
• 15% Off Your Next Purchase
• Free Shipping Use Code XYZ
• Bundle Deals (e.g., 20% off when you buy three or more)
• Limited-Time Flash Sale for VIP Subscribers
Special holiday season marketing offers such as these are powerful motivators that make buyers more likely to click “checkout” and complete their purchase on the spot.
🌱 Check out Thrive’s service: eCommerce Marketing
6. Use Holiday-Themed Yet On-Brand Creatives
Visuals are a major factor in holiday marketing, be it in email or across other digital marketing channels. But there are a few tips to keep in mind:
• Optimize your visuals. Holiday emails tend to be visual-heavy and large files can slow load times, especially on mobile. So, optimization is needed.
• Don’t stray too far from your branding or usual look and feel as you embrace the holidays. Consistency with colors, fonts and style keeps you recognizable.
• Don’t overcrowd the email. Festive designs are fun, but too many visuals can distract users from your message and main call to action.
Image: Example of a simple yet festive email design / Ohh Deer
You can take inspiration from the above and customize it for your own holiday email templates. Overall, a well-designed, holiday-themed email catches user attention, sets the mood and makes your message more engaging.
7. Write Personalized and Persuasive Email Copy
Personalization shows subscribers you know them and what they’re interested in and, even better, that you’re delivering value directly to them.
To make the most impact, mind these key spaces for your copywriting:
• Subject Line: Capture attention right from the inbox with a tailored subject, like “Your Favorite Products are Back” or “A Special Offer Just for You.”
• Preview Text: This little line following the subject is prime real estate to reinforce your message and make readers eager to open it.
• Heading: A header, like “Welcome Back!” or “It’s Time to Complete Your Order,” pulls readers in and shows you understand their journey.
• Call-to-Action (CTA): Use targeted CTAs, such as “Finish Your Purchase” or “See Your Picks,” that feel personal and relevant to each user.
But effective personalization doesn’t stop at including someone’s name. It could be a well-timed follow-up email for an abandoned cart or a reminder about items they viewed.
Image: Example of a promotional email notification preview / Logos
Persuasive emails are more likely to drive action.
📗Related read: How To Write Email Marketing Content That Converts
8. Make Sure Your Emails Are Mobile-Friendly
When it comes to email marketing, making your emails mobile-friendly is essential. Especially since a huge number of people will read them on their phones.
Email marketing continues to be one of the most effective online tools. In a 2022 survey, U.S. consumers reported they’re most likely to open emails about promotions or discounts, with over 60% of these types of emails getting read.4
Shoppers love a good deal, so make it easy for them to find those offers on their mobile screens.
Here are some tips for mobile-friendly holiday emails:
• Watch your text length and avoid blocks of text. Short and engaging is the way to go.
• Keep your columns aligned. It’s much easier to scroll and read on a phone.
• Test, test, test. Make sure everything, from images to CTAs, looks great on all devices.
Image: Example of holiday email with dynamic column layout / Nest Bedding
With some tweaks, you can ensure your emails look polished and perform well, no matter where your customers read them.
9. Send Post-Holiday Promotional Emails
What happens after the holidays? While the main rush might be over, there’s still a big opportunity to keep customers engaged. Post-holiday shopping is real, especially for those late gifters or people hunting for deals on leftover stock.
Take advantage of this by running a few smart post-holiday promos:
• “New Year, New Deals” Sales: Encourage shoppers to kick off the year with fresh finds.
• Clearance Events: Great for moving excess stock with appealing discounts.
• “Treat Yourself” Promotions: After buying gifts for others, many shoppers are ready to indulge a little for themselves.
• Free Shipping for a Limited Time: A post-holiday perk to sweeten the deal.
Image: Consumers enjoy post-Christmas shopping / Think With Google
Post-holiday promotional emails keep your brand top of mind and help you capture those extra sales, even after the season wraps up!
10. Use an Email Marketing Platform or Tool
With all the bits and bobs involved in running a solid holiday email marketing strategy, an email platform is practically a must-have. These tools let you manage every aspect of your campaigns smoothly, saving you time and simplifying the details so you can focus on results.
Here’s a quick look at what you can do with a good email marketing platform:
• Streamline campaign execution. Plan, schedule and send campaigns all in one place without a hitch.
• Use and customize built-in templates. With various attractive themes to choose from, platforms make it easy to customize templates that suit your brand without needing a designer’s skill set.
• Manage and segment your subscriber list. Easily create segments for different audience groups (like loyal customers, first-time buyers or seasonal shoppers), which lets you deliver more personalized content.
• A/B testing. Test different subject lines, designs or CTAs to understand what resonates best with your audience.
• Personalize with ease. Most tools allow easy personalization, from including subscriber names to dynamic content blocks tailored to user behavior.
• Track metrics in real-time. Get instant feedback on open rates, click-through rates, conversions and more so you always know how your emails are performing.
Image: Example of email marketing insights you get from Mailchimp
An email marketing platform or tool also lets you automate sequences for efficiency. Set up automated email flows for common actions, like welcome series, abandoned cart follow-ups or post-purchase thank-yous. All without needing to oversee every single message.
With these capabilities, an email marketing tool helps you work smarter, not harder. Free you up to create great content and refine your strategy as you go.
11. Make Sure Your Links Work (And Mind Your Landing Pages)
Your landing pages shouldn’t be slept on. After all, they’re where the magic happens once a user clicks that CTA. Each landing page should match the promise of the email.
Effective landing pages might include the following:
• Exclusive Holiday Deal Pages that highlight specific discounts.
• Gift Guide Pages that direct shoppers to a curated selection of gift ideas.
• Abandoned Cart Recovery Pages encourage customers to complete their purchase.
• Seasonal Collection Page offers a quick look at all your holiday products, making shopping easy and engaging.
You don’t want to send subscribers a great promo email only for them to land on a generic homepage or a wrong link. That wouldn’t make for a great experience, right?
📗 Related read: How To Write Landing Page Copy That Converts
| 📗 Check out other guides: ■ How To Rank Higher on Google Maps in 11 Easy Steps |
|---|
Ready To Make Your Holiday Marketing Ideas Happen?
With a blend of personalized emails, well-timed promotions and strategic post-holiday campaigns, you’re already on your way to standing out. And remember, a holiday-themed email design, paired with the right timing and offers, can keep your brand top-of-mind of shoppers even after the festivities.
If you’re looking for even more ways to spark engagement this holiday, our team at Thrive offers complete outbound digital marketing. From crafting personalized email campaigns to managing social ads and search engine optimization (SEO),
We’re here to fully equip your brand for higher holiday sales! Send us a message.
Sources (4)
1. National Retail Federation: Holiday Spending 2024
2. Think With Google: Consumer Trends Holiday Season
3. Statista: Email Marketing Campaigns Weekday
4. Statista: Online Shoppers Retail Email
