Halloween’s history for this year, and you know what that means. Yep. The holiday shopping season is upon us. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are right around the corner, and before you know it we’ll be ringing in the New Year.
And the right email solutions can help make your cash registers ring, too!
Think about using some of these email marketing tips and let us know if they make it to your list of best email marketing solutions this holiday season.
Email Marketing “Trailers”
Who doesn’t enjoy a movie trailer? And very often aren’t they a big part of why you end up seeing that movie? So, why not send out an email “trailer” that gives people a preview of coming attractions at your business?
Offer up a discount or special offer — and don’t forget to tell them to bring their friends so everyone can beat the holiday crowds and get a great deal.
Feeling really inspired? Make it a literal trailer by creating a video.
Got eCommerce? Get into Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday falls on December 1st this year. Send out a series of emails beforehand to make people aware of your offerings, along with a reminder on the actual day.
Holiday Gift Guide
Oh boy. Who isn’t looking for help on what to buy that relative who’s impossible to buy for? So, help your customers by offering suggestions.
You can make it more general for your entire list like “8 Gifts Under $50 for the Chocolate Lovers in Your Life” (if you sell chocolate) or broken down by segments like “Who Doesn’t Love Chocolate Covered Cherries?” (sent to the people on your list who have purchased chocolate covered cherries in the past).
Coupons
You can never go wrong with a coupon. Depending on the offer you can build an email around it or tack it onto your holiday newsletter. Actually, here’s an email marketing tip good anytime: Always give your readers a reason to open your newsletter by including an offer of some kind.
Or you could make it a Black Friday (November 28th this year) offer to take advantage of all the shoppers you know will be out and about. Give them a reason to put your store on their list of shopping destinations.
Don't Get Bogged Down in 2014
After all, it's the end of the year. Take time now to tell people about your big plans (and offers!) coming in the new year.
Extra bonus tip to grow your email list: Once people set foot in your store, make it easy for them to sign up for your emails. It could be a QR code on a poster or an iPad dialed in to your website contact form at the register. You can even go low tech with a clipboard, pen and paper. Don’t stress out on the “how” just make sure you give people the opportunity!
Deborah is a reformed tennis bum and inbound marketing strategist whose main professional purpose is to support local business owners, experts and entrepreneurs by helping them understand the impact and importance of online marketing. She is one happy camper when she can help clients be more visible on the Internet, increase their own customer base and become more profitable. How can she help you?