The holiday season is pure magic, no matter how you slice it. The joy of decorating, buying gifts, eating great food, and shopping are just a few of the many activities we get to partake in. There are also family gatherings and Christmas parties that truly bring us together in celebration. And let's not forget about the cool weather and snow. The Holidays are indeed one of a kind.
Did I mention the shopping sprees?
The only thing rivaling gifts during the holiday season is buying gifts. Shopping gives us a specific high as dopamine and endorphins are released to our brains (you are welcome for the little science lesson). For some, this can lead to compulsive shopping disorders, and for some, it leads to a spike in retail sales.
But let's not talk about the bad.
This article is going to focus on the good! The spike in sales for many small retail businesses keeps them afloat. Some businesses wouldn't make it without the likes of holiday season shopping. These small businesses must learn how to win the holiday shopping season. How does one "win" at holiday season shopping, though? By setting all-time highs in sales, of course.
Your small business will put much effort into developing and delivering extraordinary holiday deals and products. You must be able to let the general public know about your efforts, and word of mouth will only get you so far. Social media is a great option; however, many small businesses are unaware of a tried and true method of ensuring that your holiday deals are vastly distributed. I am talking about email campaigns.
What are Email Campaigns?
Simply put, an email campaign is a set of emails your business will send out to the general public to promote any special offers, deals, and products you are excited to share. This can be any special offer for any holiday. Black Friday is the biggest shopping day for any holiday; however, the 4th of July and Valentine's Day will also give you a chance to release special offers. No one will take you up on your great values if they do not know about them. Email campaigns can change that!
Effective email campaigns can bring back previous customers and also introduce new ones. They are a great way to spark sales and take advantage of holiday shopping. Your competitors are going to be providing similar deals on similar products. Whoever informs the most potential buyers will end up "winning" the season.
How Can I Start an Email Campaign?
Before starting your exceptional email campaign, you have to narrow down what you want to share with your potential customers. If you just try to send a link to your website, then your email will be looked over. It would be best to highlight what you offer this holiday season that sets you apart from others.
If you are a service provider, you may promote a discount on services provided for a short time. If you are rolling out a new product specifically for the holiday season, then tell them about that. Maybe you just want to let everyone know that all of your products are on a special holiday discount. Whatever you are trying to market this season should be the email's primary focus.
Once you have determined what this email campaign will be promoting, you must decide if this will be a one-and-done campaign or if you will be rolling out new offers in the weeks leading up to the holiday. More often than not, one email is all you need to get the customers rolling in. However, your grand scheme for a holiday will sometimes require more than one email (and sometimes more than two).
Now you know what to promote and how many times it needs to be sent. The next step in your holiday season marketing campaign is to choose an email automation software to handle it for you. There are many service providers to choose from online; however, Mailchimp, Mailjet, SendX, and Constant Contact are a few of the more popular choices. No matter whom you choose, it would help if you had someone running the campaign.
What Should My Email Campaign Look Like?
You are ready to construct this email to put a checkmark in your holiday season win column. One word of caution: do not overthink this email. You only want to include important information for this email. Too much wording will only drive customers further away. The bright lights and big flashy centerpieces should only be kept at home for your enjoyment. Your potential customers want to know what the deals and special offers are, and that is about it.
You do not want to come across as cold and bland, so make sure to use festive language in your email. Also, some well-placed holiday images and color schemes will help catch their attention. The main point to take away from here is not to go too big and not too small. Like with the perfect Christmas tree, you'll know your email is perfect when you see it.
CTAs (call to action) are a must for your email. This will likely be what makes or breaks your campaign. Improper wording can lead to failure, so you should take care when deciding how to incorporate this. The call to action will be what you expect this email campaign to accomplish for your business. The CTA will likely ask potential customers to follow your link to view your special holiday deals. It might also be for the recipients to call your business for more information.
If your campaign is a series of emails rather than just one, then each email should give the recipients a higher sense of urgency to act on this deal. You can follow the pattern of suggestions, reminders, and "Act Now!" with your email progressions.
How Do I Go from Junk Mail to Profit?
You may have the most outstanding email campaign planned and designed. However, if you cannot get out of the junk mail or promotions folder, all of your efforts were for nothing. This is where a catchy subject line will come in handy.
Using a subject line that intrigues your potential customers will coax them into opening the email. You do not want to keep them guessing, but you also want them to be curious. You don't want to give them all the details in this subject line, but you also want to be straightforward. Also, using negatives like "Do Not Miss Out" and "Don't Be..." could possibly harm your campaign. Moving from junk to read is an art, and I am sure you will perfect it.
Let's Make Your Email Campaign Count!
This holiday shopping season could be your small business's defining moment. It could be the boost you need to open a second storefront or hire more employees. Do not waste a moment of this holiday season and begin constructing your email marketing campaign today. Maennche Virtual CMO has the expertise and experience you need to get your email campaign up and running in no time. Reach out to learn more about what our team can do for you!