Seasonal campaigns are one of the very best tools in your email marketing locker. Their value is unquestionable – seasonal campaigns feel fresh, they tap into your customers’ current mood, you can plan them well in advance, and there’s always plenty of scope for creativity.
Even better – your subscribers’ biggest holidays are also their biggest spending times. So a well-crafted seasonal campaign can catch them just at the right moment.
If you’re not already using seasonal email campaigns, or your approach needs a refresh, here’s our guide to getting the most from them.
#1 Seasonal campaigns make planning ahead easy
It’s always a good idea to plan your email marketing campaigns well in advance. Having the next 12 months mapped out, either for the calendar year or for the individual customer journey, helps you to build relationships with your subscribers. With seasonal campaigns, planning ahead is easy – because you know when Christmas, Ramadan, and winter are going to happen well in advance.
Decide which seasonal events you want to build around, and make them a part of your email marketing plans. Then prepare your campaign content at least a month in advance. Now you aren’t desperately cobbling content together at the last minute, or scratching your head for ideas – and you have seasonal campaigns to thank.
#2 Choose seasonal events that are relevant to your subscribers
Email marketing very often crossed geographical borders. And not every culture in the world cares about Christmas, or has snowy winters. So it’s vital that you think about your subscribers’ cultural expectations when planning seasonal campaigns.
Of course, and it’s unlikely you know the religion/background/personal tastes of your individual subscribers. Ultimately, you have to choose seasonal campaigns you think will appeal to the majority of your customers. You can’t please all of the people all of the time – but it’s better to please the majority than worry about offending the minority.
#3 Diversify with segmentation
Even though you can’t appeal to everyone with the same message, with careful segmentation your campaigns can accommodate diversity.
A great example is the difference in seasons between the northern and southern hemispheres. A summer-themed campaign in July would be great for your subscribers in the USA, but disastrous in Australia (where summer falls at the end of the year). If you keep data on your subscribers’ locations, you can use segmentation to send seasonal messages at the right time.
#4 Get into the spirit of the season
The one tricky aspect to seasonal email campaigns is that everyone else is running them too. It’s therefore easy to get lost in a sea of similar “Save this summer” and “Treat yourself this Christmas” messages. You need to make sure your campaign stands out from the crowd.
Try these tips:
– Make it more than just a theme. Don’t just add a seasonal design to an existing message – create a special seasonal offering. If it’s summer, give subscribers a way to cool down or enjoy their vacation. If it’s Easter, show subscribers how you can help them make a fresh start for spring. Meet your subscribers’ seasonal needs, and you’ll really engage them.
– Be creative with subject lines. Your seasonal subject lines will be competing for attention with many others, especially during the big holidays. Be fun, be original, be true to your brand.
– Get into the spirit of the season. The best seasonal campaigns don’t just feed off the excitement your subscribers’ already have for Christmas, Eid and so on. They build that excitement even further, so subscribers feel even more in the spirit of the season. Make sure your campaign copy is a real celebration of the season.
Good luck with your seasonal email campaigns – and feel free to share your own tips in the comments.