210

Online retailers sent an average

of 210 promotional emails during
the holiday season, up from 177
sent in 2011, resulting in a 19%
increase in email volume.
5.3
Online retailers sent an average of
5.3 emails in the fve days between
Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday.
Highest email volume days and
percentage of online retailers that
sent at least one message:
Cyber Monday - 93%
Free Shipping Day - 87%
Green Monday - 84%
Thanksgiving - 83%
December 6 - 80%
Many online retailers send at least one message every day during the holidays some send
two or even three which means that competition in the inbox is tough.
This Holiday Email Campaign Look Book offers 12 tips and 15 examples of emails to help
you plan and implement a successful holiday strategy.
Holiday email volume is on the rise. Some stats from last year.
i
AUGUST 2013 BY MEGAN OUELLET
877.362.4556 | www.listrak.com
TIP ONE: START EARLY
Received: July 25, 2013
Subject line: Starts Tomorrow: Black Friday is even sooner than you think
Why its good:
Best Buy is one of the retailers that have people camping out on Thanksgiving to get a good deal. This
email sparks that same excitement in customers, especially those who are shopping for back-to-school
and want a good deal on a new laptop, tablet, camera, TV, etc.
TIP ONE: START EARLY
Received: August 13, 2012
Subject line: NEW Wedgwood Ornaments + Free Shipping. See Details
Why its good:
From the subject line and images, to the main call-to-action and discount code, this email has recipients
thinking about the holidays. Whats more, it also has a secondary call-to-action for something that
customers may likely have an immediate need for wedding gifts. It also offers email subscribers an
exclusive deal, which makes them feel special and keeps them engaged.
TIP TWO: RE-ENGAGE
Received: October 20, 2012
Subject line: Get access to our Holiday Collection before anyone else
Why its good:
Re-engaging lapsed customers on your email list is crucial leading up to the holidays, and early
promotions will help you stay ahead of your competition. This email prompts customers into action
and puts them in the mood to shop for early gifts without going over the top with winter or Christmas
related images.
TIP THREE: OFFER A GIFT GUIDE
Received: November 2, 2012
Subject line: Spoil Your Loved Ones This Holiday Season
Why its good:
This email makes it very easy for shoppers to quickly navigate to the right gift category both in the
top navigation links and the expanded links in the body copy. It also includes links that every holiday
shopper should fnd useful the online magazine, style guide and gift services. Sending in early
November before the holiday rush also helps to get shoppers thinking about holiday gifts.
TIP FOUR: INCLUDE RATINGS AND REVIEWS
Received: December 10, 2012
Subject line: Fight Regifting
Why its good:
This campaign from UncommonGoods is fun and clever because it combines customer ratings and
reviews with a gift guide. It is also really engaging as it uses product reviews to help customers make
purchase decisions.
TIP FIVE: OFFER SALE PREVIEWS
Received: Sunday, November 25, 2012
Subject line: Cyber Monday Starts Early
Why its good:
Shoppers are anticipating exceptional deals on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Green Monday, Free
Shipping Day, etc., and you can get ahead of your competition by telling your customers in advance
what to expect. It will put your products on shoppers gift lists and will help them engage with your
messages on the highest volume email days. This campaign from Planetshoes.com not only gives
customers a preview of the sales, but offers them a day early.
TIP SIX: RUN A CONTEST
Subject line:
Your friend invited you to enter the Ten Thousand Villages Holiday Gift-Away
Why its good:
A contest is a great tactic to use to quickly build your list and to engage and re-engage - customers.
A contest also helps to drive online sales, which might seem surprising considering contest emails
dont typically include specifc product information, special offers or promotions. On average, however,
3-4% of recipients place an order from a sweepstakes registration confrmation email, and even better,
weve seen up to 80% of the new subscribers acquired through a sweepstakes place an order within
six months.
This email was deployed when contest entrants submitted friends email addresses so
they, too, could enter the contest.
TIP SIX: RUN A CONTEST
Received: September 4, 2012
Subject line: Last Day to enter our Pin-a-Thon!
Why its good:
Internet Retailer reports that 32% of online shoppers have made a purchase based on something they
saw on Pinterest
ii
. Campaigns like the one above are a great way to expand reach and sales over the
holidays. By offering a complete outft, Ulla Popken is able to highlight its different product categories
tops, bottoms, shoes and accessories.
TIP SEVEN: SEND A REMINDER
Received: August 6, 2012
Subject line: Megan, your complimentary gift reminder service has been activated
Why its good:
Harry and David makes it easy for shoppers to not only remember what gifts they purchased in the
past, but also to resend the gifts to be sure no one is left off the list. This is an extremely helpful
campaign, and the fact that it is sent early gets customers thinking about their gift lists well in advance.
TIP EIGHT: SEND A 12 DAYS CAMPAIGN
Received: November 30, 2012
Subject line: 12 Days of Savings: DIY Day!
Why its good:
Whatever your 12 Days campaigns promote - 12 Days of Savings, 12 Days of Gifts, 12 Days of
Cheer, etc. the campaign is a great way to engage customers while keeping your brand top of mind
during the holiday rush.
You can read lessons learned from MCM Electronics 2012 12 Days campaign here. It also contains
12 best practices you should follow when building campaigns.
TIP NINE: HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN IN PLACE
Received: November 14, 2012
Subject line: Oops our link is fixed Shop Red for the Holidays + Additional 30% OFF Sale!
Why its good:
Mistakes happen, but you can easily minimize damage by having a contingency plan in place. This
includes knowing what errors and issues warrant an email apology, including:
Slow site or checkout issues
Broken links or missing coupon codes
Out of stock items
Email errors, such as sending to the wrong segment, typos, wrong subject line
The most common response for minor errors is to simply resend the message and add oops, our
issue is fxed to the beginning of the subject line. It is a quick fx and covers a variety of mistakes.
TIP TEN: OFFER A GIFT WITH PURCHASE
Received: December 22, 2012
Subject line: A GIFT FOR YOU!
Why its good:
On average, only 15% of your online shoppers buy more than once. A great way to combat that is to
offer a gift card with purchase. The customer buys a gift and is rewarded with a gift card, and a second
sale follows.
According to the National Retail Federation, six in 10 shoppers spent an average of $139.92 on
themselves during the 2012 holiday shopping season
iii
. Everyone loves a great deal, so a gift card with
purchase is a great incentive to keep holiday gift shoppers buying on your site.
TIP ELEVEN: ENGAGE PROCRASTINATORS
Received: December 24, 2012
Subject line: We saved the best for last.
Why its good:
Dont be fooled by the huge revenue numbers early in the shopping season. Last year, Harris
Interactive reported that 54% of holiday shoppers were buying gifts in the two weeks before Christmas,
compared to 24% who said they typically shop on Black Friday and 23% who shop on Cyber Monday
iv
.
Consumer Reports found that 9% shopped on Christmas Eve, with 62% of those shoppers picking up
gift cards
v
.
Embrace procrastinators by sending a simple, last minute email offering a gift that can be purchased
and sent immediately, like Teavanas Tea of the Month Club Membership. The subject line is engaging
and even helps shoppers feel good about making a last minute purchase.
TIP ELEVEN: ENGAGE PROCRASTINATORS
Received: December 24, 2012
Subject line: Last-minute shopper? Send a virtual gift card.
Why its good:
Last year, Saks Fifth Avenue waited until the day before Christmas to send this email, which really
speaks to procrastinators on its list. The messages dont be late! and takes seconds to order and
minutes to send take the stress out of fnding and sending a gift.
TIP TWELVE: USE SPECIAL CHARACTERS IN SUBJECT LINES
Received: December 25, 2012
Subject line: Merry Christmas from Zalando! Enjoy a gift of 15 from us to you!
Why its good:
There are a lot of good things about this message from Zalando, starting with the use of special
characters in the subject line. Many retailers will embrace this tactic this holiday season. If you choose
to, here are some best practices you should know to maximize open rates:
Special characters work best if they start and end the subject line - that way they really stand out
If the subject line doesnt begin with the symbol, at least make sure it is within the frst 20
characters to ensure it will be viewed on a mobile device
Never use different symbols in the same subject line
Dont overuse symbols - they should be used to add emphasis in one or two emails per month
using them in every message could make you look like a spammer
Have fun and be creative
ABOUT LISTRAK
This Christmas Day message is also effective because it not only offers customers a gift voucher,
but also encourages them to use it that day with a small call-to-action. More and more shoppers are
buying online December 25, fueled by tablets and mobile devices, and many retailers send emails
wishing customers a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. This email from Zalando takes it a
step further by encouraging customers to shop. While this tactic might not be right for every retailer,
Zalando does it right by keeping the greeting at the forefront, the voucher as a secondary message
and the immediate call-to-action as a small note.
Listrak is an email marketing solutions provider that works with online retailers to drive revenue growth,
proftability and increase the lifetime value of customers. Founded in 1999, the companys solution
suite boasts analytics technology that enhances campaign performance, shopping cart abandonment
solutions that help recoup lost revenue, post purchase solutions to increase lifetime value and
seamless integration across multiple platforms, as well as email, mobile, sweepstakes and more.
Listrak has more than a decade of email marketing experience and works with leading U.S. online
retailers including Deb Shops, Waterford, Ten Thousand Villages, Swell, Vintage Tub and La-Z-Boy.
Sources:
i
MarketingCharts Retail Email Volume Jumps 19% in 2012; Cyber Monday Busiest Day
ii
Internet Retailer Pinterest Leads to Sales
iii
National Retail Federation Shoppers to Remain Conservative with Holiday Gift Budgets this Year,
According to NRF
iv
Fiscal Times Last-Minute Holiday Shopping: Why We Wait
v
Consumer Reports 17 million expect to shop on Christmas Eve
877.362.4556 | www.l i strak.com | 2013, Li strak