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To make your holiday planning even easier, we’ve created this helpful Email Marketing Holiday Calendar. With helpful statistics, useful messaging themes, and reminders of important days, you’ll want to keep it handy as you plan your holiday email campaigns.
Citation preview
Consider a Christmas in July campaign promoting holiday decor
and other seasonal products.
Black FridayCyber Monday
IN JULY
17 18
23 24 25
29 30
05
12
19
26
06
13
20
27
07
14
21
28
01 03 04
08 09 10
15 16
11
22
02
Black Friday2012
A record 247 million shoppers visited stores and websites over Black Friday weekend 2012, up
from 226 million in 2011. 2
Build on the year-long anticipation of Black Friday and Cyber Monday by creating your own
July holiday versions of these sales, and promoting them via email.
31“Download our mobile app!”message
Christmas in JulyMESSAGING
15 16
20 21 22 23
27 28 29
03
10
17
24
04
11
18
25
05
12
19
26
01 02
06 07 08 09
13 14
30 31
The percentage of retailers that will send a July email mentioning the holidays
Back-to-school dominates the inbox, wi th ho l iday
messaging tak ing a backseat .
“Apply for a credit card!”message
“Connect with us!” social media message
“Update your preferences”message
The percentage of consumers that planned to spend an average of $139.92 on holiday "self-gifting" in 2012 1
August & September
Take Action for the Future!
While your main August and September email focus will be on back-to-school, try to get subscribers to take actions that will make them more interested listeners during the holiday months. Check the calendar for a few ideas!
Percentage of retailers that will send at least one promotional email on Cyber Monday.
1. National Retail Federation. “Shoppers to Remain Conservative with Holiday Gift Budgets This Year, According to NRF,” October 17, 2012. http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&op=viewlive&sp_id=14382. National Retail Federation. “Thanksgiving Day Promotions Win Over Millions of Holiday Shoppers, According to NRF,” November 25,2012. http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&op=viewlive&sp_id=14623. National Retail Federation. “Holiday FAQ.” http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=Pages&sp_id=1140 *Promotional email volume predictions are based on actual message volumes sent by more than 100 U.S. online retailers from April to June 2013 and then extrapolated based on previously identified holiday sending patterns.
Black NovemberSome retailers will try to lock in early gift sales by offering “Black Friday” savings and deals on the Fridays
leading up to Black Friday.
Dates to Remember
19“Join our loyalty program!”message
Low
Low
High
Moderate
VeryLow
The Email Marketing Holiday Calendar
a retailer’s guide to holiday email marketing success
July
17 18
22 23 24 25
30 31
12
19
26
06
13
20
27
07
14
21
28
01 02 03 04
08 09 10 11
16
05
29
15
4 months to Black Friday!
The small amount of holiday messaging that there is will be in email banners and other secondary message blocks.
Holiday Messaging
17 18
22 23 24 25
29 30
05
12
19
26
06
13
20
27
07
14
21
28
01 02 03 04
08 09 10 11
15 16
October...will start off slow in October, but accelerate throughout the month. On Halloween, watch for a big jump in Christmas email messaging.
Holiday Messaging
Steel Black Friday’s Thunder! Black Friday! 28
17 18 22 23
24 25 30
05
12
19
26
13
20
27
07
21
01 02
03 04 08 09
10 15 16
28 29
• Pre-Black Fr iday dea ls • Shop our ho l iday co l lect ion • Spec ia l i zed g i f t gu ides • Ho l iday decorat ing t ips • Free sh ipp ing • Free g i f t wrap• Free g i f t w i th purchase • Persona l i zed g i f ts • Download our ho l iday mobi le app • V is i t our ho l iday Facebook page or micros i te • Cause-market ing wi th a ho l iday char i ty
By Thanksgiving week, the vast majority of promotional emails will contain a reference to the holiday season.
Holiday Messaging
Retailers make 20-40% of their annual sales during November and December. Plan ahead for your email content! 3
Decorate your emails like you decorate your stores.Add visual cues to your emails—like holiday or wintry imagery or colors—to signal to subscribers that it’s time to start gift shopping.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Black Friday
November
Holiday messaging quickly declines after the first week of January.
Holiday Messaging
Stealing Black Friday’s thunder, Thanksgiving has become the new holiday shopping kickoff day, thanks to more stores opening on Thursday and to mobile devices making it possible for shoppers to pursue popular products while away from home.
28
29 Mobile-friendly emails on Black Friday are a must, because shoppers will be ckecking in-store deals and mapping out shopping plans with phone in hand.
Retailers,
January
15
14Finalize your plans for post-Halloween holiday messaging.
31Halloween! Time to ramp up your holiday marketing for the rest of the year.
22Early Black Friday deals
1411
06
01Black November begins
25Most promo emails now mention holiday season
Happy New Year!
01
Holiday messaging slows to a trickle
06
The holidays can be stressful for your customers, so remember that all of your holiday emails—from July to January—should truly help them solve a holiday problem, whether that’s finding the perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for loved one, or providing much-appreciated extras like gift wrapping and free shipping.
And don’t forget that all holiday emails should offer a clean, user-friendly experience on mobile devices, and your website should, too.
Happy Holidays!
To:Fr�:
Retailers
04Independance Day (US)
• Order-by deadl ines for guaranteed Chr is tmas de l iver y• Last-minute g i f t shopping • G i f t cards and e-cards • Free ext ras • Season’s greet ings emai ls• Af ter-Chr is tmas sa les are promoted
Dates to Remember
Cyber Monday will be the busiest email marketing day of the year for the seventh year in a row. “Cyber Week” tie-ins will also be popular.
02
Consider offering free shipping with no minimum purchase on “Free Shipping Day,” as free shipping with a minimum purchase has become so common.
18
26
“Last Sleigh Day” is the push for every last online order. Promote the end of express and overnight shipping.
20
Launch your after-Christmas sales on December 26 or even 25, which has become increasingly common.
• Redeem your g i f t cards• Buy accessor ies for the g i f ts you have rece ived • Trade- in o f fers for rep laced e lect ron ics
• Shop our pre-ho l iday c learance sa le• Get an ear ly s tar t on order ing ho l iday cards and decor• Pre-order the hot test ho l iday g i f ts• Prev iew our ho l iday co l lect ion• S ign up for our Chr is tmas cata log• Create a wish l is t • Learn about layaway and other financ ia l ser v ices
The majority of retailers will mention the holiday season in at least one promotional email by the end of October.
255 months to Christmas!
26The last Friday in July
C�mon Email Themes
C�mon Email Themes
C�mon Email Themes
C�mon Email Themes
Back-to-SchoolMESSAGING
15Early Black Friday deals
27Hanukkah begins!
30Small Business Saturday
08Early Black Friday deals
02
Free Shipping Day
Last Sleigh Day
Launch After- Christmas Sale
Merry Christmas!
17
22 24
29 30
12
19
13
27
07
14
21
28
01 03 04
08 10
15 18 20
25 26
02Cyber Monday
December
16
1109Green Monday
23eGift Card Day
31New Year’s Eve
Hanukkah Ends
05A good start date for “12 Days of Christmas” campaigns
06
The number of promotional emails that retailers will send to active subscribers in January 18
The number of promotional emails that retailers will send to active subscribers in November25
The number of promotional emails that retailers will send to active subscribers in December27
The number of promotional emails that retailers will send to active subscribers in August & September 18
The number of promotional emails that retailers will send to active subscribers in October20
The number of promotional emails that retailers will send to active subscribers in July
Begin helping subscribers with their future holiday wish lists (and possible self-gift list!) in October.
17
Holiday marketing begins many months before the stockings are hung. Use this handy calendar to plan ahead and make sure you’re sending the right holiday messages at the right times in the holiday season.
Your friends at ExactTarget
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