Whether you’re selling Easter-themed products or utilizing the festive atmosphere to showcase your latest collection, the key to a successful promotion is having an egg-ceptional strategy in place.

In this blog, we’ll explore a variety of Easter marketing campaign ideas, including email, SMS, and attention-grabbing subject lines. These ideas will help you breathe new life into your brand and captivate your customers for the best possible results.

Why should you send an Easter marketing campaign?

Here are some reasons why you should launch an Easter marketing campaign:

1. Increased customer spending: Holidays like Easter often inspire consumers to shop more for gifts, decor, food, and other celebratory items. You can take advantage of this surge in spending by offering exclusive discounts, promotions, and product bundles through your marketing campaign.
2. Seasonal themes: Easter-themed emails provide a chance to refresh your email copy and design, using lighthearted visuals, puns, and images that resonate with your audience. This seasonal creativity can attract your subscribers’ attention and delight them, leading to higher open rates and engagement.
3. Strengthen customer relationships: Use your Easter marketing campaign to send personalized greetings and messages of appreciation to your customers. This strategy helps build a more personal connection, strengthens customer loyalty, and nurtures long-lasting relationships.
4. Drive traffic to your website: Easter-themed emails and SMS messages with exciting offers, compelling calls-to-action, and exclusive content can drive more traffic to your website. This gives your customers a reason to explore your products and services further.
5. Showcase new products or offerings: Use your Easter marketing campaign to introduce seasonal products or exclusive promotions that may interest your audience. This tactic helps generate interest and excitement for your brand while potentially spurring more purchases.
6. Boost social media engagement: An Easter marketing campaign can also encourage subscribers to engage with your brand on social media. Leverage this opportunity by promoting Easter-themed contests or sharing content that encourages user-generated content using specific hashtags.
7. Stand out from competitors: Use the festive season to differentiate your brand from competitors with unique SMS offers, creative email designs, and standout subject lines. Easter marketing campaigns that offer genuine value and capture your audience’s attention can set your brand apart and create lasting impressions.

Engaging and creative Easter subject line ideas

Easter is a great opportunity to make your email subject lines more creative and engaging. You can use witty puns, personalized greetings, and time-sensitive offers to grab your audience’s attention and increase your email open rates. Check out these fantastic Easter subject line ideas for inspiration:

1. Spring into savings: Major discounts are hatching this Easter.
2. Your Easter basket just got better: Save 30% sitewide .
3. Hop to it. Unwrap these egg-sclusive Easter deals.
4. Celebrate Easter in style: Fresh deals just for you .
5. Indulge yourself. Our mouth-watering Easter treats await.
6. Easter basket bonanza: Curated collections for the perfect gift.
7. Crack open your Easter savings. Limited time only.
8. Last chance: Peep our irresistible deals before they’re gone.
9. Add a touch of magic to Easter with our special offers.
10. Ready, set, hunt. Reveal your mystery Easter discount inside .
11. Bloom into savings with our exclusive Easter discounts.
12. Sweet deals to satisfy your Easter cravings: Shop now .

If you’re struggling to come up with Easter email subject lines for your marketing campaign, you can use WinstonAI’s generative AI capability when building your email on Dotdigital. This feature can suggest new subject lines, adjust the tone, shorten or expand text, rephrase, and even include emojis to make your email more engaging.

7 Innovative Easter campaign ideas

Creating captivating campaigns that catch your customer’s attention and spark their imagination is important. That’s why we’re here to help you achieve precisely that. We’ve put together seven innovative Easter marketing campaign ideas that will make your brand stand out and set you apart from the competition. So let’s get cracking.

1. Create a cracking Easter sale

As the seasons change, it’s always a good idea to freshen up your marketing strategies and create new incentives for your customers to make purchases. When seasons change, it’s a great opportunity to promote your latest products and offer discounts and sales to attract more customers.

A great example of an effective Easter marketing campaign is the one created by the personalized children’s book brand, I See Me. The brand has come up with a cracking Easter sale that is sure to catch the attention of potential customers. The brand offers a sitewide discount of 30%, which is a great incentive for shoppers to make a purchase.

What’s more, the email also showcases a curated selection of personalized Easter-themed books, which are perfect for inclusion in any Easter basket. This boosts relevancy and ensures its emails appeal to customers who are looking for unique gift ideas for their loved ones. 

By highlighting its spring savings and offering personalized Easter-themed products, I See Me has created a compelling Easter sale that is sure to drive more traffic to its website and boost sales during this holiday season. Take inspiration from this strategy and come up with your own creative Easter sale that resonates with your audience and drives revenue.

2. Show off your Easter collection with MMS

Easter is a great opportunity to display your new seasonal product collections to your customers. One of the most effective ways of doing this is through Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages. MMS uses rich media, such as images and videos, to create engaging and informative shopping experiences for your audience.

A prime example of a brand that executes this strategy successfully is a children’s clothing store, SugarBabies Boutique. By sending a visually appealing MMS message, SugarBabies Boutique highlights its Easter product offerings and makes it easy for customers to visualize the potential of creating a delightful Easter basket for their loved ones. The message not only showcases the brand’s cute and curated product lineup but also employs creative Easter language for a festive touch.

In addition, SugarBabies Boutique entices customers further with the offer of a ‘SAVE10’ discount code to use on purchases, adding an incentive for recipients to act swiftly and make a purchase.

3. Throw a virtual Easter egg hunt

Easter egg hunts are a classic and beloved activity to celebrate the season. But have you considered taking this traditional event online to engage your customers?

Reese Witherspoon’s clothing line, Draper James smartly incorporates a virtual Easter egg hunt into its email marketing campaign. The email features a simple and clear design, paired with concise copy that entices recipients to visit the brand’s website and start hunting for hidden Easter eggs. These eggs contain discount codes that shoppers can apply to their purchases, adding an incentive to engage with the website actively.

The email also includes an on-brand hero image, a specific call-to-action (CTA) button, and helpful hints as to where the eggs can be found. These elements create a seamless and enjoyable virtual egg-hunting experience for enthusiastic participants.

4. Leverage Easter FOMO with a countdown timer

Countdown timers are a popular tactic you can use to create a sense of urgency among your customers. By setting a deadline for a limited-time promotion, you can encourage your customers to act quickly before the offer expires. This marketing strategy plays on the fear of missing out (FOMO) and inspires subscribers to shop promptly to benefit from the promotion. Simply add a countdown timer to your website and see the powerful impact of FOMO in action.

One brand that executed this strategy incredibly well is the sustainable denim company Frank and Oak. Its Easter marketing campaign included a countdown timer at the top of the email, emphasizing the limited-time offer. By placing the timer prominently, the brand grabs its recipients’ attention with a time-sensitive message, encouraging them to act quickly to take advantage of the promotion. The result was a successful marketing campaign that generated buzz and encouraged customers to shop promptly to avoid missing out on the deal.

5. Host an Easter-themed social media contest

Easter-themed social media contests are an excellent way to engage your audience while boosting your brand exposure and promoting your products or services. Hosting a creative contest can foster excitement, encourage user-generated content (UGC), and increase interaction with your brand during the holiday season.

For example, create an Instagram photo contest where followers share pictures of their decorated Easter eggs, Easter outfits, or homemade treats using a specific hashtag. Offer a tempting prize, such as a gift voucher or product bundle from your Easter collection, for the participants with the most creative or popular submissions. Make sure to carefully outline the contest rules, participation guidelines, and entry deadlines to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for your audience.

Announce the contest in your email or SMS campaigns and use attractive visuals and compelling copy to encourage your subscribers to participate. By holding an Easter-themed social media contest, you can captivate your audience, showcase your products, and foster a sense of community around your brand.

The online boutique, Little Party Dress effectively promotes its Easter social media contest on Instagram. This is done by encouraging participants to engage with the brand and offering a choice of prizes from its Easter collection. The post explains how to enter, where to find more information, and the closing date for entries. By providing clear instructions and appealing prizes, Little Party Dress ensures a successful contest that excites and connects with its audience.

6. Curate your Easter gift guides

Gift guides are an excellent way to showcase and curate your Easter product selection, making it easier for customers to find the perfect gift for their loved ones during the festive season.

The Luxury department store, Fortnum and Mason’s Easter gift guide showcases a stunning collection of Easter eggs that were expertly curated by the brand. The email campaign also mentioned that customers can visit their store to build their own Easter eggs, providing a unique and interactive experience. This is a great way for the brand to not only showcase their products but also to engage with their customers and offer them an unforgettable experience.

By curating and presenting a visually appealing Easter gift guide through your email marketing, you can effectively guide your customers to ideal gift options and entice them to explore your product offerings. This approach simplifies the decision-making process for your customers and helps boost your overall sales during the Easter season.

7. Use creative copywriting to enhance your Easter marketing

To make your Easter marketing messages more compelling and memorable, you can utilize creative copywriting techniques that capture the attention of your target audience. By using creative copywriting in your Easter marketing, you can stand out in the crowded marketing landscape and drive better results for your campaigns.

LUSH Cosmetics is an excellent example of a brand that understands the power of imaginative copywriting. The brand uses vibrant language and storytelling techniques to create a sense of wonder and excitement around its Easter-themed products.

Its email campaign, for instance, invites readers to “Spring into a world of pure imagination,” which blends the festive Easter ambiance with the brand’s colorful, nature-inspired offerings. LUSH’s copywriting is captivating, creating a mesmerizing connection with its audience that goes beyond the product itself.

Kickstart your Easter marketing strategy

Easter is a time of joy, renewal, and celebration. The season presents a great chance for you to connect with your audience and enhance your sales with innovative marketing campaigns. To make the most of this opportunity, it’s essential to develop a comprehensive Easter marketing strategy that fully embraces the festive essence and engages your customers through every touchpoint, including email, SMS, and social media. By doing so, you can increase your brand’s visibility and effectively capture the attention of your target audience during this festive season.

When is Mother’s Day?

Mother’s Day is celebrated on different dates across the world. In the United States, Canada, and Australia, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 12, 2024. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Mother’s Day, also known as Mothering Sunday, is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which is March 10, 2024. It’s essential to be aware of these differences when planning your Mother’s Day email marketing campaigns to ensure you reach your audience at the most appropriate time.

Regardless of when it’s celebrated in your region, Mother’s Day is an occasion that honors all the love, care, and sacrifices mothers make for their children and families. Delivering the perfect email campaign that strikes the right emotional note and offers suitable products or services will help you connect with your audience, foster loyalty, and drive conversions. To start planning your Mother’s Day email marketing strategy, take a look at these five inspiring examples to spark your creativity.

1. Showcase personalized gift recommendations

Mother’s Day is a special occasion that calls for unique and thoughtful gifts. One way to make these gifts even more special is by allowing your customers to personalize them. It could be as simple as adding a monogram or engraving a special message. This personal touch shows that you have put careful thought and consideration into the gift, making it more meaningful and memorable. This is especially true for mothers who deserve to feel appreciated and loved on their special day.

Dior is a great example of a company that offers personalized gifting options. They offer bespoke engraving on any of its products for Mother’s Day, allowing customers to create a one-of-a-kind gift for their mothers. In addition, Dior also offers complimentary standard shipping, samples, and premium gift wrapping with every order. This attention to detail enhances the customer experience, ensuring a seamless and delightful process from start to finish.

2. Create an irresistible gift guide

Creating a well-crafted gift guide is an effective way to help your customers find the best present for their mothers. A carefully curated gift guide should feature a variety of products that cater to different interests, budgets, and preferences, meeting the unique needs of your diverse customer base.

To create an impactful gift guide, start by dividing your offerings into distinct categories. You can categorize your products based on specific interests, price points, or gift recipient personas. By arranging your products in such a manner, you make the selection process less overwhelming and more enjoyable for your customers.

In your Mother’s Day email marketing campaign, emphasize the gift guide as a helpful resource and provide direct links to the different categories. Use high-quality images and concise, informative product descriptions to enhance the browsing experience and pique the interest of potential buyers. Moreover, consider using a responsive, easy-to-navigate email design that performs well on both desktop and mobile devices to ensure a seamless experience for all subscribers.

An excellent example of this is FEEDprojects. In its Mother’s Day campaign, the brand highlighted various products from its range, catering to different preferences and budgets in its Mother’s Day shop. By showcasing these options, FEEDprojects provided customers with a thoughtfully curated selection to ease the decision-making process, resulting in a seamless shopping experience that ultimately benefits both customers and the brand.

3. Share inspiring stories

When creating a Mother’s Day email marketing campaign, it’s important to establish an emotional connection with your audience. You can achieve this by sharing heartwarming stories or testimonials that demonstrate how your brand and product have positively impacted the lives of mothers. This will strengthen your campaign and help build a bond with your subscribers. 

User-generated content (UGC) is an excellent way to enrich your campaign and make it more relatable. Encourage your audience to participate by inviting them to share their own experiences and stories. You can also enhance the appeal of your stories by including captivating photos or videos featuring real people, as this adds authenticity and engages your audience on a more personal level.

An excellent example of this approach is Cure’s ‘Moms Love Cure’ testimonials featured in its email campaign. These testimonials showcase how Cure’s products have helped mothers in different stages of their lives. The email also encourages recipients to share their own stories and photos via email, fostering a sense of community and allowing others to relate to and learn from shared experiences.

4. Amplify your non-profit’s mission

Mother’s Day is a great opportunity for non-profit organizations to spread awareness about their cause and engage their audience in a meaningful way. By leveraging this special day, non-profits can create Mother’s Day email marketing campaigns that highlight their mission, showcase their impact, and strengthen their connection with supporters.

One example of a non-profit that uses Mother’s Day effectively in its email campaigns is the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The foundation encourages recipients to send e-cards to children who are bravely fighting cancer on this special day. This simple gesture not only conveys sympathy and support to the children and their families but also draws attention to the foundation’s important mission.

5. Drive sales with interactive offers and engaging giveaways

Introducing engaging and exciting elements into your Mother’s Day email marketing campaigns can boost customer interaction and increase the likelihood of subscribers making a purchase. One effective way to achieve this is by incorporating gamification into your campaigns, like interactive contests or giveaways. These activities can encourage subscribers to participate in exchange for a chance to win appealing prizes or obtain exclusive discounts.

A prime example of this is Scentbird’s ‘Mother’s Day mystery sale’ campaign. It featured an interactive spinning wheel for subscribers to engage with and uncover a surprise gift for their mothers. Scentbird further enhanced the experience by including instant gifts in its promotional email, adding an extra layer of intrigue. This creative approach prompts impulsive purchases with enticing, time-sensitive offers, resulting in a more captivating and effective campaign.

Craft your successful Mother’s Day email marketing campaign

These five powerful ideas for Mother’s Day email marketing will help you create campaigns that resonate with your audience and boost sales. By crafting personalized messages, curating exclusive offers, sharing heartwarming stories, and hosting engaging giveaways, you can provide a memorable experience that truly honors this special occasion. Embrace these ideas to show genuine appreciation to all the mothers and become a part of their joyful celebrations with a campaign that stands out in their inboxes.

To make things easy for you, we’ve compiled a list of six Valentine’s Day email examples that can be adapted to your brand. These examples use effective techniques to evoke the spirit of the season and entice your audience to engage with your offerings.

1. Make hearts flutter with your best-sellers

Nothing speaks volumes about your brand’s offerings more than your top-performing products. This Valentine’s season, why not create an email campaign that recommends your top-performing products to entice customers and help them make confident purchasing decisions?

You can take inspiration from the well-known MAC Cosmetics Valentine’s Day campaign that displayed a range of lipsticks perfectly matched for the romantic occasion. With a captivating email design and on-theme copy, the email campaign directly addressed the desires of its audience, inspiring them to indulge in the perfect lipstick shades to make its Valentine’s Day celebration even more special. Besides, who can resist the appeal of a 30% off special offer on their favorite makeup products?

2. Share a Valentine’s gift guide

Gift guides have become a popular and effective way for brands to showcase their products and help customers make purchasing decisions during special occasions. BarkShop, an online store for dog lovers, created an excellent Valentine’s Day email campaign that offered a curated collection of Valentine’s gifts for dogs.

BarkShop’s pawsome gift guide combined eye-catching visuals, playful copy, and persuasive calls to action to both amuse and entice its subscribers. By highlighting an assortment of Valentine’s Day-themed toys and treats, BarkShop made it easy for dog owners to choose the perfect gift for their furry friends.

You can learn from BarkShop’s strategy and create a gift guide that resonates with your target audience’s needs and desires. Whether your brand caters to pet owners, gadget enthusiasts, fashion lovers, or any other niche, a well-crafted gift guide is invaluable in driving conversions and boosting your brand’s reputation during this season of love.

3. Entice with engaging interactive content

Email marketing has evolved into a more interactive conversation with customers, where you can create engaging content to make your emails more interesting. For instance, you can add interactive content such as quizzes or surveys to attract customers who enjoy learning insightful revelations about themselves or simply having a good time.

If you’re looking to strengthen the bond between your brand and customers during Valentine’s Day season, you can learn from Moosejaw’s email marketing strategy. The brand’s captivating email campaign featured a quiz that revealed customers’ love language. The visuals were custom-made and told a heartwarming story that made it difficult for customers to resist taking the quiz. By trying out this strategy, you can entice customers with engaging interactive content and encourage them to engage with your brand.

4. Share the love beyond promotions

While promotional emails have their place in your Valentine’s Day marketing efforts, it’s essential to remember that this occasion is about fostering emotional connections and showing appreciation. Whether you’re a for-profit business or a non-profit organization, you can use the spirit of Valentine’s Day to create warm and genuine connections with your audience without exclusively focusing on sales or fundraising.

Charity: Water exemplifies this approach with its personalized Valentine’s Day e-cards for donors, supporters, and fundraisers. By expressing heartfelt gratitude for its community’s efforts and making each card unique, it inspires people to continue supporting the brand’s cause and strengthen its connections with existing supporters.

From sharing heartwarming stories and testimonials to offering valuable content such as love-themed recipes or DIY gifts, these messages can show your audience that you care about more than just selling products or services.

By embracing this powerful method of expressing gratitude and affection, brands and organizations can reinforce their connection with email subscribers during Valentine’s Day. This approach not only strengthens the bond with existing customers and supporters but also showcases the thoughtful and caring nature of your organization to potential new audiences.

5. Embrace the power of storytelling

Valentine’s Day is an ideal time to create an email campaign that shares real-life love stories or memorable moments related to your brand and customers. This can be done by harnessing the power of storytelling to share emotionally compelling content that captivates your audience’s heart. By doing so, you can evoke feelings of warmth and affection in your audience.

Warby Parker, known for its stylish eyewear, created an impactful email campaign that skillfully merged visual storytelling with a touch of romance and humor. Its visual narratives engaged customers, drawing their attention to the brand’s products while also evoking lighthearted enjoyment.

You can encourage subscribers to share their unique love stories using a dedicated hashtag to foster organic social buzz. By doing so, you not only raise brand awareness but also strengthen social media engagement in a heartfelt way.

Remember, you don’t always have to focus on selling a product or service through your email campaigns. Instead, invest in creating an emotional connection with your audience that’s sure to leave a lasting, positive impression on your brand.

6. Be creative with your copywriting

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to let your creativity run wild with your copywriting. Innovative and witty email copy can entertain subscribers, make your brand memorable, and show that you think outside the box.

Beardbrand, a premium grooming brand, seized the opportunity to get creative with its Valentine’s Day email campaign. Playfully acknowledging the more traditional marketing techniques, Beardbrand crafted its email subject line and email copy to pique curiosity and grab attention.

Your brand can follow Beardbrand’s approach and incorporate clever copywriting concepts for your Valentine’s Day emails. Think of unique ways to address your audience, showcase your products, and perhaps even make them laugh. By being imaginative with your copy, you can leave a lasting impression and make your brand stand out in a sea of promotional messages during the Valentine’s Day season.

Capture hearts this Valentine’s Day

Whether your audience consists of hopeless romantics or practical shoppers, these six Valentine’s Day email examples will help you craft messages that resonate with emotion and drive sales. Remember, a successful email campaign during this season of love is a balance of presenting your offerings and showing genuine appreciation for your customers. By adapting these examples to your brand’s tone of voice and values, you’re on your way to deepening those customer connections and making the most of this Valentine’s Day.

This year’s Black Friday was influenced by a range of economic factors and channel developments, which emphasizes how essential it is to be aware of the evolving landscape. These factors included:

• High interest rates: As shoppers face financial pressures that impact their spending habits, you need to adapt to these challenges and recognize the increasing popularity of buy now, pay later (BNPL) and loyalty rewards options.
• Heavy discounting: Throughout the year, brands have adopted a more aggressive discount strategy than ever before. Encouraging customers to shop when they have already enjoyed many sales this year is a significant challenge.
• The Apple impact: Seasonal email marketing is now even more complicated thanks to Apple’s Mail Privacy Policy (MPP) and Link Tracking Protection (LTP). Not only does it make targeting more challenging, it makes measuring the success of your campaigns harder.
• ‘The fifth quarter’: Post-holiday promotions and seasonal clearances are more significant now as budget-conscious consumers seek deals and redeem holiday gift cards. This new ‘fifth quarter’ is another important avenue to capture additional sales.

With all that in mind, let’s explore some of the top trends we saw this year, dive into the numbers, and see what we can take away from the sales this year.

Black Friday trends 2023

1. The extended shopping period

The most prominent trend in 2023 was the extension of Black Friday deals. In the past couple of years we’ve seen a gradual extension beyond the traditional 24-hour sale window. But this year, even we were surprised to see brands beginning their Black Friday sales on November 1. Even more so that they continued them to the end of the month, six days after Black Friday.

Early access to sales is a tactic we promote to foster loyalty and engagement among your existing customers, but did brands go too early?

Normally, early access gives customers ample opportunity to peruse and plan their shopping activities. However, going too early can have the opposite effect. Rather than inspiring spontaneous action with limited-time offers, an extended sales period gives customers the time to talk themselves out of making a purchase.

Overall, Dotdigital experienced a 6% increase in emails sent over the whole month of November compared to 2022. Black Friday itself saw an 8% increase in email sends and the weekend as a whole increased by 2.5%.

2. Black Friday sales figures are strong

Merchants across the globe enjoyed all-round growth over Black Friday weekend, generating an 8.5% increase in revenue. This is an incredible feat, and during a time of financial uncertainty is something to be celebrated. Congratulations to all our ecommerce merchants who created engaging marketing campaigns that appeal to today’s savvy shoppers.

It’s even more impressive when we compared it to results reported by Barclays Bank which noted that transactions were down 0.63% compared to BFCM 2022. The same report also cited that the number of shoppers had fallen by 1.6%.

3. Email engagement increases

With shoppers looking for a great deal over Black Friday weekend, it’s no surprise that people of engaging with your marketing emails over this period. There has, however, been a lot of talk and speculation about Black Friday fatigue.

Customers are bored of getting the same messages over and over again (especially if you’re running your sales for a whole month). But, looking at the numbers, this doesn’t appear to be the case.

This year there was a marked increase in unique email open rates. Up by 11%, it’s clear that shoppers spent Black Friday 2023 perusing their inboxes looking for the best deal. The average open rate throughout the sales period, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, was an incredible 31%.
In contrast, we did note a decline in click-through rates, down 13% to 3.6%. Don’t worry, though. 2023 saw the launch of another privacy update from Apple, also known as Link Tracking Protection. While its impact on Dotdigital users is minimal, it’s important to be aware of it as you report on your 2023 Black Friday results.

4. Abandoned carts drive sales across the line

It comes as no surprise to us at Dotdigital that merchants are increasingly adopting abandoned cart programs. After all, a personalized abandoned cart campaign can increase sales by 31% and average order value by 16%.

Over Black Friday, we saw a 47% increase in the number of cart abandonment emails being delivered compared to 2022. This growth can be attributed to increased awareness among merchants about the benefits of implementing this automation program, as well as the continual improvements in Dotdigital that make it easier than ever to deploy personalized campaigns in real-time.

In the US, this marked increase in abandoned cart sends generated a 28% increase in revenue. This further emphasizes the cost-efficiency and effectiveness of this strategy. Brands that embrace abandoned cart automation are not only recovering potentially lost sales but are also experiencing a positive impact on their bottom line by boosting customer lifetime value and fostering stronger customer relationships.

5. SMS is an action-packed channel

SMS sends increased 19% month-on-month, indicating that early adopters are really beginning to understand the channel.

Text message marketing is a strategy designed to cut through the noise. There isn’t a noisier time of year than Black Friday and the ensuing holiday season. The uplift in SMS sends over the whole month of November is a clear indication that marketers see significant benefit from adding SMS to their marketing strategy.

There was a significant increase in the number of brands offering new subscribers discounts when they signed up for SMS. It’s a brilliantly smart tactic. SMS messages are fast to build and concise, perfect for communicating flash sales and exclusive discounts to loyal customers. Plus, offering discounts at the point of sign-up is a strong list-building tactic, encouraging shoppers to turn to SMS as a form of communicating with their favorite brands

What can we learn from Black Friday 2023?

Despite an extended shopping period and potential customer fatigue, merchants still experienced impressive sales figures, increased email engagement, and reaped the benefits of implementing effective cart abandonment programs this Black Friday.

As competition to capture customers’ attention intensifies each year, brands should focus on crafting innovative campaigns that stand out from the crowd and appeal to increasingly savvy shoppers. Real-time, moments-based marketing, like cart abandonment campaigns, is vital during these busy periods. The significant value of this approach is already evident, with increased revenue generated from these campaigns during Black Friday.

Black Friday 2023 has re-emphasized the need for brands to be proactive and adaptable, leveraging the power of personalization and real-time marketing strategies to maximize customer engagement and drive sales. By focusing on the whole customer experience, and paying close attention to consumer behavior and trends, you will be better equipped to create compelling campaigns.

Black Friday 2023 in numbers

• Global email sends increased by 6%
• Emails sent on the day of Black Friday increased by 8%
• The open rate for Black Friday weekend was 31.2%
• Open rates increased year-on-year by 11%
• The click-through rate (CTR) for Black Friday weekend was 3.6%
• CTR rates declined by 13% year-on-year
• Revenue generated over Black Friday 2023 increased by 8.5%
• The number of cart abandonment campaigns increased by 47%
• Overall revenue generated by abandoned cart campaigns increased by 4.5%
• SMS sends grew 19% month-on-month

Methodology

Figures for this Black Friday debrief came from data pulled from the Dotdigital platform. Comparative data (2023 vs. 2022) was pulled from a pool of Dotdigital users who were active during both time frames. We define active as using the Dotdigital platform to send email, SMS, or other marketing activity.

2023 Black Friday figures were based on activity from 00:00 Friday 24 November to 23:59 Monday 27 November across our three core regions: Australia, the UK, and the USA. They were compared against figures pulled from 00:00 Friday 25 November 2022 to 23:59 Monday 28 November 2022 across the same regions.

The stories and messages they impart impact the mood of the season.  

The game was changed one November day back in 2011 when John Lewis released ‘The Long Wait’, a masterpiece that made John Lewis adverts a ‘thing’. Since then, supermarkets have been vying for the top spot of the season. Millions are being spent on a single 60-second clip that needs to be just right.  

The year of the cameo

This year, more than ever before, brands have spent a healthy wodge of their advertising budgets on getting some famous faces to support their Christmas messages. The music has also shifted this. There’s a notable lack of twinkly, nostalgic tunes that hit us in the feels. Instead, brands are opting for something more upbeat and reminiscent of a Christmas office party.  

Maybe it’s the fallout from all the doom and gloom of the past year, but there is a celebratory feel to most ads this year. And, as a lover of sparkly dresses and sipping bubbly with friends, I have to say I’m all for it.   

But that’s not to say all the ads this year were stellar. As always there were some haves and have-nots and some that missed the mark by a mile.  

Let’s go through this year’s most notable Christmas ads and see what we can take from the messages this year.  

John Lewis: Snapper, The Perfect Tree 

It would be remiss of me not to start with John Lewis. So, here we are.  

The big message: Let your traditions grow  

Festive feels: 5/10 – There’s snow, presents, a Christmas tree, family, etc.  

Overall verdict: 3/10 

This is a hard one to wrap my head around. For so long John Lewis has dominated the Christmas ad game but this year it feels lucky to get a three. I have to admit, it’s grown on me the more I’ve watched it, but I still don’t get it.  

I’ve read all about how John Lewis decided to go in a new direction this year. They worked with a new agency to shake things up. And in that vein, it has created this ad about embracing new traditions. Traditions – a theme other brands have embraced this year and succeeded. This one did not.  

My biggest issue with it is the lack of coherent storytelling. I can understand why the boy might be attached to this destructive plant, but why the rest of the family? To be brutally honest, the kid comes across as a bit of a brat stomping out the house on Christmas morning to be with his plant.  

His family has undoubtedly worked hard to make the day memorable for him (as anyone who has hosted family at Christmas can attest to) but he doesn’t even spare them a Christmas morning hug. So why do they go out and join him and Snapper in the cold garden? 

I’m at a loss – where are the John Lewis ads of the days gone by? 

M&S Christmas Clothing & Home 

The big message: Love Thismas, not Thatmas 

Festive feels: 7/10 – snow, sparkly dresses, and sipping champers 

Overall verdict: 7/10 

Don’t hate me when I say I actually like this one, despite the early controversy around it.  

I feel like it got the ‘traditions’ message right. Stick to the old traditions that make you happy, and don’t waste your time on the ones that don’t.  

M&S really laid down the gauntlet here in terms of its Christmas cameos. We’ve got Hannah Waddingham (the official face of Christmas 2023), Sophie Ellis-Baxter, Tan France, and Zawe Ashton all saying goodbye to the traditions they hate the most. Plus, the music, a fun cover of Meatloaf’s ‘I Would Do Anything For Love’ is a perfect pair with the message.  

The thing that I really like about this is how well M&S knows its audience. Maybe it’s from years of M&S Food ads, but it feels like an indulgent brand and the ‘do only what makes you happy’ is in perfect keeping with it. I’m all for protecting your peace during the holidays.  

A Magical Christmas with Lidl 

The big message: Gift a toy to Lidl’s Toybank and share the magic. 

Festive feels: 8/10 – adorable animals, snow, fairy lights, and a little sprinkle of newfound friendships.  

Overall verdict: 8/10 

What can I say, this is giving me big John Lewis vibes. It’s sweet, and sentimental, and brought a tear to my eye.  

My big question – why a raccoon? Not a very festive animal but oh well.  

It’s a sweet story about the power that gifting a toy can have. It’s about being kind to everyone, even the stray orphaned raccoon who drops off your owner’s son’s missing toy. The music is soft and sweet, there’s a happy ending. Overall, it’s a cutie.  

Waitrose: It’s Time For The Good Stuff 

The big message: Is there one? If I had to give it one, it would be to feel no shame indulging this holiday season.  

Festive feels: 7/10 – it’s party season 

Overall verdict: 7/10 

To be totally honest with you, Waitrose gets a whole extra point for the Graham Norton cameo alone. Other than that, there’s not a whole lot to say on this one. There’s no poignant message or tear-jerking moment. It’s just a bunch of friends, having a good time over the holidays – and isn’t that what we really want, anyway? 

The song is a certified banger – Depeche Mode’s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ – and the jokes are cheesy as hell. I love it.  

Aldi: Kevin And The Christmas Factory 

The big message: Share the love this Christmas 

Festive feels: 4/10 – it’s got a Christmassy message in there, lots of Christmas dinner staples. 

Overall verdict: 3/10 

Fine, I’ll say it – I’m not a fan of Kevin The Carrot. It’s aimed at children and families, I know, but there’s something wholly unappealing about a talking carrot. Give me a talking dog any day. I also don’t like the past couple of years where they’ve simply parodied an existing movie. It feels flat. Like they couldn’t be bothered to come up with their own idea so copied whatever was on the TV that day.   

Asda: Make this Christmas Incredibublé 

The big message: No one loves Christmas as much as us at Asda 

Festive feels: 7/10 – Michael Bublé – need I say more?  

Overall verdict: 6/10 

Oh, jingle my bells that’s great.  

This is simply a joy to watch. A Michael Bublé cameo in a Christmas ad. Brilliant. Why hasn’t he been doing it for years? 

What I like about this ad is it gives a lighthearted glimpse at the work going on behind the scenes to stock the shelves with festive fancies. Asda has Bublé discussing food trends, holiday clothes, and more. It’s a smart way of showing off its holiday products whilst recognizing the delivery drivers and warehouse staff that make grocery shopping over the season possible.  

Sainsbury’s: The Big Fella’s Christmas Dinner 

The big message: It’s another one that doesn’t really have a message and I think it’s a stretch to find one amongst all the overt product placements.  

Festive feels: 5/10 

Overall verdict: 5/10 

Another ad, another cameo. This time it’s the turn of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up Singer’, Rick Astley. There’s a cheeky little pun in there about the song and that’s about as good as it gets for this one.  

Tesco: Helping you #BecomeMoreChristmas 

The big message: It’s Christmas, enjoy yourself. 

Festive feels: 9/10 – the only thing that would make this more Christmassy is if the big man was in it himself. 

Overall verdict: 9/10 

What can I say except that I love it? It’s funny and happy, simply brimming with Christmas joy. Seeing that burly, grumpy-looking dad poof into a joy-filled Christmas tree was unexpected and delightful. Seeing the star pop up when he heard the glorious words “Clubcard accepted”, in perfect timing with OMC’s ‘How Bizarre’ – pure brilliance, get the director an Oscar.  

Underneath it, you have a similar message to that which we’ve seen in M&S and Waitrose Food – do what makes you happy. And if that’s embracing the gaudy Christmas decorations, or taste-testing all the festive foods before the big day, who cares?  

I love the contrast with the angsty teen, trying to hold back and deny his love for the holiday. He’s all eye rolls and angsty expressions until he’s given the star he made a child. Then poof. He’s a Christmas tree too.

Morrisons: The Christmas Ad 

The big message: Celebrating the Christmas hosts and their oven gloves – the quiet heroes of the holidays 

Festive feels: 5/10 – pigs in blankets, mince pies, and a cat outside in the snow.  

Overall verdict: 6/10 

I’ve never included Morrisons in my Christmas ad round-up. They never really rank, there’s not a lot of chatter about them, but this one, I really enjoy this one.  

Okay, it’s not overly festive. Starship’s ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’ is not a renowned Christmas song. But having been running the kitchen for many Christmases now, it’s nice to get some acknowledgment of the hard work that goes into it.  

Plus, I love the oven mitt that looks like a crazy cat.  I want it. I need it. 

Boots: #GiveJoy 

The big message: The spirit of giving  

Festive feels: 8/10 – Christmas tree, snow, presents, and the big man himself 

Overall verdict: 8/10 

This is a really sweet advert about a girl’s road trip to deliver a present to Father Christmas. Along the way, they drop off some quite tongue-in-cheek presents to the people who give them a helping hand. The music is jolly and upbeat. The feel is warm and cozy. It’s an all-around great ad. Well done, Boots.  

Side note: For all our American readers, Macy’s and a very adorable similar ad this year too. Check it out. 

Are you feeling festive yet?  

Well, what do we learn from the ads this year, other than how great the holiday season is?  

Not much, really. One thing that really comes across is that sentimentality is out. There aren’t many tear-jerkers this year, and after the past couple of years, maybe that’s a good thing.  

My main takeaway from this year’s ads is the remember to take the time to treat myself. Too often we find ourselves running about trying to make everyone else’s Christmas magical that we forget about ourselves.  

Maybe it’s time to update your holiday marketing with a ‘treat yo’ self’ message, to encourage your audience to indulge in that item they’ve been eyeing up.  

Bonus ads 

If this year’s ads didn’t hit the mark for you, check out some of my festive faves below:  

• John Lewis: Excitable Edgar 
• Sainsbury’s: 1914 
• John Lewis: Moz the Monster 
• Sainsbury’s: The Big Night  
• John Lewis: Buster the Boxer 
• Irn Bru: Snowman 
• Allegro: English For Beginners 
• M&S: Mrs Claus  

How you use them and which you choose to include in your social media marketing plan will vary depending on your brand and your audience. Remember, the goal is to surprise and delight, and sometimes, the weird and wonderful is what it takes to engage customers and stop the scroll. Of course, you know we love a cross-channel approach, and social media and email marketing can really help each other out.

We’ve compiled a list of key social media dates for 2024. This list is extensive, it’s not exhaustive. With so many more holidays popping up, there are sure to be some we’ve missed. But this list is designed to help inspire some new campaigns and help you plan unique ways to engage your customers.

January 2024

Themes for the month

Dry January #DryJanuary

National Mentoring Month #Mentoring Amplifies

National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

January hashtag calendar

January 1 – New Year’s Day #NewYearsDay

January 2 – National Motivation and Inspiration Day #MotivationandInspirationDay

January 2 – Science Fiction Day #ScienceFictionDay

January 2 – World Introvert Day #WorldIntrovertDay

January 3 – Festival of Sleep Day #FestivalOfSleepDay

January 4 – National Spaghetti Day #NationalSpaghettiDay

January 6 – Epiphany #Epiphany 

January 7 – The Golden Globe Awards #GoldenGlobes 

January 8 – Clean Off Your Desk Day #CleanOffYourDeskDay

January 8 – Bubble Bath Day #BubbleBathDay

January 11 – Human Trafficking Awareness Day #HumanTraffickingAwarenessDay

January 13 – National Sticker Day #NationalStickerDay

January 13 – Make Your Dreams Come True Day #DreamsComeTrue

January 14 – Organize Your Home Day #OrganizeYourHomeDay

January 14 – National Vision Board Day #VisionBoardDay

January 14 – Dress Up Your Pet Day #DressUpYourPetDay

January 15 – National Hat Day #NationalHatDay

January 15 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day #MLKDay

January 18 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers

January 18 – Winnie The Pooh Day #WinnieThePoohDay

January 19 – Popcorn Day #PopcornDay

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January 20 – Penguin Awareness Day #PenguinAwarenessDay

January 23 – National Pie Day #PieDay

January 21 – National Hugging Day #NationalHuggingDay

January 24 – National Compliment Day #NationalComplimentDay

January 25 – Opposite Day #OppositeDay

January 27 – Chocolate Cake Day #ChocolateCakeDay

January 28 – Data Privacy Day #DataPrivacyDay

January 30 – Croissant Day #CroissantDay

January 31 – Backwards Day #BackwardsDay

February 2024

Themes for the month

National Black History Month (USA)

LGBT+ History Month (UK)

February hashtag calendar

February 2 – Groundhog Day #GroundhogDay

February 2 – World Wetlands Day #WorldWetlandsDay

February 2 – National Bubble Gum Day #BubbleGumDay

February 2 – National Wear Red Day #WearRed

February 3 – Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day #IceCream

February 3 – Golden Retriever Day #GoldenRetrieverDay

February 4 – World Cancer Day #WorldCancerDay #WeCanICan

February 5 – The Grammy Awards #Grammys2024

February 6 – Frozen Yoghurt Day #FrozenYoghurtDay

February 6 – Safer Internet Day #SaferInternetDay

February 7 – National Send a Card to a Friend Day #SendACardToAFriendDay

February 8 – National Boy Scouts Day #BoyScoutsDay

February 9 – National Pizza Day #PizzaDay

February 9 – New York Fashion Week begins #NYFW

February 10 – Chinese New Year #YearOfTheDragon

February 11 – Super Bowl LVIII #SuperBowl2024

February 13 – Self-Love Day #SelfLoveDay

February 13 – Shrove Tuesday #PancakeDay

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February 13 – Galentine’s Day #GalentinesDay

February 13 – Mardi Gras #MardiGras

February 14 – Valentine’s Day #ValentinesDay

February 15 – Singles Awareness Day #SinglesAwarenessDay

February 17 – Random Acts of Kindness Day #RandomActsOfKindnessDay

February 16 – London Fashion Week begins #LFW

February 19 – Presidents Day #PresidentsDay

February 20 – London Fashion Week ends #LFW

February 20 – Love Your Pet Day #LoveYourPetDay

February 29 – Leap Year Day #LeapYear

February 29 – Toast Day #ToastDay

March 2024

Themes for the month

Women’s History Month

American Red Cross Month

Ramadan: March 10, 2024 – April 9, 2024

March hashtag calendar

March 1 – Employee Appreciation Day #EmployeeAppreciationDay

March 1 – Peanut Butter Lover’s Day #PeanutButterLoversDay

March 2 – Dr. Suess Day #DrSuessDay

March 3 – World Wildlife Day #WorldWildlifeDay

March 7 – Cereal Day #CerealDay

March 7 – World Book Day and Copyright Day #BookDay

March 8 – International Women’s Day #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2024 #EachforEqual

March 9 – Meatball Day #MeatballDay

March 10 – International Day of Awesomeness #IDOA

March 10 – Mother’s Day (UK) #HappyMothersDay

March 10 – The Academy Awards #Oscars2024

March 11 – National Napping Day #NationalNappingDay

March 12 – Organize Your Home Office Day #OrganizeYourHomeOfficeDay

March 12 – National Girl Scout Day #GirlScoutDay

March 12 – National Organize Your Home Office Day #WFH

March 14 – Potato Chip Day #NationalPotatoChipDay

March 15 – World Sleep Day #WorldSleepDay

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March 16 – Panda Day #PandaDay

March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day #StPatricksDay

March 18 – Awkward Moments Day #AwkwardMomentsDay

March 19 – National Let’s Laugh Day #NationalLetsLaughDay

March 20 – First Day of Spring #FirstDayofSpring

March 20 – International Day of Happiness #InternationalDayofHappiness

March 20 – World Storytelling Day #WorldStorytellingDay

March 21 – Elimination of Racial Discrimination Day #RacialDiscriminationDay

March 21 – World Poetry Day #WorldPoetryDay

March 22 – World Water Day #WorldWaterDay #Water2me

March 23 – Puppy Day #PuppyDay

March 23 – Earth Hour Day #EarthHourDay

March 25 – Tolkien Reading Day #TolkienReadingDay

March 26 – Good Hair Day #GoodHairDay

March 29 –  Good Friday #GoodFriday

March 31 – Easter Sunday #HappyEaster 

March 31 – Transgender Day of Visibility #TDOV

March 31 – National Taco Day #NationalTacoDay

April 2024

Themes for the month

Stress Awareness Month

National Poetry Month

April hashtag calendar

April 1 – Easter Monday #HappyEaster 

April 1 – April Fools Day #AprilFools

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April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day #AutismAcceptance

April 3 – Find a Rainbow Day #FindARainbowDay

April 3 – World Party Day #PartyDay

April 5 –  Walk To Work Day #WalkToWorkDay

April 7 – World Health Day #LetsTalk

April 9 – Unicorn Day #UnicornDay

April 10 – Siblings Day #SiblingsDay

April 11 – Pet Day #PetDay

April 15 – World Art Day #WASD2024

April 16 – Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day #PJDay

April 18 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers

April 18 – National High-Five Day #NH5D

April 20 – National Lookalike Day #NationalLookalikeDay

April 21 – World Creativity and Innovation Day #Innovate

April 22 – Earth Day #EarthDay2024

April 23 – National Picnic Day #NationalPicnicDay

April 24 – Pigs in a Blanket Day #PigsInBlanketsDay

April 25 – Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day #COUNTONME

April 25 – World Malaria Day #EndMalariaForGood

April 28 – National Superhero Day #SuperheroDay

April 29 – International Dance Day #InternationalDanceDay

April 30 – Adopt a Shelter Pet Day #AdoptAShelterPetDay

May 2024

Themes for the month

National Barbeque Month

Lupus Awareness Month

May hashtag calendar

May 1 – May Day #MayDay

May 2 – World Password Day #WorldPasswordDay

May 3 – Write a review Day #WriteaReviewDay

May 4 – Star Wars Day #MayThe4thBeWithYou

May 4 – Bird Day #BirdDay

May 5 – Cinco de Mayo #CincoDeMayo

May 6 – Music Monday #MusicMonday

May 6 – Nurses Day #NursesDay

May 8 – World Donkey Day #DonkeyDay

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May 8 – Parents’ Day (Korea) #ParentsDay

May 10 – World Lupus Day #LupusDay

May 11 – Eat What You Want Day #EatWhatYouWantDay

May 12 – Limerick Day #LimerickDay

May 12 – Mother’s Day (US) #MothersDay

May 13 – World Cocktail Day #CocktailDay

May 15 – International Day of Families #FamilyDay

May 15 – National Chocolate Chip Day #ChocolateChipDay

May 16 – Love a Tree Day #LoveATreeDay

May 17 – Endangered Species Day #EndangeredSpeciesDay

May 17 – World Baking Day #BakingDay

May 18 – Visit Your Relatives Day #VisitYourRelativesDay

May 20 – World Bee Day #BeeDay

May 22 – Sherlock Holmes Day #SherlockHolmesDay

May 24 – National Scavenger Hunt Day #NationalScavengerHuntDay

May 24 – Brother’s Day #BrothersDay

May 25 – Wine Day #WineDay

May 27 – Memorial Day #MemorialDay

May 28 – Hamburger Day #NationalHamburgerDay

May 30 – National Creativity Day #NationalCreativityDay

May 30 – Web Designer Day #WebDesignerDay

May 31 – Heat Awareness Day #NoFryDay

June 2024

Themes for the month

Pride Month

Men’s Health Education and Awareness Month

June hashtag calendar

June 2 – National Cancer Survivor’s Day #NCSD2024

June 2 – Rocky Road Day #RockyRoadDay

June 5 – World Environment Day #WorldEnvironmentDay

June 6 – Drive-in Movie Day #DriveInMovieDay

June 7 – Donut Day #DonutDay

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June 7 – Chocolate Ice Cream Day #ChocolateIceCreamDay

June 8 – World Oceans Day #WorldOceansDay

June 8 – Best Friends Day #BestFriendsDay

June 11 – Make Life Beautiful Day #MakeLifeBeautiful

June 14 – National Flag Day #FlagDay

June 14 – World Blood Donor Day #GiveBlood

June 16 – Fudge Day #FudgeDay

June 16 – Father’s Day #HappyFathersDay

June 17 – Eat Your Vegetables Day #EatYourVegetablesDay

June 18 – International Picnic Day #PicnicDay

June 19 – Martini Day #MartiniDay

June 19 – Juneteenth #Juneteenth

June 20 – World Refugee Day #WorldRefugeeDay

June 20 – First Day of Summer #FirstDayOfSummer

June 21 – National Selfie Day #NationalSelfieDay

June 21 – Take Your Dog To Work Day #TakeYourDogToWorkDay

June 21 – World Music Day #WorldMusicDay

June 21 – International Yoga Day #InternationalYogaDay

June 27 – Sunglasses Day #SunglassesDay

June 30 – Social Media Day #SMDay, #SocialMediaDay

July 2024

Themes for the month

National Ice Cream Month

National Grilling Month

July hashtag calendar

July 1 – Joke Day #JokeDay

July 2 – World UFO Day #WorldUFODay

July 4 – Independence Day #July4th

July 5 – Bikini Day #BikiniDay

July 6 – Fried Chicken Day #FriedChickenDay

July 7 – World Chocolate Day #WorldChocolateDay

July 9 – Fashion Day #FashionDay

July 10 – Pina Colada Day #PinaColadaDay

July 11 – Cheer Up the Lonely Day #CheerUpTheLonelyDay

July 12 – Malala Day #MalalaDay

July 12 – French Fries Day #FrenchFriesDay

July 14 – Mac and Cheese Day #MacCheeseDay

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July 15 – Give Something Away Day #GiveSomethingAwayDay

July 16 – Guinea Pig Appreciation Day #GuineaPigs

July 17 – World Emoji Day #WorldEmojiDay

July 18 – Nelson Mandela International Day #MandelaDay

July 18 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers

July 20 – Lollipop Day #LollipopDay

July 21 – Ice Cream Day #IceCreamDay

July 21 – Junk Food Day #JunkFoodDay

July 24 – Tequila Day #TequilaDay

July 26 – All or Nothing Day #AllOrNothing

July 26 – Summer Olympic Games begins #Olympics2024

July 28 – Milk Chocolate Day #MilkChocolate Day

July 29 – Lipstick Day #LipstickDay

July 30 – International Day of Friendship #DayOfFriendship

July 31 – Harry Potter’s Birthday #HappyBirthdayHarry

August 2024

Themes for the month

National Immunization Awareness Month

Black Business Month

August hashtag calendar

August 2 – International Beer Day #BeerDay

August 2 – Coloring Book Day #ColoringBookDay

August 3 – Watermelon Day #WatermelonDay

August 4 – National Sisters Day #SistersDay

August 5 – Blogger Day #BloggerDay

August 8 – National Bowling Day #Bowling Day

August 8 – International Cat Day #CatDay

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August 9 – Book Lovers Day #BookLoversDay

August 11 – Summer Olympic Games end #Olympics2024

August 11 – Sons and Daughters Day #SonsAndDaughtersDay

August 12 – World Elephant Day #WorldElephantDay

August 13 – International Lefthanders Day #LefthandersDay

August 15 – Relaxation Day #RelaxationDay

August 16 – Tell a Joke Day #TellAJokeDay

August 17 – Non-Profit Day #NonProfitDay

August 18 – Never Give Up Day #NeverGiveUp

August 19 – World Photo Day #WorldPhotoDay

August 19 – World Humanitarian Day #WorldHumanitarianDay

August 20 – National Lemonade Day #NationalLemonadeDay

August 23 – Sponge Cake Day #SpongeCakeDay

August 25 – Banana Split Day #BananaSplitDay

August 26 – Dog Day #DogDay

August 27 – World Rock Paper Scissors Day #RockPaperScissor

August 28 – Summer Paralympics begins #Paris2024

August 29 – Chop Suey Day #ChopSuey

September 2024

Themes for the month

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Suicide Prevention Month

Friendship Month

Back to School

September hashtag calendar

September 2 – Labor Day #LaborDay

September 2 – World Coconut Day #WorldCoconutDay

September 4 – Eat An Extra Dessert Day #EatAnExtraDessert

September 5 – International Day of Charity #CharityDay

September 6 – Read a Book Day #ReadABookDay

September 7 – Superhuman Day #SuperhumanDay

September 8 – International Literacy Day #LiteracyDay

September 8 – Summer Paralympics ends #Paris2024

September 8 – Stand Up To Cancer Day #KissCancerGoodbye

September 11 – Day of Service and Remembrance #911Day

September 13 – Positive Thinking Day #PositiveThinkingDay

September 15 – Greenpeace Day #GreenpeaceDay

September 19 – Talk Like a Pirate Day #TalkLikeAPirateDay

September 21 – International Day of Peace #PeaceDay

September 21 – Miniature Golf Day #MiniGolfDay

September 21 – World Alzheimer’s Day #Alzheimer’sDay

September 22 – Car-Free Day #CarFreeDay

September 22 – Hobbit Day #LordOfTheRings

September 22 – First Day of Fall #1stDayOfFall

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September 24 – National Punctuation Day #NationalPunctuationDay

September 26 – European Day of Languages #EDL2024

September 27 – World Tourism Day #WTD2024

September 28 – International Rabbit Day #InternationalRabbitDay

September 28 – Good Neighbor Day #GoodNeighborDay

September 29 – World Heart Day #HeartDay

September 30 – Love People Day #NationalLovePeopleDay

October 2024

Themes for the month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Global Diversity Awareness Month

National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month

National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Black History Month (UK)

October hashtag calendar

October 1 – World Vegetarian Day #WorldVegetarianDay

October 1 – International Coffee Day #CoffeeDay

October 2 – Name Your Car Day #NameYourCarDay

October 4 – World Animal Day #WorldAnimalDay

October 5 – World Teachers Day #WorldTeachersDay

October 6 – Grandparents Day #GrandparentsDay

October 6 – Noodle Day #NoodleDay

October 10 – World Sight Day #WorldSightDay

October 10 – World Mental Health Day #WorldMentalHeathDay

October 11 – World Egg Day #WorldEggDay

October 11 – International Day of the Girl #DayOfTheGirl

October 13 – Train Your Brain Day #TrainYourBrainDay

October 15 – Global Handwashing Day #GlobalHandwashingDay

October 16 – World Food Day #FoodDay

October 17 – Spreadsheet Day #Spreadsheets

October 17 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers

October 19 – Evaluate Your Life Day #EvaluateYourLife

October 21 – Reptile Awareness Day #ReptileAwarenessDay

October 24 – United Nations Day #UNDay

October 25 – Greasy Foods Day #GreasyFoodsDay

October 26 – Make a Difference Day #MDDAy

October 26 – Pumpkin Day #PumpkinDay

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October 30 – Checklist Day #ChecklistDay

October 31 – Halloween #Halloween

November 2024

Themes for the month

Men’s Health Awareness Month #Movember

Epilepsy Awareness Month

November hashtag calendar

November 1 – World Vegan Day #WorldVeganDay

November 2 – International Stress Awareness Day #StressAwarenessDay

November 3 – Sandwich Day #SandwichDay

November 4 – Candy Day #CandyDay

November 4 – Use Your Common Sense Day #CommonSense

November 8 – Cappuccino Day #CappuccinoDay

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November 9 – World Freedom Day #Freedom Day

November 10 – Tongue Twister Day #TongueTwisterDay

November 11 – Veterans Day #VeteransDay

November 11 – Singles Day #SinglesDay

November 12 – Happy Hour Day #HappyHourDay

November 13 – World Kindness Day #WKD

November 14 – World Diabetes Day #WDD

November 15 – Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day #CleanOutYourRefrigeratorDay

November 16 – International Day for Tolerance #ToleranceDay

November 16 – Fast Food Day #FastFoodDay

November 18 – Mickey Mouse’s Birthday #MickeyMouse

November 19 – International Men’s Day #InternationalMensDay

November 19 – Women’s Entrepreneurship Day #WomensEntrepreneurshipDay

November 21 – World Hello Day #WorldHelloDay

November 23 – Espresso Day #EspressoDay

November 26 – National Cake Day #NationalCakeDay

November 28 – Thanksgiving Day #Thanksgiving

November 28 – French Toast Day #FrenchToastDay

November 29 – Black Friday #BlackFriday2024

November 30 – Small Business Saturday #SmallBusinessSaturday

December 2024

Themes for the month

Christmas: December 24-26

Hanukkah: December 25, 2024 – January 2, 2025

Kwanzaa: December 26, 2024 – January 2, 2025

December hashtag calendar

December 1 – World AIDS Day #WAD2024

December 2 – Cyber Monday #CyberMonday

December 2 – Play Basketball Day #PlayBasketballDay

December 3 – Giving Tuesday #GivingTuesday

December 3 – Make A Gift Day #MakeAGiftDay

December 4 – Cookie Day #CookieDay

December 5 – International Ninja Day #DayOfTheNinja

December 7 – Cotton Candy Day #CottonCandyDay

December 8 – Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day #PretendToBeATimeTravelerDay

December 8 – Brownie Day #BrownieDay

December 9 – Christmas Card Day #ChristmasCardDay

December 10 – Human Rights Day #HumanRightsDay

December 11 – International Mountain Day #InternationalMountainDay

December 12 – Gingerbread House Day #GingerbreadHouseDay

December 14 – Monkey Day #MonkeyDay

December 15 – 10 Days to Christmas #10DaysToGo

December 18 – Bake Cookies Day #BakeCookiesDay

December 21 – Crossword Puzzle Day #CrosswordPuzzleDay

December 21 – First Day of Winter #WinterSolstice

December 24 – Christmas Eve #ChristmasEve

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December 25 – Christmas Day #MerryChristmas

December 31 – No Interruptions Day #NoInterruptionsDay

December 31 – New Year’s Eve #NYE2024

Let’s wrap up

Ensure you never miss an opportunity to connect with your audience and create content that drives engagement by planning your social media strategy well in advance. Use this comprehensive list of key social media dates for 2024 as a reference and schedule your content around these special events to see your brand’s engagement soar throughout the year.

In this post, we will share five effective ways to say thank you to your customers, along with free email templates and examples to help you create compelling messages that resonate with your target audience. 

1. Craft personalized thank you emails

You can show your appreciation to your customers by sending personalized thank-you emails. Marketers can create these messages using zero-party data such as customers’ names, preferences, or browsing history. 

A well-executed personalized thank you email not only shows appreciation but also helps to build stronger emotional connections between customers and your brand. When customers feel like they are more than just a number, they are more likely to become loyal supporters of your brand.

Email template #1: personalized thank you

Subject: Hey [First Name], A heartfelt thank you just for you

Dear [First Name],

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, our team at [Your Company Name] can’t help but reflect on our journey this year. And we know it’s awesome customers like you who make all the difference.

We noticed you’ve checked out [specific item, category, or service] on our website, and as a token of our appreciation, here’s an insider scoop for you. [Mention an exclusive tip, special offer, or news related to their interest.] 

Once again, thank you for being a part of our growing community. If you ever have any queries or need support, our friendly team is just an email or a call away at [customer support email or phone number].

Wishing you a fantastic day,

2. Deliver exclusive deals or promotions

This Thanksgiving, it’s a great opportunity to express your gratitude toward your loyal customers. Show them that you appreciate their support by offering exclusive deals and discounts that will excite and inspire their loyalty. By speaking directly with your loyal customers, you can enhance your brand’s reputation and encourage repeat purchases. 

Draw inspiration from Boden, a fashion brand that charmed its audience with an email titled ‘Celestine’s Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie’. The dynamic email featured a pumpkin pie with each slice symbolizing different Thanksgiving aspects. From expressing gratitude for friends and family to taking cheerful pictures, Boden’s email displays clever and engaging copy to capture the most treasured moments of Thanksgiving. 

The email also rewarded customers with 30% off throughout the Thanksgiving period at Boden. The irresistible combination of a visually engaging email and an attractive discount makes Boden’s Thanksgiving message memorable.

Free email template #2: Thanksgiving exclusive

Subject: Our way of saying thanks: exclusive offers just for you  

Dear [First Name],

As we give thanks this season, we want to take a moment to show our appreciation. To celebrate your loyalty, we’ve handpicked some deals and offers exclusively for our valued customers like you.

Here’s the scoop on our special Thanksgiving treats:

1. Promo Code: [THANKS10] – Save 10% on [specific product or category].
2. Limited Time Bundle: Buy [Product A] and get [Product B] for 50% off, no code needed.

To redeem these offers, simply use the promo codes provided at checkout or follow the link below to explore our limited-time bundles: [Link to Exclusive Offers Page]

These delightful deals are just our way of saying thank you for being an amazing customer. Act fast, as these offers are valid only until [expiration date].

Wishing you a warm and memorable Thanksgiving filled with love and gratitude.

Warm regards,

3. Highlight your customers’ stories

During Thanksgiving, you can create thank you emails that not only express gratitude to your customers but also highlight how they utilize your products in their meaningful moments. 

Take the jewelry brand James Allen as an example. It masterfully thanks its loyal customers by offering a 25% discount and dedicating an entire email to celebrating them. By showcasing different couple photos who have chosen the brand’s engagement rings, the brand cleverly displays both their products and social proof simultaneously. How ingenious.

This approach serves as a great way to introduce special promotions and entice your subscribers to purchase thoughtful Thanksgiving gifts for their loved ones or even themselves.

Encouraging customers to share user-generated content (UGC) and tag the brand on social media platforms is a unique opportunity for brands to engage with their customers on a more personal level. This approach helps brands to create a sense of community and establish stronger connections with their existing customers. 

The shared stories and images provide an authentic and relatable representation of the brand through the eyes of real customers. As these customer stories and images gain visibility on social media, they act as powerful, organic word-of-mouth marketing that attracts new customers who relate to the experiences shared.

Free email template #3: customer stories

Subject: You’re the Star this Thanksgiving

Dear [First Name],

Thanksgiving is more than just a time for feasting and giving thanks. It’s also about sharing stories and experiences with loved ones. At [Your Company’s Name], we believe that every one of our valued customers has a special story to tell, which is why we want to feature YOU this holiday season.

To get involved, simply follow the steps below:

Capture your Thanksgiving celebration in a photo, video, or simply put it into words.

Share your special Thanksgiving moment on social media with the hashtag #MyThanksgivingStory.

Mention and tag us, so we don’t miss out on your masterpiece. (Facebook: @[YourCompanyName], Instagram: @[YourCompanyName], Twitter: @[YourCompanyName])

Warm regards,

4. Thanksgiving referral email

A referral email campaign during Thanksgiving is an excellent way to show your appreciation to customers while promoting word-of-mouth marketing.

Thanksgiving is all about sharing, which makes it the perfect time to inspire customers to introduce your brand to their loved ones. When they refer a friend in exchange they can be rewarded with incentives, such as special discounts or exclusive freebies. This emphasizes your gratitude and creates an opportunity for increased sales and customer loyalty.

Draw inspiration from Rocksbox’s referral program. Including customers who refer friends in a raffle, adds an extra layer of incentive while keeping the financial risk in check, as only three fortunate participants can win the $250 prize.

Free email template #4: Thanksgiving referral campaign

Subject: Share the love this Thanksgiving

Dear [First Name],

Celebrate this Thanksgiving with a chance to win $150 in credit.

For this month only, you can earn $15 in credit and enter a lucky draw to win an additional $150 when you refer your friends or family to [Your Company Name].

Getting involved is simple – use the following referral link to invite your friends: [Invite Friends Referral Link]

Hurry and spread the love – 5 lucky winners will be chosen!

Warm Regards,

5. Encourage customers to give back

During the Thanksgiving season, it becomes even more important for brands to engage in responsible marketing and value-based initiatives. One way brands can achieve this is by partnering with charities or non-profit organizations to support meaningful causes. This approach allows brands to inform their subscribers about the causes they support and offers ways for customers to donate, either directly or by donating a percentage of their purchases.

By embracing responsible marketing practices and aligning with worthy causes, brands can deepen customer relationships by reflecting shared values. As customers increasingly expect brands to prioritize social responsibility, value-based marketing enables companies to create meaningful connections, foster loyalty, and ultimately, contribute to the greater good.

Free email template #5: invite your customers to give back

Subject: Let’s make a difference together this Thanksgiving

Dear [First Name], 

As Thanksgiving approaches, we want to express our gratitude by giving back. We’re partnering with [charity name] to help those in need this Thanksgiving. Between [start date] and [end date], we’ll donate [percentage/amount] of every purchase to their mission.

To get involved and help make a difference, simply shop for your favorite [products/services] between [start date] and [end date].

Let’s make a difference. 

With gratitude,

A final note

Showing appreciation to your customers is important in building strong and lasting relationships. With the help of email marketing, marketers can come up with creative and memorable ways to express gratitude to their customers not only on Thanksgiving but throughout the year. So, enjoy emailing, and have a happy Thanksgiving.

1. It’s not just about holiday season shopping

Marketers need to go on holiday too, which is why it’s important to plan to automate your email marketing campaigns so you can “set and forget” and switch off. Pre-schedule your campaigns, using send time optimization when necessary, to maximize effectiveness even when you’re off the clock.

If your brand is not typically busy over the holiday period, be mindful of how you’ll keep your sending domain warm. Completely switching off comms and starting them up again in January can harm your sender reputation, so make sure to schedule relevant content during this period. 

The holiday season is the perfect time to express appreciation for your customers and show gratitude for their loyalty throughout the year.  A sincere “thank you for your business” campaign can go a long way to strengthening your customer relationships. To make a real impact, it’s essential to personalize your subject lines and campaign content using first and zero-party data.

2. It’s not just about sales, either

The holiday season is a great time for businesses to make an impact without necessarily having to offer discounts. For instance, offering a gift with a purchase is a great way to make your customers feel special while maintaining the value of your brand. You can also add incentives by overlaying loyalty tiers, with your most loyal customers receiving the most coveted gifts with their purchases.

If your brand is in the gifting category, limited edition holiday season releases can be a great way to appeal to both your loyal customers and new ones. For fashion and apparel brands, presenting look books and style guides for holiday get-togethers is an excellent way to leverage the social aspect of the season. Homewares and decor retailers can also get in on the holiday action.

However, if you must go on sale, it’s important to choose the dates wisely. With so many dates on the holiday calendar, you don’t want your customers to start feeling sales fatigue. Also, you don’t want to train your customers to start relying on getting discounts. Therefore, choose holiday dates that resonate with your brand, and define your offer around them.

3. Optimize cross-channel consistency

Research has shown that 3 out of 4 consumers demand a consistent experience across all channels. This means that if they start their shopping journey on one channel, they expect to be able to continue it seamlessly on another channel without any hiccups or inconsistencies in the messaging. Moreover, 40% of consumers say that they will not engage with a brand if their preferred channels are not present.

To meet these high customer expectations and retain and attract customers during the holiday season, businesses must adopt a cross-channel strategy. This means developing a cohesive and integrated approach to customer engagement across all channels. By doing so, businesses can provide a consistent and seamless experience for their customers, resulting in increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and sales.

4. Prioritize email deliverability

“Black Friday is a period where some senders report up to 40% increase in their sending volume, easily making it one of the busiest email times of the year. This means you will be competing against billions of other messages for attention, sales, as well as inbox placement.”

– Toshi Onishi, Senior Deliverability Consultant, Dotdigital

One of the most important (but often forgotten) elements of a good holiday marketing strategy is considering how to warm up your contact list for smooth email delivery. Sudden spikes in send volume, such as those commonly seen during BFCM, can damage your sender reputation – and the damage lasts beyond the holiday period. 

To ensure successful email delivery, start preparing your database now by gradually increasing send volumes and providing an option for contacts to opt out of receiving more frequent communications during peak season.

5. Enhance shipping and returns experience

Shipping communication and returns policies can impact your bottom line. This is especially true during the holiday season when your customers are eager to receive their gifts on time.

It’s important to set customer expectations early, particularly in these uncertain times. Communicate shipping timelines and “last order” dates to your customers, so that they can plan their gifting accordingly.

In addition, it’s essential to consider whether your returns policy is attracting or turning away customers. According to Big Commerce, 62% of customers would switch retailers for free returns. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a clear and fair returns policy that meets customer expectations.

In summary

The holiday season is a prime time for marketers to boost their revenue and strengthen their relationships with customers. By following these proven tips, you can provide a seamless and enjoyable customer experience while establishing your brand as a top choice for holiday shopping. As you prepare for the busiest time of the year, ensure that your strategy is effective so that your business thrives during the festive season and beyond.

Shoppers plan on spending an average of £189.59 during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. That a 31% reduction from 2021.

Finder research

Recent research from Finder reveals that shoppers plan to spend an average of £189.59 during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales this year – a 31% reduction from 2021.

However, don’t mistake this decrease in spending for a lack of interest. Consumers are still on the hunt for unbeatable deals; they’re merely operating on a tighter budget. To rise above the competition and secure those precious customer conversions, your marketing strategy must work smarter, not harder. That’s why we’ve compiled five simple yet powerful tips to help you emerge victorious during this year’s sales season.

1. Prioritize segmentation and personalization on Black Friday

First, let’s start by making sure you’re reaching the right people during this period. Segmentation leads to increased relevancy, increased revenue, and less wastage. Most of your customers and prospects will want messages and offers throughout the holiday season. Some won’t want them all, but we’ll touch on that a little later.

Triggered emails

Triggered emails can be incredibly powerful when it comes to engaging customers and increasing conversions during Black Friday. By automating your marketing efforts, you can create personalized emails triggered by specific customer behaviors, such as cart abandonment. These automated emails can help you save time during the busy Black Friday period, while still delivering a customized and effective message to your customers. So, be sure to take advantage of triggered emails this Black Friday to drive sales and engagement.

Abandoned browse and cart popover

It’s worth considering having an on-site popover for abandoned browse or cart. This will help to keep shoppers engaged by displaying popovers that are triggered only when they are about to leave your online store. Through the popover, shoppers can be offered more holiday goodies, and returning customers can easily pick up where they left off with welcome-back popovers.

Re-engage

Why not use the start of the holiday period as a reason to win people back? For those who genuinely have stopped engaging with your emails, using the excitement of the holiday period can be a great way to bring them back into the fold. In the retail world, you’ll have offers and holiday-themed merchandise to sell them. 

Be mindful that some contacts may only be seasonal shoppers. Their lack of engagement doesn’t mean they’re not interested; it’s just not their preferred time of year to shop. By using eRFM (engagement recency, frequency, monetary) segmentation, you can identify these customers based on their past purchases and target them differently. Remind them of what they bought last year and suggest similar or complementary items that might pique their interest for this season’s shopping.

Amend your content and cadence

One thing we see with a lot of brands is that even though customers have filled out the preference center, thoroughly browsed your website, and even purchased; many of the brands still fail to recognize any of that behavior. Email marketing campaigns just keep coming and coming without any acknowledgment of a purchase or browsing activities. Some have even sent offers for products customers have already purchased.

One of the easiest things you can do to ‘recognize’ a recipient is to know whether they have purchased recently, how much they’ve spent, and what they’ve purchased. You can then change your mailing cadence and content accordingly. AI-powered product recommendations based on what has already been purchased really do help at this point.

2. Leverage data insights

During the Black Friday sales period, it’s important to leverage customer data insights efficiently. Before the big day, check your automation programs’ performance and optimize them with AI-enhanced algorithms to gain a competitive edge.

Examine the performance of your revenue-generating programs, such as eRFM persona, and identify customer segments that are ready for conversion. Tailor your messaging and offers specifically for highly engaged frequent shoppers and new customers.

You can also use AI-powered predictive analytics to refine your tactics in real time, adapting to your target audience’s evolving needs and desires. This forward-looking approach ensures you stay ahead of the curve, targeting potential customers with razor-sharp precision far beyond standard marketing efforts.

Lastly, focus on nurturing high-value customers with tailored and exclusive offers and messaging designed to deepen their loyalty and boost long-term retention. Look into your predicted customer lifetime value (CLV) metrics to inform your marketing strategy.

3. Implement back-in-stock emails

Products may go out of stock for several reasons. The effect can be highly frustrating for customers who expect to be able to purchase what they want when they want it.

The damage of stockouts extends beyond the direct consequence of a lost sale. There’s the possibility that the shopper will turn to a competitor to find the items in question. Then, there’s the long-term impact on customer satisfaction caused by the frustrating experience.

Using dynamic content and AI-driven suggestions in your back-in-stock emails helps provide clear and current information about product availability and updates. This is especially important for the season’s hottest products. It allows you to build brand buzz and encourage more visits.

4. Focus on a seamless customer experience

Imagine your potential customer, sitting at their computer on Black Friday, with dozens of tabs open, browsing through different websites, and deciding where to buy that perfect gift. What makes your online store stand out? It’s the seamless customer experience you offer. From fast and affordable shipping to hassle-free returns, it’s these small but vital details that can truly make or break a sale. Here are some simple tips for ensuring a smooth journey from browsing to checkout:

Accurate tracking and delivery times

During the Black Friday period, ecommerce businesses need to provide accurate tracking for your shipping. Studies show that in recent years, customers value estimated delivery dates (EDDs) over faster shipping alternatives. Surprisingly, a reliable EDD means not only “no later than” but also “no earlier than”. 

Some reasons, understandably, include not being home at the time of delivery and fear of packages sitting outside falling prey to pesky “porch pirates”. So, as part of your Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) checklist, be sure to review your shipping methods and integrations, delivery date accuracy, and communication methods to ensure your EDD is communicated clearly and as accurately as possible.

Additionally, as we get closer to Christmas, consider telling your customers about shipping deadlines for each method you offer. This transparency helps create realistic expectations and fosters exceptional customer service. This will allow your customers to plan for the last date they need to purchase to be delivered before Christmas. Clear and accurate shipping and delivery communication will go a long way this holiday season for you and your customers.

Easy-to-find return policy

The better your return policy is, the more confident customers will be when purchasing from your online store. Craft a simple, easy-to-understand return policy and ensure it is readily accessible on your website. This openness will reassure shoppers that they’re making the right choice, increasing the likelihood that they’ll click that “Add to Cart” button.

Streamlined checkout process

Don’t be the online store that loses customers at the last hurdle – the checkout stage. Implement a clean, user-friendly, and safe checkout process to minimize cart abandonment. Offer multiple payment options and mark security logos clearly to provide a sense of safety. Guest checkout options also help hesitant shoppers, who may not want to commit to creating a full account but are willing to give your store a try.

Provide outstanding customer support

Great customer support can tip the balance in your favor when shoppers are trying to decide between your store and another. Make sure it’s easy for customers to contact you with their questions or worries through options like live chat, email, or social media. And remember to teach your customer service team to handle any Black Friday-related concerns with friendliness and understanding.

5. Create a sense of urgency

Creating a sense of urgency in your emails can increase sales by over 300%. But how do you go about creating a sense of urgency, we hear you ask. Following these simple copywriting tips can help you write a sales-driving email marketing campaign.

Use compelling language

Utilizing limited-time language in your email subject line and calls to action (CTAs) is a smart way to create urgency and increase sales. Mirror this language with an action-based tone to create a seamless experience. Make sure your CTAs leave no doubt about what you’re offering and what the recipient should do next to get the offer.

FOMO (fear of missing out)

It might sound cheesy but it’s a powerful marketing tactic that you can draw on through your use of language. Use phrases like ‘biggest sale of the year’ or ‘best prices of the season’ in your Black Friday marketing to encourage recipients to shop before it’s too late.

Abandoned cart emails

There will always be some shoppers who don’t complete their purchases. It’s essential to ensure your abandoned cart automation program is in place before Black Friday. It becomes an even more important tactic for ecommerce businesses to win back these potential customers. Offering discounts and other promotions are the most effective way to bring shoppers back but don’t forget that Black Friday entails a much tighter window of opportunity than usual. Make sure to amend the timing of your abandoned cart emails accordingly.

Use Artificial intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized digital marketing, and Black Friday campaigns are no exception. With Dotdigital’s Winston AI, you can offer your customers real-time recommendations during the Black Friday sales period. In addition, Winston AI can help you craft captivating subject lines, ensuring your subscribers are drawn to and engaged with your Black Friday promotions.

Let’s wrap it up

Black Friday presents the perfect opportunity to entice your customers with irresistible deals and promotions. However, achieving true success goes beyond just providing impressive discounts. Stand out by delivering unique value with innovative ideas such as giveaways, expert shopping tips, meaningful charitable contributions, and holiday themed social events. Tap into your creative side and capture the excitement of the season and be on your way to Black Friday success.

As the festive season approaches, it’s important to ensure your holiday email marketing strategy is both powerful and targeted. In this blog, we’ll dive into the 8 essential elements of crafting highly effective Boxing Day email marketing campaigns, carefully designed to grab attention, pique interest, ignite desire, and ultimately, drive action.

1. Set up your automation programs

To ensure success during the holiday season and beyond, it’s important to set up your marketing automation programs in advance. Many offices may be closed during this time, and even if they’re open, attention may be focused on next year’s strategy rather than sales emails. By automating tasks such as welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, and post-purchase follow-ups, your email marketing strategy can become more efficient and effective. 

Additionally, automation ensures that messages are sent at the appropriate time and are tailored to each subscriber, which can lead to increased engagement and conversion rates. It’s also a good idea to incorporate AI-powered recommendations into your automation programs by offering products similar or related to previous purchases. This personal touch can encourage customers to make additional purchases and boost sales.

2. Jazz-up your existing programs

Give your existing programs a Christmassy feel by creating some unique templates to cover the holiday period. Boxing Day sales are a great way to acquire new customers. Make the right first impression with a personalized welcome program that wishes new subscribers a ‘Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’. Perhaps you can offer a limited time discount to anyone signing up during the period. This will encourage repeat purchases when the season is over.

3. Stand out in crowded inboxes with subject lines

As with every other busy sales period, inboxes are even more overcrowded than normal. You need to make an impact as soon as your email lands. To immediately grab attention, focus on crafting powerful subject lines. While often overlooked by marketers, a well-crafted subject line can be the most important part of your campaign.

To make a lasting impression, use customer data to personalize subject lines, incorporating recipients’ names or referencing past interactions with your brand. If you’re struggling with subject line ideas, AI-powered tools can be a game-changer. For instance, WinstonAI brilliantly analyzes up to 25 of your previous subject lines before providing tailored recommendations that effectively resonate with your target audience. This personalized approach piques the recipients’ interest and sets a strong foundation for your message.

4. Make it limited, make it irresistible

Boxing Day thrives on unbeatable deals that shoppers simply cannot overlook. To fully capitalize on the power of your email campaign, emphasize the exclusivity and time-sensitive nature of your offers, such as limited-time discounts, bundle deals, or gift-with-purchase incentives. By showcasing the potential savings, you make it challenging for your audience to resist.

One way to ramp up the excitement is through flash sales – strictly limited sales with a sense of scarcity and a tight deadline for making the purchase. Flash or short supply sales can generate an average uplift of 35% in transaction rates. At the extreme utilization of this trend, we have the infamous brand Supreme which is the pioneer of hype branding, some of their products resell as high as 1200% more than the retail price. 

Running a short supply sale is an opportunity to generate real major sales momentum, particularly when supported by social media integrated with your outbound marketing campaigns. Interestingly, campaigns deployed in the morning have a higher engagement rate but those sent in the evening hours perform better on conversion; if your goal is to generate brand and awareness vs immediate sales consider this a tactic.

5. Optimize for mobile devices

With an ever-increasing number of shoppers browsing and purchasing on their smartphones, it’s vital to optimize your Boxing Day emails for seamless mobile viewing. Use responsive design elements, concise copy, and easy-to-tap call-to-action buttons to cater to mobile users, ensuring a smooth user experience.

With an ever-increasing number of shoppers browsing and purchasing on their smartphones, it’s vital to optimize your Boxing Day emails for seamless mobile viewing.

Here are some key considerations for optimizing your emails for mobile devices:

• Responsive design: Implement a responsive email design that adjusts automatically to fit various screen sizes and resolutions. This ensures your email looks visually appealing, whether it’s viewed on a smartphone, tablet, or desktop device, providing a positive user experience across all platforms.
• Concise copy and clear legibility: Keep your email copy short and to the point, focusing on the essential information and key selling points. Mobile users often skim through content, making it crucial to communicate your message effectively in fewer words. Additionally, use clear fonts and an appropriate font size to ensure legibility on smaller screens.
• Easy-to-tap call-to-action (CTA) buttons: Make it easy for mobile users to take action by utilizing large, easily visible, and tapable CTA buttons. Additionally, ensure there’s enough space between buttons and other touch targets to minimize the chance of accidental clicks.
• Optimize images and videos: Optimize your visual content for faster loading times on mobile devices by compressing images and using the correct file formats. Be cautious about using heavy images or videos, as they may slow down load times and frustrate users. Opt for HTML5 animations or lightweight GIFs when possible.

6. Keep your message clear across all channels

To connect effectively with your customers, make sure your message is consistent across all communication methods, such as chat, SMS, push notifications, or direct mail. According to 2022 data, approximately 48% of holiday revenue came from smartphone purchases, emphasizing the need to reach customers on multiple platforms.

Use a simple and consistent communication approach for all channels, ensuring your audience gets the same message no matter how they’re contacted. Sharing your promotions through multiple touchpoints helps increase their reach and impact during busy sales times.

7. Test and monitor your campaigns

Never underestimate the importance of thorough testing in your email marketing efforts. To gauge the effectiveness of your Boxing Day email marketing campaigns, be sure to set up A/B tests before launching any emails. A/B testing various elements, such as subject lines, visuals, and promotional offers, will help you determine what resonates most with your target audience.

For optimal results, your campaigns must be continuously monitored, analyzed, and adjusted to ensure they make a strong impact. By tracking your email performance, you will gain valuable insights that can be used to optimize future campaigns and ultimately maximize your return on investment (ROI).

Here are some ways to streamline your testing and monitoring process:

• Consistent A/B testing: Conduct ongoing A/B tests to evaluate and refine your campaigns, constantly striving to achieve better results. This will help you deliver the most engaging and effective emails to your subscribers.
• Performance tracking: Keep a close eye on important email marketing metrics, such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Monitoring these figures will provide essential information about campaign performance and customer preferences.
• Adapting and evolving: Use the insights gained from testing and monitoring to refine your campaigns continually. Adjust subject lines, visuals, content, and promotional offers based on the data you’ve collected to optimize their impact on your target audience.

8. Don’t forget post-Boxing Day campaigns

While the focus is understandably on Boxing Day itself, it’s essential not to neglect the days that follow. Continue your marketing efforts throughout the rest of the holiday season with follow-up emails highlighting any ongoing sales, special offers, or new inventory.

Additionally, use this opportunity to start building excitement for future events and sales campaigns, such as New Year’s promotions or upcoming seasonal sales. By maintaining momentum beyond Boxing Day, you’ll set the stage for continued success in the new year.

Get a head start on your Boxing Day email campaigns

Boxing Day offers an incredible opportunity for ecommerce brands to connect with their target audience and boost sales performance. Utilizing these eight essential tactics in your email marketing campaigns will assist in creating a powerful, persuasive, and effective holiday sales strategy. With automated campaigns, engaging personalization, mobile optimization, and consistent monitoring, you’ll maximize your Boxing Day ROI and set the foundation for success in the coming year.