Christmas is coming! Look busy!
Whilst you may feel like you’ve left it too late and missed the boat (or sleigh…), you can still put a Christmas marketing strategy in place, you just need to get your (ice) skates on!
In this blog we will discuss the true focus for retailers this Christmas, how to compete with bigger brands and, if that wasn’t enough, how you can personalise your campaigns to see Christmas success.
Rudolph radar
What is the true focus for retailers this Christmas? Principally, it’s about maximising sales through incentivising purchases and using your customer data to send more meaningful messages to your database. Small businesses can compete with the big retailers simply by truly knowing their customers, which bigger brands will struggle to do.
With all major retailers upping their game around the holiday season, you can be the shining gold star on a tree dripping with baubles by sending your customers something they actually want- and if you know your customers, you’ll know what that is already.
One trick reindeer
So you’ve sent out one campaign, and the click-throughs weren’t quite what you wanted. Why not utilise the results you have to separate your list and target those who didn’t open your first email? There’s nothing to stop you sending it again.
Try a different time of day, a different title, or even a different offer. Christmas provides you with a rare (but beautifully gift-wrapped) opportunity to test out different ideas, offers and campaigns with your database that you won’t get throughout the rest of the year. Use the opportunity to identify those strategies that work and those that don’t.
Remember, customers will want to hear from you at Christmas, they want to know what offers you have. Can they buy Great-Aunt Martha’s present from you? Is that game their son’s been badgering them for available? Can they get all their stocking-fillers in one place for under £10 each? Tell your clients what Christmas delights you have in store!
Christmas candy
So how do you catch your customers’ eye at Christmas when their brains are fogged by glitter, wrapping paper, and maybe a little too much mulled wine? We have one word for you: Video.
Short form videos are a quick and easy way to engage Generation Y in six speedy seconds- look at the Waitrose Instagram for examples of slick, simple, but incredibly effective videos. Before the barrage of tempting offers and sickly-sweet adverts take over on all platforms, include a quick video in your next email campaign and prepare to be amazed at the engagement. Your offers will fly off the shelves faster than mince pies at a WI meeting.
Seasons greetings!
Don’t stick to the same old phrases that pop up year-on-year. Add a unique touch to your campaigns this season with an unusual greeting that will make your customers smile. You could even do something as simple as making the first image on your email a Christmas jumper, personalised with the reader’s name.
We all know that Christmas isn’t truly coming until the Coca-Cola advert pops up on TV. Why is that advert so successful? Simply put, it’s evocative, nostalgic and has a consistent message.
Personalised emails that give your customers a similar warm, fuzzy feeling will automatically garner more interest and opens.
Star of Wonder
Are you still feeling left out in the cold? Don’t panic! As always, help is at hand. In twenty minutes, our Account Director Katie Hurley will guide you through what your retail business can achieve this festive season by identifying the right email opportunities for Christmas to maximise your ROI.
Use Katie’s advice to identify how these opportunities will affect your overall email strategy
– Create engaging and unique content to make your emails worth opening
– Use behavioural data & make the most of product marketing during Christmas
– Produce highly personalised and targeted emails to stand out from the crowd
A strategy is for life, not just for Christmas.
For retailers, planning your Christmas strategy and campaigns well in advance is paramount to your marketing plan and sales forecast for the year ahead. A successful Christmas campaign can drive you forwards into January sales and beyond, giving you a strong start to the New Year.
There’s no denying it, by the end of this week your Christmas strategy had better be signed, sealed and delivered (hold on that send button though, we still have Halloween to contend with first).
[mk_mini_callout title=”Download The Pure360 Guide to Christmas Email Strategy” button_text=”Download the guide” button_url=”http://www.pure360.com/white-papers/christmas-email-strategy/”]Stand out in the inbox this festive period[/mk_mini_callout]