How to get an A grade at Back to School email marketing campaigns

We’re half way through the summer holidays…

But just as parents have wrapped their heads around keeping their children and teens entertained over the holidays, they’re already having to think about them going back to school.

Many parents (and children) find the Back to School shopping experience a stressful one. So make it as easy as possible for them with the help of email marketing.

And if you don’t know where to begin, then we’re here to give you a lesson in email so you can be top of the class when it comes to Back to School email campaigns.

Craft a catchy subject line

Just like school, when it comes to email it’s important to get the basics right. Such as subject lines.

Without a catchy and engaging subject line, your email won’t even be opened, and you’ll be falling at the first hurdle.

With many parents short on time, and battling a busy inbox, we recommend getting straight to the point. Make it clear that your email is focused on children and teenagers going back to school. And if possible, reference the campaign theme in your subject line, to clearly display the benefits you can bring parents.

So speak to their challenges. Whether that be sourcing the relevant clothes, saving money, or looking for a little inspiration.

For example:

50% off Back to School shoes

We’ve got the Back to School inspiration you need

1 more day to grab Back to School bargains ⏰

Create a clear and striking design

Of course, once you’ve secured that all-important email open, you want to wow your recipients with the email design.

Firstly, grab recipients’ attention with a striking header image that will immediately engage, and encourage them to either click-through or scroll down for more information. This could include imagery that they can relate to, or a bold promotion of your latest offer.

Next, ensure that the flow of your email is clear. Busy parents don’t want to waste time picking through your design or navigating a confusing email flow, so ensure a simple and navigatable hierarchy.

And last but certainly not least, focus on the CTA (Call To Action). With so many visual and promotional opportunities in Back to School emails, it can be easy for the CTA to get lost. So ensure it is bold, clearly visible, surrounded by adequate white space, and offers clear instruction.

Create urgency

Whilst it’s important to give parents lots of time to get prepared by starting your Back to School promotions early, that doesn’t mean you can’t use urgency in your emails.

Urgency is particularly useful for your last-minute campaigns, and for those parents who just haven’t had the time to sort out their Back to School clothes, stationary, and accessories.

Brands can run a time-limited campaign or sale, and pepper this throughout their email. Such as in their subject line, imagery, messaging, and even using an animated countdown timer.

This approach can also be used to remind parents that Back to School is just around the corner, and they need to get prepared asap. A countdown timer until the school term begins is particularly effective in this instance. Especially if you use dynamic content to ensure it refreshes with the correct time, whenever the email is opened.

Offer personalized recommendations

Personalisation, such as first name, is great for grabbing the recipient’s attention.

But personalisation can be used in much more sophisticated ways, especially for bands who have access to purchase and behavioural data.

For instance, brands can identify repeat customers and personalise their email communications with products related to past purchases. This could be specific to clothing or stationery for the child’s age or gender. Or even books and software for their new year group.

However, if a brand is targeting a new customer, they can use browsing data to identify the types of products a specific recipient is interested in and send them related campaigns. For instance, if they have been browsing Peppa Pig pencil cases, a brand can send them an email promoting the wider Peppa Pig range.

But personalisation isn’t all about past purchases. By using geotargeting, brands can identify where in the world their recipients are and promote the correct uniform or accessories based on the weather when the school term begins.

Give your recipients an education

Education isn’t only for students, it’s for the parents as well.

With consumers becoming increasingly savvy to hard-sell tactics, many are more interested in the purchasing experience as a whole.

Education plays a key part in this journey by showcasing to the recipient how a product can solve their challenges in real-life situations. And offering helpful tips and advice to maintain a nurturing relationship, both pre and post-sale.

This could include a guide to the latest kid’s trends for school, based on the most popular products recently browsed and searched.

Or a checklist to help parents keep organised in the countdown before the new term begins.

And if a brand has the resource, this helpful content could also include videos, testimonials and reviews, or advice from key influencers in the industry.

Looking to get an A grade in your Back to School email campaigns?

At Pure360 we offer an all-in-one AI email and web marketing platform alongside a Customer Success Team whose sole mission is to get you better results.

Get in touch to find out how we can support you.