The cold winter weather is back in our country, the days grow shorter and the Christmas lights will soon be taken out of their boxes. Before you know it, the holidays are just around the corner. This also means that the time of year has come to send out Christmas cards.
For email marketers, this cozy period is the time to prepare their online Christmas cards. The traditional Christmas cards are now increasingly being replaced by e-cards, but a perfect Christmas card is not self-evident: in order to craft the right message, your cards deserve to get enough attention. Will it be more of a corporate Christmas card? Are you going to connect an action to your message? Will everyone receive the same card? Some questions to think about before you go to work. We would like to give you some tips to send the perfect Christmas card.
1 Look before you leap.
A full agenda, a busy schedule and it’s suddenly December. With the result that you’re just in time to send a simple Christmas card. Of course, the easiest way out, but not the best per se. Plan preparing your Christmas card or Christmas campaign in a timely manner so you can get the maximum conversion from these campaigns as well. Are you going to send a simple Christmas card, or would you like to stand out in a full inbox during the holiday season in full? A smart marketer is going for the second option, so you have to make sure to get your campaign on point at the beginning of December.
2. Analyze and learn.
It’s probably not the first time you’re sending out a Christmas card. Go find the reports from your previous Christmas cards and identify the most popular cards. Moreover, there is nothing wrong with just peeking with your competitors. What will their Christmas card look like? Are they creating a special deal? That way you are aware of your competitors’ strategy. This does not mean that you are going to copy blindly but it should serve as a source of inspiration for new ideas.
3. Create a good balance between images and text.
We often see businesses creating a beautiful Christmas message composed entirely of one image. Such a shame when you know that spam filters have difficulty with this. Therefore, always make sure the images in your messages support your text. Ultimately, the message must be clear without displaying images.
4. Be creative!
You’re probably not the only marketer who sends his clients a Christmas card. Therefore, be as creative as possible so that you stand out among the hundreds of Christmas cards. Not only during the Christmas period you should be able to surprise, but also think of other days that are not as obvious , like Halloween, Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. If you’re the only one among your competitors using this ‘not that obvious’ holiday, it’s guaranteed that you will stand out in the inbox. Creativity works.
5. Integrate with social media.
We cannot get around it in 2015: the use of social media. Therefore, make sure your messages are also accessible on your various social media channels. You’ll have a double opportunity to make an impression with the customers that are less active in their inbox at the end of the year.
6. Also convince the last-minute shoppers!
The Christmas period is often the most profitable period of the year for online shops. Every year there are people who are still urgently looking for Christmas presents a few days before Christmas. Try, if you have a shop, of course, to win over these last -minute shoppers. How? Simple. Clearly indicate the date until which their package still arrives in time because that is what matters in the end. That way you ensure them that their order will be delivered on time, and that could very well be the deciding factor for choosing you.
7. Last but not least: A/B Testing
Still having doubts about the subject line of your message? Not sure which picture is best to use? Avoid this and make sure you can send your message with a sense of security by using A/B testing. Your message will be sent as a test to a group of contacts – the size of that test group you determine yourself. Then the winning version is sent to all your contacts. No more doubts because you have tested it!
An example to learn from…
Tiffany & Co opts for a traditional Christmas message, with a personal touch. A short, clear and concise message, because it doesn’t need to be anything more.
A. They have incorporated their branding into their message. Furthermore, they try to create the feeling that you’re already on their website. In short, the contacts get into a thrusted environment and won’t ask themselves who the sender is.
B. A very Tiffany Holiday! They wish their customers happy holidays in a very original fashion.
C. What follows is an important message for last-minute shoppers. They clearly tell you until when you have time to have your gift with you in time.
D. Finally they present a good balance between images and text. Even without this garland the message is as clear to understand.
So when you’re getting started, don’t forget to…
– Incorporate your branding into your Christmas card in order to make it clear that this email is coming from you.
– Adding a personal touch to your message.
– Thank your loyal customers for the thrust they’ve put into your company.
– Linking an interesting action or promotion, to make it more than just a Christmas Card.
Have a look among the new Christmas templates in your account or our Pinterest page to find inspiration!
