The context in which someone receives an email message is very relevant. Sometimes the calendar can give us a hand with this relevance. We are back with a series of seasonal email campaigns.
Halloween is the opener, with the Christmas holidays as a highlight, and then we conclude with Valentine’s Day. Any product can pick up on those times of the year, provided the story adds up. So in addition to timeliness – you need to be prepared in advance – you should also make sure that it’s obvious to your reader why you decide to play into Halloween.
1 When creating atmosphere, you need to start from the beginning. In this email, that is executed in a perfect way. There has clearly chosen leave the logo alone. It has however been placed in an image that not only suggests the atmosphere of a cave, but also suggests Halloween. They often do choose to give the logo a specific theme in these kind of emails. But in email marketing – where the reader grants you just fractions of a second for recognition – it’s maybe best to stick to the original.
2 Clearly mention the event that you’re offering. Halloween and the domain of the caves of Han are perfectly tied together. Pay attention to 2 additional elements. The dark atmosphere is used throughout the message. They use a contrasting color for the date of the event. An orange block needs to grasp attention. There’s a big chance that this is the first element a busy reader will notice when opening the email. That implies that he skipped the logo and didn’t see an important element of the context. But they solve that in element 3.
3 They get two elements of the park, caves and wildlife in the spirit of Halloween. Again they choose a contrasting color that stands out against the black background quite well. It would not surprise us that many graphic artists would describe this email as ugly. But what are you with a slick picture where even the most lucrative offer blends into the background. Camouflage is not the basis for e-marketing.
4 Of course, subscribers of the newsletter get additional benefits. Because that is one of the reasons why readers don’t unsubscribe. If it was up to is, we would have highlighted this discount, that is specifically for them. The fine print on the offer immediately follow next. It also suggests you to save the message. That way it can also be used as physical coupon. There’s nothing wrong with getting your subscriber to save your message in a special place. Because even if he doesn’t use your discount, he will run into your message again sooner or later..
5 For the call to action they opted for a big call to action. Even the websites are returning to flat layouts that could have been used in the eighties. Today’s css really plays into the vintage trend. This email tries to incorporate that as well with the big colorful button. It’s the only white space in a sea of black. Standing out is clearly the goal!
6 After the essence follows the explanation. Because we know how it is, our readers are constantly pressed for time. The essence has been told: the occasion, the special action and the coupon. Now you have lost or –hopefully- won the attention. Maybe your message is enticing enough for a reader to plan a visit and register, or maybe he needs some extra information to give them that final push. This is what they try to accomplish in the second half of the message: a CTA that tries to offer a helping hand. The service element is equally important. Because readers want to feel appreciated. Even though it is get scared!
