What Ways Could Holiday Email Campaigns Backfire When Not Done Properly?

The holiday season is in full swing, and this means consumers are engaged in serious shopping mode. A number of online and offline retailers got an early start, but with Christmas right around the corner, it is safe to say that all companies are ready to seize the moment. While email marketers are definitely included in that bunch, if their strategy is not executed precisely, those holiday campaigns could actually backfire and end up doing more harm than good.  This article will provide some examples of how it can all go wrong.
Gimmicky Subject Lines

As usual, email marketers will be employing also sorts of tactics to boost responses and increase sales this holiday season. Because it all starts with getting people to open your message, many of them will be relying on subject line gimmicks to draw attention to their holiday emails. Sadly, these gimmicks will result in most of them being ignored. You have to realize that consumers are going to be flooded with messages and will likely have encountered a countless number of poor subject line gimmicks before running across yours. Keep your subject line compelling and to the point, and it will have a better chance of making the intended impact.

Too Much Jingle

It is very common for email marketers to incorporate fitting themes when a holiday rolls around. 
When St. Patrick’s Day is the air, they conjure up copy that focuses on the luck of the Irish. When Independence Day is on the calendar, they go for templates that help embody the spirt of America’s freedom. While these tactics can be effective, they could also work to your disadvantage. This is especially the case toward the latter part of the year when you have so many different holidays wrapped into a single season. Because injecting too much holiday flair could devalue the strength of your message, it is best to go light on the jingle unless it specific relates to your products or services.

Increased Frequency

Some marketers view the holiday season as an invitation to crank up their email frequency in an effort to end the year on a prosperous note. While these senders usually have good intentions, the results they are left with are often anything but. Again, you must realize that consumers are overwhelmed with email during this time, and by adding to that load, you will likely be doing nothing but aggravating your audience and alienating them in the process. Instead of increasing frequency, try to focus on ways to up the ante on benefits and increasing the value of your message.

Feeling committed to treat family and friends to gifts, consumers are very likely to respond to email offers and spend money with marketers. This doesn’t mean you should automatically expect your campaigns to go off without a hitch. Competition is more fierce than ever during the holiday season, and in a way, this makes it even harder to get the consumer’s undivided attention. The good thing is that if you avoid the common mistakes, your email marketing campaigns will allow you to successfully reach the inbox, and enjoy a nice slice of that holiday pie.

Nan King, a tech geek and environmentalist at heart, is an advocate of business email marketing strategies that encompass the use of an email marketing company which is permission based.

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