7 December E-newsletter Concepts (and Why They Work)

Advertising is commonly about experimentation and iteration.

Attempt providing free presents as a substitute of share reductions. Tinker along with your buyer segments. Write a topic line utilizing nothing however emojis. See what works finest—and do extra of it.

However December positively isn’t the time for taking part in. With Christmas approaching quick, you’ll wish to lean again on tried-and-trusted methods to maximise income technology at this essential time of 12 months.

Happily, audiences are significantly receptive to our messaging in December, which sees the second-highest electronic mail open charge of any month, at 21.81 %. Solely November—which, let’s not overlook, contains BFCM—has the next charge.

Hopefully, you have already got a transparent image of what your December electronic mail advertising and marketing campaigns will seem like. However when you’re nonetheless trying to finalize your plans, don’t fear, as a result of I’ve taken one other deep-dive into the Drip swipe file to spherical up seven of the very best December e-newsletter concepts…

As entrepreneurs, we’re typically determined for Black Friday and Cyber Monday to be over. Months of planning, adopted by probably the most intense working week of the 12 months—and on a regular basis you’re always terrified that your web site will crash or your emails will unintentionally promote final 12 months’s provide.

It’s a marvel we maintain coming again for extra.

However proof suggests that customers don’t suppose the identical. Take a fast peek at Google Developments and also you’ll see there’s nonetheless some search curiosity round Black Friday and Cyber Monday after the occasions have handed:

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So why not give them what they’re searching for by sending a BFCM followup electronic mail in early December? That’s exactly what The Physique Store did in my first December e-newsletter instance:

There are a pair benefits to this strategy. 

Firstly, there’s a far stronger likelihood clients will truly see your post-Cyber Weekend emails. Based on Marketing campaign Monitor, greater than 116 million emails are despatched on Black Friday—greater than another single day. So there’s one thing to be stated for following up a couple of days later to succeed in individuals who missed your message on the day itself.

Secondly, there’s a superb likelihood you’ll wish to run some form of low cost or promotion in early December anyway. Tying it to your BFCM providing means you’re technically selling the identical sale fairly than beginning a brand new one. 

That is good from a client psychology perspective, with analysis from Klarna revealing that 38 % of buyers consider fixed gross sales make manufacturers look retro and low-cost.

Sadly, not all of these gross sales are going to stay. Based on the Nationwide Retail Federation, retailers anticipated greater than 13 % of all merchandise offered throughout the 2020 vacation interval to be returned, at an estimated price of $101 billion. 

The overwhelming majority of these returns—simply over 80 %—occur in January:

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That’s a irritating, if inevitable, statistic. You’re employed arduous to hone your messaging all through the vacation season, solely to see about $1 of each $7.50 spent leading to a return.

Wouldn’t it’s good when you may discover some technique to scale back your return charge?

Really, you’ll be able to, with analysis from Shinhyoung Lee and Youjae Yi revealing that shoppers are much less prone to return purchases together with a free present. 

Based on the researchers, it’s all concerning the buyer’s perceived sense of loss. For no matter purpose, they’ve a better feeling of loss when the merchandise they return is described as a “free present.”

Use this technique to your benefit by providing a free present as a part of your December advertising and marketing plans, like cosmetics model Origins did on this instance:

This strategy isn’t nearly decreasing returns. By providing the present to clients who spend over a certain quantity, it’s also possible to improve your common order worth—supplied clients understand the present’s worth to be price the additional expense.

In a world the place 56 % of all cart abandonments could be traced again to shipping-related issues, there’s by no means a dangerous time of 12 months to advertise free transport.

However this tactic could be particularly useful throughout December, with analysis from Google revealing that 75 % of vacation buyers plan to purchase from manufacturers that supply free transport.

Sleepwear model Lunya is clearly properly conscious of this development, utilizing free transport as the principle “hook” for considered one of its December 2021 electronic mail campaigns:

There’s loads to love about this instance.

For one factor, Lunya saved issues easy by providing free floor transport on all US orders, leaving no room for confusion. It additionally launched a component of shortage by operating this promotion as a limited-time low cost, encouraging buyers to purchase now.

Importantly, Lunya additionally took care so as to add additional info round supply timings:

That is essential throughout December, when clients merely can’t afford for his or her purchases to reach later than anticipated.

If something, it seems we’re truly turning into much less organized in the case of Christmas purchasing. Google revealed that in 2021, searches for “final minute christmas presents for” elevated globally by greater than 700 % within the week operating as much as December twenty fifth.

There are a pair methods for ecommerce entrepreneurs to capitalize on shoppers’ lack of preparation.

One strategy, favored by cosmetics model Charlotte Tilbury, is to warn clients when the ultimate date for Christmas transport arrives:

This isn’t simply an opportunity to drive gross sales; it’s virtually a public service. Your clients will thanks for serving to them keep away from the embarrassment of telling their nearest and dearest: “Sorry, your present’s within the mail—I positively didn’t overlook to purchase it.”

Alternatively, when you’re in a position to provide ultra-fast transport—or maybe in-store pickup—nearer to Christmas Day, be at liberty to delay your messaging to the final potential minute.

You’ll have a significant level of distinction versus all these different retailers that can’t ship as late as you, providing you with a incredible alternative to drive last-minute gross sales.

Within the UK, shoppers persistently splash out round £4 billion ($4.9 billion) on December twenty sixth, so it’s positively one other large alternative to drive on-line gross sales.

Menswear model Chubbies is properly conscious of this, utilizing Boxing Day 2021 to focus on its electronic mail advertising and marketing subscribers with a revenue-generating promotion. It began with the e-mail topic:

It is a incredible topic line. It’s humorous, but in addition simply actual sufficient to make you suppose: “Hmmm, possibly I ought to deal with myself.” I couldn’t assist however click on—and I’m positive loads of different recipients felt the identical.

Intelligently, Chubbies backed up its glorious topic line with a stable gross sales promotion, providing a wholesome low cost on out-of-season inventory:

Once more, that is clever advertising and marketing. At the very least within the northern hemisphere, few shoppers are actively planning to purchase swim trunks in late December. What’s the hurt in providing a considerable saving on merchandise that might in any other case be gathering mud in your warehouse?

Information from the US Census Bureau exhibits that spending at retailers and eating places climbed by 3.8 % month-on-month in January 2022—virtually twice as excessive as economists had predicted.

In different phrases, January is (yet one more) key interval for driving gross sales. Begin the 12 months poorly and also you’ll be taking part in catchup for weeks or months to come back.

All of which implies that it is sensible to begin pushing your January providing in late December, similar to Mattress Bathtub & Past did on this electronic mail instance:

Identical to my earlier instance from Chubbies, the emphasis right here could be very a lot on clearance offers.

This is sensible. Based on Deloitte, the common client is predicted to shell out virtually $1,500 all through the vacation season. 

In spite of everything that spending, the very last thing on most individuals’s minds is to spendmuch more on a bunch of big-ticket purchases. So take a leaf from Mattress Bathtub & Past’s e-book by pointing potential buyers within the path of your most closely discounted—and, due to this fact, most enticing—presents.

Spotify Wrapped has modified all that. The streaming platform’s personalised annual roundup attracted 30 million viewers in 2017, rising to greater than 120 million in 2021. Final 12 months additionally noticed virtually 60 million shares of Wrapped tales and playing cards throughout social media.

So why not soar on the bandwagon and share your personal “wrapped” of the earlier 12 months?

Clearly, you’re not Spotify, so you’ll be able to’t inform your electronic mail subscribers how lengthy they spent listening to Taylor Swift. However you’ll be able to positively spotlight key developments and occasions from the previous 12 months, corresponding to:

Model Republic jumped on the “yearly roundup” development in 2021 by showcasing varied happenings from across the enterprise, together with its new retailer fit-outs and its sustainability efforts:

I’m a giant fan of this strategy—significantly across the problems with company social duty and environmental, social, and company governance.

Reality is, shoppers wish to know that you simply’re making a (optimistic) distinction to the planet.

Analysis from Google Cloud discovered that four-fifths of buyers favor manufacturers’ values to align with their very own, whereas three-quarters have “break up up” with retailers over values-related conflicts.

But it surely’s not simply sufficient to easily make guarantees; it’s worthwhile to observe by way of with motion. Certainly, an Ipsos survey discovered that 34 % of shoppers have actively researched manufacturers to seek out out whether or not they’re staying true to their phrases.

What higher time to reveal your environmental credentials than proper on the finish of the 12 months?

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If all that sounds good, join your 14-day free trial to strive it your self.