Author: Franz Malten Buemann

Article first published October 2016, updated September 2020
The holiday season is one of the busiest and most lucrative times of the year for many businesses. And this year, that final push to make last quarter revenue will be more important than ever. 
Last year, holiday sales passed the $1 trillion mark for the first time, breaking the previous year’s record. In fact, the industry has set a new record every holiday season since 2002—except for 2008. And while the 2008 recession does give some idea of what we’re up against, it’s impossible to predict how this year’s holiday season will play out compared to previous years.
However, this year has also seen massive growth in e-commerce penetration: 10 years worth of growth in 3 months to be exact. There are opportunities for brands to make up for poor performance earlier in the year, whether they’re massive businesses or teams of one and two.
If you want your holiday sales season to be merry and bright, you’ll need a solid email marketing plan. Email allows you to connect personally with your biggest fans and attract new buyers with exclusive promotions and rewards programs.
We’re hosting a webinar on October 13th, 2020 to help you and you build and adapt your holiday email marketing strategy. To learn more and register, click here.
Read on to discover tips for adapting your strategy to make this holiday season one of your best.
Why email makes the best holiday marketing tool
Holidays—no matter what time of the year—provide an excellent opportunity to reach out to not only current subscribers, but to help generate even more leads by promoting the need to “share” the value you offer to your subscriber’s family and friends.
Emails are made for our mobile world
Your subscribers rely on their smartphones and tablets for all kinds of information, and research shows a growing number of consumers are doing their holiday shopping on mobile devices. In the past four years, purchases made on mobile devices jumped from 3.4% to 36.7%, according to a report by Castor. In addition, a whopping 76% of Black Friday emails and 63% of Cyber Monday emails were opened on a mobile device, according to Movable Ink. In this busy season, we can help you keep your customers up to date and purchasing with our mobile-ready email templates.
Emails offer instant buying options
Research shows 41% of retailers will use “Buy Now” buttons in their email marketing, making it extremely simple for subscribers to make a purchase. By using a call-to-action button in your email, you can highlight a gift, a special offer, or even an event that a subscriber can buy in a matter of a couple of clicks. Keep in mind your customers are just as busy as you are during this time of year, and anything that can speed up their holiday shopping will benefit them, and your business.
Emails can support all of your campaigns
Businesses can use email to promote sales, invite subscribers to holiday events, showcase unique gift ideas or even gift guides—the list is endless. It allows business owners to reach out to customers regularly and stimulate sales throughout the season. Email can also support other marketing initiatives, such as social media sales, contests, and reward programs.
Automation and personalization makes email more effective and efficient
The holidays are busy in every way, so put marketing automation to use by automating a variety of your email campaigns, from welcome emails to offers and reminders. To get ideas, check out these 9 inspiring examples that use marketing automation. Additionally, you can segment your emails to create personalized messages, as personalized emails deliver 6x higher transaction rates.

How to write holiday subject lines your subscribers can’t resist
Use power words
Some words are more attention-grabbing than others. When crafting your subject lines, use these power words:

Sales-driven: Hot deal, promotion, discount, savings, free shipping
Timeliness: Order now, limited-time, today-only, last minute, Open now, Exclusive
Holiday: Good cheer, 12 Deals of Christmas, Season’s Greetings
Words of gratitude: Thank you, appreciation, your support

Personalize your subject line
Emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened, so it’s worth your time to add a subscriber’s first name to the subject line this holiday season. You should also consider other ways you can personalize your campaigns to deliver the kind of experiences your subscribers expect. You can gain heaps of personalization ideas here and use this checklist for success.
Consider adding emoji 

Add a holiday snowman, stars, or a tree to your subject line to grab attention. Brands using emoji in their subject lines have seen a 45% increase in their unique open rates. An emoji is a great eye-catching option to add some holiday flair. Did you know the snowman emoji drives the highest open rates?
Ask a question
Questions are automatically engaging, which is why they’re great for subject lines. Try something like, “Need some gift ideas?” or “Want your gifts wrapped and delivered to your front door?” Turn the content that’s inside your email into a question.
Put your offer front and center
With so many emails hitting subscribers’ inboxes this season, don’t make them hunt for your offer. Feature it prominently in your subject line to capture their attention and get them to open and read the rest of your email. If you offer free shipping, you’ll be off to a good start, as 74% of consumers say free shipping is one of the most important features when checking out online, according to a report by UPS.
Holiday email examples to inspire
Just as there are various holidays to celebrate throughout the year, there are even more email examples out there to help guide your creative process. Below, we’ve compiled a short list to get you started.
Promote your Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale
According to data from RJ Metrics, the days from Black Friday to Christmas generate 50–100% more revenue than other shopping days throughout the rest of the year. Birchbox sent subscribers a Black Friday offer a day early, which seems to be the current trend, with offers going out earlier and earlier each year.

Send a holiday gift guide
Despite the fact that shoppers have the internet at their fingertips, many still wait until the last minute to do their shopping. In 2016, sales dropped 3% in November but surged as December came to an end. Last-minute shopping has seen a 6% year-over-year growth, according to RetailNext.
The reason this happens is shoppers aren’t sure what to purchase for family and friends. If inspiration is what your customers need, give it to them. Create a gift guide that gives subscribers some ideas. Here’s an example of a gift guide from Rip Curl that offers content for girls and guys:

You can send more than one gift guide throughout the season by breaking them into categories. For instance, send a guide that has gifts for under $10 or gifts for moms. Here are a few categories you can use:

Price point
Title (Mom, Dad, Boss, Teacher, etc)
Hobbies or interests
Age group (Gifts for teens, seniors, etc.)
Stocking stuffers
Color
Product type (Electronics, clothes)

Give a gift for referring a friend
You can use the holidays to grow your customer base by encouraging referrals. Give current subscribers a deal if they refer a friend or pay for a subscription as a gift. Birchbox gives its subscribers deluxe samples when they buy a friend a one-year subscription.

Use popular reference in your email
Here’s a unique idea: send an email that connects one of your products to a holiday song or something in popular culture.
For example, La Mer promotes its product through a unique connection to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

Send last minute deals
As mentioned above, there are always last-minute shoppers. In 2015, the average shopper had only completed 53% of their shopping list two weeks before Christmas. De Beers, sent subscribers this email to market to last-minute shoppers.

Send post-holiday emails
When the holidays are over, it doesn’t mean you should stop sending emails. Consider sending a few “post-holiday” deals to your subscribers to nab a few more sales and get shoppers who received gift cards to start using them. Sephora sent this email to subscribers in early January:

Tips to create a perfectly gift-wrapped call to action
These quick tips will help any marketing team craft the perfect call to action.
Use a button
Subscribers shouldn’t have to search for a call to action; it should be obvious. A call-to-action button provides the kind of “look at me” display you want. Subscribers can skim right over hyperlinked text, but it’s nearly impossible to do that with a button. Buttons compel subscribers to click them.
Keep the text short
Your call to action message should be short and to the point, as in two or three words like “Buy Now,” “Get the Deal,” or “Save 40%.” For example, MINIBAR uses the simple words “Shop Now” to encourage clicks.

CTA should lead to a landing page or purchase page
When subscribers click on your call to action, where do they go? Traffic should be directed to a landing page or a page where they can purchase the item or service that matches your email offer. The landing page reassures subscribers that they’re in the right place and makes a direct connection to the specific deal that you’re offering. Sending subscribers to your homepage or to a random spot on your website could cost you a sale.
Check out our guide to landing pages for holiday emails.
Jingle-worthy holiday resources
As you create your holiday emails, take a look at these holiday-centric Campaign Monitor resources to maximize your marketing efforts:

Holiday email marketing trends, dates, and tips you should know
How to get your holiday email marketing ready
4 email marketing tips for the holidays
75 email subject lines to light up your inboxes this holiday
7 successful email delivery tips for the holidays

Don’t forget these lesser-known holidays
While marketing teams highly promote winter holidays, there are many other holidays that can be used to reach out to your subscribers. They don’t even have to be widely popular holidays to be effective, such as the Festival of Sleep Day or Hug Your Cat Day.
When learning how to write a holiday greeting email, it all comes down to the nature of your brand. Not all brands can make good use of Hug Your Cat Day, but an animal shelter or pet store sure can.
That being said, consider these examples of lesser-known holidays that can be used to create an email.
Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday falls during those winter months, where holidays are aplenty. However, we like the idea of sending out a Giving Tuesday email because it opens up the doors for getting people involved, while also offering the opportunity for businesses to grow their presence and benefit financially.

Source: Really Good Emails
Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday also falls in the late fall/early winter months, but is a vital holiday for growing brand awareness, especially for newly established brands. Encouraging readers to shop local isn’t only an act of kindness, but also encourages them to pass on word of your small business and shop your online store.

Source: Pinterest
International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day falls in early March and is another great holiday for spreading awareness and bringing in new subscribers through the use of referrals. It’s also an excellent way to encourage purchases so that your brand can donate to a local women’s charity.

Source: Pinterest
Sweetest Day
Sweetest day falls in mid-October and is a great way to kick off the holiday season! Spreading the love by sharing “Sweet” deals is a great way to kick off the season of spending, and making good use of incentives encourages readers to take action.

Source: Pinterest
Birthdays
Birthdays are great because they are year-round! Moreover, they are celebrated by all of our loved ones. So, depending on the nature of your brand, you can send a birthday campaign or single email with a special something just for them.

Source: Really Good Emails
Membership Anniversary
Membership anniversaries are another often forgotten “holidays” worth celebrating. These fall on any given day—all depending on when a member/subscriber initially opted in to your product or services.
Show them some extra love on their membership anniversary and watch your customer satisfaction rates go up.

Source: Really Good Emails
Wrap up
By using this holiday email marketing guide, you’ll be on your way to creating and sending emails that resonate with your subscribers.
Remember, planning is everything, so don’t wait. With Campaign Monitor, you can get started on your holiday email marketing now.
The post The Ultimate Guide to Holiday Email Marketing appeared first on Campaign Monitor.

2020 has been an unconventional year for the global economy. As a result, hundreds of nonprofits face dramatic changes in their fundraising efforts. Now, more than ever, charitable organizations are relying on philanthropic opportunities to help raise awareness and reach their financial goals.
Luckily, organizations have over four months to prepare for Giving Tuesday. Nonprofits should maximize this potential by developing an online marketing campaign that broadens reach while increasing donations.
Not sure how to create a strategic email campaign as you plan for Giving Tuesday? Campaign Monitor can help.
What is Giving Tuesday?
Giving Tuesday is an international day of contribution. It occurs the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to offset the commercialism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For 24 hours, the public is urged to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. What began as a call for simple acts of kindness has evolved into a worldwide movement. The event has raised more than $1 billion for charitable organizations.
Giving Tuesday is successful because of its visibility and a growing desire among communities to help those in need. Social media and the internet provide an expansive platform to share missions and request donations across several networks. This creates a combination of societal pressure, public demonstrations of generosity, and feel-good support.
Nonprofits simply register online for a free donation page to participate. They create a campaign, promote their organization, and accept tax-deductible contributions on Giving Tuesday. Donations received during that time may be eligible for matching gifts. There are no fees associated with the Giving Tuesday campaigns. As a result, any money a nonprofit raises during Giving Tuesday is theirs to keep.
How Giving Tuesday benefits nonprofits
Giving Tuesday is the most philanthropic day of the year. As such, it offers several benefits to nonprofits. Organizations can reach a global audience and raise awareness about their cause. On social media alone, #GivingTuesday received 20 billion impressions last year. As people search for and post about ways to participate in Giving Tuesday, many of them will likely see your organization’s name. Giving Tuesday also promotes the collaboration of ideas between groups. This helps foster creativity, generates success, and exponentially broadens reach.
Additionally, Giving Tuesday provides a terrific opportunity to collect donor data. This is important because an average of 45% of donors make another gift to the same nonprofit the following year. Giving Tuesday helps make initial introductions. Once you’ve collected donor information, you’re able to reach out to those people for future asks. With a clever strategy, nonprofits can capitalize on this event to generate leads and maximize donations.
Impact of email on nonprofit Giving Tuesday marketing strategy
There are many ways to promote your Giving Tuesday campaign. One of the most effective tactics is a strategic personalized email marketing campaign. It’s a great way to spread the word about your mission, reach potential donors, and help achieve your goals.
A strategic email campaign can help you develop a loyal donor base. It expands your reach and drives more donations to your organization. Seventy-eight percent of online users said personalized emails increased their monetary intent. When faced with a personal appeal, people are more inclined to feel a sense of responsibility. This leads them to act.
Use your email campaign to establish a genuine connection with your audience. Donors are more likely to contribute to familiar and trustworthy organizations. Share a story or an image that elicits an emotional response. Show your constituents about why they should care about your cause. Including a clear CTA button in your messages can yield a 25% increase in click-through rates. All of these elements can lead to an increase in readership and a rise in donations.
4 nonprofit email campaigns for Giving Tuesday
Every day, there are nearly 306 billion emails sent and received worldwide. With careful planning, email can be a highly effective way to communicate with your audience. The following examples portray the four major steps to adhere to when planning a successful Giving Tuesday email campaign. 
1. Introductory email
Raise awareness and build excitement with an introductory email leading up to the event. This first send should have a catchy subject line to grab readers’ attention. Content should explain Giving Tuesday and announce your organization’s participation in the movement. Show examples of how constituents’ contributions can help the communities you benefit. By contacting readers in advance, you prepare them to donate the day of the event.
In this effective announcement, Charity: Water does a terrific job of concisely explaining their cause. This is followed by an update on their achievements to date. They set a clear goal for their Giving Tuesday campaign and then they close with a teaser promising more details to come. An eye-catching image at the top of the email draws readers in. A clear CTA link directs people to their website to learn more about their efforts. With this email, Charity: Water has successfully introduced its organization and Giving Tuesday to its viewers.

Source: Really Good Emails
2. Reminder email
It’s likely your audience will be inundated with emails announcing Giving Tuesday campaigns. Stand apart from other nonprofits by sending reminder messages to help keep your message top of mind. Reminder emails can arrive in the days leading up to Giving Tuesday. They could also be used throughout the day of the event. 
Countdown clocks and real-time updates let your supporters know how the campaign is going. These urgent reminders can increase a person’s willingness to share your news with their own contact list. The more people who see your message, the higher the chance you’ll meet your goals.
North Shore Animal League (NSAL) used this tactic for their Giving Tuesday campaign. On the day of the event, they distributed emails that included a countdown clock to show how much time donors had left to act. These emails also included a donation meter to track progress toward their goal throughout the day. 
NSAL used several effective techniques in this campaign. They opened with a large photo of adorable puppies looking for a home. They continue with powerful, emotional wording like “save” and “before the clock runs out.” This creates a sense of urgency for donors to act. Additionally, NSAL includes multiple CTA buttons to encourage readers to donate. However, instead of “Donate here,” the wording focuses on their matching gift option.

Source: Campaign Monitor
3. Letter from a leader
People give to an organization because they have a personal, vested interest in its mission. For that reason, consider sending a Giving Tuesday email from someone personally involved with the charity. Studies show that donors enjoy hearing from a specific person at the organization. Send a testimonial or heartfelt plea from an employee or volunteer. For even greater impact, send an email from a leader in your organization.
By sharing personal stories about your nonprofit’s impact, you’re building a relationship with your audience. You’re no longer an entity asking for money; rather, you’re a group of people with similar passions and interests working together for a greater good.
The Red Cross sent an email on Giving Tuesday from their VP of Humanitarian Services. At the top of the email, she shares a personal note to the recipient. This seems as though she’s forwarding information she thought the reader would particularly enjoy. This section also includes a photo of her with a beneficiary of the Red Cross’s services. This, coupled with her plea for help, has an emotional impact. She’s clearly passionate about the mission of the Red Cross and feels the reader should be too.

Source: Campaign Monitor
4. Thank you email
As a nonprofit, one of your goals is donor retention. It costs 50% to 100% more to obtain new donors than the money you’ll get from them. One of the easiest ways to keep your donors is to show them appreciation.
The final step in your Giving Tuesday email campaign is a thank you email. Once the event has ended, send a message with totals and updates regarding your goals from the campaign. Let people know what they were able to help you achieve. Encourage them to continue to donate to your cause. Include a CTA that directs readers back to your website. Add a personal touch by sending this email from the head of your organization. 
Autism Speaks followed up with their Giving Tuesday donors with this message of appreciation. The organization’s president and CEO sent a heartfelt thanks that complimented their supporters. She reminded everyone that their donations went even further with a matching gift opportunity. The email also offers a CTA button and a link, both of which direct readers to a donation page. With this message, donors feel that their contributions are valued, and the nonprofit extends the possibility for more gifts.

Source: Campaign Monitor
Wrap up
As nonprofits seek philanthropic opportunities, they should begin planning for Giving Tuesday. An effective email campaign strategy can help raise awareness and increase donations. These nonprofit email campaign examples depict the four significant steps to a successful Giving Tuesday campaign: 

Introductory email to announce the campaign and prepare donors to participate
Reminder email to increase awareness and create a sense of urgency
Letter from a leader in the organization to foster relationships and drive passion
Appreciation email to thank all who gave and update them on how their contributions helped you to achieve your goal

With careful planning, a creative strategy, and an effective email campaign, Giving Tuesday can be an extremely beneficial event for nonprofit organizations.
For more information about how we can help your nonprofit prepare a Giving Tuesday email campaign, contact our sales team today.
The post 4 Nonprofit Email Campaign Examples For Your Giving Tuesday Plans appeared first on Campaign Monitor.