Ride the promotional wave all year long and grow your business in 2017 with the best dates, events and marketing ideas.
The 2016 holiday season is officially a wrap. And as consumers, we outdid ourselves once again! We hit it hard last year and reached for our wallets over and over. 
A flurry of persuasive promotions had us spending in overdrive. We clearly felt the magic in our fingertips with the inbox driving a whopping 19.9% of those sales.
But now that Boxing Day sales are officially over, it’s time to pause for a moment. Or is it?
Clever marketers look at a calendar and instantly know how to spot the dollar signs. How do they do that? It’s easier than you realize. By tapping into popular events, seasons and holidays, you too can find new ways to maximize revenue.
Eye on the Prize. The first step is keeping an eye out for the money-makers. You know the usual suspects. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Black Friday. So we’re here to help you turn your calendar into a fat bank account. To help you get started, we’ve made this handy cheat sheet with the dates you need to remember and some ideas to make them count.
Pro tip #1: It can also be fun to tie campaigns to popular causes and charitable events like Movember. Get creative. Think about what interests your customers… big and small, national and local. Then make it rain.
The Right Timing. As they say, timing is everything. Running effective promotions is about finding the best time to get started on your special email campaign. While there’s no magic formula, it often comes down to a combination of your promotion, your customer and the holiday itself.
As a rule of thumb, start planning your promotion at least 30 days in advance. Get even earlier if you want to plan an email series to really drive results. And be sure to ramp up email communications as you’re getting closer to the date.
According to the National Retail Federation, 38% of shoppers purchase 7 days before a holiday. And 12% are last-minute shoppers waiting until the last 48 hours. So be sure to reach everyone by sending more than just one email. Toss in a little free shipping to give browsers a gentle nudge into retail bliss.
Pro tip #2: Go the distance. A post-holiday email marketing program is a great way to extend the action long after the day has gone. Consider driving repeat sales with special offers to accelerate their next purchase.
While promotional content will vary, the tactics that work for your audience will generally be the same. Consider mobile-friendly designs, experimenting with personalized subject lines and including relevant product recommendations. Don’t forget to check your email reports to see what’s worked in the past. And conduct A/B tests on key elements like subject lines and call-to-actions to ensure your promotional campaigns are ready to really boost your business.
Pro tip #3: The holidays are a great time to get more creative and add some personality. Don’t be afraid to experiment with interactive elements and other creative ways to make your holiday emails pop and watch the numbers roll in.
Plan ahead. It turns out being prepared is not just for the Girl Scouts after all. Make the most of this year by giving yourself lots of time. It’s never too early to look for inspiration. A great way to kickstart your creative juices is by finding the perfect template.
At Vision6, we offer an impressive collection of creative email templates to suit any season or holiday. They are all mobile-friendly and you can customize them with your own brand. And unlike most things in life, they’re absolutely free! Pick your free template now and start planning your promotional calendar.
