The glitzy celebrations of the winter holidays are nearing an end—and everyone is spent, in all senses of the word. So how can you use email to engage your customers in the post-holiday season?
There are several strategies that will keep your marketing momentum alive and well after the eggnog has runneth dry. But don’t forget, post-holiday email campaigns are not only about maintaining relationships, they’re also about building news ones.
Most businesses see a 73% increase in lead generations during the holidays. So, now is the time to start planning how to make the most of your newfound friends. And don’t wait until the last minute—think about how to execute these four follow-up strategies sooner rather than later.
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Give back. Now is the time to show gratitude to customers who bought something from you over the holidays. A simple “thank you for your purchase” note goes a long way, but it can also be an opportunity to encourage additional purchases and gather data. Say “thank you” by offering reward points, a free gift or a discount code that applies with the next purchase, and consider including a short survey about their experience or the chance to review a product.
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Help out. There’s a reason why gyms see a spike in new memberships just after the holidays: getting fit was 2015’s top New Year’s resolution. Think about what products or services you can offer to help customers with a fresh start for 2016, whether it’s renovating their home, getting organized or taking up a new hobby. Need ideas? Check out the 25 most popular New Year’s resolutions. How your customers respond can help you build your data-driven library of customer profiles.
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Make Friends. Consider these stats: nearly half of consumers received a gift card on Christmas, 72% of them will spend more than the value of their gift card, and it will take 55% of gift card users more than one visit to spend their card balance. It’s highly likely, then, that some of your existing customers gave you a gift of their own over the holidays: new customers. So how can you convert these one-time customers into returning ones?Send an instructional email to gift card recipients prompting them to redeem their card, and continue the relationship by sending a follow-up after their purchase. The follow up email should both thank them and suggest items that complement what they bought.
Email campaigns that showcase popular items and promote exchanges can reduce returns (and a hit to your bottom line), but also encourages giftees to spend time considering what they might want instead—and potentially lead them to make more purchases. -
Get Nostalgic. At the end of the year, the media tempts readers with various “best of 2015” lists, ranging from movies to political gaffes — and the idea can work just as well for marketing campaigns: a “most popular products this year” touches on consumers’ preference for customer reviews. Use contextual data you have on your customers to create simple (and effective) personalized “best of” emails with a list of most popular products by region—and keep interests piqued with a sneak peek of new upcoming products.