Last-minute Holiday Email Campaigns

Christmas may be closing in, but that doesn't mean it's time to slow down your marketing campaigns. In fact, now more than ever is a crucial time to make sure you're getting your message out there. After all, there's no shortage of last-minute shoppers still looking for the right gift for someone special.

By ramping up your holiday email campaign now you can help these wayward shoppers find their path, and earn your business a holiday bonus in the process. Here are five tips to help you craft the perfect last-minute holiday email campaign.

1. Strong subject lines
Make a striking first impression with a strong, clear, concise title for each email. These customers have been dilly-dallying long enough, and they don't have any time to waste now. So, if they don't know exactly what you're offering, they may not even bother looking at your email.

A good subject line clearly states exactly what products and deals you're promoting. Something like "50 Percent Off All Jewelry Until Christmas Eve" or "Ten Great Gifts for Kids Ten and Under" let the reader know exactly what is being offered in the shortest amount of time, which is convenient and appealing for them.

 2. Shipping deals
Effective shipping promotions can do wonders for your holiday sales numbers, and that's probably not any truer than during the final shopping days before Christmas. Customers realize they're in a pinch, and offering deals such as free overnight shipping on orders over $50 can be a gift that keeps on giving.

Make sure these deals are clearly laid out for subscribers, because they're going to be looking for the quickest and cheapest ways to ensure their gifts arrive before the holiday. (In fact, if your deal is sweet enough, it would probably make a pretty great subject line.)

3. Speaking of deals...
There's no denying that daily deals are hot. These email specials will allow merchants to send out a new email to subscribers every day, which should help you move a higher volume of that particular item instead of trying to spread your efforts among larger selection of products. When you only have a few days left to market for the holidays, simplicity is nice.

4. Target, target, target
Take the extra time out to share relevant promotions with specific customers. Having an email newsletter means it's likely that you have some information about your subscribers, so use this information to create specialized email lists and unique promotions. This will help you focus your marketing campaign so that certain segments of your subscriber lists will see the most relevant deals available to them, which should entice them to pay more attention to what you're offering and drive more people to your site.

5. Don't forget the deadline
Last-minute shoppers are running out of time, and don't let them forget it. By conveying a sense of urgency in your emails, customers will feel more inclined to make their purchasing decisions immediately.

Holiday surprise! Forget the deadline and keep the deals coming
Your holiday deals don't have to end with the holiday. Quite the opposite, as this can be a great time to strengthen your relationships with customers new and old. Reach out to your subscriber base one more time to wish them a Happy New Year and shed some light on new deals that you're offering in the post-Christmas world. And for customers who purchased from you during the holidays, give them a special thank you in the form of a discount coupon or code that they can redeem the next time they shop at your site, which is a great way to keep them coming back.

Oh, and don't forget to crunch the numbers and analyze the data you get back from your holiday email campaigns so you can do even better next year!