Email volume is always higher during the holidays than during the rest of the year. According to the Email Experience Council, the biggest email day of the year in 2006 was actually the day after Christmas, with more than 53 percent of tracked retailers sending email on Dec. 26th, but the whole month of December is known for email volume up to 50 percent higher than average.
With so many additional emails in consumer inboxes, it’s important to give your emails compelling subject lines. Rather than give you a bunch of subject line theory, I decided to give you 10 subject lines you can use ‘as is’ or alter to fit your particular message. The subject lines take into account the main reasons why people respond to marketing messages (a subject for another blog entry) and some words that commonly end up getting filtered to the junk folder (although some good shopping words are unavoidable and are compelling enough for consumers to risk a little filtering)
Remember to craft your email offer to match the subject lines below and include good calls to action in your emails. After the holidays I’ll give you some theory to mull over, but for now, I hope these subject lines will help you capture more holiday shoppers.
- 3 Gifts Guaranteed to Delight Teenagers
- Last Minute Stocking-Stuffer Ideas Inside
- Do Your Shopping in 10 Minutes
- Last Day for Delivery Before Christmas
- Most-Wanted Gifts In This Email
- 5 Gifts That Seem Expensive, But Aren’t
- How to Get 10 Gifts for Less Than $100
- 5 Gifts that Fit in a Standard Envelope
- Give Us Your List - We’ll Shop For You
- 5 Sentimental Gift Ideas
John Arnold is the author of Email Marketing for Dummies and the Regional Development Director for Constant Contact.
Whatever you call your holiday season, one thing is for sure. It’s shopping time for consumers. I’ve been reading a lot of shopping statistics lately and the following is a summary of my conclusions. I hope it will improve your email results through the end of the year.
- Help Your Customers Save Time
All my research indicates that time saving and convenience are the #1 holiday shopping motivators. Try promoting something that will save your customers time while shopping.
- Use a 30-Second Rule
Holiday email promotions abound, but time does not. Make sure your messages can be digested in less than 30 seconds. Use a minimum of copy and images and focus on concise headlines and links. Give your audience just enough information to get them into the store or clicking through to your website.
- Offer Alternatives to “Buy It Now”
Consumers who click on a product promotion often end up purchasing a different product or service than the one in your promotion. If you’re promoting products or services in your emails, give your audience links besides “buy it now” so they can view similar products, make comparisons, and browse product categories for other ideas.
- Categorize Your Offers
Remember that it’s gift giving season so try categorizing offers by gift-giving group instead of by product line. Examples could include “for the chef in your home,” “gifts that teens love,” “stocking stuffers,”and so on.
- Be Branded but Different
Using holiday colors is a good idea, but make sure you keep a consistent brand by using the same format, logos, text style, and personality that your customers are used to seeing. If they don’t recognize your emails, they may be perceived as unwanted junk. Also make sure your subject lines and from lines are clear, consistent, and include the immediate benefits of opening your holiday emails.
John Arnold is the Regional Development Director for Constant Contact, and author of the book Email Marketing for Dummies.
