Easter Sunday is fast-approaching, with this year’s spring holiday falling on April 17, 2022. Thinking of running an email marketing campaign to make this holiday “eggstra” special? Read our top tips for creating an awesome Easter email newsletter—or simply Spring-themed if that’s what you’re after.

Create my free Easter newsletter with Sendinblue >>

How to Make Your Easter Newsletter Relevant

From a commercial point of view, Easter sales aren’t on the level of Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or Black Friday – that’s for sure. Holiday email marketing strategies often focus on these fall and winter shopping occasions.

However, Easter email campaigns still offer lots of creative opportunities and untapped potential for ecommerce retailers.

Easter signals the coming of spring—warmer weather and more sunshine.

A spring newsletter is a great way to freshen your subscribers’ inboxes with spring collections and seasonal offerings.

It’s also a nice off-season occasion to remind people that you’re still open for business and give them ideas of things they can do with your products. Like in this Spring newsletter example from Whole Foods Market:

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The lead-up to the Easter holiday is a great time to promote sales (with special offers, discount codes, or opportunities to earn loyalty points). The long weekend offers plenty of time for online shopping.

A great time to promote seasonal goods

Many goods are in high season during Easter. After Halloween, Easter is the second best-selling candy holiday in America. Typical Easter goods, such as sweets and decorations, are guaranteed to sell.

In general, leisure and sporting activities/equipment are also very popular. Themes around DIY and spring-cleaning also do well. 

Newsletters that make a seasonal thematic connection to Easter can significantly increase your chances of success. 

Since the Easter season is associated with traditions, you’ve got plenty of opportunity to incorporate them into an Easter newsletter. 

Referencing these traditions increases relevance and fosters an emotional response within your recipients. Play on those heartwarming feelings.

Easter is a great time to get in touch with your clients and show off your latest offers. So let’s hop to it with Easter newsletter ideas and tips to make the holiday a revenue-driver for your business.

6 Ways to Make Your Easter Newsletter a Success

1. Bunnies, nests, eggs, flowers: The right ingredients for your Easter newsletter

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Creating an Easter newsletter is the perfect opportunity to unleash your creativity. The holiday offers plenty of inspiration for creative newsletter ideas.

The first step to any good newsletter is defining your goals and strategy. Ask yourself, “What am I looking to achieve with this campaign? What will my contacts get out of it?” Check out this article on how to create a newsletter for more details on how to fine tune your strategy.

Once you’ve defined the goal of your newsletter, you can start brainstorming ideas for the design.

Try to structure your newsletter according to your goals, then adapt the design to be on-theme.

For example, place your products in a spring context. Place offers inside an Easter basket or have the Easter Bunny give your clients a coupon voucher.

Beyond the religious significance, people associate the Easter holidays with family, food, spring, games (such as egg hunts), and new beginnings. Sales aside, be sure to wish your subscribers a happy Easter as well.

Typical Easter motifs—eggs, chicks, and flowers—can provide inspiration for your newsletter. Pastel hues are also a popular Easter color scheme.

2. Design tips for your Easter email template

Crafting your Easter newsletter is easy with an Easter-themed email template. 

Simply add your own content and images, and in a few easy steps, your Easter newsletter is ready to hop into your contacts’ inboxes.

Use graphics that draw on Easter motifs to suit your products, industry, or target audience. 

As well, there are loads of Easter and springtime emojis to include in your campaign.  

Whether you’re coding in HTML or using a drag-and-drop editor, the email design can be serious or playful, depending on your needs and target audience. That said, you should aim for it to be vibrant and eye-catching in any case.

For example, for the following industries, your Easter newsletter might look like this:

• Fashion: Floral design in the teaser, packaging products in Easter eggs or baskets, arranging the products in hatching eggs or among spring flowers.
• Home: Using floral and spring motifs and Easter decorations and interior designs.
• Food: Highlighting Easter menus, chocolate, and candy.

To capture your subscribers’ attention, experiment with animation in your newsletter. 

GIFs in email are a great way to engage your recipients and help your Easter newsletter stand out. Just be sure to compress your GIFs beforehand as the file sizes can be quite large. (GIFcompressor is a great tool for this).

Where to find free Easter newsletter templates?

Sendinblue has a free email template gallery with 40+ editable newsletter templates, all accessible on the free plan.
Or, you can also grab a template from one of the many free email template resources available online.

3. Instill curiosity with a catchy Easter subject line

For your Easter email subject line to be effective, it needs to be engaging and describe the content of the email as precisely as possible. 

At first glance, your reader should understand what your newsletter is about and why they should open it.

For marketers promoting a discount or special offer, be sure to include it in the subject line, but make it creative and not too in-your-face.

For example, Easter is often associated with prizes, games, and gifts; you might write something such as, “Easter Egg Hunt is Over: you found your 10% off.”

In general with subject lines: the shorter the subject line, the better. A newsletter subject line with about 40 to 50 characters usually achieves the best opening rates.

For more content like this, check out our other holiday articles including Christmas email subject lines, Black Friday email subject lines, Halloween email subject lines, St. Patrick’s Day emails, Valentine’s Day email subject lines.

4. Personalize for more success

Adding a personal touch increases your chances of success because it encourages recipients to look at the newsletter more closely. 

By adjusting the content of the newsletter to suit individuals, you increase its relevance. Addressing your recipients personally and catering to their personal preferences will lead to greater engagement than a generic mass email.

A personalized greeting (by name) should definitely be included in your newsletter. Take a look at this tutorial to see how it’s done on Sendinblue.

You can also personalize based on where your recipients live or for specific products. Think: “The Easter Bunny’s just hopped into Austin.” Or, “The fastest running shoes for Easter Bunnies.”
To learn more, check out this article about email personalization and get even more creative ideas!

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Inviting your recipients to play a game not only adds lightness and joy to your newsletter— it can significantly improve your conversion rate.

Almost everyone enjoys the thrill of playing games, and the promise of a reward makes it all the more appealing. It’s smart to align the game with your offer and products. The more your newsletter, game, and conversion goal match, the better your results will be.

Implementing a game or interactive element into your newsletter is easy. Why not try a virtual egg hunt?

You can hide a certain number of Easter eggs in the newsletter and then ask your recipients to count them; if they send you the correct response by email, they can receive a coupon code.

This type of engagement will be great for your future deliverability too.

You could also add a not-too-easy-to-find CTA link to a landing page where the recipients can find an Easter present from you.

6. Consider regional differences

There’s more to Easter than colored eggs, chicks, and bunnies: Some Easter motifs and traditions are region-specific.

In Bermuda, for example, people celebrate Good Friday by flying kites. New York hosts the famous Easter Parade along Fifth Avenue, and Lancashire, U.K., has its Nutter’s Dance.

In France, bells, not bunnies, bring Easter chocolate to children, whereas in Australia, the Easter Bilby (an endangered desert marsupial) brings treats. People in Scandinavia light bonfires to ward off witches over the Easter weekend, and Ghana celebrates with its annual Paragliding Festival.

Tailoring your newsletter to the unique traditions of your target audience can optimize your newsletter’s success. 

If appropriate, segment your recipients according to their place of residence. It’s up to you to determine your target audience’s specific Easter customs and respond to them accordingly.

Send your Easter newsletter with Sendinblue

As a recap, here are some key points for creating an Easter email newsletter your subscribers will love.

• Add some fun by trying out a game with your contacts
• Express your message clearly with a specific, relevant subject line
• Increase your open rate and click through rate with personalized content

For more content like this, download our 2022 marketing calendar! It’s full of important dates and helpful marketing tips for every month of the year

The post 6 Easter Newsletter Ideas for Higher Email Engagement appeared first on Sendinblue.

If you’re still figuring out what will actually go into your email campaign, check out our guide to Mother’s Day email marketing. 

By the way, many of these subject lines work really well as CTAs too. Consider mixing a few of them into banners or buttons in your email design to improve your conversion rate. 

Now let’s jump in!

Gift Giving Mother’s Day Subject Lines

Gifts are a Mother’s Day staple. Discount coupons and Mother’s Day specials are an absolute must for gift shops and online stores. Use these gift-themed subject lines to sell out fast. 

• The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift
• Free Shipping for Mother’s Day Gifts
• For you, Mom, and the whole family!
• Moms like surprises – and so do we!
• The Best Mother’s Day Treat
• Mother’s Day Exclusive – 30% Off
• A Magical Mother’s Day Deal
• She’ll Love This Gift – And You’ll Love the Price
• Mom’s Day Out
• The Big Momma Package
• Pre-order Now and Save 10% Off Your Mother’s Day Gift
• Awesome Gifts for Mom + Awesome Prices for You
• Free Shipping on Mother’s Day Orders
• We’ll Deliver in One Hour – Mom’s Honor
• Love Doesn’t Have to Cost so Much – Check out our Mother’s Day Offer
• Celebrate Mother’s Day | Limited Offers
• Mother’s Day Treasure Trove – There’s Something Here for Her!
• Mother’s Day Weekend Special
• Half Off – Mother’s Day Gift Pack
• 3 Day Mother’s Day Trip
• NEW: Mother’s Day Series
• Mother’s Day Giveaway
• Free Drinks for Moms
• Handpicked for Moms by Moms
• The Mama Special is Back
• Our Mother’s Day Sale Starts Today

Loving Mother’s Day Subject Lines

Love is a positive message that any brand can get behind. Let your customers know how fun it is to love and appreciate your mom this Mother’s Day. 

• Share Her Joy – Mother’s Day Gift Shop
• Mom Will Love This
• Happy Hour for Moms
• Our Gift to Moms Everywhere
• Moms Are Made to Be Loved
• Unforgettable Gifts for Her – Mother’s Day Gift Guide
• 99 Gifts that Say “I Love You Mom”
• Mother’s Day Treat – She Deserves It
• The Secret Art of Making Moms Happy
• What does mom love? (Besides you)
• Warm Her Heart | Special Gifts for Mother’s Day
• Where the Heart Is (with Mom)
• 101 Ways to Make Mom Smile
• Our Mom Promise: Buy With Us and She’ll Be Happy
• Mom Care Package
• Let Mum Know You Love Her With a Special Gift
• A Special Treat for Mom

Empowering Mother’s Day Subject Lines

A great idea if you’re trying to steer clear of stereotypes. You can use an empowering message if you just want to include a shoutout to moms while you promote a product with broader appeal. 

• Super Gifts for Super Moms
• Moms Run the World
• Gifts for the Neighborhood Rockstar | Mother’s Day Special
• Amazing Deals for Amazing Moms
• Heavy-duty Machinery – Made for Moms
• Moms Are Like Duct Tape – They Can Fix Anything
• Don’t Worry – Mom’s Got This
• Mom’s Fashion Guide
• Mom Boots – Built to Last
• Momma’s Way – Fine Dining for the Whole Family
• For Moms that Lift – 20% Off Annual Memberships
• Around the World in One Day → Cruises for Moms
• Forever Young – Makeup for Moms
• Mom’s Knockout Hot Sauce
• Momzilla Discounts
• Moms Are the Best – That’s Why They Deserve the Best Gifts
• The Beauty Kit for Lifetime Moms
• Once a Mom – Always Awesome
• Utility Knife for DIY Moms
• Extra Mom-strength Glue
• Mom-grown flowers – Perfect for your Mom
• The Mom Makeover – 20% Off Our Spa Trip
• Bring Your Own Mom Dinner Special
• They’ve Given Us Their All – It’s Only Right We Give Moms Their Day

Funny Mother’s Day Subject Lines

Humorous subject lines can be a hit or miss the mark entirely. Our list of funny Mother’s Day subject lines is unlikely to offend anyone, but it’s still a good idea to test out variations of your email to find the best fit.

• Was today Mother’s Day?
• Of course, you’d never forget Mother’s Day… right?
• Mom Knows Best – so why not let her choose?
• The Ultimate Mom Love Bomb
• Flowers Are Like Kryptonite for Moms
• You Don’t Need to Catch a Grenade for Mom – Just Buy This Instead
• What a Mom Wants → Sitewide Sale
• The Mom Breakfast Special (we’ll make it this time)
• Instant Mother’s Day Dinner (just add free shipping)
• The Mother of All Gifts (get it?)
• Order Now – Don’t Forget Mother’s Day Again
• Your Mom Called – She Said You’d Definitely Buy This for Her?
• Pick it up for Mom (just say you went to get the milk)
• Mother’s Day Special – Today Only (Duh)
• Viva la Mama!
• Buy Before You Try (Moms Have Standards You Know)
• Get your Mom-Approved Gear
• Eat, Buy, Love – Mother’s Day Books
• Bring a Kid, Get One (Meal) Free
• We have Mom Sizes (Don’t Ask)
• Mom Edition: Limited to Moms (Buy It for Her)
• We’ll Ship It to Your Mom’s Room (Upstairs)
• Mothercare Package for Moms Who Love too Much

Last-Minute Mother’s Day Subject Lines

Last-minute shoppers won’t have time to peruse your catalog. They may already know what mom wants but just don’t have the time to get it. This is where offers that include same-day or free shipping matter most.

• Last Chance to Get the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift!
• Save it for Mom – Order Now and We’ll Deliver Today
• We’re Never Out of Stock | Mother’s Day Gift Shop
• Mother’s Day Sale Countdown – 1 Hour to Go!!!
• Mom Can’t Wait! – Same Day Delivery on Mother’s Day
• Let Mom Know You Love Her – Buy Now While Stocks Last
• Get it Gift Wrapped Now | Mother’s Day Offers
• Call In Your Order – We Know What Mom Wants
• It’s Not Too Late to Order Your Mother’s Day Gift
• Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute → Buy Mom a Gift Now
• Today’s Mother’s Day Discount is Almost Gone
• Buy Now – Ships on Mother’s Day
• Early Bird Discount for Mother’s Day Preorders
• We’ve Got the Right Mother’s Day Gift for You
• We Ship Overnight – Your Mom Will Thank You
• It’s the Last Day to Get Free Shipping on Mother’s Day
• Time is Running Out – We’re Almost Out of Stock
• Don’t Forget Mom! Get Her a Special Gift Before It’s Too Late!

Mother’s Day Subject Lines with Emojis

Sprinkling in a few emojis can make your message more relatable and fun. Use emojis sparingly to ensure that your subject line is easy to read and understand.

• Mother’s Day is Here
• Happy Mother’s Day!
• Just for Moms
• One is Worth a Thousand
• The Mom Pack – For the Coolest Moms
• Give Mom a and show her with these amazing
• Remember to Send Mom Your Love
• Free Gift Cards with Every Purchase on Mother’s Day
• Half Price for Moms
• For Moms – With Love
• Here’s a Sneak Peek of our Mother’s Day Exclusive
• Surprise Mom with a Special Mother’s Day Gift

Conclusion

Mother’s Day is a seasonal boon for retailers and ecommerce sites.

Your marketing arsenal should include a holiday calendar so that you don’t miss out on the sales potential of Mother’s Day and other major holidays like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Black Friday.

The post 120 Mother’s Day Email Subject Lines Guaranteed to Increase Open Rates appeared first on Sendinblue.

Mother’s Day email marketing campaigns are a great way to drive ecommerce sales by helping your email subscribers choose the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Read on to discover our top tips for boosting conversions this Mother’s Day.

With Mother’s Day just around the corner (March 27 for Ireland & the UK and May 8 in the US), it’s time to start preparing your Mother’s Day email marketing strategy. 

Your Mother’s Day email should provide subscribers with useful information to help find the best Mother’s Day gift. As with Father’s Day emails and any other holiday campaign, you have to find the balance between being helpful and being promotional. 

With that in mind, we’ve put together 5 Mother’s Day email marketing ideas to help you create an email campaign that’s sure to do the job. 

• 5 Ideas for successful Mother’s Day email marketing
• Designing your Mother’s Day email template
• Send your Mother’s Day email with Sendinblue

5 Ideas for Successful Mother’s Day Email Marketing

As we said, online retailers need to strike the right balance between helpful and promotional when it comes to Mother’s Day email marketing.

To achieve that, here are a few things you should consider including in your strategy.

1. Give readers gift ideas

One of the hardest things about Mother’s Day can be finding the right gift. There are so many options out there, and moms are always too nice to tell you what they want. 

Email is the perfect opportunity to help your customers with this problem. Present them with a gift guide of products in your store that would make a good Mother’s Day present.

The goal is to cut out the decision work and present gift ideas with a clear CTA.

You could either feature individual products or highlight the most suitable product categories, just like Mulligan’s Pharmacy did in their #MumLike Gift Guide campaign sent with Sendinblue.

Another great thing about this email is that the home delivery and gift wrapping options are clearly spelled out. Since the pandemic, this sort of information has become very important to shoppers.

The email example below from Forever 21 does a nice job of showing off specific products that would make great gifts. They also include the price, making the email content even more actionable to the consumer.

2. Focus on outcomes or benefits

While including gift ideas is great, you can do even more to help people make the right gift decisions.

When shopping for gifts, it can be hard to match a product with a person. To help with this, focus your email copy on how the product is used or what benefits it provides.

You can see how Apple highlights each of their products as a possible gift idea. But instead of including the price, they include text that highlights why the product would make a good gift for mom.

This is an effective psychological tactic for increasing ecommerce sales. By highlighting the benefits of the product, readers will match that benefit with the gift recipient (i.e. their mom). 

Of course, everyone wants their mom to stay “active, motivated, and in the know,” so they’re going to read that and want to purchase it for their mother.

You can do the same thing with your business by focusing on the most positive aspects of getting your product as a gift.

3. Use simplicity and personalization

If you offer a wide variety of products, it might not be the best idea to simply showcase everything as a gift idea. Instead, try to simplify the process as much as possible.

Anthropologie’s email is very simple, but they do a nice job of highlighting their free personal shopper service. This is an excellent example of focusing on helping customers rather than being promotional. 

There are two specific features you can use to deliver this type of Mother’s Day emails to your subscribers:

• Personalized emails: Provide personalized product recommendations based on existing subscriber data.
• Email list segmentation: Send different emails to different groups of customers based on their interests, behavior, or demographics.

While we’re on the topic of email lists and subscriber preferences, it can be a good idea to check in with your contacts every once in a while to confirm the type of content they’d like to receive.

Doing so is easy. Sendinblue allows you to create Update Profile forms for your email contacts. Using this form, you can create a segment of people who want to opt-out of certain content or campaigns and exclude them. This is good for subscribers, who get only the content they want, and senders, who can boost open rates with genuinely engaged contacts.

4. Use humor in your Mother’s Day email

Making people smile is one of the best ways to increase email engagement. Mother’s Day is no different.

Here you can see a very simple Mother’s Day email example with a clear call-to-action. The text is light-hearted and also a not-so-subtle reminder that the reader should buy a Mother’s Day gift.

Anytime you can inject a little humor and personality into your emails is great because it humanizes your brand, warms up the reader, and comes off as less promotional. This can go a long way in boosting your conversions.

5. Optimize your ‘inbox envelope’ to boost email open rates

Like with any email, if you want it to get noticed in the inbox, you need to optimize what we like to call your ‘inbox envelope‘. This envelope consists of three main elements: sender name, email subject line and email preview text (also known as a preheader).

Let’s look briefly at how you can use these elements to your advantage.

Check your sender name

It’s the first thing the recipient looks at when they receive an email. 

Your sender name needs to display a real name, whether it be the company’s name or an employee’s name — not just an email address. This enforces trust and reassures the recipient that the email is genuine. 

Craft an enticing Mother’s Day subject line

Some quick tips to achieve this:

• Address the reader’s pain points. Let’s say they’ve left their Mother’s Day shopping to the last minute. Prime opportunity to put forward a solution in your subject line. ‘Order today to deliver in time for Mother’s Day’ 
• Make it personalized. If you’re a Sendinblue user you can easily personalize your email subject lines with custom contact attributes.
• Keep it short (50 characters or less)
• Add an emoji to your email subject line — but be careful not to overdo it either!

Mother’s Day subject line examples

Boost your Mother’s Day email open rates with a short, punchy subject line that speaks to the value within the email.

• It’s not too late! Order now to deliver in time for Mother’s Day
• No idea what to get Mom? Check out these ideas!
• Last minute shopping for Mother’s Day? We’ve got you covered
• Don’t break the bank this Mother’s Day
• Check out our Mother’s Day sale
• Ready to get your Mother’s Day shopping on?
• Mother’s Day special: 10% sitewide discount
• Free shipping for Mother’s Day this weekend ONLY
• 7 gift ideas your Mom is gonna love
• The ultimate Mother’s Day gift guide
• Make it a Mother’s Day she’ll never forget
• Mother’s Day Special: Free Shipping on all orders over $25

For more examples, check out our article specifically on Mother’s Day Email Subject Lines! 

Customize the preview text to complement the subject line

Preview text is the short snippet of text that immediately follows the subject line when viewing an email in an inbox.

Your subject line and preview text should work together to tell your reader a story.

Note that not all email clients display preview text, so it’s best not to use it for essential information. 

Designing Your Mother’s Day Email Template

Email design tools and resources

If you’re just starting out as an email marketer, you might be wondering about your options for creating an email template. 

Most email marketing software comes with email design tools that beginners can easily play around with.

With Sendinblue, our email design suite includes Drag & Drop, HTML, and Rich Text editors, as well as a free gallery of over 40 newsletter templates.

A look at Sendinblue’s Drag & Drop editor

You can test-drive these tools anytime on Sendinblue’s forever free plan with up to 300 emails a day and unlimited email subscribers. 

Having a ready-made template will definitely speed things up. Either grab one from the many free email template resources online or splash out on a custom-made template by an email designer.

Here’s a beautiful custom Mother’s Day email template created by our inhouse email design team at Sendinblue (just look at those colors! )

Design tips for your Mother’s Day email template

Your Mother’s Day email design plays a huge role in making people click and engage with your email content. It’s well worth spending some time on getting it right. 

• If you customize your email template to the theme of Mother’s Day, make sure your branding is still easily recognized with a clearly visible logo. Brand recognition is important for email engagement. If a subscriber is in doubt about the sender, they’re more likely to mark the email as spam.
• Use plenty of blank space so your Mother’s day gift guide doesn’t look too cluttered or overwhelming. 
• Make sure that images for gift ideas are of high quality. Avoid images that are too large or too small, as these can cause deliverability issues.
• Experiment with animated GIFs in email. Just remember to compress your GIFs beforehand as the GIF file sizes can be quite large (GIFcompressor is a great tool for this).
• Send yourself a test to ensure the email content displays correctly on different device sizes, especially mobile. While you’re at it, check that any landing pages you’ve linked to are also optimized for mobile. 

Send Your Mother’s Day Email with Sendinblue

Hopefully, these ideas and examples gave you some inspiration on how to boost sales with Mother’s Day email marketing. 

Lastly, we at Sendinblue would like to wish a happy Mother’s Day to moms everywhere – none of us would be here without you!

For more content like this, download our 2022 holiday marketing calendar! It’s full of important dates and helpful marketing tips for every month of the year

The post 5 Mother’s Day Email Marketing Ideas to Drive More Sales appeared first on Sendinblue.

. Here’s what you should know about the greenest holiday of the year.

Consumers on St. Patrick’s Day 2022 are expected to make a major comeback compared to turnout in 2021. The National Retail Federation reported that only 49% of Americans celebrated the holiday in 2021, down from 57% the year before.

To help you take your St. Patrick’s Day email marketing campaign to the next level, we’ve put together some marketing tips, subject lines, and email examples. Let’s take a look!

St. Patrick’s Day Email Marketing Campaign Tips

At its origins, this holiday celebrates the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. That said, it’s grown beyond its Irish roots and is now celebrated across the globe. 

In the US, consumers typically spend over $51 billion on St. Patrick’s Day. While this number isn’t as high as other holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day, St. Paddy’s Day is still a great opportunity for marketers. 

In particular, St. Patrick’s Day is a good time to try out new marketing strategies and techniques. Because the holiday is widely celebrated but less so than others, it’s a chance for you to test new types of promotions, different product features, or dabble in the latest social media trend.

While there’s no harm in sticking to your typical email campaign tactics, St. Patrick’s Day is a great time to try out any ideas or strategies you’ve been holding onto. 

Why?

Consumers are prepared to spend, but at the same time risks are low. In other words, if things don’t go the way you expect, it’s not like you’ll be hit with your biggest loss of the year.

To give you the best chances possible, we’ve got some subject lines and email campaign examples for inspiration. Think of it as a lucky four-leaf clover.

St. Patrick’s Day Email Subject Lines

Luck of the Irish subject lines

• This Might Be Your Lucky Day
• Lucky you! Our St Patricks Day Special is on… 
• You’re in Luck: St. Patrick’s Day Sweets Are Here 
• It’s Your Lucky Day, friend!
• You’re about to feel lucky
• Make your own luck

Subject lines green as shamrocks

• Celebrate St. Patrick ’s Day! Save some green with great deals! 
• At up to 67% off, save some green on…
• Being green? Not easy. Saving 30%? Super easy!
• Color forecast: serene greens ?
• We’re Seeing Green (In the Best Way Possible);
• St. Paddy’s Day Green Friday
• What does green mean to you? 
•  Going, going, green!

Leprechauns, rainbows, and lore

• We Found The Pot Of Gold!
• St. Patrick’s Day is just around the clover! 
• Don’t get pinched! ? St. Patty’s styles 10% off!
• No Shenanigans Here! 17% OFF for St. Patrick’s Day! 
• Have a Shamrocking St. Patrick’s Day!
• Look, a leprechaun! Jk, it’s a flash sale.
• Last chance to snag your pot of gold!
• Get Ready for St. Patrick’s Day, Find a Surprise Under the Rainbow!
• Cheers to St. Patrick
• Lucky Leprechaun Loot!

St. Paddy’s Day discounts and offers

• 20% off all St. Patty’s Day apparel
• New Irish Whiskey. Just in Time 
• Shop the St. Patrick’s Day Collection with a coupon
• Unearth your Irish roots this St Patrick’s Day
• We’re Dublin this 17.5% discount
• Enjoy a FREE Guinness with your roast to celebrate St Patrick
• Check out this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Sale

St. Patrick’s Day emojis

Like other holiday marketing events, St. Patrick’s Day is a great opportunity to throw some emojis into your email campaigns. Even if your brand doesn’t typically use emojis, St. Paddy’s Day is a playful, joyous celebration, so why not embrace the holiday spirit with emojis?

• The shamrock () represents freedom and independence. It’s a national symbol of Ireland and was worn as a pin during the country’s fight for independence.
• The four-leafed clover () represents good luck. It’s often confused with the shamrock.
• The Irish flag () speaks for itself. This is a good one to use if you’re trying to appeal to members of the Irish diaspora in particular.
• Rainbows () are where leprechauns hide their pot of gold according to Irish folklore.
• Top hats () are typical accessories of leprechauns.
• Beer ( ) is almost always involved in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. 
• Green emojis ( ) add a touch of holiday-themed color.
• Fingers crossed () in case you’re looking for some extra good luck.

St. Patrick’s Day Email Examples

Next, we’ll take a look at four St. Patrick’s Day email examples. The first two examples are typical St. Paddy’s Day email campaigns, jam-packed with pots of gold, leprechauns, and the color green. The next two are a bit more out of the box while still embracing the holiday spirit.

Uber Eats

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Our first St. Patrick’s Day email example comes from Uber Eats. Their campaign leans into the St. Paddy’s Day spirit but stays true to the brand’s image.

For companies like Uber Eats, St. Patrick’s Day may seem like an irrelevant holiday. Their service doesn’t have a natural connection to the holiday. 

Still, this email example incorporates the holiday spirit by creatively linking St. Patrick’s Day themes to Uber Eats’ service. Things like “a rainbow of flavors” are simple but effective ways to add a splash of holiday spirit to your email marketing campaigns.

Content like this, even if not entirely out of the box, goes a long way in the minds of subscribers. It sends a message that your brand is fun-loving and willing to celebrate.

All in all, this St. Patrick’s Day marketing campaign nicely compliments Uber’s typical simple, sleek email design and invites their customers to join in on the festivities.

Rugs.com

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Next up, we have a St. Patrick’s Day email campaign from Rugs.com. Instead of leaning into St. Paddy’s Day imagery, this email adds a tasteful dose of green to turn their content holiday-themed.

As well, having a St. Patrick’s Day sale is a great way to treat your audience. Most people aren’t expecting a sale or promotion for the holiday, so when your offer lands in their inboxes, your email list will likely be pleasantly surprised.

This email is also a good example of how to structure a promotional email. It starts by announcing the sale, then features different products and collections with well-placed CTAs. All this while saying, “happy St. Patrick’s Day!”

Harry’s

Source

This St. Patrick’s Day Email Example gets creative and really speaks to the brand’s audience. Harry’s, a men’s grooming and shaving supplies company, does an excellent job of relating St. Patrick’s Day celebrations to their product.

Getting the foam of an Irish stout stuck in your mustache may not be relatable to all of us, but it certainly is for much of Harry’s audience. What makes this content work so well in a marketing context is that it gives subscribers a reason to use their product and tells them to go out and celebrate. 

In terms of promotional content, this email has almost none. It’s minimalist, to the point, and on-brand. No flash sales, giveaways, or promo codes here.

Instead, Harry’s identifies a St. Patrick’s Day pain point among mustached beer-drinkers and offers a simple solution: shaving with their product. 

As far as St. Patrick’s Day-themed emails go, this one is out of the box, convincing, and tastefully tongue-in-cheek. A stroke of digital marketing genius!

Leesa

Source

Our final St. Patrick’s Day email example is from Leesa, a mattress company. Again, this email example doesn’t look like your typical St. Patrick’s Day-themed email. 

Front and center is a screenshot of a text message conversation. This in itself is a good way to grab readers’ attention, appealing to their sense of curiosity and even nosiness. The texts include a little St. Paddy’s Day play on words and even a cute dog.

The small amount of text in this email makes a few more St. Paddy’s Day references and then offers a discount.

Light-hearted, on-theme, and promotional all at once. This email is a great example for anyone in e-commerce looking for ways to shake up their holiday content. Well done, Leesa.

Get Started With Your Own St. Patrick’s Day Campaign!

Having gone through these St. Patrick’s Day subject lines and email examples, now you’re ready to design your own campaign!

Like we said, this holiday is a good time to try out new marketing tactics and ideas. St. Patrick’s Day is popular and widely-celebrated, but comes with fairly low expectations from consumers. A perfect combination for marketing experiments.

Finally, happy St. Patrick’s Day from all of us at Sendinblue! If you’re looking for more holiday marketing tips and tricks, check out our 2022 holiday marketing calendar for inspiration.

The post St. Patrick’s Day Emails: Subject Lines & Campaign Ideas appeared first on Sendinblue.

Love it or hate it – Valentine’s Day is a huge revenue driver. In 2021, US consumers spent $21.8 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts. That comes out to about $165 per person! 

What will 2022 hold? Well, over three-quarters of consumers say it’s important to celebrate Valentine’s Day given the state of the pandemic. Whatever sector you’re in – B2B, B2C or nonprofit – don’t miss out on an opportunity to grow revenue with Valentine’s day email marketing.

Maybe you’re sending a Valentine’s Day newsletter with themed content to drive donations for your nonprofit. Perhaps you’re planning a massive multichannel Valentine’s Day campaign to drive sales. Or you’re a B2B looking for opportunities to stay current with your audience.

If any of these describe your situation, then you’ve come to the right place. Anyone can make this holiday work for their target group. We’re here to tell you how.

Which Industries Should Send a Valentine’s Day Newsletter?

When you think of Valentine’s Day, you likely think of Hallmark cards, chocolates and candy, flowers and jewelry, etc. These industries definitely luck out when it comes to V-day. 

Other industries known to profit from Valentine’s Day are those offering romantic experiences. The food industry serves up romantic meals. The travel industry provides intimate getaways. In short, February 14th is a busy day for restaurant staff, travel agents, and hotels. 

However, these traditional Valentine’s Day sectors aren’t the only ones using the holiday to drive revenue.

With the right messaging, any retail brand and ecommerce store can benefit from this gift-giving holiday.

Can B2B businesses send Valentine’s email campaigns?

Yes! Even if you’re not a B2C offering products that fall under the gift-giving category, you too can leverage Valentine’s email marketing if you find a way to offer your customers added value.

Remember: Valentine’s Day can be framed as a way to celebrate love in general – with family, friends, pets — you name it.

Ask yourself how your Valentine’s Day newsletter will honor companionship, loyalty, or friendship. Or use the holiday as an opportunity to talk about what you as a company love.

The key is to adopt the right tone that matches your product. What’ll work best for your customers? Being light, serious, playful or, perhaps, ironic?

Dig deep into your marketing personas this year. Ask yourself how your customers want to feel this Valentine’s Day and how you can help them get there.

Alternative approaches to Valentine’s Day email campaigns

Maybe there’s no way you can make Valentine’s Day fit your brand or sector. Why not celebrate another holiday instead or perhaps try a different approach?

Anti-Valentine’s Day parties have become popular on both sides of the Atlantic. These less-romantic celebrations include party games such as battering Cupid-shaped piñatas and chowing down on broken heart cookies.

Galentines’ Day is promoted as a way for women to celebrate and spend time with their female friends.

How to Craft an Engaging Valentine’s Day Email Newsletter

Step 1: Planning your Valentine’s Day email

Whether you’re sending out a traditional newsletter, a series of email campaigns, or a hybrid of the two – planning your Valentine’s Day campaign is key to its success.

Once you’ve decided what your goal and approach will be this Valentine’s Day, start by coming up with a timeline for your Valentine’s Day emails.

Like with all holiday campaigns, one email is not enough. Use email automation to set up a series of email campaigns that includes special offers and coupons as well as last-minute reminders for late shoppers! Many Valentine’s Day shoppers struggle with procrastination. Your job is to make their lives easier.

But before you schedule your campaigns, don’t forget this critical step: segmenting your contacts.

Divide your contacts up by appropriate attributes. You can group them, for example, by gender, age, interests (and relationship status if you know it).

In general, when thinking about your target groups, don’t forget about “all the single ladies” (well, actually, about all the single people)! Even if you don’t have your contacts’ relationship status saved in your CRM, you can score points with singles by encouraging all customers to treat themselves.

5 questions to ask yourself when planning your Valentine’s Day email marketing campaign:

1. What’s the best way to segment your contacts for the most effective holiday emails possible? (Segment offers and content by interests? By gender? By age?)
2. Is your campaign approach inclusive? Is there anybody you’ve left out? If so, how can you fix that?
3. How far in advance do your customers start thinking about Valentine’s Day?
4. How will they be feeling as they shop? Inspired? Rushed? Overwhelmed? Determined?
5. How can you send Valentine’s emails that reach all types of shoppers – both the planners and procrastinators?

Plan content according to your sector of activity

Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and build the heart of your marketing campaign – the content. There are some key differences for B2B, nonprofits and B2C here, which you’ll want to take into account.

Valentine’s Day for B2B

For B2B campaigns, try building on the themes of love and gratitude to grow customer loyalty.

For example, you can plan a short series of emails thanking your customers for their loyalty and offering them a Valentine’s Day present. This present could be content exclusive to your email list, such as an e-book or an infographic.

If you don’t want to give away a freebie, your present can still add value for the customer. Can you give them resources or knowledge? Share personal recommendations with your subscribers in the context of “things you love.” For example, “Five Books We Love and Why.”

Valentine’s Day for Non-profits

Nonprofits can leverage Valentine’s Day, too! Build on the theme of gratitude and meaningful gift-giving in your Valentine’s newsletter. Share stories that highlight companionship, family and love in all its forms. Wrap up your newsletter with a strong CTA for donations.

Another nonprofit email marketing idea is drafting boilerplate wishlists for your subscribers. Prompt your contacts to ask their loved ones to donate in their name this Valentine’s Day, and give them the exact words to do so.

Valentine’s Day for B2C

In the B2C realm, this is your time to shine. Discounts or exclusive Valentine’s Day offers represent the bread and butter of your Valentine’s Day campaigns.

Something that works year after year on Valentine’s day is playing off the sense of urgency created by last minute shoppers scrambling to find gifts for their partners. While they may be cliché, “last day to order” or “last chance promos” do work well this time of year.

Or, what about doing something interactive this year? For example, you could grab their attention with a V-Day giveaway. Offer a gift card or a hot item as the prize. Encourage your recipients to enter the giveaway in your first campaign mailing and mention it in each subsequent one.

Announce the winner(s) on Valentine’s Day. You could even offer surprise consolation prizes, such as a post–Valentine’s Day discount code. Campaigns like this don’t require too much planning and can pay off when it comes to customer loyalty.

Step 2: Craft the best Valentine’s Day email subject lines

No matter how good your email campaign, if you don’t have a good email subject line and preview text, your contacts won’t read your email. Because they won’t open it. Remember – you’re not the only one sending a Valentine’s Day newsletter.

Put extra energy into your Valentine’s Day email subject line.

Before you craft an email campaign, ask yourself these questions:

• What do your recipients love?
• How can you deliver emotional impact into their inbox?
• How can you thank them?

Wrap it up in a compelling subject line with a maximum of 50–60 characters.

Steal these Valentine’s Day email subject line ideas

Tips to creating an exceptional Valentine’s Day subject line:

• Use emojis, e.g.,  
• Mention your incentive
• Use words like “sweet,” “kiss,” and “love” in humorous, unconventional, or even hokey ways.
  • Kiss your … goodbye this Valentine’s Day
  • Aren’t in love with your … ? Try … today!
  • Ready for these sweet deals?
  • You’ll fall head over heels for these …!

Take a look at this list of 100 Valentine’s Day Email Subject Lines for more ideas on how to improve your campaign’s open rates!

Step 3: Nail your Valentine’s Day email design

Try putting yourself in your subscribers’ shoes. It’s vital to look at your Valentine’s newsletter design from their point of view.

Which pictures would your audience like to see this Valentine’s Day? (Note: The question is not, which photos do you like?) Selecting newsletter images that appeal to your target audience is key! 

A perfume brand might have a lot of success with a photo of softly lit red roses. But in hipper-than-thou sectors, such as electronics or music tech, you’d be laughed out of town with that. You’d need something more cutting-edge.

Be inclusive in your use of images

When you’re choosing Valentine’s email images, remember you’ve got to do a balancing act. You want to visually speak to your specific target group but do so in as broad a way as possible. Basically, you don’t want anyone to feel excluded by your images.

A romantic picture of a man and woman embracing might exclude your nonheterosexual audience members, whereas a “LOVE” statue has a better chance of appealing to both your heterosexual and nonheterosexual audience members. (Unless you do marketing for a dating app and can segment by dating preferences!)

What to consider when choosing design elements

In addition to making sure you choose images tailored to your audience, you need to consider other design elements. What color scheme, email font and symbols will you use?

Ask yourself: How much will your Valentine’s Day email template differ from your usual email branding? Do you want to make big changes? Or just add accent notes to your corporate identity to give it holiday flair?

What about symbols? Which will appeal to your audience? Hearts, flowers, wrapping paper, balloons, heart-shaped piñatas? Would traditional symbols resonate with your target group? Or would that seem over-the-top?

If you’re unsure how your target group will respond, play it safe. Make subtle changes and use accent elements.

Designing emails is easy with Sendinblue’s email marketing software. A free account gives full access to our ready-to-go email templates as well as our intuitive drag & drop email builder. No graphic design skills required.

Design my free Valentine’s email with Sendinblue >>

Get Inspired by These Valentine’s Day Email Examples

To help get your ideas flowing, here’s our pick of three awesome Valentine’s day emails. They were all designed by Sendinblue users.

1. Free gift and express shipping from Migoals

Mi Goals does a great job here. For many, the perfect Valentine’s Day gift isn’t chocolate or roses, but free express shipping! Given how Valentine’s Day sneaks up on some people, anything you can do to make last-minute shopping easier is bound to pay off.

2. Couple’s wear from Ashanti Empress

Another smart Valentine’s Day tactic is featuring couple’s gift ideas, which is exactly what Ashanti Empress has done here. (And offering a sale for buying in pairs is even better!) Moreover, this newsletter template is eye-catching, direct, and perfectly balances the brand’s image with the Valentine’s theme. Well done, Ashanti Empress!

3. Covid-safe ways to enjoy V-day from Inscripture

This newsletter from Inscripture is not your typical “Happy Valentine’s Day” email. They’re providing their subscribers with real value in the form of advice. As we said before, the pandemic has changed the way people celebrate, so Inscripture has gotten creative to help their audience stay festive and safe.

In Sum …

When it comes to Valentine’s Day email marketing, the most important takeaway is knowing your audience. 

Some people love the holiday. Others hate it. Some respond to romantic imagery. Others to compassion. Some forget about it until the day of!

It’s up to you to figure out what your audience thinks. But don’t worry, we’ll always be here to help with all things digital marketing!

And while you’re here, why not get a headstart on upcoming holiday campaigns by checking out these articles:

• St. Patrick’s Day Emails: Subject Lines & Campaign Ideas
• 6 Ways to Make Your Easter Newsletter a Success
• 5 Ideas to Drive Sales with Mother’s Day Email Marketing
• Father’s Day Email Marketing Tips to Instantly Win More Customers
• 100 Halloween Email Subject Lines to Treat (Not Trick!) Your Readers

For more content like this, download our 2022 holiday marketing calendar! It’s full of important dates and helpful marketing tips for every month of the year

The post 3 Steps to Creating an Outstanding Valentine’s Day Newsletter appeared first on Sendinblue.

Valentine’s Day is always a popular shopping event. But the pandemic has caused a shift in consumer behavior on the holiday.

US consumers spent $21.8 billion on Valentine’s Day 2021, down from a record high of $27.4 billion in 2020. While total spending decreased with the pandemic, consumers made considerably more ecommerce purchases in 2021 than in the past.

Whereas they used to prefer experiential purchases like at restaurants and movie theaters, consumers on Valentine’s today have shown a preference for online shopping.

To help you make the most of this changing consumer trend, we’ve put together a list of 100 Valentine’s Day email subject lines. In light of the shift toward ecommerce purchases on the holiday, email marketing will be more important than ever this year. Read on for everything you need to know to craft a Valentine’s Day email campaign that drives conversions and celebrations.

Valentine’s Day Email Marketing

Given that over half of all US adults plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day, you don’t want to miss out on this holiday sales opportunity. To make the most of it, your email marketing campaign should wish your audience a happy Valentine’s Day and showcase whatever promotion you’re running. 

But what’s the key to boosting open rates and getting your audience to actually read your email newsletter? An attention-grabbing, on-theme subject line! 

In this article, you find four sections of Valentine’s Day email subject lines. For ecommerce retailers, pay special attention to the subject lines related to shipping / delivery. Valentine’s Day shoppers tend to be last-minute, meaning this type of campaign can be highly effective. 

Another popular tactic for Valentine’s Day email subject lines is emojis. Given it’s the holiday of love and romance, there is no shortage of emojis to use on Valentine’s Day. 

Without further ado, let’s jump into the list of 100 Valentine’s Day email subject lines to inspire your holiday marketing campaign and drive conversions!

Subject Lines to Make Them Feel the Love

These subject lines will help your email campaign stand out in subscribers’ inboxes. Feel free to mix and match different ones and personalize the content to create your best Valentine’s Day email subject line yet! 

• Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas For Your Sweetheart!
• Will You Be Our Valentine?
• Up To 75% Off Valentine’s Gifts!
• Plenty of Gifts to Show Your Love
• Gifts They’ll Fall In Love With
• In Celebration of Love
• Be Mine! Valentine’s Day Gift Guide Is Out Now
• Your Valentine’s Day Gift Is Inside
• Why we love our customers:
• Happy Valentine’s Day! xoxo
• Better Than Roses and Chocolates
• Treat Your Sweetheart
• 1 for You, 1 for Your Valentine
• Show Your Love With These Gifts
• Happy Galentine’s Day 
• A Valentine’s Treat
• I Choo-Choo-Choose You – Valentine’s Day Sale
• Ditch the Chocolates and up your Valentine’s Game
• The Anti-Valentine’s Day List Is Here
• Savings have never been sweeter!
• Gifts That’ll Make Them Fall In Love
• Feel the love this Valentine’s
• Gift Ideas for your Sweetheart on Valentine’s Day
• In Celebration of All The Singles Out There
• Your One-Stop Valentine’s Shop
• Shopping for Valentine’s Day? Free Gift Included!
• You’re Our Valentine
• Where’s the love? In our Valentine’s Shop!
• Things are heating up… got a gift yet?
• Give them their heart’s desire…

Further reading: How to Write Email Subject Lines

Mentioning Shipping in Your Valentine’s Day Subject Line

Since Valentine’s ecommerce purchases have gained popularity, mentioning shipping in your email subject line is a good idea to drive up open rates. Offering free or discounted shipping is known to grab readers’ attention and can oftentimes seal the deal for customers’ on the fence about a purchase.

• Last chance for FREE delivery by Valentine’s Day
• Happy (early) Valentine’s Day! FREE SHIPPING!
• Valentine’s Day is even happier with free shipping
• Free Shipping Until February 14
• Guaranteed Delivery for Valentine’s Day
• Get Your Valentine’s Day Gifts Shipped Free
• A Charming Valentine’s Day | Two Days Left to Order
• Free Shipping! Happy Valentine’s Day!
• What’s better than chocolates and roses? Free shipping! 
• Cupid Made Us Do It: Free Shipping For Everyone! 
• Last Chance For Free Shipping In Time For Valentine’s Day
• Free Shipping for Valentine’s Day Ends Tonight
• You Haven’t Left Valentine’s Too Late: Free Express Shipping! 
• Get the perfect Valentine’s Gift with Free Shipping
• Last Chance to Get Your Valentine’s Day Gifts On Time

Further reading: Holiday Email Marketing Strategies to Boost Engagement

Valentine’s Day Subject Lines with Emojis

Emojis are a great way to add some color and excitement to your V-day subject line. They help your email newsletter stand out against the rest in subscribers’ inboxes. Feel free to mix and match different emojis with different subject line text. 

• Happy Valentine’s Day
• Get Ready for Valentine’s Day
• Valentine’s Day Is Right Around The Corner
• Cupid’s Calling
• Valentine’s Isn’t Complete Without Jewelry
• Valentine’s Day Is Almost Here
• New Clothing Just For Valentine’s Day
• Our Valentine’s Day Shop Is Open
• Make This Valentine’s Dinner Special
• Don’t Forget To Treat Your Furry Valentine
• Don’t Go Breaking Hearts
• Love Free Shipping? Order Before Valentine’s Day
• Sweets for your Sweetheart
• is buy one get one free
• Celebrate Valentine’s In Style
• Roses are red violets are blue, here’s a deal for you!
• Gifts that say “ U”
• Found the perfect gift for that special someone?
• Your Complete Valentine’s Day Gift Guide 2022
• The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants
• The Perfect Gifts for Cuddle Buddies
• 

Further reading: How to Use Emojis in Email to Boost Open Rates

Last-minute Valentine’s Day Subject Lines

Ironically, another aspect of Valentine’s Day to take into account is how easily people can forget about the holiday. While over 50% of Americans intend to celebrate V-day, it often sneaks up on people (even with marketing campaigns running left and right).

For this reason, last minute Valentine’s Day shoppers are definitely a sub-group to target in your campaigns!

• Only 2 Hours Left—Make this Valentine’s Day Memorable!
• You Forgot It Was Valentine’s Day. Now What?
• Don’t Mess It Up – Last Day To Ship Valentine’s Day Gifts
• Need a Last Minute Gift for Valentine’s Day?
• Cupid’s Last Call
• Do you know what today is?
• Final Day for Delivery by Valentine’s Day
• Last Minute Gift Ideas for your Valentine’s
• Hurry! Tomorrow Is Valentine’s Day
• Last Chance to Get Your Order by Valentine’s Day!
• You’re Running Out Of Valen-TIME
• Don’t Forget Another Valentine’s Day
• Valentine’s Day Is Sunday!
• Get These Valentine’s Day Deals Before Time Runs Out
• Valentine’s Day Is In 2 Days! Shop Now!
• 24 Hours Only! Save 20% On All Orders – Happy Valentine’s Day!
• You are still on time for your #SexyValentine!
• Don’t. Forget. Valentine’s Day!
• Did You Forget? Today is Valentine’s Day! 
• Hurry! Last Weekend For The Valentines Day Sale
• There’s Still Time To Get That Special Valentine’s Gift
• It’s Cupid’s Last Call – Don’t Forget Your Valentine!
• Need a Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Gift?
• Don’t Forget About Your Valentine
• Take 20% Off Last-Minute Valentine’s Gifts!
• Psst… Today Is Valentine’s Day
• Cupid won’t be around for much longer
• Need A Last Minute Valentine’s Gift?
• Final Day To Order for Valentine’s Day
• It’s not too late to get that perfect Valentine’s Day gift!
• 30% off last minute gifts for your Valentine
• There’s still time to find the perfect Valentine.
• Cupid’s Making His Last Round – Order Now!

Conclusion

Hopefully these examples have given you a good idea of the limitless possibilities when it comes to Valentine’s Day email subject lines. The holiday is a great opportunity to boost sales and change up your marketing content in the middle of winter. 

Looking for more advice on your Valentine’s Day marketing campaign? We’ve got you covered! Check out our article on Creating a Valentine’s Day Newsletter. Further, to get the best results out of your subject lines, we recommend using A/B testing to see what works best for your audience. 

For more content like this, be sure to download our 2022 holiday marketing calendar! It’s chock full of holiday email content inspiration, marketing strategy tips, and more:

The post 100 Valentine’s Day Email Subject Lines to Make Your Audience Fall Head Over Heels appeared first on Sendinblue.

When you’re busy running a business, it can be hard to stay on top of every holiday, event, and sales period. We get it— you’ve got a lot on your plate. At the same time, producing holiday marketing content can really pay off.

Holiday marketing, be it for Mother’s Day, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or Black Friday, is one of the best ways to connect with customers and win them over. It’s also the time when shoppers are most engaged and ready to make a purchase.

But, just remembering the dates isn’t enough. You also have to prep your inventory, plan your marketing campaigns, and then make sales of course! 

This is where we step in. To make things easier for you, we put together a calendar with all of the important marketing dates of 2022. (Including some fun ones!) Alongside, you’ll find monthly tips and tricks to help guide your campaign strategy and spark inspiration.  

In the calendar, you’ll find:

• The most important dates that generate sales (holidays, seasonal sales, non-work holidays, etc.)
• Important events for marketing campaigns and audience engagement (sporting events, month-long observances, and unusual holidays)
• Exclusive tips for each month to guide your email marketing strategy for 2022

How To Use This Marketing Calendar

On the first page, you’ll find an overview of the most important dates for each month of 2022. This is a great place to start drafting a long-term holiday marketing strategy.

On the following pages, we’ve included strategic advice for each month to make sure you’re staying on track for success in your marketing efforts. This section may also help inspire your creative side!

The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone. But hopefully this calendar can help take some of the pressure off and let you focus on the bigger picture.

The post Holiday Marketing Calendar 2022: Dates, Newsletters Ideas, and more [Download] appeared first on Sendinblue.

Thanksgiving is the American holiday. It’s a time for families and friends to come together. It’s a time to give thanks and enjoy delicious food. It’s also when the holiday shopping season starts to pick up speed. But sending genuine best wishes and promoting your business can be a tricky balance to strike. 

That’s why we’ve researched the perfect thanksgiving email and how to write one with a simple two-part strategy. 

Basically, your thanksgiving email campaign should:

1. Connect with your audience on a personal and sincere level;
2. Subtly sign-post upcoming holiday sales.

Keep reading to learn more about this two-part strategy, the message you want to get across, and some email tips to make sure everything goes according to plan.

• Two-Part Email Marketing Strategy for Thanksgiving Day 
  • Being grateful 
  • Anticipating earlier holiday shopping
• Essential Thanksgiving Messages 
  • Send your best wishes. 
  • Express gratitude. 
  • Support a good cause. 
• Thanksgiving Email Tips 
  • Mention Black Friday Cyber Monday sale.
  • Segment your contacts.
  • Use a fall template.
  • Fine tune your Turkey Day campaign.

Two-Part Email Marketing Strategy for Thanksgiving Day

1. Being grateful

The whole idea of Thanksgiving is in the name. It’s a time to be openly thankful, tell others how and why you appreciate them, and give back. As a business, you can and should do the same.

Americans take Thanksgiving pretty seriously. Not to add any pressure to an already stressful time in marketing, but it’s incredibly important for your Thanksgiving message to come across as sincere and genuine. Sending a quick “Happy Thanksgiving” followed by nothing but details of your Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales is not going to land well with audiences.

Instead, it’s worth taking time to embody the Thanksgiving spirit. Try thinking of your Thanksgiving email as an opportunity to join in the festivities. The content should express gratitude, send warm wishes, and focus on giving back. 

For those of us in marketing, the holiday may be overshadowed by the upcoming holiday season. But it’s important to remember that Americans don’t see this holiday as a marketing event. 

For the vast majority of those celebrating, the meaning of Thanksgiving is spending time with family and being thankful. In this way, an overly promotional marketing campaign isn’t going to do you any favors. Instead, it’s more likely to end up unread.

Therefore, it’s hard to overstate how important it is to lean into the spirit of Thanksgiving for your holiday marketing strategy. 

2. Anticipating earlier holiday shopping

At the same time, end-of-year shopping is moving closer and closer to the middle of the year! Large retailers concerned with supply chain issues have moved forward their black Friday sales the earliest they’ve ever been. 

In the world of marketing, Thanksgiving is a critical time for client communication. It’s an opportunity to lay out what your customers can expect from the busiest shopping weekend of the year. Making your brand seen before the chaos of Black Friday is a powerful way to stand out from the rest.

But let’s not forget part one of the strategy! 

The key to a perfect Thanksgiving email is striking a balance between holiday spirit and promoting your business. To help you do so, we’ve broken things down into Thanksgiving messages and email tips. Take a look!

Essential Thanksgiving Messages

These Thanksgiving messages will help your business connect with customers and come across as sincere and genuine. It’s a necessary first step to an effective marketing strategy for the holiday.

Send your best wishes

The first thing your holiday email should do is wish your subscribers a happy Thanksgiving. But don’t stop there! Take this opportunity to lean into the Turkey Day spirit. Before giving any details about your Thanksgiving sale, you should let your customers know you understand what this holiday is all about.

Think about people gathered around the table for thanksgiving dinner. Ask yourself what you like most about this time of year. Is it the pumpkin pie? Maybe the crisp fall air? Spending time with loved ones? 

Putting yourself in the mindset of Thanksgiving day will help your email resonate with subscribers. Even mentioning little things like cranberry sauce, grandma’s stuffing, or all the leftovers from dinner makes your Thanksgiving email more relatable!

And for many, Thanksgiving is a day to disconnect from potential stressors like work and money. For this reason, your email marketing campaign shouldn’t be overly promotional.

Basically, Thanksgiving day is the time of year when the tone of your campaign should be the most caring, friendly, and sincere. Anything else may make your subscribers feel like they’re just consumers in your eyes. 

Express gratitude

Source

Another essential Thanksgiving email message you should aim to get across is gratitude. Again, a basic “thank you to our loyal customers” will most likely fall flat. 

For many families, going around the dinner table and saying what you’re thankful for is a yearly Thanksgiving day tradition. To really resonate with your clients, take your place at the table!

To go deeper than a simple “we’re feeling grateful” message, try explaining why you’re grateful. What goals has your company achieved this year? What have your customers helped you accomplish? Maybe share a story of how your product or service helped someone in need.

Of course, keep things brief—don’t bore your subscribers with the nitty gritty details of your successful business strategy. Instead, try to show your customers that you understand what it means to be thankful and that you have reasons to be thankful for them.

Support a good cause

Another Thanksgiving tradition is giving back. Many families like to use some of their time over the holiday weekend to volunteer at a soup kitchen, make donations to a food bank, or volunteer with a charity. 

As a business, you should consider doing something similar. An easy way to give back is pledging to donate a portion of your sales to charity. And of course, this isn’t just a nice way to join in the holiday spirit but also a good way to boost sales.

Other ways to give back on Thanksgiving include offering something to your own clients. Of course, this could be a Thanksgiving sale, but by now consumers have come to expect this. Instead, offering your customers personalized discounts, a free gift, or early access to certain products comes off as much more generous.

If you do decide to offer some kind of Thanksgiving sale or free gift, be careful not to come across as overly promotional. Offering something to your customers on Thanksgiving is certainly a nice gesture. But if your offer is too urgent or flashy, you risk being seen as out of touch with the Thanksgiving holiday. 

This example from Leesa hits all the marks in terms of message:

Source

Thanksgiving Email Tips

In part two of crafting the perfect thanksgiving email, we’ll give you some practical tips on some technical aspects of your holiday campaign.

Mention Black Friday Cyber Monday sales

Now, we did just go over how your Thanksgiving Day campaign shouldn’t be overly promotional. Instead, your content should lean into the heartwarming spirit of the holiday. This still holds, but you should still mention your upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. 

The key word here is mention. 

Save your flashy, urgent content for the Black Friday email itself. On Thanksgiving, anchor your campaign in warm wishes. Then, include a convenient and subtle mention of what’s to come in the next few days.

Consider leaving a link or an unobtrusive CTA button near the end of your email newsletter. Alternatively, you could create a “coming up” section after laying out your Thanksgiving content. Maybe you have a custom HTML box or banner you normally include at the end of your newsletters? If so, mentioning Black Friday and Cyber Monday there is a nice way to alert your customers without unnecessary urgency.

Take a look at this example from Aftershokz. Their Thanksgiving email content focuses exclusively on embracing the meaning of the holiday. Then, at the bottom of the copy, they include a subtle link to their sale.

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Segment your contacts

Another top tip for your Thanksgiving email is segmentation. Email segmentation is something you can and should use year-round to reach your customers in a more personalized way. That said, it becomes particularly important during the holiday season.

Segmentation helps your business distinguish between year-round and holiday shoppers. After all, you likely have a different relationship with your most frequent, loyal customers and may want to reward them ahead of Black Friday.

At the same time, segmentation allows you to re-engage last years’ holiday shoppers to make sure they come back this time around. 

If you’re looking for an easy way to segment your contact list, Sendinblue offers advanced segmentations on all plans. (Including the free one!)

To learn more about, take a look at this article on email list segmentation. 

Use a Thanksgiving email template

To touch on email design, there are a few things to be aware of for Thanksgiving. As with the email copy, your email design should embrace the feeling of Thanksgiving.

Think of fall colors—but remember it’s not Halloween, so stay away from the classic orange and black. Include graphics like leaves, pumpkins, cornucopias, and pilgrim hats. Even photos of the Thanksgiving dinner table, groups of friends and family, and foods like turkey and pumpkin pie are nice additions.

In terms of layout, plan to make things simple. Remember, your Thanksgiving email should read almost like a personal note. No need for product features, dozens of CTA buttons, or showy headers. 

If you’re looking for ready-made Thanksgiving email templates, have a look at Sendinblue’s  free holiday email marketing templates. From there, the options are endless. All the templates are fully responsive, meaning you don’t have to worry about how they’ll appear on mobile devices. Customize using our drag and drop editor. Choose the font you like best. Add GIFs and emojis where you see fit. It’s as easy as that!

Take a look at this Thanksgiving email template below:

Fine tune your Turkey Day campaign

Lastly, there are a few simple but important considerations to make sure your Thanksgiving email lands with flying colors.  

Choosing the right time to send your email can be a daunting task. You don’t want to interrupt Thanksgiving dinner! Luckily, Sendinblue’s send time optimization feature uses AI to individually determine the best time to send your campaign to each of your contacts. 

Email subject lines are another key consideration. Again, no need to be overly flashy or attention grabbing this time around. Aim for a subtle, friendly tone that wishes customers a happy Thanksgiving. A/B testing is a great tool to know which subject line works best for your audience.

Wrapping up Thanksgiving Emails

Use this two-part strategy to craft the perfect Thanksgiving email campaign. This holiday is the perfect time of year to connect with your customers and send them a virtual greeting card expressing your gratitude. But remember, your message should go a little deeper than a simple “we’re thankful for you.” 

Next, making use of advanced email marketing techniques will help broaden your campaign’s reach. Email segmentation, attractive templates, and send time optimization will really be your best friends this time of year. And don’t forget to research the best holiday email subject line.

What’s the best part of this strategy? It works for any type of brand—from ecommerce giants to small businesses. 

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The post The Perfect Thanksgiving Email: A Two-Part Strategy appeared first on Sendinblue.

The challenge is standing out in a season full of sales and special events. Read on to discover how to get your online store ready for Green Monday success. 

1. Offer holiday deals and discounts
2. Stay profit-smart
3. Offer free shipping
4. Set a start time
5. Build anticipation on email
6. Create a buzz on social media
7. Get great graphics
8. Create user-generated content
9. Use personalization
10. Create a gift guide
11. Get your tech in order
12. Give back

What is Green Monday?

You’ve heard of Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday sales, but you might not be so familiar with Green Monday. 

Green Monday falls on the second Monday of December. The name was coined by eBay back in 2007. It describes the spike in sales figures they experience on this day of the year as customers make their final pre-Christmas purchases. And it’s on the rise. From 2018 to 2019, Green Monday sales grew 31% to $3.454 billion.  

What can you do for Green Monday or mid-December sales?

Let’s step into the customer’s shoes. It’s less than two weeks until Christmas. They’ve still got holiday shopping to do. They might be turning to credit cards or personal finance to afford the last few gifts on their list. They want quick and affordable purchases to get them over the finish line to Christmas Day. 

Mike Nemeroff, CEO and co-founder at Rush Order Tees says, “It’s important to remember that this shopping holiday exists because people realize it’s the last day they can buy online to get items in time for Christmas. Anything you can do to make their panic buying more convenient will work in your favor.”

Offer holiday deals and discounts

Deals and discounts will entice new customers and reward your loyal fans. The key is to promote strategically, not at random. Discounting your most popular products will definitely grab their attention.

Or, try “buy one get one free” offers, combining your bestselling product with a poor-performing line. It still feels like a bargain to your customer, but you get to offload unwanted products. Another way to get people to spend is by offering bonus points on loyalty programs. This helps your regular customers feel appreciated.

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Stay profit-smart

If your ecommerce business is feeling the pinch this holiday season, the thought of site-wide discounts might be too much to bear. There are still smart ways you can make your customers feel special without hacking into your profit margin.

Discounting groups of products rather than individual items results in a better margin for you. Reserve bigger discounts for the products you have too much of or want to get rid of. 

Bump up your average transaction value by including a gift or bonus service with purchases over a specific amount. Free gift wrapping goes down especially well at this time of year. You’re saving your customer money and time in their busy holiday season schedule. 

Offer free shipping

A popular but inexpensive freebie among retailers at this time of year is free shipping. David Janssen, CEO and founder at VPNoverview says, “It removes one last stumbling block in the selling process and can push a hesitant shopper over the finish line.” 

To your customers, getting items ahead of the holiday without paying extra for rush delivery is enticing. Consider adding a minimum spend to make sure your promotion remains profitable. 

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How to promote your Green Monday deals?

You’ve decided on your discounts, deals, and promotional activity. Now it’s time to get the word out. Follow our tips and marketing ideas to create a buzz around your business this Green Monday. 

Set a start time

Flash sales are an effective way to create a stir around your seasonal discounting. Set a start and end time for your event. With Christmas around the corner, you have a valid reason for a cut-off to make sure customers get their orders in time. 

Use a countdown timer, like this one from Wix, on your homepage and email marketing. It will draw attention to the exclusive nature of your deals. You’re encouraging customers to seize their last chance to grab a bargain before the Christmas sales. 

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Build anticipation on email

With your sale times set, start promoting your discounting on email. Build momentum by sending preview emails in the downtime between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. 

Customers want to feel like they’re getting exclusive offers so send special sale previews to those registered in your loyalty program. Even if they don’t buy, you’re reminding them of how much you value them. 

Michael Dean, co-founder at Pool Research likes to focus all his energies on email marketing. “Our customers are directly available to us through our mailing list. This is our first port of call when it comes to promoting holiday sales and offers. There’s obviously a huge increase in the volume of promotional emails this time of year. Taking the time to perfect our email content is vital. One of the ways we do this is by analyzing data from previous holiday sales. This ensures we’re always learning and improving our marketing efforts compared to last year.”

To stay on top of your email data and send perfect, planned promotional emails, give Sendinblue a try. Get started on the free plan with 300 emails a day and unlimited subscribers.

Create a buzz on social media

86% of women use social media for shopping advice. So, supplement your email marketing with promotions on the platforms. 

Rather than spreading yourself too thin across every platform, target those on which your customers are most active. To get the best out of the channel, consider bringing an influencer on board. 80% of consumers bought a product on an influencer recommendation. The trick here is to build a relationship with the personality beforehand so that your marketing feels authentic.

Get great graphics

Whether it’s email or social, you can’t overestimate the importance of cohesive sales banners, graphics, and digital content to use across your platforms. 

Whether your customer encounters your marketing in their inbox, on their social media feed, or in paid ads, they’ll instantly know it’s you. You’ll keep your business top of mind, increasing the chances they’ll make the purchase. 

Create user-generated content

User-generated content is a great way to create more content quickly and inexpensively. It also increases customer engagement as they love to see themselves in your feed. 

Launch a prize draw on social media where the customer has to post or share some content to be entered. Their shares and likes will spread the word about your business organically. 

Another great source of social content is reviews and testimonials. Reviews from users increase conversions because they feel genuine and build trust. Create lists of your most devoted consumers and interact with them on social media, encouraging them to review your products or services.

Or, why not take your user-generated content out into the real world? This is something major retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Home Depot could never dream of doing, so it will help you stand out and make Green Monday shopping fun. 

“What about hosting a holiday party where people come in for cookie decorating or Christmas card making? They get creative, have a latte and a pastry, and plan their gift-giving,” says Robin Brown, CEO at VIVIPINS. You can create crossover by sharing photos of the event on your socials.

Use personalization

Customers love to feel your marketing is curated for them. “Personalization allows you to reproduce a terrific in-person shopping experience online,” says Matt Weidle, business development manager at Buyer’s Guide.

“Data drives those online experiences, so make sure your platform is set up to collect it. Gathering your customer’s name and email address is a good place to start,” he continues. Encourage website visitors to share this information with you in exchange for an initial offer, such as a free shipping code or 10% off their first order.

And lastly, “Once data is collected, use it to tailor every aspect of the online shopping experience, from greeting customers to reminding them of abandoned carts to sending thank you emails and inquiring about product satisfaction.” 

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Create a gift guide

A gift guide of your store’s best buys is a winning content idea at this time of year. Remember, it’s mid-December. If they haven’t thought of a gift yet, chances are they’re having trouble. 

Give your gift guide a boost by releasing a brand new item. This will generate anticipation as it’s not a time of year we typically associate with newness. For those still hunting for the perfect gift, you’ll help them feel they’ve finally found ‘The One’. For the ever-indecisive shopper, be sure to include a gift card option.

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Get your tech in order

Promos in place, discount codes ready, now’s the time to check your tech is up to scratch. This is an essential step for all online retailers. Is your site ready for increased traffic? Is your search populated for people hunting down last-minute gifts? Is your mobile site user-friendly?

Lots of people searching for the best Green Monday deals will grab their mobile phones to do so. Make their lives easy: check that all links, buttons, and fonts are legible and clickable on smaller displays. Equip your site with convenient search options and autocomplete forms.

Encourage your customers towards your mobile app on Green Monday by offering extra discounts for those who shop there. With the option to send them push notifications direct to their device, you’ll be able to remind them when the last day of the sale rolls around and mop up any final hesitant buyers. 

Give back

And finally, when you’re all set for a profitable Green Monday, consider giving back. 

“We have a policy around these events, including Black Friday, whereby we don’t discount or push sales, but instead will focus on our charitable donations,” says Ann Lowe, head of community at Spice Kitchen.

Final tips to get Green Monday-ready

Green Monday is a chance to show your customers you care by making their holiday preparation that bit easier. Do so, and you could earn yourself retail sales, profits, and brand loyalty. Remember to:

• Plan in advance: profit-friendly discounts and timed sales work well.
• Get promoting: use email and social to give plenty of warning of your deals and discounts, your customers will thank you.
• Help your customer: gift guides and free shipping options will tempt them to part with their cash.
• Make it all about them: user-generated content and personalization make your marketing feel authentic and relatable.
• Give back: share the generosity by giving to a worthy cause.

For more content like this, sign up for our monthly marketing tips newsletter and follow us on Twitter.

The post What is Green Monday and How To Prepare Your Online Store appeared first on Sendinblue.

Check out our Small Business Saturday ideas and make sure your brand stands out from the crowd:

1. Register your business
2. Offer deals and discounts
3. Link up with other businesses
4. Get customers back in store
5. Host an event 
6. Send email campaigns
7. Use social media
8. Get great graphics
9. Create user-generated content
10. Tell a story
11. Give back

When is Small Business Saturday?

Small Business Saturday is a shopping holiday held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It was created 10 years ago by American Express to help small businesses promote themselves. It’s since become a popular annual event. 70% of Americans surveyed are aware of the occasion. In 2019, consumers spent $19.6 billion on the day. 

But Small Business Saturday is about more than just profit. It’s about building relationships with customers and strengthening ties with your community.

And in the wake of the pandemic, these bonds have never been more important. Sendinblue’s post-pandemic customer research shows that consumers are looking to support smaller and local businesses.

What’s the purpose of Small Business Saturday?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are owned by the big retailers. Small Business Saturday is your time to shine. 

There’s one important thing to remember about Small Business Saturday: “It’s all about showing the customer their purchase is making a difference. Whether it’s helping the family behind the brand or going back into the neighborhood,” says Tianna Manon, founder of Mañón Media.

96% of Small Business Saturday shoppers agree that the positive social, economic and environmental impact is important to them. 

How can I promote Small Business Saturday?

Your Small Business Saturday promotions should reflect this feel-good factor. Help your customer feel they’re involved in something positive. 

Here are our favorite marketing ideas to make your Small Business Saturday 2021 a roaring success. 

1. Register your business

Gear up for the day by getting registered for the event. If you’re in the US, you can register here. Businesses in the UK can register here. Find out if your local area has its own list of participating businesses. Sign up to benefit from advertising in the run-up to the day or be part of a Shop Small map to guide customers to your store on the day. You can also connect with other participating businesses ahead of the day to share ideas and plan joint events. 

2. Offer deals and discounts

Next, plan your deals. Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity to say thank you to customers by helping out with their holiday shopping. Plus, with an array of strong deals and discounts, you’ll attract new faces to spread the word about your brand. 

Not sure what kind of deals work? An Infusionsoft and Pollfish poll revealed the most popular Small Business Saturday promotions were limited-time deals (24%), followed by free gifts (21%) and finally “buy one get one free” deals (19%). If you still can’t decide, you could offer a mix, like Scout Books. 

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3. Link up with other businesses

On a day that’s all about community spirit, why not link up with a fellow small business? Organise joint marketing campaigns with reciprocal discounts or giveaways and collaborate on social media posts to promote each other’s business.

You’re offering your customer a full experience, cross-pollinating your audiences, and getting to know a fellow business owner, as in this example from Tattly. 

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4. Get customers back in store

The pandemic sent businesses online, so use the day to entice people back into stores. 

A great way to connect your online customer base with your real-life store is by creating an offer that links the two. For every customer who shares something online about your brand, you can give a free gift or an extra service like gift wrapping in-store. Encourage customers to check in on social media to redirect the buzz back online. 

Or, offer store pickup to your online customers. “Most consumers love the ease and convenience of picking purchases up. It’s a great opportunity to upsell and build a connection with your customers and secure their loyalty,” says Jonathan Roque, digital marketing and content strategist at Zapiet.

Once in-store, customers typically make larger transactions, increasing your average order value.

5. Host an event

While you’re inviting your customers back to stores, create a buzz in your space. Host an activity, an evening cocktail event, or hire local performers to entertain your guests. 

Your efforts don’t have to be too out there: customers love the little touches like a free coffee or a coupon for next time they shop with you. Extend your opening hours, offer refreshments, give out free gifts, run a raffle: make the day feel like part of the holiday season. 

The most important thing, as Roberta Perry of Scrubz Body Scrub, Inc says, is to put the customer first. “We revel in being a micro-mini business and we adore treating our customers like the gold they are. It gives us a chance to celebrate customer loyalty and renew our commitment to them.”

Local news reporters will be keen to get the scoop on your event, so make sure you invite them along. 

And when the party’s over? Don’t forget to follow up. A thank you note is a quick and effective way to show your appreciation.

Choose the best pictures from the event and share them on Facebook or Instagram. Or put them in a marketing email like this one from The Salty. Remind them of how much fun they had and make sure they come back soon. 

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6. Send email campaigns

The best way to get the word out is over email. “As ‘The Great Facebook and Instagram Outage of 2021’ showed, relying exclusively on social media to reach your audience is a no-no. Instead, build an email database by offering discounts. Then, keep in touch regularly with special offers and exclusive deals. This will help you build brand loyalty and encourage repeat purchases. 

Andrew Woods, CEO and co-founder at Duckpin says, “Your marketing efforts should start well before Small Business Saturday. In the month leading up to the sale, we engage customers and subscribers with high-value promotional teasers.” 

To schedule and segment your Small Business Saturday emails ahead of time and take the stress out of your email campaign, try Sendinblue’s email marketing software. Get started with 300 emails a day on the free plan.

7. Use social media

Small Business Saturday is a social experience and a day to build community. So, it makes sense to promote it on social media. Remember, customers like to feel they’re doing good. If they can shout about their good deed on social media, even better.  

Be sure to use the official hashtags for the occasion, which are #ShopSmall, #SmallBizSat and #SmallBizSaturday

“Invite users to like, share, and follow your profile for a unique discount code. This will boost your social media presence, exposing your business to even more people. This means more sales, more hype, and more attention,” says Gregory Yong, Chief Experience Officer at Convincely.

To further your reach, hire a local influencer. They can promote your products in the run-up to Small Business Saturday and even host a meet-and-greet on the day.

There are other ways to get creative with your social promotion. Make an Instagram sticker, Snapchat filter, or gif with your business branding. Customers will jump at the chance to show off their support for small businesses.

8. Get great graphics

While you’re feeling creative, design coordinated graphics and signage for your Small Business Saturday marketing materials. By splashing your online and real-life presence with logos, banners, and hashtags, you’ll keep your business top of mind throughout the holiday sales. 

Change your social media cover photos and banners to include the #ShopSmall hashtag. Pin a tweet, update your bios, add a pop-up to your homepage. These minor changes help remind and encourage people to visit you on the day.

Every year, the original organizer of the event—American Express—offers free template graphics and imagery to help you coordinate your online presence and shop front. 

9. Create user-generated content

Build a buzz around your brand with user-generated content. Organise a promotion or contest on social media and invite your customers to take part. Perhaps they have to take a photo with their favorite product of yours or tell you why they love your brand in a short video to be in with a chance of winning. Share any content they generate, with their permission. People will warm to your brand, you’ll build relationships with your most loyal customers and get yourself in front of some new faces as well.

10. Tell a story

Some prefer to leave the noise of deals and discounts behind to tell a story of their products and their business. 

“For Small Business Saturday, we focus less on paid ads and more on showcasing video footage of the small business owners at work,” says Ella Jesmajian, co-founder of Honey and Roses Coffee.

Tianna Manon agrees: “Customers are more likely to be receptive to excellent storytelling. Your marketing strategy should weave a story that paints them in the center.”

Sharing behind-the-scenes content is a great way to connect with your customers. People like to see the faces behind the brand. Small Business Saturday is a chance to make personal connections in a way the big corporates can’t.

Content such as this sneak-peak from Jack Mason works brilliantly in email marketing to break up the promotions and build those all-important relationships with your subscriber list. 

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11. Give back

We know Small Business Saturday is all about community, think about how you can give back to yours. Customers love to see businesses contributing to the improvement of their local community. Collect donations to fund new sports equipment, plant a flower bed in a local park, or contribute to a food bank. Pick something that feels appropriate to your brand. 

Roberto Torres, owner of The Local Marketer says, “When a local small business partners with a local cause, it benefits the cause in two ways. The first is by providing the funds for them to continue operating, but also advertising that organization to the community.”

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Final tips for Small Business Saturday

Feeling inspired for your Small Business Saturday success? Just remember to:

• Reward your customers with special events, deals, and discounts
• Harness the power of community, be it your fellow business owners, local press, or members of the public
• Be generous, with your behind-the-scenes story, your discounting, and your charitable giving

Achieve this, and your customers will walk away with the feel-good factor that will make them loyal to your brand all year round. 

For more content like this, subscribe to our newsletter for a monthly round-up of our top marketing tips

The post 11 Small Business Saturday Ideas to Give Your Business a Boost appeared first on Sendinblue.

Which brings us to the question: Why an emotional connection with consumers is necessary. 

For starters, if you tug at their heartstrings, they cease to be price-sensitive and become 2 times as valuable as highly satisfied customers. Such individuals are also 8.4 times more likely to trust the brand and 7.1 times more likely to follow your recommendations and purchase more. 

Again, even if some don’t purchase at all, they still play an important role in helping emotion-laden campaigns go viral. 

With this sorted out, hop onto the next section to learn how to gift-wrap emotions in your next holiday marketing campaign.

Let’s Get Emotional With These Holiday Marketing Campaign Examples

Proceed with caution: You might have to hold back tears. 

IKEA – The Other Letter

IKEA Spain conducted an experiment, asking kids from 10 families to write two letters. The first one addressed to the Three Kings and the second one to their parents. To parents’ surprise, the one common and thoughtful gift that kids wanted from them was—time.

This overwhelmed the parents as they realized that fancy gifts are in no way equal to bonding over bedtime stories, small chats, dinners, and games. 

Overall, the commercial didn’t push any product, rather it makes its audience feel warm emotions during the holiday season. If you see, the comments section has people taking trips down memory lane and sharing their past experiences which testifies that this emotion-packed ad hits home.  

Edeka – #Heimkommen

Holidays are when it’s #timetocomehome, to reconnect, and reboot, but sometimes we get so caught up in our lives we can forget to do so. This was the premise of Edeka, the German supermarket’s emotion-packed ad. 

What really packs a punch are the befitting lines from the song that plays in the background:

Home used to be just walls that I know

But the truth is home means nothing without you.

A great reality check, you’d agree? 

Unlike IKEA’s campaign, even though we see products that Edeka sells, it’s done so well—fitting the theme of feasting with family—that we feel the whirlpool of emotions welling inside us, from start to finish.  

H&M – Come Together

You might not have the budget to get Wes Anderson to direct your holiday campaigns, but if there’s one take away from his genius story-telling, it’s how to—as one YouTube commenter says—make people forget it’s an ad. 

Known for soothing symmetry and pastel hues, Wes creates a fictional world and takes us on a train journey that’s delayed due to harsh weather conditions. The train conductor decides to make the experience worth a while by asking passengers—who are already in H&M clothing and apparel—to join him in the cafeteria car for what we come to know is a big surprise for them. 

But since we’re talking emotions, let’s not forget that his usual choice of colors creates a certain mood and sparks feelings of calm and composure. Even in this ad we see his signature style that created an experience for us all. We hope you’re taking notes.

Spotify – #2018Goals

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Humor works because it provides comic relief, and surprise works because it breaks the monotony. Spotify leveraged both in their 2017’s #2018goals campaign to not only reveal their wittiness but also to stop people in their tracks (pun intended) and give them a moment to giggle alongside. 

Without a doubt, this one’s gone down in history as one of the most fun holiday marketing campaigns. This was possible thanks to the ingenious use of customer insights and the intention to, as Spotify’s CMO said: ‘provoke people to strong emotion through music, and to use humor to relieve some of the seriousness.’ 

But humor aside, the campaign also sparked feelings of hope and optimism as the focus was on the new year. 

Doesn’t surprise us that Spotify not only reported a massive brand exposure but also revenue tripling in Q1 2018. 

HP – Reinvent Giving

Right at the heart of HP’s holiday marketing ad campaign sits kindness and generosity. The story is about how a woman using her creativity and some help from her neighbors is able to make a young girl happy. 

In a way, she reinvents and redefines gift-giving to show that all it takes is a thoughtful gesture to make someone feel special. Of course, there’s an HP printer plugged throughout the ad, but it’s done tastefully and doesn’t get in the way of conveying the need to unleash creativity and surprise someone in a way they least expect. 

Heineken – Holiday Troubles

A little backstory: Heineken APAC conducted customer interviews to get their creative juices flowing and figured that regardless of which part of the world we live in or the cultures that form our identities, all of us want festivities to be trouble-free. And so was born this holiday campaign. 

Throughout the commercial, Heineken showed that troubles are a part of the tradition and instead of crying buckets of tears in worry and apprehension, one should sit back and enjoy them.

Can’t say they didn’t remind us of the various mishaps that have now become dinner table discussions and funny stories, making this holiday marketing campaign a memorable one.

Google – Home Alone, Again

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. And brands that practice nostalgia marketing know for a fact that it also weakens peoples’ desire for money and drives them to make impulsive, emotion-driven purchases. 

Speaking of which, full marks to Google for blending old with new and opening up a vault of memories through their mini remake of Home Alone, featuring the now grown-up Macauly Culkin aka Kevin and his new co-actor, Google Assistant. The campaign had a mass appeal because right from baby boomers to millennials, everyone grew up watching it over the holidays.

As the commercial rolls, we’re introduced to Kevin’s new assistant, who thanks to the smart home features made Kevin’s life easier compared to how it was two decades ago. The new-age hero even helped Kevin when the bad guys entered the picture. 

Naturally, people can’t help but imagine how it could prove to be a worthy assistant in their lives too. Enough to say, this clever product push is noteworthy and you need look nowhere else to learn the ropes of nostalgia marketing. 

Macy’s – Believe

One of the best holiday marketing campaigns that’s been a hit over the decades is Macy’s Believe campaign. It aligns perfectly with the spirit of gift-giving and charity during holidays. Believers of all ages write a letter to Santa either in stores or online, and for every letter received, Macy’s donates $1 to Make-A-Wish®, up to $1 million, so that wishes of children with critical illnesses are granted. 

So far, since 2003 Macy’s has donated $122 million. The explanation for their success lies in altruism, which motivates people to donate to charities. Consumers don’t directly contribute—it’s Macy’s that takes care of that—but letter writers feel happy being a part of the cause that promises strength and hope in someone’s life. And then, seeing wishes come true warms their hearts and makes them feel proud of having done something meaningful. 

Mars – Zombie Skittles

Mars did a fabulous job of combining horror and the psychology of the dare a year ahead of Halloween. The buzz built over time, and finally, in 2019, the “rotten” Skittle flavor was added to Skittle packs. 

What we most liked about this campaign was that they looked beyond happiness, sadness, and anger, and capitalized on the frenzy and fear of Halloween. 

People were encouraged to shoot videos describing what the Zombie Skittle actually tastes like and post them on social media with #DareTheRainbow. Also roped in were influencers to get more people to accept this test of bravery and experience the frightening surprise in store for them.

More on Halloween campaigns: The Dos and Don’ts of Halloween Email Marketing and 100 Halloween Email Subject Lines to Treat Not (Trick) Your Readers!

Time to work on your next holiday marketing campaign

Now you know why and how putting emotions right at the center of your holiday campaign can earn you some brownie points from your target audience, whether holiday season or beyond. So start planning yours. 

Want to reach your audience across multiple channels this holiday season? Test-drive Sendinblue’s all-in-one sales and marketing platform on our free plan. Features include Email, Live Chat, CRM, Facebook ads, Marketing Automation, and more. 

Don’t see your favorite holiday marketing campaign examples on the list? Tweet us @Sendinblue. We’re always around for a good chat.

By Sharanya Manola, freelance writer for B2B SaaS.

The post 9 Best Holiday Marketing Campaign Examples to Get Inspired By appeared first on Sendinblue.

Soon enough winter will be here and once again we’ll be putting up the Christmas decorations and blasting out our favorite festive tunes.

But wait, not so fast!

Before you start hittin’ that eggnog too hard, you might want to get your email newsletter strategy in order so you can take time to enjoy the festivities. Whether you’re sending a seasonal greeting to your subscribers in order to nurture the relationship or trying to tap into that holiday spending splurge, sending a Christmas newsletter can bring a host of benefits.

To get your December emails ready to send out, we’ve put together some content ideas to inspire you. The ideas are divided into two categories:

• Sales-focused Christmas newsletter ideas (ecommerce, SaaS, retail, paid apps)
• Editorial-focused Christmas newsletter ideas (blogs, nonprofits, media, small businesses)

Psst! Looking for an easy way to create professional-looking Christmas newsletters? Opening a free Sendinblue account will give you access to over 25 responsive holiday email templates along with our intuitive drag & drop email builder.

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Christmas Newsletter Ideas for Boosting Sales

For most ecommerce companies and other businesses selling online, the holiday season surrounding Christmas is the most important time of year. But, your holiday sale promotions can only go so far…

Here are a few ideas that you can use in your Christmas newsletter that will enhance your wider holiday marketing strategy and help drive sales:

1. Put your offers front and center

Christmas is the ideal time to send out special offers and promotions because shoppers are buying things not just for themselves, but also for their friends and family.

That’s why it’s important to communicate those special offers in all of your seasonal emails. You want to get as many eyes on them as possible.

Create holiday promotions that encourage buying multiple items

When sending out promotional discounts and sale offers, you should also create promotions to increase the average cart size. This will increase ROI exponentially for the increased traffic and conversions you get from your other promotions since each conversion is worth more!

But, how exactly do you do this? There are a few ways you can increase the size of your average cart this holiday season:

• Highlight complementary products together
• Offer discounted bundles
• Give free shipping for orders over a certain value — just be sure to set the minimum order well above your normal average cart value (e.g. if your average cart value is $40, give free shipping for orders over $75).

The Christmas email below uses the clever idea of offering a discounted item for holiday shoppers when they buy a gift for someone else.

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You can also stick to the traditional promotions (discount codes, product category sales, etc.) if that’s more your speed. Just make sure you’re not being outdone by your competitors, as customers will be looking for deals over the holidays.

2. Remove the fear of late deliveries

When shopping online for Christmas gifts, one of the biggest customer fears is not receiving their purchase in time for the day itself.

Including details about shipping time estimates and guaranteed delivery dates in your Christmas newsletters can go a long way in making customers feel more comfortable buying from your store. In fact, 83% of shoppers said they expect to see a guaranteed delivery date from retailers.

So, be your customers’ Christmas savior this year! Make their lives easier by reassuring them that their carefully curated gifts will make it under the tree in time for Christmas and they will be sure to reward you for it.

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3. Give your customers some gift ideas

During the holiday season, it can be challenging to effectively segment your email list. That’s because subscribers are also looking at making purchases for their friends and family — not just themselves.

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure that receiving a promotional email for men’s hoodies is not going to help me find my girlfriend the right gift (even though that email is totally relevant for me!).

Instead of trying to fit a square peg through a round hole, you can dedicate space in your Christmas newsletter to educate subscribers on the “perfect gift” based on the person receiving it (friend, child, girlfriend/boyfriend, etc.).

With all of the craziness that comes with the holidays, your gift advice will provide a welcome dose of assistance to your customers.

This Christmas email example by the meal service company Tovala shows us how it’s done, clearly demonstrating how their product could work as a gift for different friends and family members.

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4. Reward your subscribers with free resources

Brands are always offering something special during the holiday season. Usually, it’s putting certain items on sale, giving a special coupon code, or even doing a site-wide sale.

If you want to stand out from the crowd, you’re going to have to beat their generosity. Give your customers a real gift that they can enjoy, for example:

• An ebook or other gated content related to your niche
• A downloadable activity/game (coloring book, origami instructions, etc.)
• Company swag

The nice thing about this type of gift is that it’s engaging for subscribers but doesn’t cost you too much. Just be sure that what you’re offering reflects your brand and provides real value to your customers.

5. Turn up the heat during the holidays

To get the most out of the holiday shopping season, you should turn up the marketing pressure of your Christmas emails by increasing your newsletter frequency. This will ensure you get your message to as many shoppers as possible before they start looking for gifts — even if they wait until the last minute.

How to increase marketing pressure

In addition to increasing the frequency of your email campaigns over the holiday period, you also need to create a sense of urgency to encourage shoppers to buy. There are a few different ways you can do this:

• Use copy that gives your readers “fear of missing out”, or FOMO
• Insert a countdown to Christmas in your emails
• Make your promotions time sensitive

To get the most benefit from these, you should use them in conjunction with each other.

The Christmas newsletter example below utilizes the FOMO-inducing holiday subject line Free Gift. Last Chance. Open This. — the subject line reinforces the urgency of the content within the email itself. 

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Further reading: 5 Holiday Email Marketing Strategies to Boost Engagement

Editorial Christmas Newsletter Ideas Your Subscribers Will Love

For many businesses, an email newsletter is just that: a newsletter. It’s used to communicate updates and keep customers or subscribers connected and engaged with the business. In these cases, it’s best to take an editorial approach when creating your Christmas newsletter.

But even if you’re not trying to boost sales and revenue with your holiday emails, there are still some things you need to keep in mind. Here are some great Christmas newsletter examples to use as inspiration, along with tips to make sure your editorial content is on the right track:

6. Reinforce client relationships with your Christmas newsletter

For most businesses, solid customer relationships are a must! Otherwise, your purchase funnel is like a revolving door and you never have any deeper customer loyalty, brand recognition, or returning customers in general. Avoid this by using your Christmas newsletter to take a step back and reach out with a genuine message of gratitude that will serve to strengthen your existing relationships with customers and subscribers.

Here are some ideas for your December newsletter that will help get more fans for your brand:

• Send your customers well wishes for a happy new year
• Restate your business’s mission and update customers on anything new
• Thank your customers for their loyalty

Taking the time to connect with your customers on a more personal and genuine level instead of focusing on sales can do wonders for your customer relationships for the coming year.

This Christmas newsletter example gets it spot on:

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Want more tips on using email to strengthening customer relationships? Check out our blog post on relationship marketing with emails.

7. Use playful humor in your email copy

A great way to grab your subscribers’ attention is to make them laugh. The holiday newsletter is an opportunity to show your brand’s fun and playful side.

Here are some tips for bringing holiday fun into your email subject lines and copy:

• Use puns, jokes, and wordplay
• Use the subject line to tell a joke then put the punchline in the body of the email
• Catch readers’ attention with references to contemporary Christmas classics like “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “Home Alone,” “Love Actually”, or “Die Hard”. Fans are bound to perk up at the reference
• Wrap up with a fun and clever CTA that perfectly encapsulates the email’s concept — don’t spend time writing hilarious copy only to finish on a boring “Buy now”

Check out this Christmas email by brand BarkBox, with the subject line Dog people give the best gifts, that effectively uses festive humor to charm subscribers.

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But how to know what kind of humor your subscribers will appreciate?

Dig into your buyer personas and do some research! On top of this, you can try A/B testing your email subject lines to see what kind of content works best for your audience.

8. Reflect on the previous year and discuss the future

Because it comes at the end of the year, Christmas (and New Year’s) is an excellent time for businesses to look back and reflect on the previous year and communicate the successes to your loyal customer base. And what better place to do it than the Christmas newsletter since it’s often the final communication that businesses send customers before starting the new year.

This approach is especially effective for nonprofits that have a strong mission and use their newsletter to share progress toward their goals. Read our guide to email marketing for nonprofits for more tips.

However Christmas newsletters can also be a nice way to showcase any successes you’ve achieved as a business over the past year.

Reflecting on the past year is also a natural segue into discussing what your plans are for the coming year. This is an excellent strategy because it gives your customers the feeling that they are part of your organization and creates a sense of exclusivity (like they’re being kept “in the loop”).

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As long as your message is interesting, customers will want to pay attention to your future emails in order to see when plans are put into action — so make sure you don’t get too far ahead of yourself if you take this strategy.

Time to get festive with your Christmas newsletter

Now that you have a better idea of what to do for your Christmas newsletter, you can look forward to the excitement of the holiday season without worrying about your email marketing strategy!

Do you have other ideas for content to include in holiday newsletters? Let us know in the comments below or on social media.

And if you want more content like this, download our 2022 holiday marketing calendar to keep up with important dates and get helpful tips for every month of the year!

The post 8 Christmas Newsletter Ideas to Wow Your Subscribers (with Examples) appeared first on Sendinblue.