Xmas Email Guide

dpi21's step-by-step guide to planning and running successful Christmas email campaigns..

Where to start?

The opportunities surrounding the pre-christmas season can be daunting.

Follow this step by step plan to help you ensure you have all the bases covered.

Step 1 - Analyse

The first step is to review your previous years' activity.

What did you do last year?
What worked best?
How did your contacts respond to your increased frequency?
What subject lines generated the most opens, and what offers, product lines and approaches generated the most click throughs and conversions?

Step 2 - Plan

If you don't have all the contact data you need to power your targeting, it's not too late to gather it. Start running customer surveys or competitions now to collect data about your contacts which will help you determine the products they are most likely to be looking to buy and for whom.

Step 3 - Clear Campaign Purpose

With 40% more emails coming into our inbox's over the Christmas period, it's vital to avoid annoying your customers with irrelevant emails and misleading subject lines.

Step 4 - Cross-sell

Transactional emails, such as invoices, customer updates/notifications provide a great opportunity to cross-sell. Make sure your transactional emails are HTML and offer appropriate cross-sell offers.

And, if you can offer it, don’t forget that 22nd December lifesaver email offering next day delivery!

Step 5 - Send a Christmas e-card

Whether your organisation's focus is B2B or B2C, send your clients and customers a Christmas e-card.

It helps build customer loyalty and brand recognition. Don't make it too commercial, give it a feel good factor.