With the COVID-19 pandemic still disrupting global sales, brands everywhere know that this holiday season could be the best chance to boost purchases by year-end. Most digital marketing tools can help marketers and their brands achieve this important goal. But there is one tool that shouldn’t be ignored when building a good marketing strategy for the following months. Unlike social media content, newsletters are bound to attract readers’ attention and make them come back to the offer time and time again. That is precisely why newsletters are an essential tool this holiday season that should be used well after the end of the season.
Although new technologies are being adopted faster than ever before, the traditional email remains one of the most trusted and efficient methods of exchanging messages. In fact, with 95% of consumers checking their emails on a daily basis, email marketing’s growing popularity seems to be nowhere near its end. Newsletters are an excellent method for communicating updates, as well as keeping customers and brands connected. But newsletters also come with another important advantage. Unlike social media posts or ads, newsletters are easily accessible in inboxes for longer periods of time. This makes them an ideal digital marketing tool for boosting both holiday and post-holiday sales.
Where to start when designing a newsletter campaign
When creating a good digital marketing campaign, it’s always best to consider past and future actions. That means using the best tools to review past holiday newsletters and results, as well as the newsletters that soon followed them and their results. Likewise, it’s important to think about future actions. Marketers should consider if the current Christmas newsletter is the best option available when considering the idea behind the following newsletter. Furthermore, continuity is important during troublesome times, and newsletters make no exception to this rule.
With continuity assured, marketers should also consider adding a personal touch to their newsletter campaign. According to Forbes Council Member and tech entrepreneur David Finkelstein, going through the effort of personalizing holiday and post-holiday newsletters can help show that the businesses understands the needs of their customers but also that they strive to improve their experience. Jewelry designers, like Cartier and Bulgari, even go as far as to say they favor email marketing because it feels more ‘personal’ than social media, proving once again that a personalized approach is the key.
Turning ideas into realities
Providing customers and subscribers with continuity and a personalized approach might sound great, but many marketers are wondering how to achieve this during these difficult, uncertain times. The jewelers questioned by The New York Times provide some useful ideas such as sharing useful information about styling or key product features, keeping customers connected with important news and events, and even sending invitations to join a book club. However, other options are also available, especially during the holidays. Rewarding subscribers with free holiday resources, like ebooks or DIY instructions, could be an exciting way to start a great newsletter campaign that can be easily continued in the year to come.
When turning ideas into realities, putting customers front and center and providing them with the best, honest offers and information is vital. While the worst problems seem to be over, shipping companies are still experiencing some issues. Therefore, marketers should consider including details about shipping time estimates in their holiday and post-holiday newsletters. As the COVID-19 pandemic also continues to disrupt economies around the world, it may be more important to create holiday and post-holiday promotions specially designed to address the needs of specific customers.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has definitely reshaped numerous aspects of online and in-store shopping, some things are bound to remain the same. The holiday season is still the best time to exchange positive messages and long-lasting trust, and newsletters might prove to be one of the best ways of doing just that. As always, a positive email marketing approach with a personal touch remains the key to building trust, while useful information about shipping and real promotions are bound to boost sales before, during, and after the holidays.
