The Do’s and Don’ts of Email Marketing on Labor Day
On Labor Day and other holidays, smart CRM marketers know how to keep their CRM campaigns intact, so this blog does not provide you with ideas and strategies for your Labor Day campaigns (it's too late for that!) Instead, we curated how some of the world's leading brands delivered their email campaigns for this special day. Here's what we found.
Most would expect some of the world’s leading retail brands to nail their Labor Day campaigns. But that’s not quite the case. Take a look at some of these dos and don’ts, topped with a few best practices examples, to take your next holiday email marketing campaign to the next level.
Were You Mindful of Timing?
Do: Start early.
Don’t: Start too early.
When to send out a campaign is a challenging question for most CRM marketers. Launching holiday campaigns early is great, but not too early that it feels out of place or irrelevant. For example, I received a Labor Day campaign from a swimsuit brand way before Labor Day – it was missing the entire point. Therefore, there’s a fine line between starting early and too early.
Remember, customers get into the holiday spirit with a shopping list and a clear idea of how much money they wish to spend. It is essential that we, as marketers, get their attention in a timely manner. Getting shoppers excited about the sale or promotion is necessary only while keeping the campaign timing appropriate and relevant.
Pro tip: If you want to get in your customers’ inboxes early enough to beat the competition, tease them with an email illustrating an offer you are extending to Labor Day without giving it all away just yet. You want to give them a taste of what’s to come but not the full course.
Did you offer a promotion?
Do: Extend a unique special promotion.
Don’t: Offer the same promo that you extend on a regular basis.
There are tons of unique and exciting ways to offer a promotion without making it seem repetitive to customers. I was scrolling through Instagram, and there it was again – a leading skincare brand that I follow offering that same old lousy 20% off. It literally felt like the millionth time I’ve seen that same ad.
The brand could have easily offered a “Purchase an item on Labor Day and get $10 off on your next order.” Perhaps a “Buy $100 pay only $80” offer or a “Buy over $150 and get a free gift” campaign. The sky’s the limit; there really are so many ways to create appealing and relevant offers to keep things spicy.
Did you forget what Labor Day is all about?
Do: Be tactful with your messaging, and remember what we are celebrating.
Don’t: Ignore the essence of the holiday and treat it simply as a shopping day.
We get it; you want to sell, highlight your business/offer and jump on the shopping wagon. But Labor Day is a holiday meant to honor and celebrate the economic achievements of American workers and their contributions to society. That’s why we get a day off. So, include that in your messaging. Think of sales that are related to the working class.
Pro tip: It might be hard to stop all your automated lifecycle campaigns, but special events as such need to be acknowledged. I recommend sending out a Labor Day campaign on a different channel at a different time to those who are entitled to receive a campaign of higher priority.
Did you create relevancy in your template?
Do: Use your subscriber’s previous shopping preferences to recommend relevant products.
Don’t: But. Please. Don’t. Batch. And. Blast.
If I had a dollar for every email I received that was dull, irrelevant, vague, or simply too general, I’d probably be rich by now. It’s clear that most marketers know how to collect robust data about their customers’ purchase history – but they still ignore it. There are hundreds of ways to cross-sell, recommend products based on a customer’s last purchase or most common product interest, and do so wisely!
What type of photos did you use?
Do: Show your product in use as part of a lifestyle.
Don’t: Limit your media to just showing boring studio pictures.
The best companies are not “companies”; they are “brands.” In other words, they provide value, not features to customers. Showing your product or service as it perfectly matches one’s lifestyle is a wonderful way to catch your audience’s attention. Much more than its plastic-looking studio photo, if you ask me.
Who did you communicate with?
Do: Communicate with all your lifecycle customers.
Don’t: Send a batch and blast to everyone and/or communicate with just your active customers.
Any holiday is an opportunity to reengage your customers. I recently received an SMS from a subscription company I used IN COLLEGE! It said, “come back to our service and get 40% off your first month”. I very well might. Had they sent a general 40% off, I wouldn’t have been as excited.
There are many strategies to use as far as email marketing goes on holidays, like Labor Day. But marketers still have to be smart about the way they go about their interaction with customers. Even leading brands.
Looking for additional email marketing tips and tricks to conquer your CRM marketing plan for the upcoming holidays (or in general)? Feel free to reach out.
