Retailers are ramping up their online marketing activity as we enter the last weeks before Christmas but few companies concentrate on targeting customers after December 25th even though campaigns in the traditional ‘dead zone’ between Christmas and New Year can be very fruitful, says software-as-a-service email marketing specialist Emailvision.
“Many people are off work, may not be as busy as usual and are using breaks to shop online,” Emailvision explains, “or they are looking to spend gift vouchers or take advantage of promotional pricing and January sales.”
To make the most of this period, the company says, retailers should consider the following action points:
- It’s not all about the sale: An effective email marketing campaign is one that achieves high response rates and engages recipients. This can be more about selling a ‘look’ for New Year’s Eve or encouraging brand loyalty, rather than bombarding customers with money off lots of different products at once.
- Tactful targeting: This is applicable all year round but ensuring that your database is appropriately segmented is key to increasing sales. Send people content they want and not information they will discard quickly.
- Festive follow-ups: 93% of UK consumers plan to buy at least one gift online this Christmas — this is the perfect time to follow up with up-sell and cross-sell content, build brand loyalty and encourage list sign-up for future campaigns.
“Being smart about your brand and not missing out on potential sales in this period is absolutely key,” says Nick Gold, UK managing director at Emailvision. “Companies can easily put together campaigns before the holidays, ready to go once people emerge from Christmas Day activities, maximising sales and boosting customer loyalty.”
