{"id":21471,"date":"2022-12-06T22:19:44","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T22:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/06\/holiday-email-marketing-automation-guide\/"},"modified":"2022-12-06T22:19:44","modified_gmt":"2022-12-06T22:19:44","slug":"holiday-email-marketing-automation-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/06\/holiday-email-marketing-automation-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Email Marketing Automation Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The holiday season represents a time of heightened anticipation\u2014whether you\u2019re a consumer or a marketer. For retailers, November and December account for <\/span>about 19% of total annual sales<\/span><\/a>. And the National Retail Federation estimates American businesses will earn over $960 billion during the 2022 holiday push. In other words, the stakes are high.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s still time to formulate your email marketing campaign plan and get your sweet piece of the pie. With the right email marketing automation strategy, you can kick back by the fire in no time, sipping cocoa in fuzzy pajamas while the systems you\u2019ve put in place execute your campaigns to success.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before we jump into this article, read this piece first<\/a> if you need a primer on what email automation is\u2014<\/i>and why you should use it.<\/p>\n

3 benefits of email marketing automation<\/span><\/h2>\n

Writing and sending individual emails in a series-long holiday marketing campaign can be a tedious, time-consuming process. However, the best email marketing campaigns are automated, as software now exists to free you from the mundane execution-related tasks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the critical business goals automating holiday season emails can help with include boosting top-funnel awareness, conserving resources, or setting a strong foundation for success in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Boost brand awareness in a personalized way<\/span><\/h3>\n

Get your brand name into consumer inboxes to stay top of mind as shoppers prepare their lists.<\/span><\/p>\n

Due to its cost-effectiveness and reach, email remains <\/span>the primary customer acquisition strategy<\/span><\/a> for retailers over the 2022 holiday season\u2014employed by 89% of large companies and 96% of small companies. And while social and text marketing remain popular, 70% of consumers say email is still their <\/span>preferred channel for communication<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Save time and money<\/span><\/h3>\n

With <\/span>$36 returned for every dollar spent<\/span><\/a>, email marketing provides cost-effective advertising. What\u2019s more, studies show email automation <\/span>increases productivity by 20%<\/span><\/a>\u2014giving you even more bang for your buck. With email campaigns running in the background, you\u2019ll have more time to focus your attention on creative and strategic work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Build repeat success<\/span><\/h3>\n

Automated or not, building an email marketing plan does require time and effort. The good news is that your email marketing automation strategy is reusable. Save templates, process automations, and deployment schedules to use next Black Friday and Cyber Monday\u2014or perhaps sooner with Boxing Day, Valentine\u2019s Day, and Presidents\u2019 Day sales right around the corner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gifts that keep giving: 10 automated holiday email examples<\/span><\/h2>\n

Your email marketing campaign plan may include a single type of email or many. Here are 10 inspirational holiday email marketing ideas to make your holiday season merry and bright.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Set up abandoned cart triggered workflows<\/span><\/h3>\n

Many automated emails are behavior-triggered, meaning a system tracks user browsing, clicking, and buying activities across your website and lets you know when to send marketing emails. For instance, you might set your system to send an abandoned cart email once one or more items have been sitting in the cart for 24 hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shoppers may abandon their carts for numerous reasons\u2014better options elsewhere, a frustrating checkout process, a lack of payment options, or costly shipping, for instance. So in your abandonment email, consider including a coupon code or a free shipping offer to overcome objections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus, the festive holiday season has many consumers feeling generous. It\u2019s an ideal time to reach out to contacts you haven\u2019t engaged with in a while, as data suggests customer reactivation tends to increase starting around Black Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Clean up and segment your contact lists<\/span><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re constantly trying to email invalid or inactive email addresses, mailbox providers may start sending your correspondence directly to spam folders. For this reason, cleaning your contact lists needs to be a priority rather than an afterthought. Of course, manual cleaning can be tedious and time-consuming work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, you can automate:<\/span><\/p>\n