The busy holiday season is now behind us. I love the holidays...not just in the traditional way. I also love them from a geeky marketer's perspective. Every day leading up to December 24th we receive so many emails in our inbox, from all our favorite brands and retailers. That's a perfect opportunity to study email marketing get ideas for the future.
Here's a few of my picks from November and December of 2014. I selected one for each of three categories: traditional retailer, nonprofit and online retailer.
Traditional Retailer: Cabela's
Subject Line: Happy National Free Shipping Day!
What I like about this email:
* The subject line stood out from all the other discounts in my inbox.
* The Christmas lights at the top give the template a seasonal relevance and are animated...they blink and draw my attention.
* There's a clear, concise offer I can use on my orders at the top, then the main focus matches the subject line and explains the free shipping details.
* The email is highly personalized. Where it says at the bottom, "Experience your closest Cabela's Store" the email closed with clear directions to my nearest Cabela's location.
Nonprofit: Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Subject Line: Can we count on you as the year ends?
What I like about this email:
* The top banner image area makes 3 important pieces of information stand out: statement of need, reminder of year-end tax deadlines for me and a prominent call to action button to donate.
* This is followed by a more personal appeal. It's not lengthy or dramatic, but provides more connection.
* Closes with another prominent call to action button.
Online Retailer: newegg
Subject Line: ➋➍ HOURS ONLY: Our Ultimate Black Friday Codes UNLOCKED. Don't Miss Out!
What I like about this email:
* The subject line uses special characters to stand out in the inbox.
* The time-sensitive nature of the content is very prominent.
* I need to click through to see the deals.
* The "Don't Wait" button was animated - blinking at me.
* There are just enough examples of product discounts that I can see these deals are substantial and will want to click through for the rest. They don't give away all the deal info without clicking.
*It is anchored by a second category of deal offerings, which I can see happen every Wednesday. I'm going to want to open Wednesday's email.
Have you taken a look back at your own marketing from the fourth quarter? Now is the perfect time to review your campaigns and their performance. Take notes on what worked and what didn't to help you prepare next year.