It’s that time of the year again. The time when consumers are most receptive to promotions. When they are primed to indulge in retail therapy.
To the extent that, Adobe predicts a record $240.8B worth of online sales this holiday season between November and December, an 8.4% increase over 2023.
With more favorable shoppers’ behavior (towards brands!), triggered email workflows sound like the exact plan you should be ready with as the holiday shoppers check things off their holiday shopping list.
This automation technology makes it easy to send personalized email content and promotions to holiday shoppers at the right time.
So, let’s explore some expert tips for optimizing your triggered emails and helping you prepare your brand to shine during the holiday rush.
Top 4 Ways to Optimize Triggered Emails for Holiday Email Marketing
A well-planned, triggered email workflow will help you build momentum as the holiday season goes on while including last-minute shoppers.
We recommend checking out this recent infographic on holiday email marketing strategies by Email Uplers.
The insights from 10 seasoned email marketing experts are a must-read for marketers looking to boost holiday revenue, build brand loyalty, and foster long-term customer relationships.
Tip #1. Base the email workflow on browser behavior
Triggered workflows that align with the browser’s holiday-specific behavior get inside the head of a prospective customer.
The way you offer the exact nudge that the customer needs to make the purchase through your email matters a lot.
As it is, the time the shoppers spend contemplating the purchase is much shorter during the holiday rush.
That means it’s essential that your triggered messages are holiday-specific. But even more important is understanding the customer’s position in the journey.
So, if a new visitor is browsing your site looking for holiday decor, triggering a “Festive Decor Must-haves for Every Home” email might be just the thing they need to start filling their cart.
Meanwhile, a cross-sell email suggesting “Complete Your Festive Look” feels far more timely and personalized than a welcome for a loyal customer or someone who has already picked up a few seasonal items.
Tip #2. Send a warm, holiday-themed welcome email
With their high open rates, welcome emails are just those you should include in your automated holiday email series and onboard new customers in the best possible way.
They are a great tool to boost engagement, build loyalty, and increase CLV.
Here’s how to make your triggered welcome emails more impactful for the festive season:
- Time is tight during the holiday shopping season, so don’t wait. Trigger your welcome email the moment someone subscribes or makes a purchase.
- Use recognizable branding along with a dash of holiday flavor.
- Encourage new subscribers with easy-to-act-on CTAs. “See our holiday picks” or “Continue shopping” are good bait without being pushy.
- Offer them a limited-time offer or a holiday-exclusive coupon. This will entice new subscribers into checking out your products sooner, as they are already in buying mode.
- Drop in shipping deadlines, real-time tracking, or gift-wrapping options. Shoppers value such information during the time-sensitive holiday season.
- Use holiday-themed imagery, animations, or a fun GIF to make your welcome email more memorable and unique.
Tip #3. Speed up cart and browse abandonment emails
During the holiday season, customers make buying decisions quickly, especially on high-traffic shopping days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
When a shopper abandons their cart or stops browsing without purchasing, your follow-up emails must reach them ASAP. Because you don’t want them to forget about the items they left behind or find them elsewhere.
On the other hand, you also need Browse abandonment emails as a way to re-engage customers who were interested but didn’t add items to their cart.
Here’s how to make these emails as effective as possible.
- Shorten the window for sending cart abandonment emails to 30 minutes or an hour after abandonment. Remind them of any holiday discounts or limited stock with a bold headline.
- Use a countdown timer or a low-stock alert to evoke FOMO. If you’re offering a holiday promotion, place it prominently with a seasonal banner.
- A small discount or free gift wrap can be a game-changer for higher-value carts. Make the offer valid for a short period, say 24 hours, to create urgency.
- For the “window shoppers,” send browse abandonment or win-back emails showing the item they viewed. Plus, recommend related products, like holiday bundles, limited editions, or popular seasonal picks.
- Cross-sell and upsell using holiday gift guides. Show relevant products based on the subscriber’s demographic, price sensitivity, and personal interest.
Tip #4. Add a holiday touch with festive themes and imagery
Holiday-themed triggered emails help you set the tone for the season. But no need to overhaul your entire email design and deviate from brand identity.
Adding subtle, holiday-centric elements to your existing email templates creates an impactful design and gets your subscribers in the holiday spirit.
Here’s how:
- Infuse your automated email series with red, green, gold, and silver holiday colors.
- Add just enough festivity with snowflakes, wreaths, ornaments, or other seasonal accents as borders or background elements.
- Make emails interactive when they add value to the main message, not because everybody is doing so. Scratch-off cards or click-to-reveal surprises make emails fun, giving recipients an extra reason to click. Just make sure they are relevant to the message.
- Not sure if your audience loves animated holiday GIFs or prefers a clean design? Run an A/B test with static images against interactive elements to see what appeals to them more.
- Beautiful also needs to be functional. So, ask your design team to consider accessibility, especially if there is dynamic content.
Jasper van Laethem, Sr. Email Marketing Strategist and Co-founder of The Future Funnel, suggests against using videos and GIFs, as they might hinder accessibility.
A more practical approach would be offering in-email shopping or product selections. This keeps the design engaging without adding unnecessary visuals that might affect accessibility.
Triggered Email Workflows: Make The Most Of Holiday Email Marketing
The holiday season can get hectic, but well-planned, triggered email campaigns can do a lot of heavy lifting.
With a few thoughtful tweaks, you can go beyond automated messaging to create personalized experiences that make subscribers feel valued.
Whether it’s through seasonal discounts, festive content, or targeted recommendations, these emails can move the needle for your brand.