Advertising is usually about experimentation and iteration.

Attempt providing free presents as a substitute of proportion reductions. Tinker together with your buyer segments. Write a topic line utilizing nothing however emojis. See what works finest—and do extra of it.

However December undoubtedly isn’t the time for enjoying. With Christmas approaching quick, you’ll wish to lean again on tried-and-trusted methods to maximise income era at this important time of yr.

Happily, audiences are significantly receptive to our messaging in December, which sees the second-highest e-mail open fee of any month, at 21.81 %. Solely November—which, let’s not neglect, consists of BFCM—has a better fee.

Hopefully, you have already got a transparent image of what your December e-mail advertising and marketing campaigns will appear like. However when you’re nonetheless trying to finalize your plans, don’t fear, as a result of I’ve taken one other deep-dive into the Drip swipe file to spherical up seven of the very best December e-newsletter concepts…

As entrepreneurs, we’re usually determined for Black Friday and Cyber Monday to be over. Months of planning, adopted by probably the most intense working week of the yr—and on a regular basis you’re continually terrified that your web site will crash or your emails will by accident promote final yr’s provide.

It’s a surprise we maintain coming again for extra.

However proof suggests that buyers don’t suppose the identical. Take a fast peek at Google Tendencies and also you’ll see there’s nonetheless some search curiosity round Black Friday and Cyber Monday after the occasions have handed:

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So why not give them what they’re on the lookout for by sending a BFCM followup e-mail in early December? That’s exactly what The Physique Store did in my first December e-newsletter instance:

There are a pair benefits to this method. 

Firstly, there’s a far stronger probability clients will truly see your post-Cyber Weekend emails. In line with Marketing campaign Monitor, greater than 116 million emails are despatched on Black Friday—greater than every other single day. So there’s one thing to be mentioned for following up just a few days later to succeed in individuals who missed your message on the day itself.

Secondly, there’s an excellent probability you’ll wish to run some kind of low cost or promotion in early December anyway. Tying it to your BFCM providing means you’re technically selling the identical sale reasonably than beginning a brand new one. 

That is sensible from a shopper psychology perspective, with analysis from Klarna revealing that 38 % of buyers consider fixed gross sales make manufacturers look retro and low cost.

Sadly, not all of these gross sales are going to stay. In line with the Nationwide Retail Federation, retailers anticipated greater than 13 % of all merchandise bought through the 2020 vacation interval to be returned, at an estimated price of $101 billion. 

The overwhelming majority of these returns—simply over 80 %—occur in January:

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That’s a irritating, if inevitable, statistic. You’re employed onerous to hone your messaging all through the vacation season, solely to see about $1 of each $7.50 spent leading to a return.

Wouldn’t it’s good when you may discover some solution to cut back your return fee?

Truly, you’ll be able to, with analysis from Shinhyoung Lee and Youjae Yi revealing that shoppers are much less prone to return purchases together with a free reward. 

In line with the researchers, it’s all in regards to the buyer’s perceived sense of loss. For no matter cause, they’ve a higher feeling of loss when the merchandise they return is described as a “free reward.”

Use this technique to your benefit by providing a free reward as a part of your December advertising and marketing plans, like cosmetics model Origins did on this instance:

This method isn’t nearly lowering returns. By providing the reward to clients who spend over a specific amount, it’s also possible to enhance your common order worth—offered clients understand the reward’s worth to be value the additional expense.

In a world the place 56 % of all cart abandonments may be traced again to shipping-related issues, there’s by no means a unhealthy time of yr to advertise free transport.

However this tactic may be particularly worthwhile throughout December, with analysis from Google revealing that 75 % of vacation buyers plan to purchase from manufacturers that supply free transport.

Sleepwear model Lunya is clearly properly conscious of this pattern, utilizing free transport as the principle “hook” for certainly one of its December 2021 e-mail campaigns:

There’s rather a lot to love about this instance.

For one factor, Lunya saved issues easy by providing free floor transport on all US orders, leaving no room for confusion. It additionally launched a component of shortage by working this promotion as a limited-time low cost, encouraging buyers to purchase now.

Importantly, Lunya additionally took care so as to add additional info round supply timings:

That is essential throughout December, when clients merely can’t afford for his or her purchases to reach later than anticipated.

If something, it seems we’re truly changing into much less organized relating to Christmas purchasing. Google revealed that in 2021, searches for “final minute christmas presents for” elevated globally by greater than 700 % within the week working as much as December twenty fifth.

There are a pair methods for ecommerce entrepreneurs to capitalize on shoppers’ lack of preparation.

One method, favored by cosmetics model Charlotte Tilbury, is to warn clients when the ultimate date for Christmas transport arrives:

This isn’t simply an opportunity to drive gross sales; it’s virtually a public service. Your clients will thanks for serving to them keep away from the embarrassment of telling their nearest and dearest: “Sorry, your reward’s within the mail—I undoubtedly didn’t neglect to purchase it.”

Alternatively, when you’re in a position to provide ultra-fast transport—or maybe in-store pickup—nearer to Christmas Day, be at liberty to delay your messaging to the final attainable minute.

You’ll have a significant level of distinction versus all these different retailers that can’t ship as late as you, supplying you with a implausible alternative to drive last-minute gross sales.

Within the UK, shoppers persistently splash out round £4 billion ($4.9 billion) on December twenty sixth, so it’s undoubtedly one other large alternative to drive on-line gross sales.

Menswear model Chubbies is properly conscious of this, utilizing Boxing Day 2021 to focus on its e-mail advertising and marketing subscribers with a revenue-generating promotion. It began with the e-mail topic:

It is a implausible topic line. It’s humorous, but in addition simply actual sufficient to make you suppose: “Hmmm, perhaps I ought to deal with myself.” I couldn’t assist however click on—and I’m certain loads of different recipients felt the identical.

Intelligently, Chubbies backed up its glorious topic line with a strong gross sales promotion, providing a wholesome low cost on out-of-season inventory:

Once more, that is clever advertising and marketing. Not less than within the northern hemisphere, few shoppers are actively planning to purchase swim trunks in late December. What’s the hurt in providing a considerable saving on merchandise that may in any other case be gathering mud in your warehouse?

Information from the US Census Bureau exhibits that spending at retailers and eating places climbed by 3.8 % month-on-month in January 2022—virtually twice as excessive as economists had predicted.

In different phrases, January is (yet one more) key interval for driving gross sales. Begin the yr poorly and also you’ll be enjoying catchup for weeks or months to come back.

All of which implies that it is smart to start out pushing your January providing in late December, identical to Mattress Bathtub & Past did on this e-mail instance:

Similar to my earlier instance from Chubbies, the emphasis right here could be very a lot on clearance offers.

This is smart. In line with Deloitte, the common shopper is predicted to shell out virtually $1,500 all through the vacation season. 

In any case that spending, the very last thing on most individuals’s minds is to spendmuch more on a bunch of big-ticket purchases. So take a leaf from Mattress Bathtub & Past’s e book by pointing potential buyers within the course of your most closely discounted—and, due to this fact, most engaging—presents.

Spotify Wrapped has modified all that. The streaming platform’s customized annual roundup attracted 30 million viewers in 2017, rising to greater than 120 million in 2021. Final yr additionally noticed virtually 60 million shares of Wrapped tales and playing cards throughout social media.

So why not leap on the bandwagon and share your individual “wrapped” of the earlier 12 months?

Clearly, you’re not Spotify, so you’ll be able to’t inform your e-mail subscribers how lengthy they spent listening to Taylor Swift. However you’ll be able to undoubtedly spotlight key developments and occasions from the previous yr, corresponding to:

Model Republic jumped on the “yearly roundup” pattern in 2021 by showcasing numerous happenings from across the enterprise, together with its new retailer fit-outs and its sustainability efforts:

I’m a giant fan of this method—significantly across the problems with company social duty and environmental, social, and company governance.

Reality is, shoppers wish to know that you just’re making a (optimistic) distinction to the planet.

Analysis from Google Cloud discovered that four-fifths of buyers desire manufacturers’ values to align with their very own, whereas three-quarters have “cut up up” with retailers over values-related conflicts.

Nevertheless it’s not simply sufficient to easily make guarantees; it’s good to comply with by means of with motion. Certainly, an Ipsos survey discovered that 34 % of shoppers have actively researched manufacturers to seek out out whether or not they’re staying true to their phrases.

What higher time to reveal your environmental credentials than proper on the finish of the yr?

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If all that sounds good, join your 14-day free trial to strive it your self.