After the mayhem of the golden quarter, January can appear to be a long-overdue break for ecommerce entrepreneurs.

That sense of aid lasts proper up till you do not forget that you’ve nonetheless received targets to hit. At that time, issues get a little bit extra… troublesome.

January is a troublesome time for retailers. In 2021, it noticed the second-lowest US retail gross sales complete of any month:

(Supply: YCharts.)

That’s hardly shocking. With the typical US grownup anticipated to spend roughly $870 on Christmas presents in 2022, the very last thing on our minds is to spend much more. As a substitute, our priorities swap to taking care of our money, with Financial institution of America analysis revealing that our #1 New Yr’s decision heading into 2023 is to save lots of extra money.

And the unhealthy information doesn’t cease there, as a result of January can be a barren interval for e mail advertising and marketing.

January languishes within the backside quartile for common e mail open charges by month, at 19.83 p.c. That’s nearly 11 p.c decrease than the best month, November. To make issues worse, January additionally sees the joint-highest e mail unsubscribe charge of any month (0.12 p.c).

In different phrases, customers aren’t spending cash or opening emails in January—and once they do interact, there’s a higher-than-average probability they’ll unsubscribe.

So ought to all of us simply hand over and take January off? By no means. For the perfect entrepreneurs, each problem represents a chance. Get your messaging proper and there’s nonetheless cash to be made.

Need some excellent news? I’ve finished the laborious be just right for you by rounding up seven of the perfect January e mail advertising and marketing concepts from Drip’s bottomless e mail swipe file…

So what higher time to launch a sale?

In case you’re planning a January sale, you naturally need as many eyes as doable in your e mail. Which means nailing the topic line. On this instance, yoga model Sweaty Betty struck the fitting word by wishing clients a Completely satisfied New Yr, then instantly segueing into promotional, sale-related messaging:

A 60 p.c low cost sounds fairly engaging—particularly at a time when customers are tightening the purse strings. Mentioning it within the topic line might make the distinction between somebody opening your e mail or scrolling on by.

Sweaty Betty reiterated the value discount on the prime of the e-mail physique, making certain clients know precisely what to anticipate from the promotion:

The e-mail additionally comprises no fewer than eight CTAs prompting readers to buy the sale or browse particular product classes, making certain clients stay within the shopping for temper as they scroll down the web page.

Okay, so Sweaty Betty received the messaging proper. However there’s one other key aspect of a profitable “Completely satisfied New Yr” e mail: the timing. When’s the fitting time to ship it?

Logic dictates that New Yr’s Eve or New Yr’s Day are the perfect dates. However the knowledge suggests in any other case.

In line with DMD statistics from the 2020-21 Christmas and new yr interval, e mail open charges hit all-time low round NYE, from a mean of 5.7 p.c on December thirty first to simply 3.2 p.c on January 2nd:

That’s even decrease than December twenty fifth—and, truthfully, who’s opening emails on Christmas Day?

So for those who’re planning an enormous sale launch, it is sensible to carry again your announcement for a couple of days till everybody’s again into the swing of checking emails.

And, after all, you’ll wish to comply with up with two or three reminder emails over the approaching days to make sure your messaging hits dwelling.

Particularly, it’s a incredible technique for any model promoting self-improvement-related merchandise. In line with a Forbes Well being/OnePoll survey, well being—in all its kinds—is a prime precedence for customers heading into the brand new yr:

• 45 p.c resolved to enhance their psychological well being
• 39 p.c wish to enhance their health, 
• 37 p.c are aiming to drop extra pounds
• 33 p.c vowed to eat a more healthy food regimen

Plant-based dietary supplements model Apothékary is well-placed to capitalize on this pattern. On this instance, it devoted a whole e mail to clients who wish to reduce down on their alcohol consumption, providing all the things from alcohol-free beverage options…

…to a devoted alcohol-alternative natural mix designed to duplicate the sensation of consuming a wealthy glass of pink wine (with out the related blue enamel and pounding headache):

This can be a good play. 

Not solely does decreasing alcohol consumption align with all these health-related objectives, nevertheless it’s additionally a decision in its personal proper, with the identical Forbes/OnePoll survey revealing that consuming much less alcohol is a prime precedence for:

• 4 p.c of 18 to 25-year-olds
• Eight p.c of 26 to 41-year-olds
• Eight p.c of 42 to 57-year-olds

As such, it feels much less like Apothékary is promoting one thing and extra prefer it’s serving to clients clear up a ache level. 

Probably the greatest methods to do that is to leverage the facility of social proof—the phenomenon that prompts folks to duplicate the actions of others so that they’re seen to show “right” or “accepted” behaviors.

Buyer opinions are one of the crucial potent types of social proof. In line with analysis from Trustpilot and Canvas8, 9 in 10 customers learn opinions earlier than making a purchase order, so that they’re clearly a useful device for driving gross sales.

Skincare model Supergoop evidently understands this, constructing a whole e mail round its best-reviewed product.

Once more, let’s begin by inspecting the e-mail topic line:

This can be a basic instance of social proof in motion. The message right here is delicate however efficient: all these folks love this explicit product, so it is best to in all probability purchase it.

I like the topic line, however the e mail physique is even stronger. It begins with a buyer quote and a reference to the excessive evaluate scores for Unseen Sunscreen, earlier than detailing a few of the product’s key options and advantages:

And, after all, it wraps issues up successfully with a name to motion pointing immediately on the product web page.

“Absolutely January’s too early to start out worrying about Valentine’s Day? We’ve solely simply taken down the Christmas tree.”

Nonetheless, proof suggests customers suppose in another way. Searches for “Valentine’s Day” climb all through January, with the primary (small) spike in exercise occurring mid-month:

Whereas it pales compared to the big-spending retail occasions of the Golden Quarter, V-Day is a big deal in its personal proper. 

Greater than half of People deliberate to rejoice the vacation in 2022, in keeping with the Nationwide Retail Federation, with the typical shopper anticipating to spend over $175 on presents and actions in 2022—for a mixed complete of virtually $24 billion.

In different phrases: January positively isn’t too quickly to start out your Valentine’s Day e mail advertising and marketing marketing campaign.

One model that received the memo is 4Ocean, which shared this ocean-friendly Valentine’s Day reward information on January nineteenth:

Past getting the timing proper, 4Ocean’s e mail works by positioning its merchandise as a extra significant reward than Valentine’s Day classics like flowers and balloons.

That is a horny message for customers, with 62 p.c of respondents to a Mastercard survey saying it is grow to be extra necessary for manufacturers to behave in a sustainable, eco-friendly manner for the reason that pandemic.

Proof suggests customers—notably these in youthful demographics—are more and more turning their noses up at quick style manufacturers, with qualitative analysis from the British Academy of Administration revealing that Gen-Zers affiliate it with phrases like:

• Unsustainable
• Dangerous high quality
• Unethical

That’s… not nice.

So customers want to make extra sustainable selections. However they’ll’t do it alone; they need assistance from manufacturers. In line with a survey from insurance coverage large Zurich, 75 p.c of customers count on organizations to assist them make greener choices—not simply when buying, however extra typically.

This can be a sturdy angle in your January e mail campaigns. Everybody begins the yr with good intentions, so what higher time to reveal your sustainable credentials?

There are numerous methods to do that. You possibly can spotlight the sustainability of your supplies or the eco-friendly nature of your packaging. Or you may place your merchandise as long-lasting and versatile, like The Frye Firm did right here:

The topic line suggests you possibly can put on this shoe all year long, whereas the physique copy describes it as an “on a regular basis” buy, positioning it as a high-value-f0r-money buy.

This messaging clearly aligns with how a whole lot of customers are feeling, with analysis from sustainable style platform Unfolded discovering that 61 p.c of customers wish to upcycle and reuse their style purchases extra.

See for your self by signing up in your 14-day free trial at the moment.