7 December Publication Concepts (and Why They Work)

Advertising is commonly about experimentation and iteration.

Attempt providing free presents as a substitute of share reductions. Tinker along 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 technology at this essential time of 12 months.

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

Hopefully, you have already got a transparent image of what your December electronic mail advertising campaigns will appear to be. However should you’re nonetheless seeking 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 perfect December publication 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 12 months—and on a regular basis you’re continuously terrified that your web site will crash or your emails will unintentionally promote final 12 months’s provide.

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

However proof suggests that buyers don’t assume the identical. Take a fast peek at Google Developments 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 in search of by sending a BFCM followup electronic mail in early December? That’s exactly what The Physique Store did in my first December publication instance:

There are a pair benefits to this method. 

Firstly, there’s a far stronger probability prospects will really see your post-Cyber Weekend emails. In response to 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 a great probability you’ll wish to run some form of low cost or promotion in early December anyway. Tying it to your BFCM providing means you’re technically selling the identical sale fairly than beginning a brand new one. 

That is good from a client psychology perspective, with analysis from Klarna revealing that 38 p.c of buyers imagine fixed gross sales make manufacturers look retro and low-cost.

Sadly, not all of these gross sales are going to stay. In response to the Nationwide Retail Federation, retailers anticipated greater than 13 p.c of all merchandise offered in the course of the 2020 vacation interval to be returned, at an estimated price of $101 billion. 

The overwhelming majority of these returns—simply over 80 p.c—occur in January:

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That’s a irritating, if inevitable, statistic. You’re employed arduous 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 should you might discover some technique to scale back your return fee?

Truly, you possibly can, with analysis from Shinhyoung Lee and Youjae Yi revealing that shoppers are much less more likely to return purchases together with a free reward. 

In response to the researchers, it’s all concerning the buyer’s perceived sense of loss. For no matter motive, they’ve a larger 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 plans, like cosmetics model Origins did on this instance:

This method isn’t nearly decreasing returns. By providing the reward to prospects who spend over a specific amount, you can too improve your common order worth—supplied prospects understand the reward’s worth to be value the additional expense.

In a world the place 56 p.c of all cart abandonments could be traced again to shipping-related considerations, there’s by no means a dangerous time of 12 months to advertise free delivery.

However this tactic could be particularly invaluable throughout December, with analysis from Google revealing that 75 p.c of vacation buyers plan to purchase from manufacturers that supply free delivery.

Sleepwear model Lunya is clearly effectively conscious of this pattern, utilizing free delivery as the primary “hook” for certainly one of its December 2021 electronic mail campaigns:

There’s so much to love about this instance.

For one factor, Lunya saved issues easy by providing free floor delivery on all US orders, leaving no room for confusion. It additionally launched a component of shortage by operating 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 prospects merely can’t afford for his or her purchases to reach later than anticipated.

If something, it seems we’re really turning into much less organized relating to Christmas procuring. Google revealed that in 2021, searches for “final minute christmas presents for” elevated globally by greater than 700 p.c within the week operating 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 prospects when the ultimate date for Christmas delivery arrives:

This isn’t simply an opportunity to drive gross sales; it’s virtually a public service. Your prospects 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, should you’re capable of provide ultra-fast delivery—or maybe in-store pickup—nearer to Christmas Day, be happy to delay your messaging to the final potential minute.

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

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

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

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

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

Once more, that is clever advertising. At the very least 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 will 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 p.c month-on-month in January 2022—virtually twice as excessive as economists had predicted.

In different phrases, January is (one more) key interval for driving gross sales. Begin the 12 months poorly and also you’ll be enjoying catchup for weeks or months to return.

All of which signifies that it is smart to begin pushing your January providing in late December, similar to Mattress Bathtub & Past did on this electronic 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 response to Deloitte, the typical client is anticipated to shell out virtually $1,500 all through the vacation season. 

In spite of everything 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 guide by pointing potential buyers within the course of your most closely discounted—and, due to this fact, most enticing—gives.

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 12 months additionally noticed virtually 60 million shares of Wrapped tales and playing cards throughout social media.

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

Clearly, you’re not Spotify, so you possibly can’t inform your electronic mail subscribers how lengthy they spent listening to Taylor Swift. However you possibly can undoubtedly spotlight key tendencies and occasions from the previous 12 months, corresponding to:

Model Republic jumped on the “yearly roundup” pattern in 2021 by showcasing varied 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 accountability and environmental, social, and company governance.

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

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

Nevertheless it’s not simply sufficient to easily make guarantees; you might want to observe by way of with motion. Certainly, an Ipsos survey discovered that 34 p.c 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 12 months?

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