August is the peak of summer time. (Nicely, within the northern hemisphere not less than.)
However whereas the typical client is considering two weeks on a seaside or attempting to determine how you can hold their children entertained for yet one more day, ecommerce entrepreneurs are frantically casting round for August e-newsletter concepts.
Seems that’s tougher than it sounds, with analysis revealing that August sees the second-lowest common e mail open fee (19.79 p.c) and the fourth-lowest click-through fee (2.24 p.c) of any month.
We shouldn’t be stunned.
When the solar is thrashing down, the very last thing we would like is to spend all our time glued to our e mail inboxes.
So how do you persuade an unwilling public to not solely open your emails, however to click on via to your web site, and—extra importantly—purchase one thing?
Get all of the inspiration you want by studying my round-up of participating August e-newsletter concepts…
Instance 1: Showcase Your Fall Assortment
Unsurprisingly, search exercise across the phrase “fall vogue” is extremely seasonal, with curiosity persistently peaking in early September:
Which means late August is the proper time to share the primary particulars about your fall assortment.
Your aim right here may very well be to drive fast gross sales.
Or it may merely be to drum up pleasure forward of the total launch of your fall vary.
J. Crew takes the primary of these two choices, utilizing one in all its August newsletters to focus on its “fall palette” and compel clients to buy the gathering:
This can be a basic instance of giving clients what they need—on this case, fall-specific clothes—at precisely the appropriate time.
Instance 2: Faucet Into Labor Day
Labor Day, held yearly on the primary Monday in September, is one in all America’s 9 federal public holidays.
Whereas it began out as a possibility to honor and applaud the American labor motion, at the moment it’s higher recognized for parades, barbecues, journey, and—as with all public holidays—purchasing.
Coinciding with the tip of summer time and the beginning of fall, it’s additionally a key date for back-to-school purchases, making it an enormous event for ecommerce entrepreneurs.
Knowledge from Adobe Digital Insights reveals that in 2018, Labor Day gross sales exceeded $2 billion, with 30.1 p.c of gross sales pushed by e mail advertising—making e mail the most important contributor of any channel.
Seeking to the close to future, Mastercard predicts that US retail gross sales (excluding the automotive class) will develop by 7.5 p.c 12 months on 12 months in the course of the mid-July via Labor Day interval, with ecommerce spending anticipated to rocket by greater than 89 p.c on 2019 ranges.
However how must you capitalize on Labor Day?
Clearly, that each one depends upon your model and the vertical through which you use, however I got here throughout a pair good ways whereas compiling these August e-newsletter concepts.
The primary comes from on-line classic furnishings retailer Chairish, which tapped into Labor Day 2021 with a limited-time sale:
For those who’re concerned about boosting gross sales volumes (reasonably than revenue margin), a Labor Day sale is the best way to go.
This can be a time of 12 months when individuals are already trying to spend, spend, spend.
So by providing a reduction on key product traces, you stand a greater probability of poaching clients out of your rivals.
Banana Republic took issues in a unique path by referencing customers’ conventional need to get away for the final lengthy weekend of summer time.
In line with Numerator, about one in 5 US customers sometimes have fun the Labor Day weekend by touring. So in case your merchandise are in any manner travel-related, it is a key development to leverage.
(N.B. Need extra inspiration to your subsequent Labor Day marketing campaign? Take a look at my roundup of Labor Day e mail examples.)
Instance 3: Launch a Sitewide Sale
In fact, if you happen to’re planning a Labor Day sale, you’ll probably wish to point out it in not less than one in all your August newsletters.
However Labor Day isn’t truly in August.
Which means there’s a possibility to run an entire totally different promotion in August itself.
And if you happen to’re actually trying to make a splash, what higher manner than to launch a sitewide sale?
August isn’t historically a giant month for client spending (in actual fact, it’s one of many poorer months for retail gross sales).
So a sitewide low cost may very well be an efficient strategy to drum up curiosity—and income—at a time of 12 months when customers aren’t sometimes planning to purchase.
Clearly realizing this, LA-based cosmetics firm Colorpop launched a sitewide 30 p.c sale in August 2021:
The low cost is unquestionably engaging sufficient to compel customers to click on.
And it’s ably supported by the addition of a countdown timer, which is usually a extremely efficient strategy to drive motion out of your viewers.
How efficient?
Nicely, our personal analysis—through which we analyzed a couple of billion web site popups—found that popups containing countdown timers convert at the next fee than these with out (8.07 p.c vs. 3.79 p.c).
What’s extra, a separate examine focusing particularly on e mail advertising revealed that emails generate 1.7X extra income once they comprise a countdown timer.
Instance 4: Clear Out Summer time Inventory
Overstocks are a continuing supply of frustration for ecommerce manufacturers.
They depart you with a ton of merchandise that’s arduous—or inconceivable—to promote, saddling you with further warehousing prices and consuming into your earnings.
Certainly, analysis from IHL Group claimed that for the typical retailer, overstocks result in a 3.2 p.c lack of income, with the full loss from overstocks in North America including as much as an astonishing $123 billion a 12 months.
Little doubt you already take measures to restrict (or, ideally, eradicate) overstocks.
However errors occur; we’re solely human, in any case. There are inevitably going to be instances while you’re left with a bunch of outdated, out-of-season inventory.
So what are you able to do when late August rolls round and also you’re nonetheless sitting on a ton of summer time inventory?
One method is to launch a reduction on outdated product traces, as Sunski does right here:
In case your product is as seasonal as sun shades, you wish to strike whereas the iron’s scorching.
Fail to shift that outdated inventory earlier than summer time ends and also you won’t get one other alternative till the next spring.
So an aggressive low cost is a helpful ploy.
Nevertheless, Brooklinen demonstrates that overstocks aren’t simply a difficulty for manufacturers with extremely seasonal product ranges.
That’s proper—even on this planet of mattress linen, retailers haven’t any need to take a seat on inventory for longer than they should.
Brooklinen’s method works as a result of it positions outdated inventory as “fan favorites” reasonably than “stuff we couldn’t promote”, which makes it sound much more fascinating.
Instance 5: Seize Consideration With Summer time Emojis
Emojis are form of a contentious challenge within the e mail advertising world.
For some manufacturers, they’re like catnip. If an e mail topic line doesn’t comprise an emoji, it’s barely value sending.
For others, it’s a world away from their tone of voice.
You’ll should determine whether or not or not emojis are acceptable to your model, however analysis suggests they are often extraordinarily efficient, resulting in a 56 p.c upturn in distinctive open charges.
Summer time is a season that positively lends itself to emojis.
From the straightforward solar emoji to the extra refined flamingo, there’s no scarcity of related choices.
So strive giving these summer time emojis one final airing in your August e mail topic traces, as Banana Republic does right here:
And for extra concepts on how you can enhance open charges in the course of the hottest months, take a look at our roundup of summer time e mail topic traces.
Instance 6: Present Summer time/Fall Outfit Suggestions
Late August is one thing of a grey space in the case of vogue ecommerce.
Most clients aren’t in search of summer-specific outfits towards the tip of the season.
However on the similar time, they may not be able to put money into their autumn wardrobe.
Nonetheless, you’ve received to promote them one thing. You’ve received a enterprise to run.
That’s why many retailers use this in-between interval to advertise outfits which might be relevant to each seasons.
Abercrombie & Fitch reveals us how that may look:
The theme of interseasonality continues throughout the e mail copy, which places the emphasis on year-round favorites:
Instance 7: Focus On Consolation
Clearly, your clients wish to really feel snug at any time of 12 months.
However “consolation” has totally different meanings in numerous seasons.
In summer time, it’s all about protecting cool, whereas when the colder months method, it means wrapping up and feeling cozy.
Or what we Danes would name “hygge.”
So one good August e-newsletter thought is to get folks enthusiastic about wrapping themselves in a gentle blanket and cozying up with a superb ebook, similar to The White Firm does right here:
This method is all about promoting a feeling reasonably than a product.
It’s not saying: “Purchase a brand new chair.” It’s saying: “Wouldn’t you wish to really feel comfortable now summer time’s coming to an finish?”
Instance 8: Ship Finish-of-Sale Reminders
So that you’ve run a summer time sale to drive income all through August.
That’s a wise transfer.
As you probably already know, the standard of your follow-up emails is a giant issue within the success of your promotions.
Say your sale ran for every week; your e mail cadence would possibly look one thing like this:
- Day 0: Tease the sale and supply pre-registration
- Day 1: Launch the sale
- Day 3: First reminder concerning the sale
- Day 5: Second reminder
- Day 7: Finish-of-sale reminder
That remaining half—the end-of-sale e mail reminder—is essential as a result of it performs into customers’ pure concern of lacking out.
FOMO is a robust motivator in driving gross sales, with analysis revealing that it’s skilled by 56 p.c of individuals.
All Saints makes use of this to its benefit with a topic line warning its viewers that its sale is coming to a detailed:
This messaging continues within the e mail physique, with copy insisting it’s “time to profit from” the model’s summer time sale:
Instance 9: Take Benefit of Consciousness Days
There are consciousness days for just about something you possibly can think about.
August has a packed calendar, beginning with Nationwide Girlfriends Day on August 1st, and ending with Worldwide Overdose Consciousness Day on the thirty first.
In between, there are days celebrating every part from alpacas to ice cream sandwiches and from cats to wiggling your toes.
So that you’re certain to seek out one thing to faucet into, which makes consciousness days a superb supply of August e-newsletter concepts.
On this instance, 4ocean—which sells bracelets made out of recycled supplies—bases an e mail marketing campaign round Worldwide Whale Shark Day on August thirtieth:
That’s an ideal match for a model that cares deeply concerning the ocean and coastlines.
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