Christmas Sale Email: Festive Ways to Reward Your Customers and Increase Revenue
It’s that time of the year when consumers stock up on Christmas goodies, and businesses employ compelling email marketing strategies to tap into the holiday cheer. Starting from Thanksgiving, retailers are set to make the most of Cyber Monday, Diwali, Christmas, and New Year sales.
According to a study by Statista, the weeks leading up to Christmas is a crucial time for businesses — an average American is expected to spend $875 on gifts and holiday-related items.
Your customers are already prepared to spend on their Christmas favorites, but this time, you don’t have to rely on Santa Claus to deliver your messages.
We’re going to show you how to reach your customers with the right Christmas email, seasoned with the perfect holly and jolly.
Understanding the Value of Christmas Email Marketing
Beyond increasing revenue, Christmas is the prime opportunity to tap into the festive spirit and seasonal emotional engagement.
We’ll explore how Christmas email marketing can enhance your business strategy:
- It builds seasonal emotional connection: Christmas emails that line up with customers’ emotional triggers create a sense of warmth and connection.
- It creates excitement: People look forward to spending more time with their loved ones on Christmas. The holiday cheer can lead to increased openness to promotions and offers.
- It leads to increased engagement: During Christmas, customers are more likely to open festive-themed emails, leading to better email campaign metrics.
- It boosts sales and revenue: Christmas emails can encourage more people looking for gift guides and deals to take action. Plus, it’s also a fantastic chance to tap into customers’ impulse buying with limited-time discounts and flash sales.
- It helps retain more customers: Rewarding loyal customers on Christmas can create better relationships. People are waiting for the perfect gifts and deals to get more out of their spending, and a marketing email can help nurture long-term relationships.
- It helps your brand stand out: Unique Christmas email campaigns such as email newsletters or interactive emails increase brand authenticity.
- It capitalizes on the gift-giving culture: Christmas is the season of love, gratitude, and gift-giving. Email gift guides simplify the shopping experience for customers, positioning your brand as more helpful and relevant.
Holiday email marketing also helps you capture new leads and sets the stage for future email campaigns, such as post-Christmas or New Year emails. Since you already establish the tone and expectations with your Christmas emails, customers are more likely to follow through to the end of the email marketing funnel.
The email marketing ideas below will help you craft an ideal Christmas email.
Christmas Sales Email Marketing Ideas
Before you go all in on your Christmas emails, use customer data to figure out purchase patterns and analyze spending habits. This will help you send the most relevant Christmas email to your email marketing subscribers, increasing your holiday revenue.
Remember, customers’ mindset evolves with time and technology. Keep a close watch on industry trends and past Christmas email campaigns.
We’ll explore ways to boost engagement and sales using unique Christmas emails.
| Marketing Idea | What to do |
|---|---|
| Personalized offers | ‣ Offer discounts based on Christmas purchase history and user preferences ‣ Curate personalized gift selections based on customer data |
| Limited-time promotions | ‣ Create urgency with Christmas-themed countdown timers ‣ Reward customers who shop early with discounts and coupons ‣ Offer limited-time deals |
| Gamification and contests | ‣ Engage customers with festive-themed quizzes ‣ Use interactive elements to make your Christmas emails more interesting ‣ Send Christmas-themed spin-the-wheel or digital scratch-off coupons |
| Run donation campaigns | ‣ Encourage customers to donate to a cause during Christmas ‣ Offer to match customer donations |
| Bundle offers or Buy-one-Get-one | ‣ Bundle products together or sell them at discounted prices |
| Early access for VIPs | ‣ Use Christmas emails to reward loyal customers with exclusive content, deals, and vouchers |
| Christmas giveaway campaigns | ‣ Run a festive contest where people can enter with their email addresses to participate |
Run a series of emails to grab customer attention and encourage more people to purchase. For example, you can start with a welcome email campaign, send weekly newsletters leading up to Christmas, and finish with promotional emails.
There is no right or wrong way to send your Christmas emails; feel free to match them up with specific customer actions and preferences.
Let’s now learn to write an effective Christmas email to maintain the holiday bliss and connect with more potential customers.
How to Write an Effective Christmas Sale Email?
The perfect Christmas email is a blend of festive cheer and persuasive marketing tactics. This means aligning the email content with subscribers’ unique needs.
Follow these key tips to craft a persuasive Christmas email.
Personalize and Segment your Email List
Customers’ disposable personal income has been growing over the years. While this increases the likelihood of higher purchases during the Christmas season, there’s no guarantee that people will choose your brand.
A strong brand identity and regular email communication are key aspects of fostering long-term relationships. When customers know you can solve their needs, they are more willing to purchase from you.
Start dividing your subscribers based on:
This will help you create different types of Christmas emails for varied customer segments. Additionally, personalize Christmal emails using customer data such as name, preferences, and purchase history.
You can also recommend products before and after Christmas using dynamic email content and unique discounts based on their customer tiers or loyalty status.
Use Compelling Christmas Email Subject Lines
The subject line entices people to open and engage with your Christmas emails. Give customers a glimpse into your email through the subject line and preheader text.
Use Christmas-related keywords and action-oriented language to pique customer’s interest. You can also create a sense of anticipation through discounts and coupons in the subject line.
These tips will give you a brief idea of how to write the perfect Christmas email subject lines:
- Sprinkle Christmas-related emojis to catch the reader’s attention.
- A/B test different subject line variations to know what resonates with your audience.
- Add the subscriber’s name or personal details.
- Maintain the ideal character count of 20-50 per subject line.
- Use numbers to increase your email open rates.
- Include marketing power words to capture interest.
Use Festive-themed Christmas Emails
Follow email design best practices to upgrade the look and feel of your Christmas emails. For example, use high-quality graphics and GIFs. Ensure the Christmas email design includes a festive background in combination with the best fonts for email.
Lift up the Christmas spirit by including a warm greeting or a brief history of the holiday. Use our guide on email marketing psychology to align your messages with customers’ interests and enhance your email copywriting.
Offer Irresistible Christmas Deals
Including attractive discounts, email coupons, and exclusive privileges is a great way to stand out in subscribers’ crowded inboxes.
Use urgency to prompt customers to take immediate action.
For example, Campaign Refinery clients have the freedom to add their favorite third-party Christmas countdown timer to any of their email campaigns.
You can also create Christmas wish lists with your top products for people who want to purchase later. This can allow consumers to take their time and make a purchase decision.
Add Interactive Christmas Elements
Some brands use the Christmas countdown calendar where users can click on different doors that lead to varied content each day. You can use similar strategies, such as gamified elements, quizzes, polls, or email surveys.
The idea is to capture the customer’s interest and retain their attention until they click through to the call-to-action.
Wrap it Up With a Strong Closing
The main objective behind your Christmas email should be to build a connection and encourage recipients to purchase your products. Reinforce this aspect with compelling closing statements such as “Don’t wait, shop now and save 15%.”
Let your email copy flow and smoothly transition to the CTA, guiding customers toward the final step in their email marketing customer journey.
Design Tips for an Appealing Christmas Sale Email
A visually appealing Christmas email adds to the festive atmosphere and gets more eyes on the content. Just like the email copy explains the benefits of your products, the email design reveals the purpose of the message.
Use the following design tips to enhance the look and attract more people.
Include a Christmas-themed Banner
The banner is usually the hero section of the email. It should convey the purpose and highlight a Christmas offer or message. It’s typically the largest visual element and sets the tone for your emails.
Use these design tips to make your Christmas email banner more appealing:
- Use a festive color palette: Using traditional Christmas colors such as green, red, and gold can help customers immediately connect with your content. You can also experiment with complementary colors to fine tune the overall look.
- Use Christmas themed imagery: Use a high-quality and eye catching visual such as a Christmas tree with decorations or similar to capture the audience’s attention.
- Emphasize the offer: If your email holds an exclusive sale or holiday deal, call it out in the email banner.
- Keep text minimal: Stick to the essentials and avoid cluttering the banner with too much text.
Use a Warm Email Signature
Your email sign-off is the last chance to direct customers to your website or landing page. Add a personal and festive feel while maintaining brand consistency.
Here are design tips for a shining Christmas email signature:
- Use a warm holiday greeting: Close the email with a heartfelt Christmas greeting, thanking customers for their support.
- Include brand elements: Use your brand logo and colors to reinforce brand identity and uniqueness. For example, you can use Santa hats on the letters or snowflakes around typefaces.
- Add social media icons: Encourage more participation across your social media channels by incorporating icons in your email signature.
- Use handwritten signature: For a more personal touch, use a handwritten signature. This will also help you stand out in the saturated inbox.
Implement an Email Footer
The email footer is as important as the banner and signature. It contains critical legal information, such as unsubscribe links, company address, and other useful information.
According to the CAN-SPAM and GDPR Acts, it’s mandatory to provide an easy unsubscribe option in your emails.
With Campaign Refinery, one-click unsubscribe links are automatically added to every email clients send out.
This is the basic email format for any type of Christmas email campaign you’ll create. Let’s review the types next.
Types of Christmas Email Campaigns to Boost Sales
Most customers start to shop early during the Christmas season. Nurturing them with pre-, during, and post-Christmas email campaigns gives them more opportunities to connect with your brand.
Most emails are triggered when a customer takes action, such as subscribing to your newsletter or post-purchase upsell emails. Other times, you automate Christmas emails, such as newsletters or promotional messages, to increase profits.
Unique Christmas Email Campaign Ideas
The table below demonstrates how you can build customer anticipation and confidence.
| Type of Campaign | Why it Works | Example Subject Line |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday sale announcements | People are looking for deals and discounts during holidays, increasing participation. | “30% off everything until midnight” |
| Gift guide emails | It helps confused customers make a concrete decision. | “Surf through the top gifts for her” |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Adding a holiday touch to abandoned cart recovery can speed up the purchase process. | “Complete your purchase and get free holiday shipping” |
| Early access to Christmas sales | It’s an opportunity to reward your VIP customers by providing early access to exclusive content. | “Early access just for you: Shop our Christmas sale before anyone else” |
| Christmas countdown | A series of daily or weekly emails creates excitement and encourages purchases. | “12 days of Christmas deals – unwrap today’s offer” |
| Flash sale | It encourages impulse buying and creates urgency. | “24-hour Christmas sale – don’t miss out on 40%” |
| Christmas-themed loyalty program | It reinforces brand loyalty and urges customers to purchase. | “Earn rewards with every Christmas purchase” |
| Charity and giving back | Customers usually appreciate the brands that give back, fostering stronger connections. | “Give back this Christmas – A portion of every sale goes to [Charity Name]” |
| Holiday giveaway Christmas contest | Prizes like gift cards or exclusive experiences boost sales and engagement. | “Enter our Christmas contest to win up to $100” |
| Interactive Christmas emails | Gamified emails instill curiosity and interest, engaging customers. | “Scratch here for your Christmas surprise — Exclusive deals inside” |
| Post-christmas sale | It encourages more customers to shop after Christmas and into the New Year. | “After Christmas clearance — save up to 30%” |
| Personalized product recommendations | Tailored recommendations make shopping easier for customers. | “Your perfect gifts are here – personalized recommendations for you” |
Next up, we’ll examine the strategies to make your Christmas emails a worthwhile visit.
Engaging Strategies for Christmas Email Marketing
The holiday season has already begun — nearly 48% of people say they start checking off their shopping lists by October, according to the same study by Statista. This means more people are looking for deals and adding products to wish lists to fulfill their Christmas shopping.
Your consumers are likely flooded with festive offers, and it’s important to start early and implement compelling email marketing strategies, like the ones below:
- Create an advent-themed calendar: Build anticipation with emails leading up to Christmas. Include a special deal, product highlight, or holiday tip for each day.
- Send personalized Christmas videos: Create short and personalized Christmas wishes video messages for subscribers and their families. This can make the email feel more special, encouraging customers to engage with the content.
- Leverage user-generated content: Show your potential customers how others are happy with your brand. Illustrate photos and videos of users using your products during the holidays as social proof.
- Offer a mystery discount: Don’t let the customers know what discount they’ll get before they open the email or purchase a product.
- Run a Christmas-themed referral program: Encourage your current customers to refer their friends and family by providing additional discounts during seasonal purchases.
- Use augmented reality experiences: Allow customers to virtually try on the products for Christmas. This can include ornaments, clothes, or home decor items.
- Leverage personalized gift recommendations: Utilize customer data to recommend products based on users’ purchase history.
- Tell holiday-themed stories: Tell festive stories that elaborate on your brand journey and emotionally connect with customers.
More importantly, time your Christmas emails well so they reach your subscribers on time.
Best Time to Send Christmas Sale Emails
Brands typically start promoting products right after Cyber Monday. This gives customers more time to settle in on a product. Finding the best time to send emails can be tricky if you don’t know what type of messages you’ll send.
The timing depends on your campaign goals, customer behavior, and other business aspects.
To simplify your efforts, we’ve compiled the best time to send Christmas messages.
| Type of Email | When to Send | Campaign Ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-holiday | Mid-late November through the first week of December | ‣ Early bird discounts ‣ Gift guides |
| Cyber Monday lead-up | The week leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday | ‣ Limited-time Christmas deals ‣ Early access ‣ Sneak-peek content |
| Prime holiday shopping window | Early to mid-December | ‣ Holiday sales ‣ Personalized gift recommendations ‣ Last-minute deals |
| Last-minute shopping | The week before Christmas | ‣ Gift cards ‣ Last call deals ‣ Express shipping options |
| Post Christmas emails | Between mid-December and New Year | ‣ Upsell and cross sell offers ‣ Exclusive discounts for New Year |
Generally, the best time of the day to send these emails is between 10 AM and 3 PM. It’s when the subscribers are the most receptive to the offers.
Christmas Sale Email Template
Christmas is a prime time to ramp up your sales, so a Christmas sale email template is a must-have.
Feel free to copy/paste or modify the sale email templates to meet your marketing goals.
Subject Line: Ho Ho.. Holiday savings. Get up to 25% off on your favorites 🎁
Hi [Customer Name],
The most wonderful time of the year is around, and so are our BIG CHRISTMAS SAVINGS! Whether you’re shopping for yourself or a loved one, we’ve got you covered with the latest and exciting deals.
[Mention the festive deals alongside products]
[Include a limited-time offer]
CTA – Shop now and save big!
We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Company Name]
Examples of Christmas Sale Emails
We don’t want you to leave without knowing how other brands increased their revenue using Christmas emails.
So, here are our top examples.
1. Taste of Home
By providing a flat discount on all the books, Taste of Home aims to increase the holiday revenue by encouraging more people to shop. The Christmas email is straightforward and mentions the exclusive offer in the email banner.
2. Vipp
Vipp’s Christmas email focuses on the joy of giving during the festive season. The brand keeps a tight email copy and uses many images to capture the audience’s attention.
3. MacPaw
MacPaw uses a colorful theme for its Christmas email campaign template. With creative email copy and a 30% discount, they encourage people to shop for their loved ones.
Successful Christmas emails are developed over time with attention to detail and by studying customer data. Beyond that, brands also use a reliable email marketing platform like Campaign Refinery to ensure consistency and safe sending practices.
Boost Your Christmas Sales With Campaign Refinery
Whether it’s hyper-personalizing your Christmas emails or integrating with 800+ marketing tools, Campaign Refinery helps you do it.
Our premium features and tools come for a transparent pricing — use the Evergreen Flash sale to promote urgency, the Gamification Rewards to offer points for every action subscribers take on your emails, and the Audience groups feature to combine different customer segments for the same email campaign.
We ensure all your emails promptly reach your customers’ inboxes with the help of our potent email deliverability system and safe sending practices. Clients witnessed a 600% rise in their inbox placement rates after working with us.
We also vet all clients and authenticate their domains before onboarding them. This step provides every sender a safe space to keep their sender reputation and deliverability intact.
Discover how Campaign Refinery can help you maximize your Christmas Sales — Apply to become our client now!
