The festive season is one of the busiest periods on the email marketing calendar. More sends, more competition in the inbox, and more pressure to hit targets. These six tips will help you plan ahead and avoid the mistakes that trip up most marketers.
1. Start early
There is a good reason retailers put up their holiday specials as early as October. Consumers are already making wish-lists, and the well-organised ones are actively shopping for gifts. Get your brainstorming, goal-setting, and campaign planning done before the rush hits.
Being top of mind early gives your audience a chance to buy from you before their holiday budget runs out.
2. Cater for last-minute shoppers
Not everyone plans ahead. A meaningful slice of your audience will leave their shopping to the final days, and your campaigns need to speak to them too.
Give last-minute shoppers something they can gift immediately: printable vouchers, digital gift cards, or e-certificates. Combine that with any end-of-season sales or rush delivery options and you will capture buyers who would otherwise go elsewhere.
3. Keep an eye on your sender reputation
Sending more email than usual puts your sender reputation under pressure. If your reputation takes a knock, your campaigns may stop reaching the inbox entirely.
Before you ramp up your festive send volumes, check that the addresses on your list are valid. A clean list reduces bounce rates and protects your reputation when it matters most. You should also confirm that domain authentication is properly set up on your sending domain.
4. Do not buy email lists
When targets feel out of reach, buying a list can look like a shortcut. It is not. Purchased addresses are typically unverified, unengaged, and likely to spike your spam complaint rates at exactly the wrong time of year.
Opt-in subscribers are far more receptive to your marketing, festive or otherwise. Build your email list for free rather than spending money on addresses that will hurt your deliverability.
5. Do not repeat last year's campaign without thinking
A strong result last year does not mean the same approach will work again. Consumer needs shift, financial pressures change, and new products enter the market. Your audience can tell when a campaign has been dusted off and resent with a new date on it.
Review what worked, cut what did not, and give your creative a genuine refresh. Authenticity counts, especially when inboxes are more crowded than at any other point in the year.
6. Go in with a plan
Seasonal email marketing does not need to be chaotic. Work through the points above, get your plan confirmed early, and you will be in a far stronger position than most of your competitors when the festive period arrives.
Frequently asked questions
- When should I start planning my festive season email campaigns?
- As early as October. Consumers begin browsing and building wish-lists well before December, so getting campaigns planned and scheduled before the rush means you can reach them before their holiday budgets are spent.
- How do I protect my sender reputation during high-volume festive sends?
- Clean your list before you scale up sends. Remove invalid addresses to keep bounce rates low, and make sure domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is correctly configured on your sending domain.
- Is it worth buying an email list for the festive season?
- No. Purchased lists are typically unverified and unengaged. High bounce and complaint rates from a bought list will damage your sender reputation at the worst possible time. Focus on growing an opt-in list instead.
- How should I cater for last-minute shoppers in my email campaigns?
- Offer something they can give immediately, such as printable vouchers, digital gift cards, or e-certificates. Pair these with any end-of-season promotions or rush delivery options to capture buyers in the final days before the holiday.