When it comes to maximizing holiday sales from your email and SMS marketing programs, discovering the nuances of the season can help brands squeeze as much eggnog out of … whatever eggnog comes out of. With all of the data out there, uncovering the lesser-known can feel overwhelming to downright impossible.
Here are four nuanced tips to help you prepare your email and SMS marketing for the long, drawn-out holiday shopping season:
1. Don’t wait until November.
Holiday sales, as they have for years, start early. Target began its “Circle Week” on Oct. 1, and Amazon.com's Prime Big Deals Days start on Oct. 10. Consider this second date to be the unofficial official start of the holiday shopping season.
Marketing should start no later than mid-October, and by Nov. 1 brands should be significantly ramping up their marketing. Last year, according to Adobe, Friday, Nov. 11 was the last time daily online sales dropped below $3 billion until Dec. 16 ($2.8 billion). That corresponding day this year is Nov. 12. This is when the full-court press should go into effect.
Because holiday deals begin earlier, the reliance on standalone days like Black Friday take a back seat to extended periods like Black Friday Week. These sales should begin on Nov. 18 or 19.
Dec. 1-23 should encompass a sense of urgency to appeal to procrastinators, clear out excess inventory, and promote gift card sales. Dec. 25 through Jan. 1 should be your final holiday push as consumers resume their shopping. In fact, Dec. 26 recorded the second most email-related orders in all of December 2022.