Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become the two most consequential shopping days of the year. Indeed, these two days often prove record-breaking, not only in the number of dollars spent and the number of ecommerce purchases made, but also in the number of marketing emails sent.

Certainly, retail and ecommerce stores will want to take advantage of these intense shopping days; to do so, however, it will be necessary to stand out from all the other companies trying to boost sales. Email marketing can certainly be an effective way to directly appeal to potential customers and to give them a reason to check out your seasonal sales and promotions. To be successful, though, you’ll need to craft a thoughtful strategy. The time to do so is now.

Send Teaser Emails

Indeed, if you wait until the day before Black Friday to start seriously thinking about your email marketing strategy, you may find that it’s too little, too late. We’d recommend starting at least a week or two in advance, beginning with a few teaser emails.

The point of a teaser email is simple: You just want to let your subscribers know that they should be watching their inbox for special sales, promotions, or discounts coming their way on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

There are a couple of reasons to send teasers. One, it lets your subscribers know that something valuable is coming their way; it increases the odds that they’ll actually look out for your next email, and actually open and read it. Two, it can also help you cut down on your unsubscribe rates.

Instill Urgency

One important way to make your marketing emails more effective is to build a sense of urgency. Let your subscribers know that, if they want to take advantage of the best deals, they need to act now, not put it off until later.

There are a few ways you can build this kind of urgency, often with little more than some careful messaging in your subject line or heading. Just make it clear that whatever deals you’re offering come with a time constraint. For example, let your readers know that they have to order by a certain date if they wish to receive their delivery by Christmas. Or, make it clear that your big discount or promotion is only good for a set amount of time.

Extend Your Offer

This tactic may almost seem to be at odds with the previous one, but hear us out: A day or so after Cyber Monday, you might send an email to your subscribers letting them know that you’ve extended your special offer, discount, or promotion for just a day or two more. Let readers know that you’re doing this to accommodate customers who missed the deal the first time around, perhaps due to the hustle and bustle of the Thanksgiving holiday.

This can sometimes be an effective way of capturing more buyers who were kicking themselves for missing out on your deal the first time around.

Say How You’re Different

As you draft the copy of your seasonal emails, remember that you’re one of countless companies trying to lay a claim to Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers. As such, it’s important to seize any opportunity to articulate what makes your company different.

For example, use your email copy to differentiate your company according to its customer service, its return policy, warranties or guarantees, free shipping, or whatever else.

In short, give your buyers a reason to purchase their product from you and not one of your competitors.

Promote Sharing

Email marketing can be an excellent way to directly appeal to your existing customer base. Additionally, you may also be able to grow your customer base, and to reach people you’ve never been able to reach before.

Specifically, you can do this by providing shareable content in your marketing emails, such as “bring a friend” deals. For example, encourage your subscribers to forward your email or refer your brand to a friend, and offer a discount or promotion for any new customers they bring into the fold.

Get the Timing Right

One more thing to consider: The timing of your emails matters a great deal. There’s no one right answer here, as the timing will vary from person to person. However, we’ll note that the enCOMPASS team has technology that allows you to take a truly data-backed approach to email deployment, choosing send times based on when your subscribers are actually most likely to open the email and read it. We encourage you to ask us more about this email optimization.

Indeed, we’re here to chat with you about any and all of your holiday season marketing concerns. Connect with the enCOMPASS team if you’re ready to talk!