What are they buying? It goes beyond just pencils and notebooks. College students are stocking up on clothing (43%) and electronics (33%), while K-12 shoppers are also interested in these items (62% and 20%, respectively).

This is a golden opportunity for your email marketing campaigns. Although many have started shopping, a large majority haven’t finished yet. Why?

• 45% are waiting for the best deals.
• 45% are unsure what they need.

It’s clear that if you’re not running a back-to-school campaign, you’re missing out on a lot of potential revenue. Whether your audience includes the back-to-school or back-to-college target demographics, it’s a good idea to begin thinking about how you can begin incorporating it into your email marketing strategy.  

When to kick off your back-to-school campaign

Do you remember back when you were at school, and before you’d even broken up for the summer, the shops were full of back-to-school signs? It was heartbreaking as a kid, but today, it’s the perfect opportunity to get your hands on some new goodies.  

In terms of customers’ shopping behaviors, the most popular times for bagging some back-to-school bargains are the last two weeks in July and the first two weeks in August.  

This nicely marks the halfway point of the year. Your Christmas and January sales are long behind you, new financial years have started and new targets have been set. It’s the perfect time to launch a fresh campaign. Let’s look at some of the top back-to-school campaigns out there.  

10 Back-to-school email marketing campaigns

Looking for fresh ideas to boost your back-to-school email marketing? Check out these 10 standout campaigns that have captured the attention of shoppers and drove sales.

1. Apple

Back in 2005, Apple changed the mobile phone industry for good. There’s no going back. It changed the way we use technology and the way we regard and consume content from the industry. Its marketing strategy is one we as marketers envy and strive to emulate.  

And, at its core, is its understanding of customer loyalty. It’s created a brand where people queue overnight to get their hands on the latest model. Its fanboy and fangirls have helped raise the brand to cult status.  

Saying all this, you’d assume the tech giant doesn’t need to utilize the back-to-school sales period, wouldn’t you?  

The simple fact is that Apple knows loyal customers are an essential part of its growth. Targeting the back-to-college market is just the first step in a long strategy of driving customer retention. 

Taking a page from the banking industry’s playbook, Apple employs a tactic similar to the Student Bank Accounts strategy. The tech giant is well aware that these student shoppers are likely to use its products for years to come, making additional purchases and growing more loyal as time goes on.

In Apple’s back-to-school offer, the company provides a gift card worth up to $150 and a 20% discount on AppleCare, but only at the Apple Store. This incentive encourages shoppers to visit the store for an immersive in-store experience.

2. Office Depot and Office Max

Any back-to-school email marketing campaign should simplify the shopping process and help customers find everything they need in one place. Office Depot and Office Max’s campaign checks all these boxes by showcasing a wide variety of school supplies at unbeatable prices.

The email highlights great deals on items such as notebooks, pens, and backpacks with the subject line “school savings -100s of school supplies under $3”. Such offers pique the interest of parents and students who are eager to tick off the items on their back-to-school shopping lists.

The vibrant, well-organized layout of the email captures the viewer’s attention, ensuring that each promotional offering is easily visible. Additionally, the “shop now” button, is strategically placed under each product advertisement. This makes it convenient for users to access the deals on Office Depot and Office Max’s website.

By showcasing a wide range of products on sale, Office Depot and Office Max’s email marketing campaign effectively capitalize on the back-to-school shopping craze.

3. Gap

Back-to-school season is an opportunity for you to add a touch of creativity and emotion to your campaigns. Gap does just that by designing a yearbook-style email that highlights stylish clothing options while evoking nostalgia and anticipation for the school year.

Featuring images of students wearing Gap’s fashionable attire, the email evokes nostalgia and gives parents a glimpse into how their children might look in similar outfits.

The email effectively encourages customers to explore “School looks they’ll love” with a bold, call-to-action button, which directs them to Gap’s website. Encouraging parents to find the perfect school attire for their children, Gap’s email marketing campaign transforms the back-to-school shopping experience into a delightful trip down memory lane.

4. Asda

When shopping for back-to-school essentials, customers want an easy and convenient experience that saves them both time and money. Asda’s back-to-school email campaign showcases a comprehensive selection of products, from uniforms to shoes, highlighting the brand’s affordability and quality.

The email focuses on Asda’s exclusive George brand, which is backed by Netmums. A poll of 40 members would recommend the George Schoolwear range to a friend, reinforcing the credibility of the brand.

The campaign emphasizes the affordability and value for money associated with its uniforms, highlighting scuff-resistant shoes for only £10. Additionally, Asda presents options for back-to-school clothing essentials, making it clear that they are a one-stop shop for students.

The campaign also ties in a reference to the Olympic and Paralympic games, inviting customers to explore the Gruffalo x Team GB collection. This collaboration adds a unique touch to its marketing approach, appealing to children who are excited about the sporting events, and their parents who may be fans as well.

The combination of quality, affordability, endorsements, and diverse product offerings makes Asda’s back-to-school email marketing campaign an effective choice for families as they prepare for the new school term.

5. American Eagle Outfitters

You should generate a sense of urgency and excitement for your back-to-school campaigns. American Eagle Outfitters accomplishes this with its limited-time offers, encouraging customers to shop before it’s too late.

The brand’s email marketing campaign highlights a limited-time offer of “25-40% off everything” that “ends today.” The subject line brilliantly categorizes the sale into “shop women” and “shop men,” clearly letting customers know the discount applies to both categories, including jeans—a popular item for back-to-school shoppers.

The email showcases stylish young adults wearing American Eagle Outfitters clothing outdoors, conveying a sense of excitement and appreciation for the season. The top banner colorfully displays the discount range and percentage, emphasizing the great value and attracting the attention of potential buyers.

To make it even more convenient for customers to benefit from the sale, the email has separate “shop women” and “shop men” call-to-action buttons, guiding users seamlessly to its desired online shopping section.

By creating a sense of urgency and focusing on significant discounts across all categories, American Eagle Outfitters’ back-to-school email marketing campaign successfully appeals to shoppers looking for stylish and affordable clothing to start the new school year in style.

6.  Nike

For the back-to-school season, you should concentrate on generating enthusiasm and anticipation for the upcoming academic year. You can do this with catchy subject lines, energetic imagery, and promoting convenient shopping experiences.

The Nike back-to-school email campaign does just this. The campaign emphasizes the playful spirit of heading back to school with the subject line “playground is calling.” 

The email features a captivating image of energetic children wearing Nike’s latest recess-ready sneakers, fleece, and other essentials. The tagline “everywhere’s their playground” reflects the brand’s commitment to active kids.

The campaign focuses on convenience by offering parents and caregivers the option to “shop by category,” ensuring a smooth, hassle-free shopping experience. Nike’s back-to-school email marketing campaign aims to simplify the shopping process for parents and caregivers while fostering excitement for the upcoming school year.

7. Vistaprint

During the back-to-school season, brands need to highlight key aspects of its offerings that resonate with both parents and students to stand out from the competition.

Vistaprint effectively demonstrates this strategy by showcasing personalized products tailored for the back-to-school season. The brands campaign encourages customers to start the school year off right by presenting products that directly address back-to-school needs while emphasizing the benefits of personalized school supplies.

Vistaprint aims to help children express their individuality by offering custom-made kids’ labels with a 25% discount. These labels are designed to add a personal touch and are also microwave, dishwasher, and laundry-safe, ensuring nothing gets lost and giving parents peace of mind.

Additionally, customers can find a 20% discount on custom-designed kids’ water bottles, making it easier for children to keep track of their belongings.

With enticing discounts and a strong focus on personalized, high-quality products, Vistaprint’s back-to-school email marketing campaign appeals to parents and children. This ensures a unique and stylish start to the new school year.

8. Hy-Vee

When creating back-to-school email marketing campaigns, it’s essential to remember the importance of inspiring customers. Parents and caregivers are often overwhelmed by the numerous tasks and responsibilities at this time of year. Creating content that is genuinely useful, relatable, and engaging can make a brand stand out in a competitive market and foster customer loyalty.

Hy-Vee’s back-to-school email campaign does just that. The campaign focuses on stress-free breakfasts, delicious and nutritious meals, and easy bento box meals for busy families. By offering inspiration through free, innovative recipes that cater to various aspects of meal planning, they provide solutions for time-strapped parents and caregivers who need to create enjoyable meals for their children quickly and easily.

Stress-free breakfast ideas ensure that kids start their day with energy and parents can have peace of mind, while nutritious recipes for lunch and dinner keep children fueled throughout the school day. Additionally, Hy-Vee’s creative bento box meal ideas make the school lunch experience enjoyable and visually appealing, encouraging healthy eating habits.

By simplifying daily routines, the email marketing campaign demonstrates Hy-Vee’s deep understanding of its customers’ needs. This approach strengthens the connection between the brand and its audience, fostering a lasting relationship that keeps customers engaged and loyal to the brand during the back-to-school season and beyond.

9. Ahava

During the back-to-school season, you should incorporate creative elements in your promotional campaigns to capture customer attention and drive engagement. One effective tactic is using countdown timers, which can create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to take advantage of time-sensitive offers.

Ahava’s back-to-school email marketing campaign effectively utilizes a countdown timer to promote its limited-time sale on premium skincare products.

The email’s subject line, “two days left of back-to-school sale” and the integrated countdown timer emphasize the limited timeframe of the promotion. By incorporating the countdown timer and offering a 40% discount on full-priced items, Ahava encourages customers to act quickly and take advantage of the attractive pricing.

With free samples and shipping on all orders, Ahava provides added value and convenience to the shopping experience. The use of a countdown timer in its email marketing campaign helps Ahava drive engagement, increase conversion rates, and foster a sense of excitement around its back-to-school promotion.

10. Once Upon a Farm

During the back-to-school season, you should develop unique strategies to engage customers and create brand loyalty. One effective approach is to hold contests or giveaways that appeal to both parents and students.

Once Upon a Farm embraces this strategy in its back-to-school email marketing campaign, as demonstrated by the subject line “enter to win $1,900+ in prizes – back-to-school giveaway” This approach instantly piques interest, encourages customer participation, and generates excitement for the company’s products.

By holding a back-to-school giveaway with over $1,900 in prizes, Once Upon a Farm creates an opportunity for customers to try its high-quality, organic food products. This helps parents seeking easy and nutritious meal options for their children’s packed lunches or after-school snacks. The giveaway effectively engages customers, drives traffic to the brand’s website, and promotes product awareness.

Once Upon a Farm’s back-to-school email marketing campaign demonstrates the effectiveness of using giveaways to generate excitement, engage customers, and ultimately foster brand loyalty.

Back-to-school email subject lines

When creating back-to-school email campaigns, don’t forget about subject lines. Engage your subscribers and remain top-of-mind with this carefully curated selection of eye-catching subject lines designed to enhance your email marketing strategy.

General

1. Kick off the school year with fantastic deals
2. Get set for success: your back to school headquarters
3. Welcome back to school: find everything you need
4. Gear up for an A+ year with our back to school essentials
5. Make the grade with unbeatable back to school offers

Sales and discounts

1. Exclusive 40% Off in our back to school sale
2. Last chance: back to school sale ending soon
3. 20% off back to school must-haves
4. Score up to 30% off + bonus in our back to school event
5. Save up to 50% on Footwear in our back to school sale

Getting ready

1. Are you in the back to school spirit?
2. Time for back to school: are you ready?
3. School is around the corner. prepare now
4. Ready for back to school? check out our deals
5. Going back to school? we have what you need

Fashion

1. Favorite back to school looks are here
2. Your #1 destination for back to school styles
3. Top 10 back to school outfits you’ll love
4. His and her’s back to school styles
5. New style to rule the school this year

Supplies and gadgets

1. Short on school supplies? we’ve got you covered
2. back to school checklist: backpacks, supplies and more
3. Must-have back to school essentials
4. Get the coolest tools for back to school
5. Earn up to 2X points on back-to-school tech

Savings and gifts

1. A special back to school gift for you
2. Big back-to-school savings just for you
3. Saved by the bell: huge back-to-school deals today
4. Limited time only – back to school savings
5. Free shipping + 20% off back-to-school must-haves

While the ideas provided can be a starting point, it’s important to customize them to match your distinct brand voice. Feel free to try out emojis, playful language, or a sense of urgency to capture attention.

For an added creative spark, you can also use AI-powered generative tools like WinstonAI to brainstorm new ideas, adjust the tone, or refine the length of your subject lines.

Class is dismissed. It’s time to ace your back-to-school email campaign

The back-to-school shopping season is underway, presenting a profitable opportunity for brands. Many shoppers are still unsure about their purchases and are on the lookout for the best deals.

A well-planned email marketing campaign can greatly enhance your sales by displaying a wide range of products, offering enticing promotions, and creating a sense of urgency. This will help you grab the attention of your target audience and drive more sales.

Remember to monitor and analyze your campaign’s performance to gauge its effectiveness and make data-driven adjustments. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to a successful back-to-school season.

1. Build a strong brand identity

One of the most important aspects of any successful email marketing campaign is ensuring that your message represents your brand’s unique identity. Doing so helps create a strong connection with your customers, giving them a reason to engage with your content and ultimately make a purchase.

Design By Humans, a company that offers creative and artistic apparel designs skillfully captures its quirky and fun brand identity in its Labor Day marketing email. The featured design showcases a cat enjoying a work-from-home day, perfectly complementing its overall brand vibe.

To successfully capture your brand in your email marketing campaigns, consider the following tips:

1. Stay true to your brand’s visual identity: Maintain consistency in the use of your brand’s colors, typography, and design elements in your email design. This helps create a cohesive and memorable experience for your customers each time they interact with your content.
2. Show off your brand’s personality: Your brand’s personality is its distinctive voice, tone, and values. You can directly communicate with your audience by adapting the tone as required with WinstonAI. Whether friendly, assertive, playful, or professional, WinstonAI can assist in crafting email copy that strikes the perfect note to engage, entice, and delight recipients.
3. Feature products or services that represent your brand: Showcase items or offers that align with your brand’s core values and message. Use this seasonal event as an opportunity to highlight relevant products or services that resonate with your audience.

By capturing your brand effectively in your email marketing campaigns, you’ll create a lasting impression on your customers, encouraging them to engage with your content and return for more. As Labor Day approaches, there’s no better time to put these tips into action and create a memorable and impactful email campaign that makes the most of this long weekend shopping spree.

2. Capture the Labor Day spirit

Creating an effective email marketing campaign for Labor Day goes beyond simply offering discounts. To genuinely connect with your customers, it’s crucial to embody the essence of the holiday and align with their expectations. Doing so will ultimately boost brand loyalty and strengthen your relationship with your audience.

Winc, a modern wine subscription club, brilliantly accomplishes this in its Labor Day marketing email. The brand’s subject line, “Your Labor Day savings are inside,” immediately grabs the reader’s attention and sets the tone for the email. Furthermore, the creative and playful phrase, “Sip back, relax, and unwined this Labor Day with $26 off today,” perfectly encompasses the laid-back spirit of the holiday, encouraging customers to seize the offer.

To capture the true spirit of Labor Day in your email marketing campaign, follow these guidelines for creating engaging copy:

1. Understand the significance of the holiday: Labor Day is a time to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of workers across the country. Align your email copy and design with this theme, and consider highlighting products or services that will help your customers relax and enjoy their time off.
2. Use holiday-specific language and wordplay: Leverage relevant phrases or puns – like Winc’s “Sip back, relax, and unwined” – to evoke the mood of the holiday and create a more engaging experience for your customers.
3. Emphasize relatable, enjoyable activities: Focus on aspects of the holiday that your customers might look forward to, such as weekend getaways, barbecues, or spending time with loved ones. Incorporate these ideas into your email content to make it more relevant and appealing.

As Labor Day approaches, there’s no better time to put these tips into action and make a lasting impression with creative, holiday-inspired copy.

3. Create irresistible offers

As Labor Day approaches, many people are looking forward to some well-earned time off or spending the day with friends and family. But let’s not forget about all the fantastic deals that you can find during this long weekend. Discount reminders are a fantastic way for your brand to connect with customers and encourage them to take advantage of great offers before they’re gone.

To effectively implement discount reminder emails in your own email marketing campaign, you should:

1. Personalize your email content: Leverage Dotdigital’s AI product recommendations to tailor your email content based on each customer’s unique browsing and purchase history. This level of personalization creates highly relevant and engaging emails, boosting open rates and driving conversions.
2. Create a sense of urgency: Use dynamic personalization features like countdown timers or infuse your emails with time-sensitive language like “limited time offer” or “sale ends soon.” This creates a compelling sense of urgency, motivating customers to act immediately.
3. Make it clear and actionable: Include a prominent call-to-action (CTA) button or link, like “shop now” or “save now,” that directs the customer straight to the discounted items. This will streamline the shopping process and increase the chances of them completing the purchase.

So, as you prepare your email marketing campaign for this Labor Day, don’t forget to consider incorporating discount reminders as part of your strategy. By delivering personalized, timely, and actionable content to your customer’s inbox, you’ll not only help to boost sales but also strengthen your relationship with customers and keep them coming back for more.

4. Show employee appreciation

Labor Day is not only an excellent opportunity to boost sales but also a time to show appreciation and gratitude towards your hardworking employees. Acknowledging the dedication and efforts of your team can help strengthen your brand image and create an emotional connection with your customers, reminding them that behind every product or service lies the passion of your staff.

Aurate New York, a fine jewelry brand, beautifully demonstrates this in its Labor Day email. By expressing gratitude to its employees and thanking them for their work, Aurate emphasizes its brand values and showcases its company culture to its customers.

To give thanks to your employees in your Labor Day email marketing campaign, consider the following tips:

1. Showcase individual employee stories: Highlight the unique contributions and achievements of your team members, illustrating the vital role each person plays in your brand’s success.
2. Visualize your gratitude: Consider incorporating photos or videos of your employees in action, displaying the faces behind your brand, and giving your customers a more personal connection to your company.
3. Share your company values and culture: By expressing gratitude towards your employees, demonstrate how your company values hard work and commitment, reinforcing the human aspect of your brand.

By establishing an emotional connection with your audience, you’re more likely to create loyal customers who will continue to support your brand in the future. So, as you plan your Labor Day email marketing strategy, don’t forget to include a heartfelt thank you to those who help make your brand successful.

5. Generate pre-sale excitement

Running a pre-sale campaign can be an effective way to create a buzz around your products or services before the actual sale period starts. This generates anticipation and excitement amongst potential customers, prompting them to keep an eye on your brand for upcoming deals. Plus, it’s an opportunity to nurture and engage your audience, building a strong relationship that eventually leads to conversions during the sale.

A great example of a Labor Day presale campaign comes from Hello Fresh. The brand sparked interest among its target audience by offering six free meals and a discount code in its pre-sale email campaign.

To create a successful pre-sale campaign, consider the following tips:

1. Give your audience a glimpse of what you’re offering: Generate excitement and anticipation by including expiring coupon codes in your Labor Day emails. Offer exclusive deals, discounts, or incentives to entice customers, and use attention-grabbing subject lines like Hello Fresh’s “6 free meals” to maximize impact.
2. Personalize the message: When you do this you’ll make your recipients feel special and valued. 
3. Use engaging visuals and compelling CTAs: With engaging CTA you can make your pre-sale campaign stand out in the inbox, encouraging higher open and click-through rates.
4. Promote your campaign cross-channel: Promote your pre-sale campaign across all your channels. You can also use popovers, website banners, and even offline channels like in-store signage. This creates a consistent message and maximizes your reach.

By implementing an effective pre-sale campaign, you can harness the power of anticipation and curiosity to drive more traffic and sales during your promotional periods. So, make sure to give it a try next time you plan for any seasonal sales or special events.

6. Reward your loyal customers

In addition to thanking your employees and offering discounts, giving back to your customers is another way to make your Labor Day email marketing campaign more meaningful. Demonstrating appreciation towards your customers helps foster loyalty and enhances your brand image, showcasing your commitment to making a positive impact on their lives.

Vrai & Oro, a fine jewelry brand, effectively integrates this concept into their Labor Day email campaign by offering a gift to their customers. By presenting a unique offer, customers who spend $450 will enjoy free Line Threaders, allowing them to choose their preferred gold color as well.

To give back to your customers in your Labor Day email marketing campaign, consider the following tips:

1. Offer exclusive, personalized incentives: Utilize eRFM or predictive analytics to identify high-value customers most likely to convert. Delight these customers with exclusive Labor Day gifts, promotions, or personalized product recommendations to enhance their overall brand experience and drive conversions.
2. Create a loyalty program: Recognizing and rewarding your regular customers by offering points or rewards for their purchases can solidify their relationship with your brand and foster long-term loyalty.
3. Host a customer appreciation event or sale: Organize an online or in-store event exclusively for your customers to celebrate Labor Day. This could include special discounts, giveaways, or even entertainment for a more memorable experience.
4. Feature customer stories: Share social proof like personal experiences, testimonials, or success stories from your customers to emphasize the impact your brand has had on their lives.

Incorporating strategies to give back to your customers in your Labor Day email marketing campaign not only strengthens your brand image but also creates lasting connections with your audience. By showing appreciation to both your employees and customers, you’ll create a well-rounded, impactful campaign that exemplifies the true spirit of Labor Day and drives the success of your business.

7. Combine Labor Day with back-to-school

Labor Day often coincides with the back-to-school season, making it a prime opportunity to incorporate elements of this theme into your email marketing campaign. By adding a back-to-school touch, you can not only capture the attention of parents and students but also showcase products relevant to this time of year.

For instance, Kidpik, a clothing subscription box for kids, integrates the back-to-school theme in its Labor Day email campaign by featuring essential outfits for the new school year. This not only appeals to parents shopping for school essentials but also cleverly combines both occasions in a single, effective campaign.

To add a back-to-school touch to your Labor Day email marketing campaign, consider the following tips:

1. Showcase back-to-school essentials: Utilize product recommendations to highlight items perfect for students and parents gearing up for the new school year. Feature products like stationery, electronics, clothing, or organization tools to meet the specific needs of your target audience.
2. Offer Limited-time deals: Capitalize on the back-to-school shopping rush by providing limited-time offers and discounts on related products. This creates a sense of urgency for your audience, encouraging them to act quickly and make a purchase.
3. Share helpful tips and resources: Provide value to your customers by including useful advice, checklists, or resources related to the back-to-school season in your email content. This enhances the overall customer experience and demonstrates that your brand cares about their well-being.
4. Use compelling visuals: Utilize relevant images and graphics that depict the excitement and challenges of the back-to-school period. This helps capture the attention of your audience and adds an extra layer of relatability to your email content.

Adding a back-to-school touch to your Labor Day email marketing campaign can help you resonate with the wants and needs of your audience during this busy time of year. By offering relevant products and engaging content, you create a more memorable and impactful campaign that captures the essence of both occasions and drives sales.

Create engaging Labor Day campaigns

As you prepare for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, keep these email marketing ideas in mind. Remember that a successful Labor Day email campaign goes beyond just offering discounts. It’s about understanding your audience, celebrating the holiday’s spirit, and providing value beyond the sale. Use effective communication to deepen your connection with your customers, drive sales, and create lasting impressions for your brand. Happy Labor Day. 

AI-powered personalization for the holidays

Sometimes, the holiday season can be overwhelming with all the shopping and searching. But what if there was a way to make the experience smoother and more personalized for both you and your customers? That’s where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in. AI will play a significant role in personalizing the shopping experience and boosting sales this holiday season.

Recommending the perfect gift (every time)

Imagine a virtual shopping assistant that suggests gift ideas to your customers. Our AI-powered product recommendations analyze your customer’s browsing history and past purchases to suggest relevant items they’re likely to love. This not only simplifies the gift-buying process but also drives significant sales growth through increased average order values, cross-selling, and upselling opportunities.

Chatbots: your 24/7 holiday helpers

No time to staff a customer service line around the clock? No problem. Chatbots powered by AI can answer frequently asked questions, provide product information, and even guide customers through the buying process. These tireless virtual assistants can ensure your customers get the support they need, whenever they need it.

Pricing that’s as smart as Santa

Staying competitive with pricing in online ecommerce is important. AI can help you develop dynamic pricing strategies that adjust based on real-time demand and customer behavior. This ensures you’re offering the best possible prices while still maximizing your profits.

Meeting customers on mobile

The smartphone has become an extension of ourselves, and holiday shopping is no exception. With mobile shopping on the rise, it’s no longer a trend, it’s a necessity. To stay ahead of the curve, ensure your brand offers a mobile experience that’s nothing short of magical.

Speed is key

Nobody likes waiting for a website to load, especially on a small screen. Make sure your website and online store are optimized for mobile users. This includes ensuring fast loading times, clear and concise product information, and easy navigation. Keep in mind that impatient shoppers are abandoning their carts at an alarming rate – don’t let a slow website ruin your holiday sales.

One-click to checkout bliss

One-click ordering options and mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay can make the difference between a completed purchase and an abandoned cart. But that’s not all. Consider offering a variety of popular payment methods to cater to your customers’ preferences. Integrate options like PayPal and Klarna alongside traditional credit card processing. The easier and faster it is to buy, the more likely you are to convert those browsing shoppers into happy customers.

Mobile-first mentality

Don’t just shrink your desktop website down to fit a mobile screen. Design your mobile experience from the ground up with progressive web apps (PWAs). This means ensuring product pages are finger-friendly, with clear calls to action and high-quality product images that showcase your offerings beautifully – even on a small screen.

Take advantage of our Dotdigital PWA for a desktop experience that mirrors the convenience of mobile. This desktop version offers a smoother workflow by providing direct access to Dotdigital without the need for browser tabs. While the look may differ slightly, you’ll find the same robust features and functionality you’ve come to expect.

Social savvy commerce

The way we shop is changing, with social media playing a central role in this evolution. Gone are the days of passively scrolling through envy-inducing vacation photos. Today, social media platforms have transformed into bustling online marketplaces, offering a seamless social commerce experience for smart shoppers.

Shoppable posts

No need to fuss with navigating websites anymore. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok now allow in-app purchases, enabling you to discover and buy products directly within the social media app. This simplifies the shopping process, allowing you to smoothly transition from browsing engaging content to purchasing the perfect item in just a few clicks.

Live shopping events

Imagine joining a virtual holiday market hosted by your favorite brand on TikTok Shop. Live shopping events make use of real-time interaction, allowing you to see products in action, receive expert advice, and even grab exclusive deals. This interactive format turns passive scrolling into an engaging experience that builds a sense of community and excitement around holiday shopping.

Engaging content

Achieving success in social commerce isn’t just about offering products. It’s also about capturing your audience’s attention with engaging content that educates, entertains, and ultimately motivates them to click the “buy now” button. Think of creative product tutorials, festive gift guides, or entertaining holiday-themed stories – all designed to display your brand’s personality and connect with your target audience on a deeper level.

Influencer marketing boom

In 2024, brands are likely to increase influencer marketing budgets by 60%. This underlines the strategy’s increasing importance for a successful holiday season. However, with numerous influencers, it’s essential to ensure that your brand stands out. Here are some key tips to leverage this booming trend:

Embrace micro-influencers

Consider partnering with micro-influencers this holiday season instead of focusing on follower counts. These individuals have smaller but highly engaged followings, often centered around specific niches. By teaming up with a micro-influencer who aligns perfectly with your target audience, you can tap into a community genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

Authenticity partnerships

Customers today value authenticity. Instead of solely pursuing the biggest names, focus on fostering genuine relationships with influencers who share your brand values. Seek out creators who would organically recommend your products or services to their audience, nurturing trust and connection with potential customers.

Measure your results

Tracking and analyzing your campaign’s results will help you refine your strategy by identifying what’s working and what’s not. By utilizing data and insights, you can ensure your influencer marketing efforts contribute to a successful holiday season.

Unexpected partnerships driving engagement

The holiday season is a time for togetherness, and that spirit of collaboration is extending to the marketing world. This holiday season, expect to see brands break free from tradition and forge unexpected partnerships to reach new audiences and create a bigger impact. Here are some creative ways to leverage this trend:

The power of two

Instead of going it alone, partner with complementary brands that share a similar target audience but offer different products. For example, imagine a cozy coffee company teaming up with a local bakery to create a limited-edition holiday gift basket. This cross-promotion strategy exposes both brands to new customers and creates a more enticing holiday offering for existing ones.

Think local, win big

While big-name collaborations grab headlines, sometimes the most powerful partnerships are found closer to home. Consider teaming up with local businesses to offer unique holiday packages or experiences. 

For instance, a sporting goods store could partner with a local ski resort to offer a bundled ski package complete with equipment rentals and lift tickets. This strategy not only strengthens ties within the community but also creates a memorable and desirable holiday offering.

Spreading holiday cheer, one cause at a time

The holidays are a time for giving back, and customers are increasingly drawn to brands that align with their values. Partner with a non-profit organization and donate a portion of your sales to a worthy cause. This demonstrates your brand’s commitment to social responsibility and resonates with purpose-driven shoppers.

Embrace these holiday marketing trends for 2024

By incorporating these holiday marketing trends of 2024, you can create a dynamic marketing strategy that not only captivates your audience but also ensures a successful and memorable festive season for your brand. 

Embracing these trends will allow you to stay ahead of the competition, strengthen your brand presence, and connect with your audience in more meaningful ways. By being proactive and innovative in your approach, you can position your brand as a go-to choice for consumers during the holidays and beyond.

Whether you’re selling Easter-themed products or utilizing the festive atmosphere to showcase your latest collection, the key to a successful promotion is having an egg-ceptional strategy in place.

In this blog, we’ll explore a variety of Easter marketing campaign ideas, including email, SMS, and attention-grabbing subject lines. These ideas will help you breathe new life into your brand and captivate your customers for the best possible results.

Why should you send an Easter marketing campaign?

Here are some reasons why you should launch an Easter marketing campaign:

1. Increased customer spending: Holidays like Easter often inspire consumers to shop more for gifts, decor, food, and other celebratory items. You can take advantage of this surge in spending by offering exclusive discounts, promotions, and product bundles through your marketing campaign.
2. Seasonal themes: Easter-themed emails provide a chance to refresh your email copy and design, using lighthearted visuals, puns, and images that resonate with your audience. This seasonal creativity can attract your subscribers’ attention and delight them, leading to higher open rates and engagement.
3. Strengthen customer relationships: Use your Easter marketing campaign to send personalized greetings and messages of appreciation to your customers. This strategy helps build a more personal connection, strengthens customer loyalty, and nurtures long-lasting relationships.
4. Drive traffic to your website: Easter-themed emails and SMS messages with exciting offers, compelling calls-to-action, and exclusive content can drive more traffic to your website. This gives your customers a reason to explore your products and services further.
5. Showcase new products or offerings: Use your Easter marketing campaign to introduce seasonal products or exclusive promotions that may interest your audience. This tactic helps generate interest and excitement for your brand while potentially spurring more purchases.
6. Boost social media engagement: An Easter marketing campaign can also encourage subscribers to engage with your brand on social media. Leverage this opportunity by promoting Easter-themed contests or sharing content that encourages user-generated content using specific hashtags.
7. Stand out from competitors: Use the festive season to differentiate your brand from competitors with unique SMS offers, creative email designs, and standout subject lines. Easter marketing campaigns that offer genuine value and capture your audience’s attention can set your brand apart and create lasting impressions.

Engaging and creative Easter subject line ideas

Easter is a great opportunity to make your email subject lines more creative and engaging. You can use witty puns, personalized greetings, and time-sensitive offers to grab your audience’s attention and increase your email open rates. Check out these fantastic Easter subject line ideas for inspiration:

1. Spring into savings: Major discounts are hatching this Easter
2. Your Easter basket just got better: Save 30% sitewide
3. Hop to it. Unwrap these egg-sclusive Easter deals
4. Celebrate Easter in style: Fresh deals just for you
5. Indulge yourself. Our mouth-watering Easter treats await
6. Easter basket bonanza: Curated collections for the perfect gift
7. Crack open your Easter savings. Limited time only
8. Last chance: Peep our irresistible deals before they’re gone
9. Add a touch of magic to Easter with our special offers
10. Ready, set, hunt. Reveal your mystery Easter discount inside
11. Bloom into savings with our exclusive Easter discounts
12. Sweet deals to satisfy your Easter cravings: Shop now

If you’re struggling to come up with Easter email subject lines for your marketing campaign, you can use WinstonAI’s generative AI capability when building your email on Dotdigital. This feature can suggest new subject lines, adjust the tone, shorten or expand text, rephrase, and even include emojis to make your email more engaging.

7 Innovative Easter campaign ideas

Creating captivating campaigns that catch your customer’s attention and spark their imagination is important. That’s why we’re here to help you achieve precisely that. We’ve put together seven innovative Easter marketing campaign ideas that will make your brand stand out and set you apart from the competition. So let’s get cracking.

1. Create a cracking Easter sale

As the seasons change, it’s always a good idea to freshen up your marketing strategies and create new incentives for your customers to make purchases. When seasons change, it’s a great opportunity to promote your latest products and offer discounts and sales to attract more customers.

A great example of an effective Easter marketing campaign is the one created by the personalized children’s book brand, I See Me. The brand has come up with a cracking Easter sale that is sure to catch the attention of potential customers. The brand offers a sitewide discount of 30%, which is a great incentive for shoppers to make a purchase.

What’s more, the email also showcases a curated selection of personalized Easter-themed books, which are perfect for inclusion in any Easter basket. This boosts relevancy and ensures its emails appeal to customers who are looking for unique gift ideas for their loved ones. 

By highlighting its spring savings and offering personalized Easter-themed products, I See Me has created a compelling Easter sale that is sure to drive more traffic to its website and boost sales during this holiday season. Take inspiration from this strategy and come up with your own creative Easter sale that resonates with your audience and drives revenue.

2. Show off your Easter collection with MMS

Easter is a great opportunity to display your new seasonal product collections to your customers. One of the most effective ways of doing this is through Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages. MMS uses rich media, such as images and videos, to create engaging and informative shopping experiences for your audience.

A prime example of a brand that executes this strategy successfully is a children’s clothing store, SugarBabies Boutique. By sending a visually appealing MMS message, SugarBabies Boutique highlights its Easter product offerings and makes it easy for customers to visualize the potential of creating a delightful Easter basket for their loved ones. The message not only showcases the brand’s cute and curated product lineup but also employs creative Easter language for a festive touch.

In addition, SugarBabies Boutique entices customers further with the offer of a ‘SAVE10’ discount code to use on purchases, adding an incentive for recipients to act swiftly and make a purchase.

3. Throw a virtual Easter egg hunt

Easter egg hunts are a classic and beloved activity to celebrate the season. But have you considered taking this traditional event online to engage your customers?

Reese Witherspoon’s clothing line, Draper James smartly incorporates a virtual Easter egg hunt into its email marketing campaign. The email features a simple and clear design, paired with concise copy that entices recipients to visit the brand’s website and start hunting for hidden Easter eggs. These eggs contain discount codes that shoppers can apply to their purchases, adding an incentive to engage with the website actively.

The email also includes an on-brand hero image, a specific call-to-action (CTA) button, and helpful hints as to where the eggs can be found. These elements create a seamless and enjoyable virtual egg-hunting experience for enthusiastic participants.

4. Leverage Easter FOMO with a countdown timer

Countdown timers are a popular tactic you can use to create a sense of urgency among your customers. By setting a deadline for a limited-time promotion, you can encourage your customers to act quickly before the offer expires. This marketing strategy plays on the fear of missing out (FOMO) and inspires subscribers to shop promptly to benefit from the promotion. Simply add a countdown timer to your website and see the powerful impact of FOMO in action.

One brand that executed this strategy incredibly well is the sustainable denim company Frank and Oak. Its Easter marketing campaign included a countdown timer at the top of the email, emphasizing the limited-time offer. By placing the timer prominently, the brand grabs its recipients’ attention with a time-sensitive message, encouraging them to act quickly to take advantage of the promotion. The result was a successful marketing campaign that generated buzz and encouraged customers to shop promptly to avoid missing out on the deal.

5. Host an Easter-themed social media contest

Easter-themed social media contests are an excellent way to engage your audience while boosting your brand exposure and promoting your products or services. Hosting a creative contest can foster excitement, encourage user-generated content (UGC), and increase interaction with your brand during the holiday season.

For example, create an Instagram photo contest where followers share pictures of their decorated Easter eggs, Easter outfits, or homemade treats using a specific hashtag. Offer a tempting prize, such as a gift voucher or product bundle from your Easter collection, for the participants with the most creative or popular submissions. Make sure to carefully outline the contest rules, participation guidelines, and entry deadlines to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for your audience.

Announce the contest in your email or SMS campaigns and use attractive visuals and compelling copy to encourage your subscribers to participate. By holding an Easter-themed social media contest, you can captivate your audience, showcase your products, and foster a sense of community around your brand.

The online boutique, Little Party Dress effectively promotes its Easter social media contest on Instagram. This is done by encouraging participants to engage with the brand and offering a choice of prizes from its Easter collection. The post explains how to enter, where to find more information, and the closing date for entries. By providing clear instructions and appealing prizes, Little Party Dress ensures a successful contest that excites and connects with its audience.

6. Curate your Easter gift guides

Gift guides are an excellent way to showcase and curate your Easter product selection, making it easier for customers to find the perfect gift for their loved ones during the festive season.

The Luxury department store, Fortnum and Mason’s Easter gift guide showcases a stunning collection of Easter eggs that were expertly curated by the brand. The email campaign also mentioned that customers can visit their store to build their own Easter eggs, providing a unique and interactive experience. This is a great way for the brand to not only showcase their products but also to engage with their customers and offer them an unforgettable experience.

By curating and presenting a visually appealing Easter gift guide through your email marketing, you can effectively guide your customers to ideal gift options and entice them to explore your product offerings. This approach simplifies the decision-making process for your customers and helps boost your overall sales during the Easter season.

7. Use creative copywriting to enhance your Easter marketing

To make your Easter marketing messages more compelling and memorable, you can utilize creative copywriting techniques that capture the attention of your target audience. By using creative copywriting in your Easter marketing, you can stand out in the crowded marketing landscape and drive better results for your campaigns.

LUSH Cosmetics is an excellent example of a brand that understands the power of imaginative copywriting. The brand uses vibrant language and storytelling techniques to create a sense of wonder and excitement around its Easter-themed products.

Its email campaign, for instance, invites readers to “Spring into a world of pure imagination,” which blends the festive Easter ambiance with the brand’s colorful, nature-inspired offerings. LUSH’s copywriting is captivating, creating a mesmerizing connection with its audience that goes beyond the product itself.

Kickstart your Easter marketing strategy

Easter is a time of joy, renewal, and celebration. The season presents a great chance for you to connect with your audience and enhance your sales with innovative marketing campaigns. To make the most of this opportunity, it’s essential to develop a comprehensive Easter marketing strategy that fully embraces the festive essence and engages your customers through every touchpoint, including email, SMS, and social media. By doing so, you can increase your brand’s visibility and effectively capture the attention of your target audience during this festive season.

When is Mother’s Day?

Mother’s Day is celebrated on different dates across the world. In the United States, Canada, and Australia, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 12, 2024. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Mother’s Day, also known as Mothering Sunday, is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which is March 10, 2024. It’s essential to be aware of these differences when planning your Mother’s Day email marketing campaigns to ensure you reach your audience at the most appropriate time.

Regardless of when it’s celebrated in your region, Mother’s Day is an occasion that honors all the love, care, and sacrifices mothers make for their children and families. Delivering the perfect email campaign that strikes the right emotional note and offers suitable products or services will help you connect with your audience, foster loyalty, and drive conversions. To start planning your Mother’s Day email marketing strategy, take a look at these five inspiring examples to spark your creativity.

1. Showcase personalized gift recommendations

Mother’s Day is a special occasion that calls for unique and thoughtful gifts. One way to make these gifts even more special is by allowing your customers to personalize them. It could be as simple as adding a monogram or engraving a special message. This personal touch shows that you have put careful thought and consideration into the gift, making it more meaningful and memorable. This is especially true for mothers who deserve to feel appreciated and loved on their special day.

Dior is a great example of a company that offers personalized gifting options. They offer bespoke engraving on any of its products for Mother’s Day, allowing customers to create a one-of-a-kind gift for their mothers. In addition, Dior also offers complimentary standard shipping, samples, and premium gift wrapping with every order. This attention to detail enhances the customer experience, ensuring a seamless and delightful process from start to finish.

2. Create an irresistible gift guide

Creating a well-crafted gift guide is an effective way to help your customers find the best present for their mothers. A carefully curated gift guide should feature a variety of products that cater to different interests, budgets, and preferences, meeting the unique needs of your diverse customer base.

To create an impactful gift guide, start by dividing your offerings into distinct categories. You can categorize your products based on specific interests, price points, or gift recipient personas. By arranging your products in such a manner, you make the selection process less overwhelming and more enjoyable for your customers.

In your Mother’s Day email marketing campaign, emphasize the gift guide as a helpful resource and provide direct links to the different categories. Use high-quality images and concise, informative product descriptions to enhance the browsing experience and pique the interest of potential buyers. Moreover, consider using a responsive, easy-to-navigate email design that performs well on both desktop and mobile devices to ensure a seamless experience for all subscribers.

An excellent example of this is FEEDprojects. In its Mother’s Day campaign, the brand highlighted various products from its range, catering to different preferences and budgets in its Mother’s Day shop. By showcasing these options, FEEDprojects provided customers with a thoughtfully curated selection to ease the decision-making process, resulting in a seamless shopping experience that ultimately benefits both customers and the brand.

3. Share inspiring stories

When creating a Mother’s Day email marketing campaign, it’s important to establish an emotional connection with your audience. You can achieve this by sharing heartwarming stories or testimonials that demonstrate how your brand and product have positively impacted the lives of mothers. This will strengthen your campaign and help build a bond with your subscribers. 

User-generated content (UGC) is an excellent way to enrich your campaign and make it more relatable. Encourage your audience to participate by inviting them to share their own experiences and stories. You can also enhance the appeal of your stories by including captivating photos or videos featuring real people, as this adds authenticity and engages your audience on a more personal level.

An excellent example of this approach is Cure’s ‘Moms Love Cure’ testimonials featured in its email campaign. These testimonials showcase how Cure’s products have helped mothers in different stages of their lives. The email also encourages recipients to share their own stories and photos via email, fostering a sense of community and allowing others to relate to and learn from shared experiences.

4. Amplify your non-profit’s mission

Mother’s Day is a great opportunity for non-profit organizations to spread awareness about their cause and engage their audience in a meaningful way. By leveraging this special day, non-profits can create Mother’s Day email marketing campaigns that highlight their mission, showcase their impact, and strengthen their connection with supporters.

One example of a non-profit that uses Mother’s Day effectively in its email campaigns is the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The foundation encourages recipients to send e-cards to children who are bravely fighting cancer on this special day. This simple gesture not only conveys sympathy and support to the children and their families but also draws attention to the foundation’s important mission.

5. Drive sales with interactive offers and engaging giveaways

Introducing engaging and exciting elements into your Mother’s Day email marketing campaigns can boost customer interaction and increase the likelihood of subscribers making a purchase. One effective way to achieve this is by incorporating gamification into your campaigns, like interactive contests or giveaways. These activities can encourage subscribers to participate in exchange for a chance to win appealing prizes or obtain exclusive discounts.

A prime example of this is Scentbird’s ‘Mother’s Day mystery sale’ campaign. It featured an interactive spinning wheel for subscribers to engage with and uncover a surprise gift for their mothers. Scentbird further enhanced the experience by including instant gifts in its promotional email, adding an extra layer of intrigue. This creative approach prompts impulsive purchases with enticing, time-sensitive offers, resulting in a more captivating and effective campaign.

Craft your successful Mother’s Day email marketing campaign

These five powerful ideas for Mother’s Day email marketing will help you create campaigns that resonate with your audience and boost sales. By crafting personalized messages, curating exclusive offers, sharing heartwarming stories, and hosting engaging giveaways, you can provide a memorable experience that truly honors this special occasion. Embrace these ideas to show genuine appreciation to all the mothers and become a part of their joyful celebrations with a campaign that stands out in their inboxes.

To make things easy for you, we’ve compiled a list of six Valentine’s Day email examples that can be adapted to your brand. These examples use effective techniques to evoke the spirit of the season and entice your audience to engage with your offerings.

1. Make hearts flutter with your best-sellers

Nothing speaks volumes about your brand’s offerings more than your top-performing products. This Valentine’s season, why not create an email campaign that recommends your top-performing products to entice customers and help them make confident purchasing decisions?

You can take inspiration from the well-known MAC Cosmetics Valentine’s Day campaign that displayed a range of lipsticks perfectly matched for the romantic occasion. With a captivating email design and on-theme copy, the email campaign directly addressed the desires of its audience, inspiring them to indulge in the perfect lipstick shades to make its Valentine’s Day celebration even more special. Besides, who can resist the appeal of a 30% off special offer on their favorite makeup products?

2. Share a Valentine’s gift guide

Gift guides have become a popular and effective way for brands to showcase their products and help customers make purchasing decisions during special occasions. BarkShop, an online store for dog lovers, created an excellent Valentine’s Day email campaign that offered a curated collection of Valentine’s gifts for dogs.

BarkShop’s pawsome gift guide combined eye-catching visuals, playful copy, and persuasive calls to action to both amuse and entice its subscribers. By highlighting an assortment of Valentine’s Day-themed toys and treats, BarkShop made it easy for dog owners to choose the perfect gift for their furry friends.

You can learn from BarkShop’s strategy and create a gift guide that resonates with your target audience’s needs and desires. Whether your brand caters to pet owners, gadget enthusiasts, fashion lovers, or any other niche, a well-crafted gift guide is invaluable in driving conversions and boosting your brand’s reputation during this season of love.

3. Entice with engaging interactive content

Email marketing has evolved into a more interactive conversation with customers, where you can create engaging content to make your emails more interesting. For instance, you can add interactive content such as quizzes or surveys to attract customers who enjoy learning insightful revelations about themselves or simply having a good time.

If you’re looking to strengthen the bond between your brand and customers during Valentine’s Day season, you can learn from Moosejaw’s email marketing strategy. The brand’s captivating email campaign featured a quiz that revealed customers’ love language. The visuals were custom-made and told a heartwarming story that made it difficult for customers to resist taking the quiz. By trying out this strategy, you can entice customers with engaging interactive content and encourage them to engage with your brand.

4. Share the love beyond promotions

While promotional emails have their place in your Valentine’s Day marketing efforts, it’s essential to remember that this occasion is about fostering emotional connections and showing appreciation. Whether you’re a for-profit business or a non-profit organization, you can use the spirit of Valentine’s Day to create warm and genuine connections with your audience without exclusively focusing on sales or fundraising.

Charity: Water exemplifies this approach with its personalized Valentine’s Day e-cards for donors, supporters, and fundraisers. By expressing heartfelt gratitude for its community’s efforts and making each card unique, it inspires people to continue supporting the brand’s cause and strengthen its connections with existing supporters.

From sharing heartwarming stories and testimonials to offering valuable content such as love-themed recipes or DIY gifts, these messages can show your audience that you care about more than just selling products or services.

By embracing this powerful method of expressing gratitude and affection, brands and organizations can reinforce their connection with email subscribers during Valentine’s Day. This approach not only strengthens the bond with existing customers and supporters but also showcases the thoughtful and caring nature of your organization to potential new audiences.

5. Embrace the power of storytelling

Valentine’s Day is an ideal time to create an email campaign that shares real-life love stories or memorable moments related to your brand and customers. This can be done by harnessing the power of storytelling to share emotionally compelling content that captivates your audience’s heart. By doing so, you can evoke feelings of warmth and affection in your audience.

Warby Parker, known for its stylish eyewear, created an impactful email campaign that skillfully merged visual storytelling with a touch of romance and humor. Its visual narratives engaged customers, drawing their attention to the brand’s products while also evoking lighthearted enjoyment.

You can encourage subscribers to share their unique love stories using a dedicated hashtag to foster organic social buzz. By doing so, you not only raise brand awareness but also strengthen social media engagement in a heartfelt way.

Remember, you don’t always have to focus on selling a product or service through your email campaigns. Instead, invest in creating an emotional connection with your audience that’s sure to leave a lasting, positive impression on your brand.

6. Be creative with your copywriting

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to let your creativity run wild with your copywriting. Innovative and witty email copy can entertain subscribers, make your brand memorable, and show that you think outside the box.

Beardbrand, a premium grooming brand, seized the opportunity to get creative with its Valentine’s Day email campaign. Playfully acknowledging the more traditional marketing techniques, Beardbrand crafted its email subject line and email copy to pique curiosity and grab attention.

Your brand can follow Beardbrand’s approach and incorporate clever copywriting concepts for your Valentine’s Day emails. Think of unique ways to address your audience, showcase your products, and perhaps even make them laugh. By being imaginative with your copy, you can leave a lasting impression and make your brand stand out in a sea of promotional messages during the Valentine’s Day season.

Capture hearts this Valentine’s Day

Whether your audience consists of hopeless romantics or practical shoppers, these six Valentine’s Day email examples will help you craft messages that resonate with emotion and drive sales. Remember, a successful email campaign during this season of love is a balance of presenting your offerings and showing genuine appreciation for your customers. By adapting these examples to your brand’s tone of voice and values, you’re on your way to deepening those customer connections and making the most of this Valentine’s Day.

This year’s Black Friday was influenced by a range of economic factors and channel developments, which emphasizes how essential it is to be aware of the evolving landscape. These factors included:

• High interest rates: As shoppers face financial pressures that impact their spending habits, you need to adapt to these challenges and recognize the increasing popularity of buy now, pay later (BNPL) and loyalty rewards options.
• Heavy discounting: Throughout the year, brands have adopted a more aggressive discount strategy than ever before. Encouraging customers to shop when they have already enjoyed many sales this year is a significant challenge.
• The Apple impact: Seasonal email marketing is now even more complicated thanks to Apple’s Mail Privacy Policy (MPP) and Link Tracking Protection (LTP). Not only does it make targeting more challenging, it makes measuring the success of your campaigns harder.
• ‘The fifth quarter’: Post-holiday promotions and seasonal clearances are more significant now as budget-conscious consumers seek deals and redeem holiday gift cards. This new ‘fifth quarter’ is another important avenue to capture additional sales.

With all that in mind, let’s explore some of the top trends we saw this year, dive into the numbers, and see what we can take away from the sales this year.

Black Friday trends 2023

1. The extended shopping period

The most prominent trend in 2023 was the extension of Black Friday deals. In the past couple of years we’ve seen a gradual extension beyond the traditional 24-hour sale window. But this year, even we were surprised to see brands beginning their Black Friday sales on November 1. Even more so that they continued them to the end of the month, six days after Black Friday.

Early access to sales is a tactic we promote to foster loyalty and engagement among your existing customers, but did brands go too early?

Normally, early access gives customers ample opportunity to peruse and plan their shopping activities. However, going too early can have the opposite effect. Rather than inspiring spontaneous action with limited-time offers, an extended sales period gives customers the time to talk themselves out of making a purchase.

Overall, Dotdigital experienced a 6% increase in emails sent over the whole month of November compared to 2022. Black Friday itself saw an 8% increase in email sends and the weekend as a whole increased by 2.5%.

2. Black Friday sales figures are strong

Merchants across the globe enjoyed all-round growth over Black Friday weekend, generating an 8.5% increase in revenue. This is an incredible feat, and during a time of financial uncertainty is something to be celebrated. Congratulations to all our ecommerce merchants who created engaging marketing campaigns that appeal to today’s savvy shoppers.

It’s even more impressive when we compared it to results reported by Barclays Bank which noted that transactions were down 0.63% compared to BFCM 2022. The same report also cited that the number of shoppers had fallen by 1.6%.

3. Email engagement increases

With shoppers looking for a great deal over Black Friday weekend, it’s no surprise that people of engaging with your marketing emails over this period. There has, however, been a lot of talk and speculation about Black Friday fatigue.

Customers are bored of getting the same messages over and over again (especially if you’re running your sales for a whole month). But, looking at the numbers, this doesn’t appear to be the case.

This year there was a marked increase in unique email open rates. Up by 11%, it’s clear that shoppers spent Black Friday 2023 perusing their inboxes looking for the best deal. The average open rate throughout the sales period, from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, was an incredible 31%.
In contrast, we did note a decline in click-through rates, down 13% to 3.6%. Don’t worry, though. 2023 saw the launch of another privacy update from Apple, also known as Link Tracking Protection. While its impact on Dotdigital users is minimal, it’s important to be aware of it as you report on your 2023 Black Friday results.

4. Abandoned carts drive sales across the line

It comes as no surprise to us at Dotdigital that merchants are increasingly adopting abandoned cart programs. After all, a personalized abandoned cart campaign can increase sales by 31% and average order value by 16%.

Over Black Friday, we saw a 47% increase in the number of cart abandonment emails being delivered compared to 2022. This growth can be attributed to increased awareness among merchants about the benefits of implementing this automation program, as well as the continual improvements in Dotdigital that make it easier than ever to deploy personalized campaigns in real-time.

In the US, this marked increase in abandoned cart sends generated a 28% increase in revenue. This further emphasizes the cost-efficiency and effectiveness of this strategy. Brands that embrace abandoned cart automation are not only recovering potentially lost sales but are also experiencing a positive impact on their bottom line by boosting customer lifetime value and fostering stronger customer relationships.

5. SMS is an action-packed channel

SMS sends increased 19% month-on-month, indicating that early adopters are really beginning to understand the channel.

Text message marketing is a strategy designed to cut through the noise. There isn’t a noisier time of year than Black Friday and the ensuing holiday season. The uplift in SMS sends over the whole month of November is a clear indication that marketers see significant benefit from adding SMS to their marketing strategy.

There was a significant increase in the number of brands offering new subscribers discounts when they signed up for SMS. It’s a brilliantly smart tactic. SMS messages are fast to build and concise, perfect for communicating flash sales and exclusive discounts to loyal customers. Plus, offering discounts at the point of sign-up is a strong list-building tactic, encouraging shoppers to turn to SMS as a form of communicating with their favorite brands

What can we learn from Black Friday 2023?

Despite an extended shopping period and potential customer fatigue, merchants still experienced impressive sales figures, increased email engagement, and reaped the benefits of implementing effective cart abandonment programs this Black Friday.

As competition to capture customers’ attention intensifies each year, brands should focus on crafting innovative campaigns that stand out from the crowd and appeal to increasingly savvy shoppers. Real-time, moments-based marketing, like cart abandonment campaigns, is vital during these busy periods. The significant value of this approach is already evident, with increased revenue generated from these campaigns during Black Friday.

Black Friday 2023 has re-emphasized the need for brands to be proactive and adaptable, leveraging the power of personalization and real-time marketing strategies to maximize customer engagement and drive sales. By focusing on the whole customer experience, and paying close attention to consumer behavior and trends, you will be better equipped to create compelling campaigns.

Black Friday 2023 in numbers

• Global email sends increased by 6%
• Emails sent on the day of Black Friday increased by 8%
• The open rate for Black Friday weekend was 31.2%
• Open rates increased year-on-year by 11%
• The click-through rate (CTR) for Black Friday weekend was 3.6%
• CTR rates declined by 13% year-on-year
• Revenue generated over Black Friday 2023 increased by 8.5%
• The number of cart abandonment campaigns increased by 47%
• Overall revenue generated by abandoned cart campaigns increased by 4.5%
• SMS sends grew 19% month-on-month

Methodology

Figures for this Black Friday debrief came from data pulled from the Dotdigital platform. Comparative data (2023 vs. 2022) was pulled from a pool of Dotdigital users who were active during both time frames. We define active as using the Dotdigital platform to send email, SMS, or other marketing activity.

2023 Black Friday figures were based on activity from 00:00 Friday 24 November to 23:59 Monday 27 November across our three core regions: Australia, the UK, and the USA. They were compared against figures pulled from 00:00 Friday 25 November 2022 to 23:59 Monday 28 November 2022 across the same regions.

The stories and messages they impart impact the mood of the season.  

The game was changed one November day back in 2011 when John Lewis released ‘The Long Wait’, a masterpiece that made John Lewis adverts a ‘thing’. Since then, supermarkets have been vying for the top spot of the season. Millions are being spent on a single 60-second clip that needs to be just right.  

The year of the cameo

This year, more than ever before, brands have spent a healthy wodge of their advertising budgets on getting some famous faces to support their Christmas messages. The music has also shifted this. There’s a notable lack of twinkly, nostalgic tunes that hit us in the feels. Instead, brands are opting for something more upbeat and reminiscent of a Christmas office party.  

Maybe it’s the fallout from all the doom and gloom of the past year, but there is a celebratory feel to most ads this year. And, as a lover of sparkly dresses and sipping bubbly with friends, I have to say I’m all for it.   

But that’s not to say all the ads this year were stellar. As always there were some haves and have-nots and some that missed the mark by a mile.  

Let’s go through this year’s most notable Christmas ads and see what we can take from the messages this year.  

John Lewis: Snapper, The Perfect Tree 

It would be remiss of me not to start with John Lewis. So, here we are.  

The big message: Let your traditions grow  

Festive feels: 5/10 – There’s snow, presents, a Christmas tree, family, etc.  

Overall verdict: 3/10 

This is a hard one to wrap my head around. For so long John Lewis has dominated the Christmas ad game but this year it feels lucky to get a three. I have to admit, it’s grown on me the more I’ve watched it, but I still don’t get it.  

I’ve read all about how John Lewis decided to go in a new direction this year. They worked with a new agency to shake things up. And in that vein, it has created this ad about embracing new traditions. Traditions – a theme other brands have embraced this year and succeeded. This one did not.  

My biggest issue with it is the lack of coherent storytelling. I can understand why the boy might be attached to this destructive plant, but why the rest of the family? To be brutally honest, the kid comes across as a bit of a brat stomping out the house on Christmas morning to be with his plant.  

His family has undoubtedly worked hard to make the day memorable for him (as anyone who has hosted family at Christmas can attest to) but he doesn’t even spare them a Christmas morning hug. So why do they go out and join him and Snapper in the cold garden? 

I’m at a loss – where are the John Lewis ads of the days gone by? 

M&S Christmas Clothing & Home 

The big message: Love Thismas, not Thatmas 

Festive feels: 7/10 – snow, sparkly dresses, and sipping champers 

Overall verdict: 7/10 

Don’t hate me when I say I actually like this one, despite the early controversy around it.  

I feel like it got the ‘traditions’ message right. Stick to the old traditions that make you happy, and don’t waste your time on the ones that don’t.  

M&S really laid down the gauntlet here in terms of its Christmas cameos. We’ve got Hannah Waddingham (the official face of Christmas 2023), Sophie Ellis-Baxter, Tan France, and Zawe Ashton all saying goodbye to the traditions they hate the most. Plus, the music, a fun cover of Meatloaf’s ‘I Would Do Anything For Love’ is a perfect pair with the message.  

The thing that I really like about this is how well M&S knows its audience. Maybe it’s from years of M&S Food ads, but it feels like an indulgent brand and the ‘do only what makes you happy’ is in perfect keeping with it. I’m all for protecting your peace during the holidays.  

A Magical Christmas with Lidl 

https://youtu.be/L7SpYFZzqlY?si=mmDHkOJXlXBctQrb

The big message: Gift a toy to Lidl’s Toybank and share the magic. 

Festive feels: 8/10 – adorable animals, snow, fairy lights, and a little sprinkle of newfound friendships.  

Overall verdict: 8/10 

What can I say, this is giving me big John Lewis vibes. It’s sweet, and sentimental, and brought a tear to my eye.  

My big question – why a raccoon? Not a very festive animal but oh well.  

It’s a sweet story about the power that gifting a toy can have. It’s about being kind to everyone, even the stray orphaned raccoon who drops off your owner’s son’s missing toy. The music is soft and sweet, there’s a happy ending. Overall, it’s a cutie.  

Waitrose: It’s Time For The Good Stuff 

https://youtu.be/LyHauuJ6WeA?si=Uv5VgyuAkO1pqRfj

The big message: Is there one? If I had to give it one, it would be to feel no shame indulging this holiday season.  

Festive feels: 7/10 – it’s party season 

Overall verdict: 7/10 

To be totally honest with you, Waitrose gets a whole extra point for the Graham Norton cameo alone. Other than that, there’s not a whole lot to say on this one. There’s no poignant message or tear-jerking moment. It’s just a bunch of friends, having a good time over the holidays – and isn’t that what we really want, anyway? 

The song is a certified banger – Depeche Mode’s ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ – and the jokes are cheesy as hell. I love it.  

Aldi: Kevin And The Christmas Factory 

The big message: Share the love this Christmas 

Festive feels: 4/10 – it’s got a Christmassy message in there, lots of Christmas dinner staples. 

Overall verdict: 3/10 

Fine, I’ll say it – I’m not a fan of Kevin The Carrot. It’s aimed at children and families, I know, but there’s something wholly unappealing about a talking carrot. Give me a talking dog any day. I also don’t like the past couple of years where they’ve simply parodied an existing movie. It feels flat. Like they couldn’t be bothered to come up with their own idea so copied whatever was on the TV that day.   

Asda: Make this Christmas Incredibublé 

The big message: No one loves Christmas as much as us at Asda 

Festive feels: 7/10 – Michael Bublé – need I say more?  

Overall verdict: 6/10 

Oh, jingle my bells that’s great.  

This is simply a joy to watch. A Michael Bublé cameo in a Christmas ad. Brilliant. Why hasn’t he been doing it for years? 

What I like about this ad is it gives a lighthearted glimpse at the work going on behind the scenes to stock the shelves with festive fancies. Asda has Bublé discussing food trends, holiday clothes, and more. It’s a smart way of showing off its holiday products whilst recognizing the delivery drivers and warehouse staff that make grocery shopping over the season possible.  

Sainsbury’s: The Big Fella’s Christmas Dinner 

The big message: It’s another one that doesn’t really have a message and I think it’s a stretch to find one amongst all the overt product placements.  

Festive feels: 5/10 

Overall verdict: 5/10 

Another ad, another cameo. This time it’s the turn of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up Singer’, Rick Astley. There’s a cheeky little pun in there about the song and that’s about as good as it gets for this one.  

Tesco: Helping you #BecomeMoreChristmas 

The big message: It’s Christmas, enjoy yourself. 

Festive feels: 9/10 – the only thing that would make this more Christmassy is if the big man was in it himself. 

Overall verdict: 9/10 

What can I say except that I love it? It’s funny and happy, simply brimming with Christmas joy. Seeing that burly, grumpy-looking dad poof into a joy-filled Christmas tree was unexpected and delightful. Seeing the star pop up when he heard the glorious words “Clubcard accepted”, in perfect timing with OMC’s ‘How Bizarre’ – pure brilliance, get the director an Oscar.  

Underneath it, you have a similar message to that which we’ve seen in M&S and Waitrose Food – do what makes you happy. And if that’s embracing the gaudy Christmas decorations, or taste-testing all the festive foods before the big day, who cares?  

I love the contrast with the angsty teen, trying to hold back and deny his love for the holiday. He’s all eye rolls and angsty expressions until he’s given the star he made a child. Then poof. He’s a Christmas tree too.

Morrisons: The Christmas Ad 

The big message: Celebrating the Christmas hosts and their oven gloves – the quiet heroes of the holidays 

Festive feels: 5/10 – pigs in blankets, mince pies, and a cat outside in the snow.  

Overall verdict: 6/10 

I’ve never included Morrisons in my Christmas ad round-up. They never really rank, there’s not a lot of chatter about them, but this one, I really enjoy this one.  

Okay, it’s not overly festive. Starship’s ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’ is not a renowned Christmas song. But having been running the kitchen for many Christmases now, it’s nice to get some acknowledgment of the hard work that goes into it.  

Plus, I love the oven mitt that looks like a crazy cat.  I want it. I need it. 

Boots: #GiveJoy 

The big message: The spirit of giving  

Festive feels: 8/10 – Christmas tree, snow, presents, and the big man himself 

Overall verdict: 8/10 

This is a really sweet advert about a girl’s road trip to deliver a present to Father Christmas. Along the way, they drop off some quite tongue-in-cheek presents to the people who give them a helping hand. The music is jolly and upbeat. The feel is warm and cozy. It’s an all-around great ad. Well done, Boots.  

Side note: For all our American readers, Macy’s and a very adorable similar ad this year too. Check it out. 

Are you feeling festive yet?  

Well, what do we learn from the ads this year, other than how great the holiday season is?  

Not much, really. One thing that really comes across is that sentimentality is out. There aren’t many tear-jerkers this year, and after the past couple of years, maybe that’s a good thing.  

My main takeaway from this year’s ads is the remember to take the time to treat myself. Too often we find ourselves running about trying to make everyone else’s Christmas magical that we forget about ourselves.  

Maybe it’s time to update your holiday marketing with a ‘treat yo’ self’ message, to encourage your audience to indulge in that item they’ve been eyeing up.  

Bonus ads 

If this year’s ads didn’t hit the mark for you, check out some of my festive faves below:  

• John Lewis: Excitable Edgar 
• Sainsbury’s: 1914 
• John Lewis: Moz the Monster 
• Sainsbury’s: The Big Night  
• John Lewis: Buster the Boxer 
• Irn Bru: Snowman 
• Allegro: English For Beginners 
• M&S: Mrs Claus  

How you use them and which you choose to include in your social media marketing plan will vary depending on your brand and your audience. Remember, the goal is to surprise and delight, and sometimes, the weird and wonderful is what it takes to engage customers and stop the scroll. Of course, you know we love a cross-channel approach, and social media and email marketing can really help each other out.

We’ve compiled a list of key social media dates for 2024. This list is extensive, it’s not exhaustive. With so many more holidays popping up, there are sure to be some we’ve missed. But this list is designed to help inspire some new campaigns and help you plan unique ways to engage your customers.

January 2024

Themes for the month

Dry January #DryJanuary

National Mentoring Month #Mentoring Amplifies

National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

January hashtag calendar

January 1 – New Year’s Day #NewYearsDay

January 2 – National Motivation and Inspiration Day #MotivationandInspirationDay

January 2 – Science Fiction Day #ScienceFictionDay

January 2 – World Introvert Day #WorldIntrovertDay

January 3 – Festival of Sleep Day #FestivalOfSleepDay

January 4 – National Spaghetti Day #NationalSpaghettiDay

January 6 – Epiphany #Epiphany 

January 7 – The Golden Globe Awards #GoldenGlobes 

January 8 – Clean Off Your Desk Day #CleanOffYourDeskDay

January 8 – Bubble Bath Day #BubbleBathDay

January 11 – Human Trafficking Awareness Day #HumanTraffickingAwarenessDay

January 13 – National Sticker Day #NationalStickerDay

January 13 – Make Your Dreams Come True Day #DreamsComeTrue

January 14 – Organize Your Home Day #OrganizeYourHomeDay

January 14 – National Vision Board Day #VisionBoardDay

January 14 – Dress Up Your Pet Day #DressUpYourPetDay

January 15 – National Hat Day #NationalHatDay

January 15 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day #MLKDay

January 18 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers

January 18 – Winnie The Pooh Day #WinnieThePoohDay

January 19 – Popcorn Day #PopcornDay

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January 20 – Penguin Awareness Day #PenguinAwarenessDay

January 23 – National Pie Day #PieDay

January 21 – National Hugging Day #NationalHuggingDay

January 24 – National Compliment Day #NationalComplimentDay

January 25 – Opposite Day #OppositeDay

January 27 – Chocolate Cake Day #ChocolateCakeDay

January 28 – Data Privacy Day #DataPrivacyDay

January 30 – Croissant Day #CroissantDay

January 31 – Backwards Day #BackwardsDay

February 2024

Themes for the month

National Black History Month (USA)

LGBT+ History Month (UK)

February hashtag calendar

February 2 – Groundhog Day #GroundhogDay

February 2 – World Wetlands Day #WorldWetlandsDay

February 2 – National Bubble Gum Day #BubbleGumDay

February 2 – National Wear Red Day #WearRed

February 3 – Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast Day #IceCream

February 3 – Golden Retriever Day #GoldenRetrieverDay

February 4 – World Cancer Day #WorldCancerDay #WeCanICan

February 5 – The Grammy Awards #Grammys2024

February 6 – Frozen Yoghurt Day #FrozenYoghurtDay

February 6 – Safer Internet Day #SaferInternetDay

February 7 – National Send a Card to a Friend Day #SendACardToAFriendDay

February 8 – National Boy Scouts Day #BoyScoutsDay

February 9 – National Pizza Day #PizzaDay

February 9 – New York Fashion Week begins #NYFW

February 10 – Chinese New Year #YearOfTheDragon

February 11 – Super Bowl LVIII #SuperBowl2024

February 13 – Self-Love Day #SelfLoveDay

February 13 – Shrove Tuesday #PancakeDay

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February 13 – Galentine’s Day #GalentinesDay

February 13 – Mardi Gras #MardiGras

February 14 – Valentine’s Day #ValentinesDay

February 15 – Singles Awareness Day #SinglesAwarenessDay

February 17 – Random Acts of Kindness Day #RandomActsOfKindnessDay

February 16 – London Fashion Week begins #LFW

February 19 – Presidents Day #PresidentsDay

February 20 – London Fashion Week ends #LFW

February 20 – Love Your Pet Day #LoveYourPetDay

February 29 – Leap Year Day #LeapYear

February 29 – Toast Day #ToastDay

March 2024

Themes for the month

Women’s History Month

American Red Cross Month

Ramadan: March 10, 2024 – April 9, 2024

March hashtag calendar

March 1 – Employee Appreciation Day #EmployeeAppreciationDay

March 1 – Peanut Butter Lover’s Day #PeanutButterLoversDay

March 2 – Dr. Suess Day #DrSuessDay

March 3 – World Wildlife Day #WorldWildlifeDay

March 7 – Cereal Day #CerealDay

March 7 – World Book Day and Copyright Day #BookDay

March 8 – International Women’s Day #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2024 #EachforEqual

March 9 – Meatball Day #MeatballDay

March 10 – International Day of Awesomeness #IDOA

March 10 – Mother’s Day (UK) #HappyMothersDay

March 10 – The Academy Awards #Oscars2024

March 11 – National Napping Day #NationalNappingDay

March 12 – Organize Your Home Office Day #OrganizeYourHomeOfficeDay

March 12 – National Girl Scout Day #GirlScoutDay

March 12 – National Organize Your Home Office Day #WFH

March 14 – Potato Chip Day #NationalPotatoChipDay

March 15 – World Sleep Day #WorldSleepDay

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March 16 – Panda Day #PandaDay

March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day #StPatricksDay

March 18 – Awkward Moments Day #AwkwardMomentsDay

March 19 – National Let’s Laugh Day #NationalLetsLaughDay

March 20 – First Day of Spring #FirstDayofSpring

March 20 – International Day of Happiness #InternationalDayofHappiness

March 20 – World Storytelling Day #WorldStorytellingDay

March 21 – Elimination of Racial Discrimination Day #RacialDiscriminationDay

March 21 – World Poetry Day #WorldPoetryDay

March 22 – World Water Day #WorldWaterDay #Water2me

March 23 – Puppy Day #PuppyDay

March 23 – Earth Hour Day #EarthHourDay

March 25 – Tolkien Reading Day #TolkienReadingDay

March 26 – Good Hair Day #GoodHairDay

March 29 –  Good Friday #GoodFriday

March 31 – Easter Sunday #HappyEaster 

March 31 – Transgender Day of Visibility #TDOV

March 31 – National Taco Day #NationalTacoDay

April 2024

Themes for the month

Stress Awareness Month

National Poetry Month

April hashtag calendar

April 1 – Easter Monday #HappyEaster 

April 1 – April Fools Day #AprilFools

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April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day #AutismAcceptance

April 3 – Find a Rainbow Day #FindARainbowDay

April 3 – World Party Day #PartyDay

April 5 –  Walk To Work Day #WalkToWorkDay

April 7 – World Health Day #LetsTalk

April 9 – Unicorn Day #UnicornDay

April 10 – Siblings Day #SiblingsDay

April 11 – Pet Day #PetDay

April 15 – World Art Day #WASD2024

April 16 – Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day #PJDay

April 18 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers

April 18 – National High-Five Day #NH5D

April 20 – National Lookalike Day #NationalLookalikeDay

April 21 – World Creativity and Innovation Day #Innovate

April 22 – Earth Day #EarthDay2024

April 23 – National Picnic Day #NationalPicnicDay

April 24 – Pigs in a Blanket Day #PigsInBlanketsDay

April 25 – Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day #COUNTONME

April 25 – World Malaria Day #EndMalariaForGood

April 28 – National Superhero Day #SuperheroDay

April 29 – International Dance Day #InternationalDanceDay

April 30 – Adopt a Shelter Pet Day #AdoptAShelterPetDay

May 2024

Themes for the month

National Barbeque Month

Lupus Awareness Month

May hashtag calendar

May 1 – May Day #MayDay

May 2 – World Password Day #WorldPasswordDay

May 3 – Write a review Day #WriteaReviewDay

May 4 – Star Wars Day #MayThe4thBeWithYou

May 4 – Bird Day #BirdDay

May 5 – Cinco de Mayo #CincoDeMayo

May 6 – Music Monday #MusicMonday

May 6 – Nurses Day #NursesDay

May 8 – World Donkey Day #DonkeyDay

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May 8 – Parents’ Day (Korea) #ParentsDay

May 10 – World Lupus Day #LupusDay

May 11 – Eat What You Want Day #EatWhatYouWantDay

May 12 – Limerick Day #LimerickDay

May 12 – Mother’s Day (US) #MothersDay

May 13 – World Cocktail Day #CocktailDay

May 15 – International Day of Families #FamilyDay

May 15 – National Chocolate Chip Day #ChocolateChipDay

May 16 – Love a Tree Day #LoveATreeDay

May 17 – Endangered Species Day #EndangeredSpeciesDay

May 17 – World Baking Day #BakingDay

May 18 – Visit Your Relatives Day #VisitYourRelativesDay

May 20 – World Bee Day #BeeDay

May 22 – Sherlock Holmes Day #SherlockHolmesDay

May 24 – National Scavenger Hunt Day #NationalScavengerHuntDay

May 24 – Brother’s Day #BrothersDay

May 25 – Wine Day #WineDay

May 27 – Memorial Day #MemorialDay

May 28 – Hamburger Day #NationalHamburgerDay

May 30 – National Creativity Day #NationalCreativityDay

May 30 – Web Designer Day #WebDesignerDay

May 31 – Heat Awareness Day #NoFryDay

June 2024

Themes for the month

Pride Month

Men’s Health Education and Awareness Month

June hashtag calendar

June 2 – National Cancer Survivor’s Day #NCSD2024

June 2 – Rocky Road Day #RockyRoadDay

June 5 – World Environment Day #WorldEnvironmentDay

June 6 – Drive-in Movie Day #DriveInMovieDay

June 7 – Donut Day #DonutDay

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June 7 – Chocolate Ice Cream Day #ChocolateIceCreamDay

June 8 – World Oceans Day #WorldOceansDay

June 8 – Best Friends Day #BestFriendsDay

June 11 – Make Life Beautiful Day #MakeLifeBeautiful

June 14 – National Flag Day #FlagDay

June 14 – World Blood Donor Day #GiveBlood

June 16 – Fudge Day #FudgeDay

June 16 – Father’s Day #HappyFathersDay

June 17 – Eat Your Vegetables Day #EatYourVegetablesDay

June 18 – International Picnic Day #PicnicDay

June 19 – Martini Day #MartiniDay

June 19 – Juneteenth #Juneteenth

June 20 – World Refugee Day #WorldRefugeeDay

June 20 – First Day of Summer #FirstDayOfSummer

June 21 – National Selfie Day #NationalSelfieDay

June 21 – Take Your Dog To Work Day #TakeYourDogToWorkDay

June 21 – World Music Day #WorldMusicDay

June 21 – International Yoga Day #InternationalYogaDay

June 27 – Sunglasses Day #SunglassesDay

June 30 – Social Media Day #SMDay, #SocialMediaDay

July 2024

Themes for the month

National Ice Cream Month

National Grilling Month

National Independent Retailer Month

July hashtag calendar

July 1 – Joke Day #JokeDay

July 1 – Canada Day #CanadaDay

July 2 – World UFO Day #WorldUFODay

July 4 – Independence Day #July4th

July 5 – Bikini Day #BikiniDay

July 6 – Fried Chicken Day #FriedChickenDay

July 7 – World Chocolate Day #WorldChocolateDay

July 9 – Fashion Day #FashionDay

July 10 – Pina Colada Day #PinaColadaDay

July 11 – Cheer Up the Lonely Day #CheerUpTheLonelyDay

July 11 – National Mojito Day #MojitoDay

July 12 – Malala Day #MalalaDay

July 12 – French Fries Day #FrenchFriesDay

July 14 – Mac and Cheese Day #MacCheeseDay

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July 15 – Give Something Away Day #GiveSomethingAwayDay

July 16 – Guinea Pig Appreciation Day #GuineaPigs

July 17 – World Emoji Day #WorldEmojiDay

July 18 – Nelson Mandela International Day #MandelaDay

July 18 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers

July 20 – Lollipop Day #LollipopDay

July 20 – National Moon Day #NationalMoonDay

July 20 – National Father-in-Law Day #FatherInLawDay

July 21 – Ice Cream Day #IceCreamDay

July 21 – Junk Food Day #JunkFoodDay

July 24 – Tequila Day #TequilaDay

July 25 – National Wine and Cheese Day #WineAndCheeseDay 

July 26 – All or Nothing Day #AllOrNothing

July 26 – Summer Olympic Games begins #Olympics2024

July 27 – National Intern Day #NationalInternDay 

July 28 – Milk Chocolate Day #MilkChocolate Day

July 29 – Lipstick Day #LipstickDay

July 30 – International Day of Friendship #DayOfFriendship

July 31 – Harry Potter’s Birthday #HappyBirthdayHarry

August 2024

Themes for the month

National Immunization Awareness Month

Black Business Month

August hashtag calendar

August 1 – National Girlfriends Day #NationalGirlfriendsDay

August 2 – International Beer Day #BeerDay

August 2 – Coloring Book Day #ColoringBookDay

August 3 – Watermelon Day #WatermelonDay

August 4 – National Sisters Day #SistersDay

August 5 – Blogger Day #BloggerDay

August 8 – National Bowling Day #Bowling Day

August 8 – International Cat Day #CatDay

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August 9 – Book Lovers Day #BookLoversDay

August 10 – Lazy Day #LazyDay

August 11 – Summer Olympic Games end #Olympics2024

August 11 – Sons and Daughters Day #SonsAndDaughtersDay

August 12 – World Elephant Day #WorldElephantDay

August 13 – International Lefthanders Day #LefthandersDay

August 15 – Relaxation Day #RelaxationDay

August 16 – Tell a Joke Day #TellAJokeDay

August 17 – Non-Profit Day #NonProfitDay

August 18 – Never Give Up Day #NeverGiveUp

August 19 – World Photo Day #WorldPhotoDay

August 19 – World Humanitarian Day #WorldHumanitarianDay

August 20 – National Lemonade Day #NationalLemonadeDay

August 23 – Sponge Cake Day #SpongeCakeDay

August 25 – Banana Split Day #BananaSplitDay

August 26 – Dog Day #DogDay

August 27 – World Rock Paper Scissors Day #RockPaperScissor

August 28 – Summer Paralympics begins #Paris2024

August 29 – Chop Suey Day #ChopSuey

September 2024

Themes for the month

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Suicide Prevention Month

Friendship Month

Back to School

September hashtag calendar

September 2 – Labor Day #LaborDay

September 2 – World Coconut Day #WorldCoconutDay

September 4 – Eat An Extra Dessert Day #EatAnExtraDessert

September 5 – International Day of Charity #CharityDay

September 6 – Read a Book Day #ReadABookDay

September 7 – Superhuman Day #SuperhumanDay

September 8 – International Literacy Day #LiteracyDay

September 8 – Summer Paralympics ends #Paris2024

September 8 – Stand Up To Cancer Day #KissCancerGoodbye

September 11 – Day of Service and Remembrance #911Day

September 13 – Positive Thinking Day #PositiveThinkingDay

September 15 – Greenpeace Day #GreenpeaceDay

September 19 – Talk Like a Pirate Day #TalkLikeAPirateDay

September 21 – International Day of Peace #PeaceDay

September 21 – Miniature Golf Day #MiniGolfDay

September 21 – World Alzheimer’s Day #Alzheimer’sDay

September 22 – Car-Free Day #CarFreeDay

September 22 – Hobbit Day #LordOfTheRings

September 22 – National Ice Cream Cone Day #NationalIceCreamConeDay

September 22 – First Day of Fall #1stDayOfFall

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September 24 – National Punctuation Day #NationalPunctuationDay

September 26 – European Day of Languages #EDL2024

September 27 – World Tourism Day #WTD2024

September 28 – International Rabbit Day #InternationalRabbitDay

September 28 – Good Neighbor Day #GoodNeighborDay

September 29 – World Heart Day #HeartDay

September 30 – Love People Day #NationalLovePeopleDay

October 2024

Themes for the month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Global Diversity Awareness Month

National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month

National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Black History Month (UK)

October hashtag calendar

October 1 – World Vegetarian Day #WorldVegetarianDay

October 1 – International Coffee Day #CoffeeDay

October 2 – Name Your Car Day #NameYourCarDay

October 4 – World Animal Day #WorldAnimalDay

October 5 – World Teachers Day #WorldTeachersDay

October 6 – Grandparents Day #GrandparentsDay

October 6 – Noodle Day #NoodleDay

October 10 – World Sight Day #WorldSightDay

October 10 – World Mental Health Day #WorldMentalHeathDay

October 11 – World Egg Day #WorldEggDay

October 11 – International Day of the Girl #DayOfTheGirl

October 13 – Train Your Brain Day #TrainYourBrainDay

October 15 – Global Handwashing Day #GlobalHandwashingDay

October 16 – World Food Day #FoodDay

October 17 – Spreadsheet Day #Spreadsheets

October 17 – Get To Know Your Customers Day #Customers

October 19 – Evaluate Your Life Day #EvaluateYourLife

October 21 – Reptile Awareness Day #ReptileAwarenessDay

October 24 – United Nations Day #UNDay

October 25 – Greasy Foods Day #GreasyFoodsDay

October 26 – Make a Difference Day #MDDAy

October 26 – Pumpkin Day #PumpkinDay

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October 30 – Checklist Day #ChecklistDay

October 31 – Halloween #Halloween

November 2024

Themes for the month

Men’s Health Awareness Month #Movember

Epilepsy Awareness Month

November hashtag calendar

November 1 – World Vegan Day #WorldVeganDay

November 2 – International Stress Awareness Day #StressAwarenessDay

November 3 – Sandwich Day #SandwichDay

November 4 – Candy Day #CandyDay

November 4 – Use Your Common Sense Day #CommonSense

November 8 – Cappuccino Day #CappuccinoDay

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November 9 – World Freedom Day #Freedom Day

November 10 – Tongue Twister Day #TongueTwisterDay

November 11 – Veterans Day #VeteransDay

November 11 – Singles Day #SinglesDay

November 12 – Happy Hour Day #HappyHourDay

November 13 – World Kindness Day #WKD

November 14 – World Diabetes Day #WDD

November 15 – Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day #CleanOutYourRefrigeratorDay

November 16 – International Day for Tolerance #ToleranceDay

November 16 – Fast Food Day #FastFoodDay

November 18 – Mickey Mouse’s Birthday #MickeyMouse

November 19 – International Men’s Day #InternationalMensDay

November 19 – Women’s Entrepreneurship Day #WomensEntrepreneurshipDay

November 21 – World Hello Day #WorldHelloDay

November 23 – Espresso Day #EspressoDay

November 26 – National Cake Day #NationalCakeDay

November 28 – Thanksgiving Day #Thanksgiving

November 28 – French Toast Day #FrenchToastDay

November 29 – Black Friday #BlackFriday2024

November 30 – Small Business Saturday #SmallBusinessSaturday

December 2024

Themes for the month

Christmas: December 24-26

Hanukkah: December 25, 2024 – January 2, 2025

Kwanzaa: December 26, 2024 – January 2, 2025

December hashtag calendar

December 1 – World AIDS Day #WAD2024

December 2 – Cyber Monday #CyberMonday

December 2 – Play Basketball Day #PlayBasketballDay

December 3 – Giving Tuesday #GivingTuesday

December 3 – Make A Gift Day #MakeAGiftDay

December 4 – Cookie Day #CookieDay

December 5 – International Ninja Day #DayOfTheNinja

December 7 – Cotton Candy Day #CottonCandyDay

December 8 – Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day #PretendToBeATimeTravelerDay

December 8 – Brownie Day #BrownieDay

December 9 – Christmas Card Day #ChristmasCardDay

December 10 – Human Rights Day #HumanRightsDay

December 11 – International Mountain Day #InternationalMountainDay

December 12 – Gingerbread House Day #GingerbreadHouseDay

December 14 – Monkey Day #MonkeyDay

December 15 – 10 Days to Christmas #10DaysToGo

December 18 – Bake Cookies Day #BakeCookiesDay

December 21 – Crossword Puzzle Day #CrosswordPuzzleDay

December 21 – First Day of Winter #WinterSolstice

December 24 – Christmas Eve #ChristmasEve

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December 25 – Christmas Day #MerryChristmas

December 31 – No Interruptions Day #NoInterruptionsDay

December 31 – New Year’s Eve #NYE2024

Let’s wrap up

Ensure you never miss an opportunity to connect with your audience and create content that drives engagement by planning your social media strategy well in advance. Use this comprehensive list of key social media dates for 2024 as a reference and schedule your content around these special events to see your brand’s engagement soar throughout the year.

In this post, we will share five effective ways to say thank you to your customers, along with free email templates and examples to help you create compelling messages that resonate with your target audience. 

1. Craft personalized thank you emails

You can show your appreciation to your customers by sending personalized thank-you emails. Marketers can create these messages using zero-party data such as customers’ names, preferences, or browsing history. 

A well-executed personalized thank you email not only shows appreciation but also helps to build stronger emotional connections between customers and your brand. When customers feel like they are more than just a number, they are more likely to become loyal supporters of your brand.

Email template #1: personalized thank you

Subject: Hey [First Name], A heartfelt thank you just for you ?

Dear [First Name],

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, our team at [Your Company Name] can’t help but reflect on our journey this year. And we know it’s awesome customers like you who make all the difference.

We noticed you’ve checked out [specific item, category, or service] on our website, and as a token of our appreciation, here’s an insider scoop for you. [Mention an exclusive tip, special offer, or news related to their interest.] 

Once again, thank you for being a part of our growing community. If you ever have any queries or need support, our friendly team is just an email or a call away at [customer support email or phone number].

Wishing you a fantastic day,

2. Deliver exclusive deals or promotions

This Thanksgiving, it’s a great opportunity to express your gratitude toward your loyal customers. Show them that you appreciate their support by offering exclusive deals and discounts that will excite and inspire their loyalty. By speaking directly with your loyal customers, you can enhance your brand’s reputation and encourage repeat purchases. 

Draw inspiration from Boden, a fashion brand that charmed its audience with an email titled ‘Celestine’s Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie’. The dynamic email featured a pumpkin pie with each slice symbolizing different Thanksgiving aspects. From expressing gratitude for friends and family to taking cheerful pictures, Boden’s email displays clever and engaging copy to capture the most treasured moments of Thanksgiving. 

The email also rewarded customers with 30% off throughout the Thanksgiving period at Boden. The irresistible combination of a visually engaging email and an attractive discount makes Boden’s Thanksgiving message memorable.

Free email template #2: Thanksgiving exclusive

Subject: ? Our way of saying thanks: exclusive offers just for you  

Dear [First Name],

As we give thanks this season, we want to take a moment to show our appreciation. To celebrate your loyalty, we’ve handpicked some deals and offers exclusively for our valued customers like you.

Here’s the scoop on our special Thanksgiving treats:

1. Promo Code: [THANKS10] – Save 10% on [specific product or category].
2. Limited Time Bundle: Buy [Product A] and get [Product B] for 50% off, no code needed.

To redeem these offers, simply use the promo codes provided at checkout or follow the link below to explore our limited-time bundles: [Link to Exclusive Offers Page]

These delightful deals are just our way of saying thank you for being an amazing customer. Act fast, as these offers are valid only until [expiration date].

Wishing you a warm and memorable Thanksgiving filled with love and gratitude.

Warm regards,

3. Highlight your customers’ stories

During Thanksgiving, you can create thank you emails that not only express gratitude to your customers but also highlight how they utilize your products in their meaningful moments. 

Take the jewelry brand James Allen as an example. It masterfully thanks its loyal customers by offering a 25% discount and dedicating an entire email to celebrating them. By showcasing different couple photos who have chosen the brand’s engagement rings, the brand cleverly displays both their products and social proof simultaneously. How ingenious.

This approach serves as a great way to introduce special promotions and entice your subscribers to purchase thoughtful Thanksgiving gifts for their loved ones or even themselves.

Encouraging customers to share user-generated content (UGC) and tag the brand on social media platforms is a unique opportunity for brands to engage with their customers on a more personal level. This approach helps brands to create a sense of community and establish stronger connections with their existing customers. 

The shared stories and images provide an authentic and relatable representation of the brand through the eyes of real customers. As these customer stories and images gain visibility on social media, they act as powerful, organic word-of-mouth marketing that attracts new customers who relate to the experiences shared.

Free email template #3: customer stories

Subject: You’re the Star this Thanksgiving ?

Dear [First Name],

Thanksgiving is more than just a time for feasting and giving thanks. It’s also about sharing stories and experiences with loved ones. At [Your Company’s Name], we believe that every one of our valued customers has a special story to tell, which is why we want to feature YOU this holiday season.

To get involved, simply follow the steps below:

Capture your Thanksgiving celebration in a photo, video, or simply put it into words.

Share your special Thanksgiving moment on social media with the hashtag #MyThanksgivingStory.

Mention and tag us, so we don’t miss out on your masterpiece. (Facebook: @[YourCompanyName], Instagram: @[YourCompanyName], Twitter: @[YourCompanyName])

Warm regards,

4. Thanksgiving referral email

A referral email campaign during Thanksgiving is an excellent way to show your appreciation to customers while promoting word-of-mouth marketing.

Thanksgiving is all about sharing, which makes it the perfect time to inspire customers to introduce your brand to their loved ones. When they refer a friend in exchange they can be rewarded with incentives, such as special discounts or exclusive freebies. This emphasizes your gratitude and creates an opportunity for increased sales and customer loyalty.

Draw inspiration from Rocksbox’s referral program. Including customers who refer friends in a raffle, adds an extra layer of incentive while keeping the financial risk in check, as only three fortunate participants can win the $250 prize.

Free email template #4: Thanksgiving referral campaign

Subject: Share the love this Thanksgiving?

Dear [First Name],

Celebrate this Thanksgiving with a chance to win $150 in credit.

For this month only, you can earn $15 in credit and enter a lucky draw to win an additional $150 when you refer your friends or family to [Your Company Name].

Getting involved is simple – use the following referral link to invite your friends: [Invite Friends Referral Link]

Hurry and spread the love – 5 lucky winners will be chosen!

Warm Regards,

5. Encourage customers to give back

During the Thanksgiving season, it becomes even more important for brands to engage in responsible marketing and value-based initiatives. One way brands can achieve this is by partnering with charities or non-profit organizations to support meaningful causes. This approach allows brands to inform their subscribers about the causes they support and offers ways for customers to donate, either directly or by donating a percentage of their purchases.

By embracing responsible marketing practices and aligning with worthy causes, brands can deepen customer relationships by reflecting shared values. As customers increasingly expect brands to prioritize social responsibility, value-based marketing enables companies to create meaningful connections, foster loyalty, and ultimately, contribute to the greater good.

Free email template #5: invite your customers to give back

Subject: ?Let’s make a difference together this Thanksgiving ?

Dear [First Name], 

As Thanksgiving approaches, we want to express our gratitude by giving back. We’re partnering with [charity name] to help those in need this Thanksgiving. Between [start date] and [end date], we’ll donate [percentage/amount] of every purchase to their mission.

To get involved and help make a difference, simply shop for your favorite [products/services] between [start date] and [end date].

Let’s make a difference. 

With gratitude,

A final note

Showing appreciation to your customers is important in building strong and lasting relationships. With the help of email marketing, marketers can come up with creative and memorable ways to express gratitude to their customers not only on Thanksgiving but throughout the year. So, enjoy emailing, and have a happy Thanksgiving.