Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, New Year's, Sales... or even Boxing Day (you know, Boxing Day promotions!). The period from November to January is traditionally very busy for the trade, for the promos and... for the clutter of our mailboxes!
But is it really effective? Ok, many companies generate a significant part of their turnover during this period. But can't we do better?
To answer the question, we launched a call on LinkedIn to collect opinions, tips and leads in a collaborative article.
If you still wish to contribute to this article, please contact us to submit your contribution.
By the way, we also made a live on the emailing strategy and the black friday. It's here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQGlUE02N94 or here:
Here is the result, enjoy your reading!
Use alternative channels to email! - Julie HamonMarketing Manager, Digitaleo
Email is good but it is also a channel that is seen and seen again and again and that makes our inboxes overflow. You can differentiate yourself by using other communication channels such as SMS, social networks, RCS or answering machine messages.
- SMS marketing: with a 90% read rate within 10 minutes of receipt, it is the channel of instantaneousness but also of reactivity with click rates of 20% on average. You can add a landing page that includes the elements you would have put in an email! For example, for the end of the year celebrations, you can use it for a contest with a participation form.
- Social networks: a must-have but sometimes neglected, especially by retail outlets. However, it is a great tool to create a link with your communities. Why not propose to your teams to organize a Christmas sweater contest in store? You highlight your teams, Internet users like to interact with this kind of content and you make them want to come to your stores.
- The RCS (for Rich Communication Services) is a technology developed by Google that gives SMS the same functionality as Whatsapp or Messenger. Use it to create a conversation with your customers. You can use it to create a link and interaction during peak times when communications are (often) underrated. For example, for Sales, RCS can allow you to redirect your customers to the product categories that interest them.
- The last channel worth testing is the voice message. This is a message that is left directly on your customers' mailbox without making their phone ring. It works for your best customers and is a real loyalty tool. For the end of the year celebrations, it can be an original way to wish a happy new year!
And no matter which channel you choose, don't neglect the message, it's also and above all that which will make you stand out from the crowd!
Black Friday is coming soon, I'm preparing my campaign... or not! - Julie MandryData Tickler
Talking at the same time as the others, with the same intonation and to say the same thing, doesn't bring anything and it's the best way not to be heard!
It's the same principle in email marketing. Send a campaign to your entire audience on black friday with the subject " BLACK FRIDAY: up to -50% on selected items!!! " (found in my box, ?), is to take the risk of being drowned in the flow of emails of the same kind, alongside e-commerce behemoths against whom you will have difficulty to make the weight.
We've tried emoji? to be more visible in the inbox, but this good idea is already overused and won't help you stand out today.
So how do I do it, you ask? Well, I don't have the miracle solution... sorry!
Need help?
Reading content isn't everything. The best way is to talk to us.
But my advice is to be creative ! To begin with, ask yourself which chestnuts are essential for your brand and which are not.
Why not create your own highlights, depending on the seasonality of your products and the reaction of your targets, for example?
If you need visibility during black friday, sales or any other busy period, try to put forward other arguments than your "SUPER PROMO": your universe, your commitments, your values, what differentiates you from other e-tailers.
And for advertisers who are positioned mainly on an attractive price and/or who have no values (I judge you!!?), it can be interesting to contact on that day only the targets who usually react to your communications, those for whom you have your chances to reach the inbox, those who are waiting for you.
And to go after inactive people during periods when the marketing pressure is less strong.
And last little advice for the road, avoid SHOUTING at your contacts so that they open your emails filled with SUPER PROMO, it's a tip that works all year round but even more so on days of heavy marketing pressure, in addition to not being very respectful to your contacts (personally I don't like it when someone shouts at me) it's often not very appreciated by anti-spam filters. And if you have any doubt, check your spam box, you'll have a pretty complete overview of what not to do 😉
Is it a must? What if we just let it go? - Jonathan LoriauxCEO, Badsender
Okayy! Now that we've got all these good tips. Last thought, is it mandatory for you to talk about Blackfriday, Christmas, sales, ... when in fact, you are not really concerned. Because if you don't have margins that allow you to make real promotions, if your products and services are not offered (or very little), if you don't have stocks to sell, ... maybe you should skip it.
It's a bit like sorting through your closet at home. You think "what if I had some use for this"... when in fact, you haven't used the item in two years.
First reflex, look at what happened last year. Was your Black Friday email more effective than the one from the week before, which did not use this argument? If the answer is no, you have a clue.
If you're more ambitious, you could make a nice AB test.
- Segment A, 50% random, will receive emails in which you will use the "seasonal" arguments.
- Segment B, 50% random (the others 😉 ), will receive campaigns, which talk about products, usage, storytelling, ...
After the holidays and the sales, you take stock. For each of the groups, what were the click volumes and what was the turnover. You will give me the results 😉
