As we get closer and closer to Thanksgiving, B2Bs or business-to-business should be looking to connect more with their existing clients, waking up those inactive subscribers and dazzling new customers through holiday email marketing campaigns that will drive traffic to your eCommerce website.
It’s important that your B2B business start gathering email marketing tools and ideas that will entice ready shoppers to buy! buy! buy! so you jingle all the way to a successful holiday sales season.
What is an email marketing campaign?
An email marketing campaign is a single email or a group of emails sent to (existing or new) subscribers in your email lists. The email marketing campaigns can include special emails, offers, or valuable content for your subscribers.
Below I list 10 must-have holiday email marketing campaigns that will be sure to drive traffic to your e-commerce website:
Email Marketing Campaigns
- Welcome Email
- Online-Only Offer Email
- The Discount Email
- Holiday & Special Days Email
- Upsell or Cross-sell Email
- Abandoned Checkout Email
- Curation Email (“Top Sellers”)
- Engagement Email
- Order Confirmation Email
- Thank You Email
1. The Welcome Email
A welcome email is exactly that. An email that welcomes your new clients or subscribers to your eCommerce home and your brand. It should be simple and make customers feel appreciated.
According to MarketingProfs “email subscribers who get a “welcome email” are 33% more likely to engage with the brand”.
Engagement is the keyword. Forming connections with new subscribers from the start will keep your brand at top of mind.
2. Online-Only Offer Email
A new online offer email will provide B2B customers with a special deal that can only be obtained by visiting your eCommerce site.
This offer can include free delivery after spending a specific amount (i.e free shipping after a $100 purchase). You can also increase a sense of urgency by setting a time limit, like “This weekend only” or “Free Delivery Friday Only”.
These types of “online-only” offers encourage customers or inactive subscribers an incentive to visit your site at the moment for FOMO (fear of missing out) on a great deal.
Who isn’t looking for a great deal during the holidays? I know I am.
Example: Door County Coffee & Tea Co.
3. The Discount Email
A discount email gives customers a special discount for a specific or any amount they spend in your online eCommerce store.
Use this type of email to push products with higher profit margins. Use illustrations of the prices slashed after receiving the special discount. Visually showing customers the deal they will receive.
This email marketing campaign is perfect for a Black Friday Deal or Giving Savings Back to Customers as a thank you deal.
Tis the season for giving!
Example: William Roam
4. Holiday & Special Day Email
Holiday & Special Day emails are my favorite during the holiday season. Have you ever received an email just wishing you a Happy Holidays with employees in ugly sweaters? I have.
Doesn’t that just add to your Christmas spirit? It does to me, I love ugly Christmas sweaters. But I digress.
Remember as a B2B you want to make connections, so stand out by sending everyone on your email list a Holiday Greeting for Thanksgiving and Christmas with your sincerest wishes for the season.
Make sure to use a captivating subject line with emojis or customizing your email with Dear “Customers Name” to humanize your brand. Like receiving an email from a friend.
Use this email to express your brand’s personality, send a funny company video, GIF, or employee picture with Santa Hats. Anything that will connect with your customers on a personal level this holiday season.
Example: Davidson & Company
5. Upsell or Cross-Sell Email
This email marketing campaign can be used to encourage additional product purchases after your customers have already made a purchase. I discuss the difference below.
An upsell email campaign is considered a “suggestive” offer for your B2B customer. For example, if your customer purchased coats, you can send them an email offer with hats and gloves to go with those coats.
.A cross-sell email campaign, would offer a B2B customer an additional product after their purchase. If your customer already bought a Coca-Cola beverage, you could send an email offer with another beverage like Coca-Cola Zero.
The purpose is to create an additional revenue stream and visits to your website from these product suggestions to customers.
Example: Parachute
6. Abandoned Cart Email
Everyone gets busy, especially during the holidays, which causes the “abandoned” cart when making purchases online.
This email marketing campaign reminds and encourages customers to go back to their online shopping cart and complete their checkout.
According to research conducted with 500 leading global brands, 44.1% of abandoned cart emails are opened almost a third of clicks on abandoned cart emails (29.9%) lead to a recovered sale.
Stats don’t lie. But don’t worry, email automation will be your best friend this season.
Email automation means setting up rules with your email service provider to trigger a reminder email within the hour of someone abandoning their cart on your website.
Testing has demonstrated that the faster people receive the reminder email, the more likely they are to finish checking out.
This email is a definite must-have this holiday season.
Example: Kate Spade
7. Curation Email
This email marketing campaign allows you to pick “Top Sellers” or “Popular Items” bought and showcase to your customers in an email.
This campaign lets people know immediately, what products are trending, without them having to look or search, which results in more visitors to your website.
Example: Fetching Fields
8. Engagement Email
An engagement email is meant to do exactly that engage with the people on your email list and wake up inactive subscribers.
The message and subject line should pique curiosity to click and open the email. For example, sending out a “Last Minute Offer” deal or “Free Gift – Just For You” email.
Just check out how 1-800 Flowers, engage with their subscribers.
Example: 1-800 Flowers
9. Order Confirmation Email
I am sure you are familiar with the email, especially if you’ve bought anything online before.
This is the email you receive minutes after your online purchase, thanking you and confirming your order is processing.
An order confirmation email builds trust with your email subscribers because it’s something we’ve all come to expect as the process of placing an order online.
But don’t fret, this is another email that can be automated.
Example: Glossier
10. Thank You Email
The thank-you email is one of the best ways to start forming a connection with your B2B audience, whether you’re thanking them for subscribing to your newsletter or making an online purchase.
You can include information about your business brand, invite your subscribers to follow you on social media outlets or discounts, to again continue to build a relationship and show them how much your value them as a customer.
Example: Alastin Skincare
Final Words
Yes, having to create and schedule all of these B2B email marketing campaigns may seem overwhelming but the key is going to be preparation, planning, and automation.
Also, you don’t need to set up every email campaign at once, try focusing on the main three, such as the Welcome, Thank You, and Order Confirmation emails.
Make sure to choose an email service provider that makes automation a breeze and doesn’t cost a fortune, like GetResponse or Moosend. Then little by little set up the rest of your campaigns.
You got this!
