Holiday Promotions for Your Email Marketing Program

10. Do A/B testing of subject lines, design formats and other elements of your campaign right up until the very end of the season. There's always time to make it better.

And here are some ideas for developing your promotional package:

• Gift guides: Helping your customers choose which gifts work for the people in their lives is much appreciated. Choosing the right gift doesn't come easy to everyone, and many of your customers will be grateful.
• Offer free delivery or free shipping. Be sure to include an end date.
• Gift wrapping is appreciated, either for free or for a nominal charge. If you offer a service, then gift certificates are appreciated.
• Charity: You could offer to donate a percentage of every sale to a local cause or have your customer choose from a list of charities.
• Have a plan for capturing last-minute shoppers. As it gets closer to the holidays, give just a few simple choices rather than all your products. Be sure to let consumers know the latest they can order to get their gifts in time.
• Consider promotions for not just Christmas, but holidays of other faiths as well.

Creating a successful holiday email marketing strategy may require more thought than in the past. Social networking, the meteoric rise mobile device usage, and the rising dominance of online shopping have created new environments. Therefore, new assumptions are needed for businesses everywhere. As always, the bottom line is making it clear to the consumer what unique product or service you offer, how it will provide a benefit to them, and how to get your message to them above all the rest.