Summer may not be over yet, but we know that year-​end holiday ads will start pouring in before we’ve even finished carving our jack-​o-​lanterns. So, it’s time to prepare your clients. In preparation for the upcoming season, Oracle has put together a Holiday Email Lookbook spotlighting last year’s holiday email ad trends.

We all know the official start of the year-​end holiday shopping season is Black Friday. However, that tradition has been changing. Now, more businesses are promoting their entire Black Friday week sales via email. These emails tend to promote both online and in-​store sales now, but there is still a push for in-​store visits. Maps to the nearest brick-​and-​mortar location and the promise of perks for in-​store shoppers, such as gift cards and free coffee, can tempt readers to wake up early to visit physical stores. Just make sure your clients include the exact dates of their Black Friday week to avoid confused customers.

More information on Black Friday shoppers can be found under that audience’s profile in AudienceSCAN from AdMall by SalesFuel.

Last season, Oracle found that there were three offer concepts that marketers should transfer to the upcoming season as well. The offers all revolve around one thing: free stuff.

The first is free gifts. Well, free as long as shoppers reach a minimum dollar amount with their purchase. But they were probably planning on doing that anyway. So, why not get another product added to their shopping bag for free to top it off?

The second is a similar concept: tiered discounts. The promise of a higher discount percentage can lessen the potential guilt a customer could feel for spending more than intended. Yes, they could spend the $25 they were planning on and and get 10% off… or, they could get both the items they were trying to decide between and get a 15% discount for spending $50. Emails promising tiered discounts can easily encourage higher spending.

The third concept is purchased-​based rewards. Instead of discount percentages, your client’s emails could boast other benefits to spending a certain amount of money. Examples Oracle detailed in its analysis include free shipping or gift card rewards to be given out when shoppers spend at a minimum specified amount.

Yes, nearly every consumer feels they have to shop during the year-​end holiday season. Yes, a lot of stores will be continually offering discounts to drive traffic. Not as many will offer free things. This is where your clients’ emails can stand out.

Year-​end holiday emails are all about content. Of course they need to be well-​timed and look good, but the deciding factor will ultimately be who offers the most enticing deal. Based on what worked last year, help you clients make this season even better!