Halloween is fast approaching. It’s that time of year for fake blood, pumpkins, treats and maybe some tricks. It’s also when marketers plan to send holiday-themed emails with gimmicky subject lines. But do they work?

There’s no clear cut answer to that question as it depends on many factors, however there are a few basic do’s and don’ts for marketers when it comes to sending out content around a holiday, festival or theme.

The tips below will help you to avoid some of the pitfalls of unsuccessful holiday emails:

Do:

  • Set goals - Even Halloween-themed emails need goals, whether it’s clicks, downloads or purchases. Think about the strategy and goal behind each email – just like you would any other email. This will ensure that you’re not sending a Halloween email for the sake of it
     
  • Get creative - There are so many marketing emails sent around Halloween, all with a similar theme, that it’s important to find a way to stand out from the crowd. Incorporate creativity into your email by giving it a fun subject line, providing a creative offer or time sensitive discount, or creating a new asset to a product that is specific to Halloween

  • Incorporate social – Depending on your audience, they may check one channel, for example Twitter, more regularly than email. In order to capture their attention, make the Halloween offer available across all of your channels.

Don’t:

  • Forget about other holidays - There will be tons and tons of marketing emails around Halloween and Christmas, so don’t let the smaller, less celebrated holidays go to waste. Use lesser-known holidays as an opportunity to get creative and make a splash. You can also use them to tie in as a follow up from the bigger, better-known holidays like Halloween. You never know which obscure days could make for the next big marketing opportunity…

  • Miss out on following up - After you have created a thoughtful and entertaining Halloween email, your next step is to consider what you will do with the people that converted or showed interest. Crafting a follow-up plan will take your programme to the next level. Well-planned, thoughtful follow-ups will help close the sale or open up an opportunity to talk with a sales person

  • Overdo it and spam your audience - This is easy to do – especially when we have been working on something for a while, getting creative with subject lines. Don’t stray from your best practices when emailing your audience, even during the holidays as you wouldn’t want your unsubscribe rate to go up.

The most important thing to remember is to ensure you treat Halloween (or any holiday!) emails just like you would any other piece of marketing content. It needs to be thoughtful, targeted and tailored for your audience. It’s important to have fun when it comes to Halloween marketing, but don’t let that get in the way of the content’s core message.

 

By Lizzy Funk, Marketing Programs Manager at Marketo.

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