Writing Holiday Copy That Sells

It's going to be tough to get noticed in the sea of emails that your customers are going to be getting this holiday season. Couple that with a plunging economy and you've got yourself a bit of an uphill battle. So what are some of the tricks of the copywriting trade for your upcoming email marketing campaigns that you can use to get noticed?

Sprinkle Your Message with The Holidays - First of all make your messages a bit more festive. Be careful: some of your recipients might take offense to you wishing them a "Merry Christmas" when they celebrate Hanukkah, but the reality is that most won't. To get around offending anyone my advice is to be a bit more generic in your well wishing unless of course you do know the exact makeup of your list. Sticking to "happy holidays" or "season's greetings" is probably your best generic bet while still conveying good wishes.

Include some nice holiday images in your email to make it even more festive. Images of nicely wrapped gifts, candles, pinecones, snow scenes, a wreath, snowflakes and candy canes are nice additions. If you'd like to call out all holidays then you can use images like Santa, Kwanzaa candles, a Hanukkah menorah, and a Christmas tree. Now that's festive!

Holiday Offers - Now it's time for the fun stuff. What is going to really get the attention of your recipient? In this economy you can bet that your recipients are really going to be looking for deals now more than ever so make sure you give them what they want!

• Top 10 Under $20, Under $30, Under $40 - This is a real time saver for your recipient in a busy holiday season. Many people know what they want to spend and want to know what the hot products are this season. Giving them quick lists will get you noticed.
• Free shipping - This is a great offer especially for comparison shoppers. Even if you are slightly priced higher than a competitor, more often than not people will choose you if you're willing to ship free.
• 10% off for early bird shoppers - Why not start the season off early and send an early bird email to your customers in late October? Make sure you include an expiration date and stick to it, then you'll train people for your next early bird offer.
• Free gift with purchase - For those comparison shoppers who see your offer vs. your competitor's, if you're giving more value you'll likely get the sale. Why not even combine this with free shipping? You'll be a real hit.
• Buy one get one free - Call it the "Holiday Recession Sale" and offer two for the price of one.

VerticalResponse just published a whitepaper with even more ideas for offers, subject lines and more. So download it free today.

Comments

[Doug Woodall]

You are so right about giving them the option of looking quickly at the "Under $20, Under $30, Under $40" products.
So many are looking for freebies or specials this season.

[Mary Ann Hightower]

I am a disabled person who previously owned a shop in a small town. I am now ventureing out to the internet thru internet marketing and advertising. I pray that I can help give HOPE to all the handicapped and disabled around the world. Thanks for the tips and support.

[Tom]

Your advice was timely and concise, thank you.

[sue derry]

Hi,
great set of tips, am going to start using them right now,

Thanks

[Amy Warden]

Last year I did a multi-tiered sale on my website that did very well. Orders over $20 received a 10% discount, and orders over $40 received a 20% discount. I plan to do it again this year, and perhaps I'll add a free gift with purchase as well. Thanks for the great ideas!