In 2016, a colossal $8.4 billion was spent during the Halloween period in the US alone, and that figure is likely to increase to $9.1 Billion in 2017.
It’s clear to see that Halloween is a huge money maker, provided you target consumers properly and provide laser-targeted offers that will appeal.
An email campaign is one of the best methods of doing this, simply because you can reach an incredibly large scale of people in seconds—the US adult email audience is estimated to reach a staggering 203.8 million by the end of this year—as well as successfully building brand-awareness, loyalty and trust among your target audience.
But, whilst the whole concept of Halloween-related email campaigns is built with great business-boosting intentions, they can so easily fall flat on their face if not done correctly. This will not only decrease your reputation among consumers, but likely won’t provide any increase in sales—rendering the entire campaign a waste of time (and money).
So, with Halloween coming up, here are some key questions you need to ask yourself to identify whether your campaign is on track for success. And, if not, exactly what you need to do to switch things around and avoid failure at all costs this Halloween.
1. Are You Offering Something Worthwhile with Urgency?
There’s no point creating any kind of email campaign unless you’re offering something of value to your audience. And, when seasonal campaigns are concerned, your offer must tie in with the specific time frame, as well as the event itself.
Offering Halloween-inspired discount codes for your product/service, or free shipping throughout the entire month of October are great ways to not only incorporate Halloween into your offers, but also give customers seasonal treats they can use at their leisure.
But be sure to add a sense of urgency too. Otherwise, readers may forget and come back to retrieve these offers when Halloween has been and gone—resulting in few sales, little offer advantage, and a failed email campaign.
To emphasize your chosen Halloween time frame, using this innovative countdown timer will not only give your audience clarity for how long your offer is available to claim, but be bold enough for them to see instantly without wasting time searching for it.
Convenience is key, and your audience will thank you for it.
2. Have You Changed Your Design?
Perhaps a no-brainer, but sending a Halloween-related email needs to have more than just the words ‘special offer’ in the subject line with a few spooky words of copy.
Adapting your email campaign’s entire graphic design to something distinctly Halloween-related will not only establish consistency with the time of year, but also keep your audience engaged for much longer.
The average human’s attention span is worse than a goldfish, meaning that, especially when considering how many other Halloween emails they’re likely to receive, yours has to stand out from the crowd and look great (as well as providing a great offer).
Using shades of vivid orange, switching-up your usual font for jagged, bold letters and incorporating spider webs onto your CTA buttons will not only be eye-catching, but interesting—sure to attract your audience for long enough to investigate what you’re offering.
3. Have You Added Personalization?
This is a question you should ask for all email campaigns, not just during the specific times of year.
But, when trying to advertise a Halloween-related product, offer or service against a multitude of competitors, personalization is even more important to increase click-through rates and make your audience feel like you care.
Whether throughout your entire email campaign’s design template or a single image, personalization will make each member of your audience feel unique—like you’ve created your Halloween offers specifically for them.
NiftyImages offer a wide range of email personalization options, instantly creating bespoke, seasonal images for you– saving you the time and effort.
Here is a good example of personalizing an email using just First Name.
4. Are You Following Up?
Even with all of the above included in your email strategy, failing to follow up with your audience will result in almost-guaranteed failure.
Simply sending a couple of bold, eye-catching emails to promote your Halloween offers is just not enough. Most people lead busy lives, and will need regular reminders that your offer is still available and exactly what they need this Halloween.
As we get closer to October 31st, increase your sense of urgency as each email is sent. Continue to use a countdown timer and, as your closing date draws near, perhaps incorporate an even better discount/offer to encourage your target audience to finally take advantage of what you’re offering.
5. When Are You Planning to Start?
Sorry to say but, if you’ve not already begun your Halloween email campaign, it’s likely you’ve already missed a huge chunk of budding revenue. So, if that’s the case—be sure to bear the following in mind for next year.
Countdown to Halloween in New York
Surprisingly, over 40% of Halloween shoppers begin buying before October even begins. Planning fancy-dress outfits and parties takes time so, with many people preferring to be organised and prepared, they’ll be ‘switched on’ and focused toward anything Halloween related well in advance—including your email campaign.
Take advantage of this early shopper-response and start your email campaigns before October. Don’t go overboard and start sending Halloween-related emails in early September (this may annoy people!), but certainly get the ball rolling as the tail end of September comes around.
Ensuring your Halloween email campaign is sleek, focused, and laser-targeted towards this time of year is essential to getting the most out of your campaign.
By utilizing the above strategies, you’ll not only stand out from competitors and attract readers’ attention, but also provide Halloween offers of true value to your consumers—leading to a very happy customer base, increased sales, and, most importantly, better brand-awareness and loyalty among your target audience!