Black Friday is the start of the holiday shopping season. For both ecommerce and small businesses, Black Friday is a major sales opportunity. In 2022, online Black Friday shopping increased 2.3% from 2021, totaling $9.12 billion in sales.

Stand out from your competitors with a winning Black Friday marketing strategy. Reach customers with Black Friday emails and social media campaigns. Entice holiday shoppers with irresistible offers.We’ve put together a list of Black Friday marketing ideas to get you started for in-store and online retailers alike.

• What is Black Friday marketing?
• 12 Black Friday marketing strategies that boost sales
• Planning your Black Friday marketing campaigns

What is Black Friday marketing?

Black Friday marketing is how businesses promote Black Friday deals. This usually involves social media promotion, limited-time sales, and digital marketing campaigns.

Black Friday falls on the day after Thanksgiving. Don’t forget to mark your calendars —  Black Friday is November 24, 2023.

Competition for holiday shoppers is stronger than ever before. Plan a Black Friday marketing strategy your audience will love and increase those conversion rates. Here are a few Black Friday promotion ideas to inspire your campaigns.

15 Black Friday marketing strategies that boost sales

Here are the best Black Friday marketing examples and ideas to help your campaigns stand out from the competition.

1. Launch Black Friday marketing campaigns early

Don’t let your campaigns get lost in the Black Friday rush. Be sure to start your Black Friday marketing early.

Share Black Friday teasers on social media or in your email marketing campaigns. Offer early access to deals. Or, run early-bird Black Friday offers for everyone! 

Build anticipation for your Black Friday deals well before the big day. This creates a sense of urgency early on. Customers are also less likely to miss out on your Black Friday sales.

For instance, this Black Friday marketing email from Kay Jewelers promotes their early access sale:

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2. Share Black Friday sneak peeks

Black Friday marketing is competitive, so don’t hesitate to give sneak peeks of your upcoming deals. Tell customers exactly what they can expect from your Black Friday offers. 

Send teasers for discounts on your most popular items. Get your customers excited about major markdowns.

This Black Friday marketing email from Google Store is a great example.

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3. Grow your Black Friday email marketing list

When it comes to Black Friday marketing, your email list is one of the most important tools in your arsenal. Use it to target the customers who are most interested in your Black Friday promotions. Marketing tools like Brevo make email list building easy.

Start by making a special Black Friday email marketing list and create an email signup form weeks ahead of your Black Friday sale.

Place the form strategically on your website, such as a popup on your homepage. You can even create a landing page dedicated to your Black Friday offer. Adding a compelling call to action like the one below can convert signups into new customers.  

For inspiration, this Black Friday popup from Wodbottom is a perfect example:

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4. Promote Black Friday deals on social media

Social media marketing is a great way to spread the word about your Black Friday deals. Run Facebook ads. Promote sale items on Instagram and Tiktok. Don’t forget to add Black Friday hashtags to broaden your reach.

Consider partnering with social media influencers. Influencers have a deep bond with their followers. They can help you promote your Black Friday deals to a wider audience.

Social media is also a great way to drive online sales. Customers can now shop directly on social media platforms (Instagram Shopping, Facebook Shops). For ecommerce stores, shoppable posts could be a game changer.

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5. Use SMS marketing

Reach potential customers directly on their phones. SMS marketing can make a huge difference for your Black Friday marketing campaigns. 

This is because SMS campaigns have high open rates and near-instant opening times. In fact, most texts are read within three minutes after delivery. 

Use SMS to remind customers about Black Friday promos and share discount codes. Send targeted Black Friday texts in addition to social media marketing and email campaigns. 

SMS is a fast and direct way to engage customers during the busy holiday season. Consider using this channel in your Black Friday marketing strategy.

Related: WhatsApp Marketing: Definition, Tips, and Examples

6. Personalize your Black Friday marketing campaigns

Add a touch of personalization to your Black Friday marketing campaigns. This is one of the best ways to engage customers. Personalization also boosts open rates and helps your campaigns stand out!

Grab your subscribers’ attention by putting first names in your Black Friday email subject lines. Target different customer groups using segmentation.

Marketing tools like Brevo let you group your contact lists and send tailored content. This way, you’re sure to send the right message to the right people at the right time.

7. Engage Black Friday shoppers with QR codes

QR codes are a great way to enrich the Black Friday shopping experience. Consider adding them to your Black Friday marketing strategy. 

Use QR codes to connect online and offline spaces. Place QR codes around your physical store to direct customers to your online shop. 

QR codes can also help you engage customers with added benefits. Ask customers to scan a QR code to sign up for your Black Friday giveaways. Send digital QR codes to make it easy to redeem Black Friday gift cards.

For lead generation, QR codes can be handy. Link QR codes to a signup form for your Black Friday email list. With Brevo, it’s easy to create and share QR codes with your customers

8. Offer free shipping and spending rewards

This Black Friday, go beyond the usual, run-of-the-mill discounts. Attract customers with irresistible benefits like free shipping. 

Free shipping is one of the best ways to promote your business during Black Friday. Offer it for a limited time. Or, give your customers free shipping as a spending reward (such as free shipping for purchases over $100).

Use free shipping to boost Black Friday sales — your customers will thank you for the extra savings!

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9. Reduce abandoned carts

Online shopping is a huge boon for Black Friday sales. However, customers often add items to their online shopping carts and leave the online store without making a purchase. 

This Black Friday, reduce cart abandonment and drive sales. Retarget these customers with abandoned cart emails. 

Email automation software allows you to automate abandoned cart email campaigns, saving you valuable time and effort. Try Brevo for free to start sending abandoned cart notifications and other automated emails.

10. Entice customers with a loyalty program

Turn your Black Friday shoppers into loyal customers. Launch a loyalty program (punch cards, referral incentives) to keep their business year-round.

Offer exclusive discounts and free gifts for every dollar they spend. This will encourage them to keep shopping. A loyalty program will also help you engage customers even after the holiday sales end.

Loyalty programs go beyond discounts. They allow you to create a deeper, more personalized bond with your customers. They’re also a great Black Friday idea for small businesses.

11. Share a Black Friday gift guide

Many customers take advantage of Black Friday savings to start shopping for holiday presents. Entice them in your Black Friday marketing campaigns with a special gift guide.

Showcase your most popular products and biggest markdowns. Black Friday gift guides are a great way to make your offers shine.

This Black Friday email from TeePublic is the perfect example:

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12. Run last-chance or extended Black Friday deals

The long Black Friday weekend doesn’t have to end with Cyber Monday sales. Don’t forget to appeal to latecomers in your Black Friday marketing campaigns.

Create a sense of urgency with last-chance discounts. Delight your customers with extended Black Friday sales.

Be sure to promote your late Black Friday deals on multiple marketing channels. That way, your customers won’t miss out!

This last-chance Black Friday email marketing campaign from Green Chef adds extra urgency with a countdown timer:

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Further reading: Holiday Marketing Guide: How to Make Your Campaigns Shine

13. Run a store credit Black Friday marketing campaign

Instead of discounting your products, give your customers bonus credit to spend on more things they’ll love from your store.

Offering store credit encourages the cross-selling of other products. Your customers will be delighted at a chance to get something more, for less. 

14. Upsell your products

Black Friday is your chance to sell more to customers by rewarding larger shopping carts. Take a look at this marketing campaign by Surreal.  

Surreal encourages customers to bring home more boxes of cereal by offering discounts. The larger the order value, the bigger the discount. 

Other upselling strategies include:

• Free shipping over a certain price
• Discounts on year-long subscriptions
• Bundles with complementary products (this is also cross-selling)
• Buy two get one free

15. Hold a Black Friday contest

Build a Black Friday strategy around your community with a contest. Give away prizes to keep it interesting and make your Black Friday campaign the center of attention this year. 

Check out this contest announcement by AppSumo:

The best part about this Black Friday strategy is that it brings value to the community. Subscribers have a chance to gain exposure on top of a cash prize. 

Spread the word about your Black Friday contest with promotional emails or Black Friday social media posts. Your contest can be entirely digital, or an in-store event.

Planning your Black Friday marketing campaigns

Any retailer can benefit from Black Friday, whether you’re a brick-and-mortar store or ecommerce business. Get the most out of this major sales event with a winning Black Friday marketing strategy.

With Brevo, it’s never been easier to plan your Black Friday marketing campaigns. Create stunning promotional emails with Brevo’s email templates, send out your offer, and track your results.

The post 15 Unique Black Friday Marketing Strategies to Beat the Competition appeared first on Brevo (ex Sendinblue).

Read on to find out more.

• What are the benefits of holiday marketing?
• What should you expect during the 2023 holiday season?
• How do you begin marketing for the holidays?
• Best holiday marketing campaign ideas and tips
• Improve customer experience with more channels
• 3 holiday marketing pitfalls to avoid

What are the benefits of holiday marketing?

The holiday shopping season is the perfect time to connect with customers. Come up with a holiday marketing strategy to delight your customers and develop lasting relationships.

Here’s why holiday marketing matters:

• Higher demand: People shop more during the holiday season than the rest of the year.
• Increased urgency: Holidays come once a year. Limited-time holiday promotions carry a sense of urgency, making customers more likely to buy. 
• Holiday spirit: From Thanksgiving to Christmas, this time of the year is full of positivity. Capitalize on these festive feelings in your holiday marketing campaigns.

What should you expect during the 2023 holiday season?

Here are a few trends to keep in mind when planning your holiday marketing goals:

• Rise of ecommerce: Ecommerce sales are expected to grow 9.3%, reaching $1.137 trillion in 2023.
• Focus on omnichannel marketing: With the shift to ecommerce, balancing online and in-store holiday shopping experiences is important.
• More social media communication: More brands use social media to communicate directly with customers and answer FAQs.

Further reading: What is ecommerce marketing? 10 strategies to get started

How do you begin marketing for the holidays?

To create a holiday marketing strategy that gets results, follow these essential steps when planning your holiday marketing advertising. 

Plan your holiday marketing campaigns ahead of time. Plan your strategy and timeline in advance to reap the best results.

Decide which holidays to focus on. Here are a few key dates to keep in mind for the 2023 holiday season:

• Thanksgiving (November 23)
• Black Friday (November 24)
• Small Business Saturday (November 25)
• Cyber Monday (November 27)
• Giving Tuesday (November 28)
• Green Monday (December 12)
• Hanukkah (Nightfall December 7th – nightfall December 15th)
• Christmas Eve and Day (December 24-25)
• New Year’s Eve (December 31)

Pick a campaign theme. To run a successful holiday marketing campaign, you’ll need a central theme. Decide on a message that makes sense for your campaign goals and brand identity.

Define your target audience. Decide on the audience you want to reach with your holiday campaign. Your target audience will shape your marketing channels and holiday offer.

Choose your marketing channels. This will depend on your campaign goals and target audience. Are they on social media? Do they prefer desktop or mobile devices? Often, you’ll need a strong omnichannel strategy to reach your full audience. 

Further reading: Black Friday marketing strategies to beat the competition

Best holiday marketing ideas and tips

Promote irresistible holiday offers

Your holiday marketing strategy should focus on an irresistible holiday offer. Run holiday sales with unbeatable savings. You’ll catch the eye of holiday shoppers and entice customers to come back again and again. 

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Your holiday offers don’t always need to be as extravagant as a Black Friday offer. Encourage customers with methods that don’t slash your prices.

1. Offer free holiday shipping and returns 
2. Run a limited-time sale
3. Include a free gift with a purchase over your average cart price
4. Give customers store credit for every $10 spent, only redeemable through the holidays

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Personalize your holiday marketing campaigns

Target customers by interest or past purchases. With customer relationship management (CRM) software, you can keep track of what your customers look at or purchase on your website. Send them offers or news they’ll appreciate and increase your perceived value. 

Grab their attention by putting first names in your subject line. Email personalization is a great way to catch your customers’ eye. 

Make sure your sender name is also personalized. Use your real first name and your company name so recipients know who your emails are coming from. 

Get creative with content marketing

This year, go beyond the usual holiday ads. Instead, use holiday marketing as a chance to provide value. Stand out from the crowd with a Christmas newsletter customers will love. 

Why not send a holiday gift guide? This is the perfect way to showcase your products and Christmas season promotions. And your customers will thank you for helping them find the perfect gift.

Check out this holiday marketing campaign example from Materia Rica for inspiration:

Created with Brevo

Use the marketing channels with the most impact

Optimize your holiday marketing efforts this year. Focus on the marketing channels that make the most sense for your business. 

Study your target audience’s preferences and behavior. Analyze data from previous campaigns to come up with a holiday email marketing strategy. If your audience loved a special drink last year, send them an email or make a post to let them know it’s back this year. 

Create social media posts

Raise brand awareness with holiday-themed social media posts. Entice customers to participate by running social media contests and giveaways. And don’t forget to use hashtags and reels to broaden your reach.

Starbucks’ iconic red cups are a popular holiday marketing example:

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This festive advertising by Starbucks is also a great example of using digital marketing to generate foot traffic. 

Pro tip: Take short videos of your holiday decorations and products in action and upload them to your Instagram Stories. This will help customers visualize what you have to offer and build up excitement for the holidays. 

Make in-store shopping festive

Make a special experience for the in-person holiday shoppers. Host an event or run a contest to engage local communities as well. 

It can also do something as easy as giving out free samples, decorating your store, or offering cake and coffee during a holiday sale.

Work with influencers

Partner with social media influencers in your holiday marketing campaigns. Influencers often have engaged and well-established communities. With their help, you can raise brand awareness and reach potential customers.

It’s no secret that influencer marketing is good for business. Influencer marketing is expected to reach $17.4 billion in 2023.

The holidays are a great time to partner with influencers. Work with them to share seasonal promotions and holiday sales.

This holiday marketing campaign from Dr. Vranjes Firenze is a perfect example:

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Use gamification

Gamification is an interactive way to spread holiday cheer. It’s fun, engages your audience, and creates loyal customers.

Google’s Santa Tracker is a well-known example. The Santa Tracker is more than a Christmas countdown. It includes whimsical Santa Claus animations and Christmas-themed games.

Gamification has made Google’s Santa Tracker popular among families. Check it out to get ideas for your holiday marketing campaigns.

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Send a heartfelt holiday message

This season, get in the holiday spirit. Send customers a simple “Happy holidays” greeting. Or run a heartfelt holiday marketing campaign.

Evoke Christmas nostalgia and engage customers on an emotional level.

Look at this Christmas ad from Apple for inspiration:

Your holiday message can also be about celebrating this year’s achievements and looking forward to the new year.

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Partner with a good cause

The holidays are a time of gift-giving and generosity. Why not use your holiday marketing to spread some good? This year, partner with an organization or cause that’s important for your business.

Macy’s Believe partnership with Make-A-Wish is one of the most beloved holiday campaigns.

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Go green

Wasteful holiday consumerism is a growing topic of interest. Americans throw out 25% more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period.

More people have started paying attention to their environmental impact during the holiday season, with 82% of shoppers willing to pay more for zero-carbon shipping. Go green in your holiday marketing campaign to appeal to these eco-friendly shoppers.

This holiday marketing email from Graham and Green is a good example:

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Other environmentally friendly holiday marketing ideas include:

• Offsetting CO2 emissions from holiday shipping 
• Using biodegradable packaging
• Partnering with a local environmental non-profit for a joint holiday marketing effort

Go mobile

Holiday shoppers are increasingly buying on their phones. Mobile ecommerce sales hit a whopping $387 billion in 2022.

The last thing you want is to miss out on online sales. Be sure to optimize your website for mobile. That way, customers have a great experience wherever they do their shopping.

Send holiday email marketing campaigns

Holiday email marketing is the perfect way to reach your audience directly. Send email campaigns to promote holiday sales. Grab attention with beautiful holiday email templates, and send email-only exclusive offers, guides, or recipes.

Need inspiration? Check out this holiday marketing email example from Deep Steep:

Created with Brevo

Related:

Christmas Email Marketing: Examples & Ideas to Captivate Customers

How to Cook Up the Perfect Thanksgiving Email Campaign

Halloween Email Marketing: How to Make Monster Sales This Fall

Create a holiday advent calendar

Get your customers involved with a daily advent calendar full of offers, surprises, ideas, and more. 

Alternatively, you can run a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway campaign. Amp up your holiday marketing with daily prizes like this holiday marketing giveaway by Fracture. 

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Plan for post-holiday marketing campaigns

Holiday marketing campaigns help build brand awareness and boost sales. That doesn’t mean they should stop as soon as the holiday season ends though.

Send follow-up emails after the holidays. Run post-holiday offers and promote them across your marketing channels. Your goal? Turn holiday shoppers into loyal customers. 

Run holiday marketing campaigns year-round

Most holiday marketing campaigns take place toward the end of the year. But why not find a way to run holiday marketing campaigns all year round?

Consider lesser-known holidays for your holiday marketing strategy. This could be anything from Groundhog Day (February 2) to National Beer Day (April 7).

Launch campaigns and special offers on these holidays. Unique holiday marketing will help your brand stand out from the competition. This poll by Cracker Barrel is a great way of creating an interactive email that builds brand personality.

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Improve customer experience with multiple channels

You’re putting in effort to make your holiday marketing special, so make sure you’re prepared for the traffic it’ll bring in!

Customers are looking for the perfect gift and will have questions about your products and promotions. Make sure they can find you and contact you whenever, wherever. 

Get on WhatsApp

WhatsApp is an increasingly popular option for business as it’s affordable, direct, and, well, everybody’s already on WhatsApp. Create a WhatsApp Business account and put your number on your website to provide a direct service and communication channel. 

A few key features of a WhatsApp Business account are:

• A business profile with store details 
• Automatic replies on WhatsApp to answer frequently asked questions 
• Product catalogs

Larger businesses can connect to the WhatsApp API through a Meta partner (usually a CRM). This has serious marketing potential as it allows companies to send marketing messages to their WhatsApp contacts. With an open rate of 99%, WhatsApp is a powerful marketing choice to consider. 

Set up live chat on your website 

Make it easy for customers to get the answers they need with live chat. 73% of Customers today like using live chat to communicate with businesses. Use a recommended live chat widget and start connecting with your customers. 

Manage Instagram and Facebook inquiries 

As of June 2022, Facebook and Instagram were the most popular social media platforms for shoppers. 

Brevo lets you manage incoming messages from both social media platforms in one place. If you want to create a seamless customer experience and streamline communication, here’s how to connect Brevo to:

• Instagram DMs
• Facebook Messenger

Optimize your online listings

Update your Google My Business, Yelp, Facebook, and other online profiles with all the information customers need to have a successful shopping experience with you. 

• Add pictures of your storefront and products or services
• Make sure your address and contact information are current 
• Update your store’s holiday hours
• List your products

Optimize your website

Make your website festive and promote your holiday deals and events with a banner. Share a special holiday FAQ with all things related to holiday shopping, shipping, and offers. 

Create a landing page for your most important offers. Don’t forget to include a subscription form to keep growing your contact list! 

3 holiday marketing pitfalls to avoid

Holiday marketing campaigns often fail because they fall into common traps. To avoid making these mistakes, follow these holiday marketing tips.

1. Using only one holiday marketing channel

You shouldn’t rely on one channel alone for your holiday marketing strategy. For example, run email marketing campaigns and social media posts to promote your holiday sales.

This way, you’ll reach more customers during the holiday season.

2. Sending too many holiday marketing emails

The last thing you want to do during the busy holiday season is bombard your customers. With emails, it’s easy to get carried away.

Sending too many emails comes off as spammy. You also risk losing subscribers and turning off potential customers.

Ramp up your holiday emails, but don’t overwhelm your audience. Launch your campaigns early enough to build anticipation. Send emails to raise brand awareness and promote holiday offers. 

Like with all of your marketing campaigns, it’s important to strike the right balance.

3. Planning holiday marketing campaigns last minute

A good holiday marketing strategy takes careful planning. If you leave your holiday campaigns to the last minute, you’re less likely to see the results you want.

Don’t wait until the day before the holiday to create your campaigns. Instead, come up with a holiday marketing plan ahead of time. This will help ensure your campaigns’ success.

Marketing tools make it easy to plan and automate your campaigns across channels. This includes emails, SMS, paid advertising, and WhatsApp marketing. With Brevo, launch all your holiday marketing campaigns from a single platform.

Read on to find out more.

The post Holiday Marketing Guide: Examples & Ideas to Stand Out This Season appeared first on Brevo (ex Sendinblue).

What is a newsletter if not one of the best ways to develop your brand image, feature your products and services, and create a loyal following? By sending consistent updates packed with value for your subscribers, you’ll develop a strong customer base and boost the success of your marketing email campaigns.

One of the easiest to start is using templates. They’re created by designers, ready for you to just input your own copy and customize colors as needed. No need to worry about spacing, alignment, or image sizes.

To help you, we selected a few outstanding newsletter templates for all kinds of businesses you can use for free:

• Ecommerce newsletter templates
• Blog and content newsletter templates
• SaaS newsletter templates
• Nonprofit newsletter templates
• Holiday newsletter templates

Find the perfect newsletter template for your business

Ecommerce newsletter templates

Newsletters are a vital element of ecommerce email marketing. Use them to update your audience about new offerings and discounts, share valuable content, and even send personalized product recommendations.

The goal is to keep customers informed and coming back to buy again. The free email newsletter templates below showcase different ways to achieve this and drive conversions.

Newsletter template #1

This first example does a good job of showing how ecommerce businesses can benefit from a well-designed email newsletter. The template includes several classic elements of an ecommerce email campaign:

• Highlighting new products: New products, seasonal updates, and highlights are all welcome in a newsletter. Its purpose, after all, is to inform subscribers of what’s going on with your business.
• Featured products: The spotlight on desserts is a good way to boost an underperforming category.
• Customer testimonials: Including customer feedback helps bring in new customers.
• Social media call: The prominent invite to follow the brand on Instagram is a nice touch as it helps strengthen the relationship with the customer and prolong the interaction on various channels.

Psst! When starting with your newsletter, don’t forget to set up an automated welcome email for new subscribers.

Newsletter template #2

Our next ecommerce newsletter template example takes a slightly different approach by featuring only one product in the email:

• Speak directly to your subscribers: This email newsletter starts with a personalized greeting and a short note to subscribers. Beginning an email campaign this way helps connect with your subscribers in a more personal way.
• Sneak peak: By only spotlighting one product from the new collection, this email campaign sparks interest. Their opening text mentions the collection, with a single featured product following. This strategy can seriously help boost your newsletter’s click through rate. 
• Social media CTA: Besides selling a product, many ecommerce sites want to promote the lifestyle associated with it. Social media can help a lot so include links to your profiles to grow your brand’s reach.

Blog and content newsletter templates

If you plan to be sharing a lot of content (see our newsletter ideas), you can go minimalist on the visual elements. Design templates that put copy front and center.

Newsletter template #3

Our next template features a local newspaper example. Pay special attention to how the newsletter provides value to readers in a few distinct sections:

• Original intro: This example uses a “daily run-down” format to give their readers the most important headlines first. It’s attention-grabbing and effective. Of course, it fits for a monthly or a weekly newsletter too.
• Featured content: The varied boxes let you feature a certain article while the colored headings draw the readers to the rest of the email.

Newsletter template #4

This is another template with a old-school newsletter layout. It’s perfect for content-heavy campaigns when you have a lot to share with your readers.

• Variety of text boxes: There’s enough space for copy, highlights, and quotes in different formats and nicely placed images. 
• Luxurious feel: The layout looks like a glossy magazine so your content can shine without the sue of design tools.

SaaS newsletter templates

For SaaS companies, newsletters nurture leads and build relationships. For this reason, they should be educational, professional, and most of all, full of value for the reader.

Our email newsletter template includes several key elements for B2B marketing:

• Featured articles: SaaS companies should work on establishing authority in their field. Sharing content showcasing your expertise is the first step to converting new customers.
• Product tutorials: Your monthly newsletter is the perfect place to introduce updates or new features in your product. The CTAs in this template will drive people down the funnel.
• Referral program: This template also includes a referral program along with an incentive. Put in your link and watch new business roll in!
• Customer support contacts: Including ways to reach support in every email is not a bad idea.

Nonprofit newsletter templates

Email marketing for nonprofits differs from business newsletters as they are mission- rather than sales-driven. This means they should be educational, but also actionable. People don’t automatically stand up and support a cause — they usually need some encouragement.

School newsletter template

This template uses the example of a school district. Note these key elements:

• Event CTA: As most nonprofits rely on events for fund raising, highlighting upcoming events will increase signups and spread the word to new supporters. Here, the CTA is front and center.
• Featured story: In this school newsletter, featured articles are a way of keeping parents informed and showcasing students’ work.
• Webinar signup: Webinars are popular ways to share content and build up a well-informed and dedicated following for non-profits. Alternatively, use this section of the newsletter template for an ebook or infographic download.

Charity newsletters

Another nonprofit email newsletter template focuses on thank you and results.

• Keep it simple: An update to supporters should focus on impact, hence the short, sweet, and highly visual newsletter design.
• Personalized content: Personalized emails allow you to tell each customers exactly how their donations helped your charity. Use a CRM and dynamic content to deliver a personal note to each donor.

Of course, this article on newsletter templates would be amiss without our holiday email content! The holiday shopping season is the biggest time of the year for many SMBs. Check out our Easter, Valentine’s Day, Labor Day, and Christmas newsletter ideas.

A beautiful newsletter holiday-themed template

• Sale or promotion: A holiday is a great time to offer a sale or promotion. Start your holiday newsletter by announcing a new discount code or special offer.
• Holiday theme: Your holiday newsletter shouldn’t look just like all our other email marketing campaigns. Use this and other holiday-themed email designs available in our library to stand out in inboxes. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)’s holiday newsletter templates come prepared with on-theme color palettes to get you started.
• Customized CTAs: Spice up your calls to action with related puns and jokes. Our Halloween example features a CTA button that reads, “Spooky treats this way.”

For a more in-depth look, check out our article on holiday email templates!

Free newsletter templates for outstanding email marketing campaigns

There’s no one-size-fits-all formula that gives you the perfect company newsletter template. It depends on your business, goals, and audience. It doesn’t have to depend on your design skills, however.

You can have beautiful newsletter design without any graphic design or HTML knowledge.

As a newsletter software, Brevo offers eye-catching customizable newsletter templates for different purposes and industries. You can access them all on our Free plan. Plus, you’ll get handy email marketing tools to run the whole process from one place.

These fully responsive HTML templates help you create email newsletters that look great on mobile devices and desktop. They’re ideal for small businesses that want to send professional email campaigns while saving time and money.

And the best part is you don’t have to design the newsletter in graphic design tool like Adobe or Canva, and then export it to an email marketing platform.

You can easily customize the newsletter branding to match yours with our intuitive drag and drop editor. Here are some of the best newsletter examples to inspire you.

Brevo’s template gallery

How to use the templates

To use our free email newsletter templates in your Brevo account, follow these simple steps:

1. Go to the “Campaigns” tab and click “Create an email campaign”. 
2. Complete the “Setup” information, including your campaign name and subject line. 
3. Click “Next step” to move to the design stage, then select “Template gallery”.
4. Select your desired template to move on to the drag and drop editor.
5. Customize your template! Pick the color scheme and font, customize the header and footer, add high-quality images, and add whatever else you need to perfect your email design.

What’s more, these beautiful newsletter templates can be used in automation scenarios too!

Newsletters are one of the best ways to build relationships with your customers — so don’t wait to start sending.

For more inspiration to make these templates your own, check out this list of our best email marketing examples (all created on Brevo).

The post Free & Editable Email Newsletter Templates to Use Today appeared first on Brevo (ex Sendinblue).

Several cognitive biases and underlying motivations influence decision-making. Email marketing for nonprofits should take them into account to achieve Giving Tuesday donation goals.

To know exactly which bias to activate can be daunting. Though since you’re here, consider this problem solved. In this blog post, we’ll analyze some stand-out Giving Tuesday email examples and the psychology behind why they convert.

What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM). Amid the holiday season, people donate to or volunteer for causes and charities closest to their hearts.

The movement of year-end giving started in 2012 and has since picked up momentum. In 2022, the Giving Tuesday organization reported $3.1 billion worth of donations in the U.S. alone.

The best part is, you don’t need to be a charity to participate, so if you have a cause near and dear to your heart that you’d like to support, read on! The Giving Tuesday email examples below will help you kindle people’s urge to donate.

7 Giving Tuesday email examples to inspire your campaign

These Giving Tuesday email examples showcase some of the most effective best practices to help you fine-tune your campaign email strategy. 

1. A warm-up Giving Tuesday email to loyal supporters 

…who’ve steered your donation drive over the years toward success. Tell them you value their change-making pledge and to stay tuned for more Giving Tuesday emails from you over the next few days.

In their email, Operation Warm gives donors full credit for giving a gift of hope to those in need. Moreover, to make sure they don’t forget to give this year they provide an “add to calendar” option, which is a smart addition to this email marketing campaign.

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Here’s one charity email example from CARE Australia. The header says “because you care” to kickstart a one-to-one conversation. Plus, the statistics about last year’s success become a shared moment of pride. They start their Giving Tuesday message on a highly positive note.

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Why do these Giving Tuesday emails work?

As humans, we have a strong desire to be seen as someone consistent in our behavior and beliefs. Naturally, when repeat donors receive an email that appreciates their generosity, they prepare to donate again. 

So far as the statistics go, recurring donors give 42% more over 1 year than a one-time donor. Even if they want to donate for purely altruistic reasons, your email will prepare them to play their part.

2. Follow up with a Giving Tuesday announcement email

Focus on the impact you’ve made in the past. 

• Mention how much you raised over the years and how it benefited your cause.
• Include statistics for donors to see where their contribution was used.
• Use images and photographs to evoke emotions and crack their hearts open. 

Charity: water does all the above convincingly. The photograph, which acts as a directional cue, and the accompanying message evoke feelings of hope and empathy.

At the end of the email, they also give an option to read more about their fundraiser. This is particularly useful for first-time donors who might want to know more. 

What’s also worth noting is their email subject line — This #GivingTuesday, make history with us! It creates a curiosity gap that gets the recipient excited about the event and so your open rate goes up. The lesson being, your Giving Tuesday subject lines should build excitement and pay off too. 

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Why does this Giving Tuesday email work?

We believe every decision we make is a good one. So when donors receive an email affirming their kindness and acknowledging them for supporting a particular charity, it reinforces their confidence in their decision-making. Result? They donate again. 

The same applies to first-time donors. Seeing the good done by the charity or a small business like yours, they feel good about having chosen you. So don’t skip the Giving Tuesday announcement.

3. Hype current and potential donors with stories

Good stories are key to a powerful Giving Tuesday message. They can make you feel a whole bunch of emotions, such as anger, sadness, suffering, empathy, and hope. 

This email from Help for Heroes — though not a part of their Giving Tuesday campaign — is a good example of how to melt hearts. You can see Carl’s life change in front of your eyes.

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Moving on, storytelling needn’t be restricted to written words. Explore videos as an alternative format.

In this Giving Tuesday campaign example Sears shares a video captioned “Watch the work Sears and St. Jude — and you — are doing together’”. It’s the phrase “and you” that makes donors feel like they have an important role to play in someone else’s life. Meaning? They’re persuaded to donate.

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Why do these Giving Tuesday emails work?

The stories in both Giving Tuesday email samples center around one person. This one-person hook is important to trigger the identifiable victim effect. Turns out, it’s easier for people to empathize with the struggle of an individual over an abstract, nameless group of people. Ultimately, this motivates them to help in any way possible. 

Moreover, the most striking part about such stories is that they don’t depend on a history of shared experience. If they’re told well, they motivate people to feel others’ pain and do something to end it. So run with this idea and trigger empathy through your Giving Tuesday emails.

4. Nudge supporters to make a lasting impact

Many charities and nonprofits mention how far they are from their fundraising goal while some add a countdown or notify how long before the donation drive ends. These are tried and tested Giving Tuesday email templates to get people to donate right away.

For list subscribers who’ve already donated (use email segmentation to find out who they are), thank them and simultaneously ask them to forward your email and/or share it on social media.

This will amplify your reach and get you closer to the finish line — or even better, exceed your goal. Just make sure you add social sharing buttons and a preloaded message to make it easy to share. 

Here’s how to leverage this conversion tactic. Note that this is a classic email personalization move. The recipients respond well to such emails because they are relevant and specific to the actions they’ve taken. 

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Why does this Giving Tuesday email work?

Credit goes to the foot-in-the-door technique in which you follow up your first request with another one. 

The charity email example also gives a concrete reason to share, which is important as people share stuff if they can extract value from it. In this case, by forwarding the Giving Tuesday email, the sharer hopes to be recognized as a force of change and influence over others. #goodkarma

5. Promise a donation match

Matching campaigns, not surprisingly, double the funds raised and the impact. But do more than just announce your collaboration. Focus on the impact each dollar of the donation amount is going to accomplish. Add a time ticker or a progress bar to put on a bit of pressure.

North Shore Animal League’s Giving Tuesday email template follows all these best practices to push their call-to-action — or rather — call-to-value.

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Why does this Giving Tuesday email campaign work?

The answer is by creating a sense of urgency. With a time limit attached to the matching Giving Tuesday campaign, donors experience a sense of loss if they don’t donate.

6. Make giving easy

There’s a large chance your subscribers are already buying your product consistently. Throw in a limited-time gifted donation with every purchase and give loyal shoppers and new customers alike an extra reason to place an order.

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Why does this Giving Tuesday email work?

This Giving Tuesday email campaign by Honest Paws makes donating easy. Subscribers just have to buy their favorite products, and a donation is automatically made — it’s a win-win! 

Rather than use a run-of-the-mill call to action, Honest Paws asks donors to “help a shelter pet”. When subscribers click that CTA, they know they’re making a difference. 

Check out our guide on how to create a fundraising campaign email for more of the best fundraising email tips and examples.

Check out our guide to how to create a fundraising campaign email for more of the best fundraising email tips and examples.

7. Send a Giving Tuesday thank you email the next day

Tell your donors that you cherish their support. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate Giving Tuesday thank you email, but one that has sincere thanks coming from you. This note of gratitude is important to build transparency and trust.

Feel free to add how much you raised and how you plan to use the funds. You could also redirect them to stories of real people who benefited from the fundraising in the past.

Again, CARE Australia’s email is a good charity email example of how it’s done.

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Alternatively, here’s an example from Natura that keeps the spirit of generosity alive to inspire your own Giving Tuesday thank-you emails.

Through the dynamic hashtag, they imply that giving could be a year-long thing or even a mindset. You can use both these examples as a Giving Tuesday thank you email template.

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Why do these Giving Tuesday emails work?

Even though these emails are sent to several people at once, it’s the second-person pronoun “you” that gives the impression this message has been personally written for them. 

These Giving Tuesday email examples let subscribers know how their donation made an impact and makes them feel proud for contributing! Recognizing your donors’ efforts is important for a successful Giving Tuesday campaign and for continued success in the future. 

Giving Tuesday email best practices

Time your Giving Tuesday emails right

Below we have a guideline to help you know when to send your Giving Tuesday emails.

1st email: two to three weeks before

This email introduces your mission to your subscribers and announces your Giving Tuesday participation. Let them know when and what Giving Tuesday is. You can talk about what you achieved last year (with the help of subscribers like them). You can also link to a blog post or a landing page about the cause you’re helping. 

A reminder: between one week and one day before 

This can be a short and sweet email with a call to action to save the date. You can also ask subscribers to share your email with friends on social media.

3rd email with a call to donate: on Giving Tuesday

This is the big day, so make it count! Send this email in the morning and let your readers know it’s Giving Tuesday. Remind them of your mission and reinforce how their contribution will help. Don’t forget an empowering CTA to finish it off.   

A progress update: halfway through Giving Tuesday (optional)

Keep your subscribers updated on your fundraising progress and convince those who haven’t donated yet to participate. This can easily be done by filtering your contacts by those who haven’t opened your previous Giving Tuesday campaign email yet. 

A thank you email: the day after Giving Tuesday

Don’t forget to send a heartfelt email full of gratitude once the big day is over. Celebrate your shared achievements with your subscribers and let them know they’re superheroes. 

Create thoughtful campaigns 

Knowing what to write in your Giving Tuesday email isn’t a five-minute task, so we made a quick checklist to guide you. Inspire people to make a donation by including these details in your emails:

Write a compelling subject line.

Include your organization’s name and logo. Put it in a banner at the top or after your sign-off.

Use the Giving Tuesday logo. Make your email look the part with the Giving Tuesday logo or other Giving Tuesday graphics.

Write a headline. Your headline states what this campaign is about.

Say what your goal is. Tell your subscribers how much you aim to raise. This is also a moment to tell the story behind your cause. 

State how your subscribers’ contributions will help. Saying what their donation will accomplish will motivate your audience to participate. Will they feed a pet for a month, or provide a child with new shoes for the school year?

Say thank you! Include a CTA.

Refer to this Giving Tuesday email template to see where you can include each detail. And remember, at the end of the day, this is your campaign, so if you have a different vision, go for it!

Create your Giving Tuesday email template

Using a marketing platform like Brevo will make building and sending Giving Tuesday email templates a breeze. Easily upload graphics (or search through Brevo’s free stock gallery), create headlines, and drop in donate buttons.

Take these Giving Tuesday email examples to the next level

We know you can, especially now you know the psychology behind what makes people give. 

So then, are you ready to create your Giving Tuesday campaign? We say — give it a shot.

We hope you’ve found this content helpful. Download our free holiday marketing calendar to receive the latest seasonal marketing tips and guides.

The post 7 Giving Tuesday Email Examples That’ll Make Your Donation Drive a Success appeared first on Brevo (ex Sendinblue).

Chat is now one of the most important tools for growing your business. Use it to improve user experience, provide customer support in real time, and nurture customer relationships.

In 2023, adding live chat to your website has never been simpler. Get started with chat in just a few clicks, no technical skills needed.

How to add live chat to your website

Follow this step-by-step guide to activate live chat on your website. No coding skills required!

Step 1: Pick live chat software to use

Naturally, it all starts with choosing your provider. Estimate your needs and compare what’s on the market. Some key differentiators to look for:

• price per agent seat
• automations possible (canned responses, chatbot, open hours)
• proactive chat available
• customization options (branding, placement)
• signup form integration
• stats and metrics
• mobile app available (especially if you’ll be manning the chat yourself and on the go)
• ease of setup

Here’s a comparison of the best live chat software at the moment.

Step 2: Install your chat widget

The best live chat widget providers make it super-easy — simply copy the code snippet and paste it into your web page’s HTML code to embed the chat on your website.

Check out the tutorials available for WordPress websites or Shopify to see for yourself how easy it is.

Step 3: Customize the chat widget

You can brand it to match the rest of your website. Choose the color and chat button design. You can also customize the welcome message to match your brand’s tone of voice.

An advanced functionality it to set up different languages depending on the visitor’s browser language. Then you only input a default welcome message in your first language and it gets translated to all others you want to serve.

Customize the chat widget to match the language and color palette of your website.

Tip: Enable sound notifications

You can alert visitors of your answer with sound. It’s very handy because often people get distracted, minimize the screen, or go to another page while waiting for the agent’s answer.

Step 4: Create agent profiles

Let visitors feel as if they’re talking to customer support face-to-face. Use your team members’ real names. You can also add a title and photo for customers to see when they open the chat window.

This profile gives your chat widget a friendly, human face.

Pro tip

Some live chat tools make it possible to set rules to automatically route incoming messages to specific chat agents or groups of agents. For example, Spanish-speaking agents get chats coming from your Spanish-language website.

Step 5: Set your service hours

To set up your live chat strategy for success, configure your work rules. Set your business hours for each day of the week when you’ll be online and available to chat. The better providers even let you customize this by agent.

Then, choose what happens when you’re offline: hide the widget altogether or display a warning message of possible delays.

Setting your operating hours lets customers know when you’re available to chat

Tip: Enable desktop notifications

Enable desktop notifications to know when a website visitor messages you over live chat. This way, you’ll never miss an opportunity.

Step 6: Think of widget placement

Where should you put the live chat widget you created? On all pages or only on key ones where you know users need help?

One approach is to add live chat to your website’s strategic pages (pricing, checkout, terms of uses, etc.) and proactively engage visitors on those pages to convert them.

Step 7: Save canned responses

When you’re looking how to add live chat to your site, you’re looking for a way to serve your customers in real time, right? You can keep on doing that even offline thanks to canned responses.

They’re save replies to FAQ you get: “Do you offer free shipping?”, “What payments methods do you accept?”, etc. You simply input them and the answers, and the live chat tool displays them when people type in the same thing.

Example of canned responses

Step 8: Set up a chatbot

Want to use more automation? Chatbots are great at saving time and moving leads down the funnel until the point where human touch is needed.

Start by choosing your trigger (the condition to show the chatbot message). Usually, it’s an IF rule about the visitor’s behavior, for example if they spend 15 mins on one page.

Then, list possible reply options. Input the next question, depending on the answers. Continue for as long as you need. Save and launch. For inspiration, check out these chatbot examples.

Setting up chatbot scenarios

Read more: The best chatbot software compared

Step 9: Add more channels

If you’re adding chat to your site, why not open even more direct channels of communication with your audience? Connect your business social media accounts and receive all incoming messages in one neat chat admin for easier management.

Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger, and even WhatsApp — all conversations can be managed from the same live chat back-end you install on your site (with the right provider, of course).

Chats coming in from different platforms in one place

Step 10: Connect to CRM

The whole point of adding chat to your website is to engage visitors and turn them into customers. So integrating the chat with your CRM should be your next step.

This way, you’ll be able to identify and track site visitors throughout their journey with you. Their contact details, their interactions with your site and channels, and purchases — can be all in one place, handy for future campaigns.

Step 11: Monitor live chat performance

After you add chat to your site, you can draw insights from its performance and improve the customer service provided. Look at metrics like:

• number of incoming chats (breakdown by channel)
• answer rate by agent
• ratings
• average response time

Adding chat to your website: FAQ

How live chat works

Live chat is a digital communication tool for one-on-one customer interaction. The chat box usually appears on your website as a popup window, like in the example below:

When customers reach out via chat, you or a support team member can respond directly in the conversation. Read more on what live chat is.

Why you should add chat to your website

Live chat software makes real-time, direct customer communication easy. This makes customer support faster and more efficient, increasing customer satisfaction.

Whether you’re an ecommerce site, software startup, or small business, you can use website chat for:

• Email list building: collect subscribers with a form right in the chat box
• Customer support: answer FAQs and engage in real time
• Conversational marketing: enhance the customer experience with strategic touchpoints
• Sales: nurture potential customers and guide them through the sale funnel

Dig deeper into our guide to best practices using live chat for business.

Add live chat to your website with Brevo

Open a Brevo account to get access to our free live chat features: unlimited chats from one seat, fully customizable chat widget, mobile app, and complete chat history.

No need to download a live chat plugin, the app can be activated directly from the platform.

Starting with one seat is enough to provide live chat support to your website visitors. Upgrade to add more team members and access Pro functionality, including chatbots, Facebook Messenger nd Instagram Direct integration, and automation.

The post How to Add Live Chat to Your Website (Easy & Free) appeared first on Brevo (ex Sendinblue).

Check out our Small Business Saturday ideas and make your brand stand out from the crowd:

1. Register your business
2. Offer deals and discounts
3. Link up with other businesses
4. Get customers back in store
5. Host an event 
6. Send email campaigns
7. Use social media
8. Get great graphics
9. Create user-generated content
10. Tell a story
11. Give back

When is Small Business Saturday?

Small Business Saturday is a shopping holiday held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In 2023, it falls on November 25th.

It was created in 2010 by American Express to help small businesses promote themselves. It’s since become a popular annual event. 79% of Americans surveyed are aware of the importance of shopping small and in 2021 they spent $23.3 billion on the day.

What happens on Small Business Saturday? It’s about more than just profit. It’s about building relationships with customers and strengthening ties with your community.

These bonds continue to be important even after the pandemic. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)’s post-pandemic customer research shows that consumers are looking to support smaller and local businesses.

What’s the purpose of Small Business Saturday?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are owned by the big retailers. Small Business Saturday is your time to shine. 

There’s one important thing to remember about Small Business Saturday: it’s all about showing the customer their purchase is making a difference. Whether it’s helping the family behind the brand or going back into the neighborhood.

During last year’s season, 79% of shoppers agreed small businesses are essential to the community and 36% of consumers planned on shopping during Small Business Saturday.  

Read on to discover how you can encourage the community, near and far, to support your business and shop small this year.

Small Business Saturday marketing ideas

Your Small Business Saturday marketing strategy should radiate feel-good vibes and help your customer feel they’re involved in something positive.

Here are our favorite marketing ideas to make your Small Business Saturday 2023 a roaring success. 

1. Register your business

Gear up for the day by getting registered for the event. If you’re in the US, you can register here. Businesses in the UK can register here (the UK event is on December 2nd).

Find out if your local area has its own list of participating businesses. Sign up to benefit from advertising in the run-up to the day or be part of a Shop Small map to guide foot traffic to your store on the big day.

You can also connect with other participating businesses ahead of the day to share ideas and plan joint events. 

Pro tip: Don’t just register on the Shop Small map. Create (or update) your Google My Business profile to maximize visibility.

2. Offer deals and discounts

Next, plan your deals. Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity to say thank you to customers by helping out with their holiday shopping. Plus, with an array of strong deals and discounts, you’ll attract new faces to spread the word about your brand. 

Not sure what kind of deals work? A recent poll revealed the most popular Small Business Saturday promotions were limited-time deals (24%), followed by free gifts (21%), coupons and discounts (20%), and finally buy-one-get-one free deals (19%). If you still can’t decide, you could offer a mix, like Scout Books. 

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3. Link up with other businesses

On a day that’s all about community spirit, why not link up with a fellow small business? Organize joint marketing campaigns with reciprocal discounts or giveaways and collaborate on social media posts to promote each other’s business.

You’re offering your customer a full experience, cross-pollinating your audiences, and getting to know a fellow business owner, as in this example from Tattly. 

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4. Get customers back in store

The pandemic sent businesses online, so use the day to entice people back into stores. 

A great way to connect your online customer base with your real-life store is by creating an offer that links the two. Send a QR code to loyal customers to be redeemed in-store. Or vice versa, offer a discount for those who sign up for your newsletter through the QR code displayed on-site.

Or, offer store pickup to your online customers. “Most consumers love the ease and convenience of picking purchases up. It’s a great opportunity to upsell and build a connection with your customers and secure their loyalty,” says Jonathan Roque, digital marketing and content strategist at Zapiet.

Once in-store, customers typically make larger transactions, increasing your average order value.

5. Host an event

While you’re inviting your customers back to stores, create a buzz in your space. Host an activity, an evening cocktail event, or hire local performers to entertain your guests. 

Your efforts don’t have to be too out there: customers love the little touches like a free coffee or a coupon for the next time they shop with you. Extend your opening hours, offer refreshments, give out free gifts, run a raffle — make the day feel like part of the holiday season. 

The most important thing, as Roberta Perry of Scrubz Body Scrub, Inc says, is to put the customer first. “We revel in being a micro-mini business and we adore treating our customers like the gold they are. It gives us a chance to celebrate customer loyalty and renew our commitment to them.”

Local news reporters will be keen to get the scoop on your event, so make sure you invite them along. 

And when the party’s over? Don’t forget to follow up. A thank you note is a quick and effective way to show your appreciation.

Choose the best pictures from the event and share them on Facebook or Instagram. Or put them in a marketing email like this one from The Salty. Remind them of how much fun they had and make sure they come back soon. 

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6. Send email campaigns

The best way to get the word out is over email. Social media is a great touchpoint, but it’s important to connect with your invested audience. Make sure you’re developing your customer relationships through email to deepen brand loyalty and engagement.

Build an email list by offering discounts. Then, keep in touch regularly with special offers and exclusive deals. This will help you build brand loyalty and encourage repeat purchases. 

Andrew Woods of Duckpin says, “Your marketing efforts should start well before Small Business Saturday. In the month leading up to the sale, we engage customers and subscribers with high-value promotional teasers.” 

Send your contacts an email saying you will be participating in SBS and let them know you’ll be having Small Business Saturday deals. Don’t forget to follow up with a friendly reminder email a week or a few days before the event to keep it fresh in their minds.

To schedule and segment your Small Business Saturday emails ahead of time and take the stress out of your email campaign, try Brevo’s email marketing software. Get started with 300 emails a day on the free plan.

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Send an email showcasing your products to get subscribers excited to shop Small Business Saturday like in this example by Uncommon Goods.

7. Use social media

Small Business Saturday is a social experience and a day to build community. So, it makes sense to promote it on social media. Plus, as of the end of 2022, 52.6% of businesses were leveraging social media for marketing purposes.  

Increase engagement with your brand by creating Small Business Saturday posts. Use SBS hashtags and local hashtags to attract new customers. Be sure to include the official hashtags for the occasion, which are #ShopSmall, #SmallBizSat and #SmallBizSaturday.

“Invite users to like, share, and follow your profile for a unique discount code. This will boost your social media presence, exposing your business to even more people. This means more sales, more hype, and more attention,” says Gregory Yong from Convincely.

People like to share their support, so make it easy for them to be interactive. Make an Instagram sticker, Snapchat filter, or gif with your business branding. Customers will jump at the chance to show off their support for small businesses.

8. Get great graphics

While you’re feeling creative, design coordinated graphics and signage for your Small Business Saturday marketing materials. By splashing your online and real-life presence with logos, banners, and hashtags, you’ll keep your business top of mind throughout the holiday sales. 

Change your social media cover photos and banners to include the #ShopSmall hashtag. Pin a tweet, update your bios, or add a popup to your homepage. These minor changes help remind and encourage people to visit you on the day.

Every year, the original organizer of the event — American Express — offers free template graphics and imagery to help you coordinate your online presence and shop front. 

9. Get user-generated content

Build a buzz around your brand with user-generated content. Organize a promotion or contest on social media and invite your customers to take part.

Ask for a photo with their favorite product of yours or a short video about why they love your brand. Share any content they generate, with their permission. People will warm to your brand, you’ll build relationships with your most loyal customers and get yourself in front of some new faces as well.

10. Tell a story

Some prefer to leave the noise of deals and discounts behind to tell a story of their products and their business. 

“For Small Business Saturday, we focus less on paid ads and more on showcasing video footage of the small business owners at work,” says Ella Jesmajian, co-founder of Honey and Roses Coffee.

Sharing behind-the-scenes content is a great way to connect with your customers. People like to see the faces behind the brand. Small Business Saturday is a chance to make personal connections in a way the big corporations can’t.

Content such as this sneak-peak from Jack Mason works brilliantly in email marketing to break up the promotions and build those all-important relationships with your subscriber list. 

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11. Give back

We know Small Business Saturday is all about community, think about how you can give back to yours. Customers love to see businesses contributing to the improvement of their local community.

Collect donations to fund new sports equipment, plant a flower bed in a local park, or contribute to a food bank. Pick something that feels appropriate to your brand. 

Roberto Torres, owner of The Local Marketer says, “When a local small business partners with a local cause, it benefits the cause in two ways. The first is by providing the funds for them to continue operating, but also advertising that organization to the community.”

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Final tips for Small Business Saturday

Feeling inspired for your Small Business Saturday success? Just remember to:

• Reward your customers with special events, deals, and discounts
• Harness the power of community, be it your fellow business owners, local media, or members of the public
• Be generous, with your behind-the-scenes story, your discounting, and your charitable giving

Achieve this, and your customers will walk away with the feel-good factor that will make them loyal to your brand all year round. 

Stay up to date with the latest marketing tips and download our free holiday marketing calendar.

The post 11 Small Business Saturday Ideas to Give Your Business a Boost appeared first on Brevo (ex Sendinblue).

Why? You ask.

Around Black Friday, the fight for attention in the inbox is as ruthless as the Hunger Games. 

Your Black Friday subject line has to work overtime to get your customers’ attention because every other ecommerce site and retailer in the world is working their hardest to get consumer eyeballs on their deals too. 

And all of that in the space of just a few days.

No worries, though. From a secret subject line sauce to 40 subject line ideas, we’ve got you covered. This blog post will give you all the weapons you need to arm your holiday sale emails for victory in the most combative of battles: the Black Friday weekend inbox.

Use this secret sauce for Black Friday email subject lines

Your subject lines have only one job to do. 

Get your subscribers to open your fabulous Black Friday emails, which will then encourage them to click and convert. 

The secret to email subject lines for Thanksgiving weekend?

Directness + urgency = OPENS

These two ingredients when combined make the perfect sauce for catapulting your subject line to success.

Now, directness and urgency are, at other times of the year or for other types of campaigns, not always the best recipe for subject lines. 

Sometimes direct and urgent subject lines may feel too ham-fisted or boring even. Some campaigns call for intriguing subject lines that utilize the curiosity gap or tell a joke and leave the reader hanging for the punchline.

But. 

When it comes to Black Friday newsletters, the battle of the inbox is vicious. Just look at the one below.

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This holiday sales period has different rules because of the sheer amount of money changing hands in such a short space of time. With so many post-Thanksgiving campaigns in the space of just five days – Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday – consumers are overwhelmed with ways to spend their money. 

And spending their money is something consumers truly want to do. In 2022, U.S. consumers spent a record $9.12 billion of their hard-earned cash on the web on Black Friday. 

But all your competitors know this too. Your customers are being positively pummeled by promotions in their inboxes. 

There’s no time to be subtle. 

A winning combination for your subject lines this Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend

• Directness: Tell subscribers exactly what you have for them. What percentage is your discount? Are you offering free shipping? Which specific brands are going on sale?

Your offer itself has to do the heavy lifting in attracting their attention. 

Consumers are going to be scanning hundreds of sales, meaning your deal has to be good enough to convince them to open your campaign. 

• Urgency: The Black Friday weekend itself creates urgency. 

That’s why it’s such an effective time of year for retail and ecommerce. Consumers are expecting rock-bottom deals that only run for a limited time during this kickoff to the holiday season.

This may seem like an obvious point, but you have to signal to your subscribers that your email campaign relates to Black Friday or whichever post-Thanksgiving sale you’re taking part in. 

In other words, remember that using a catchy phrase including “Black Friday” or “Cyber Monday sale” as your subject line will increase your open rate.

Boost your Black Friday/Cyber Monday open rates with these words

Be direct with your subject line by conveying the most important information about what you’re offering your customers. 

Use enticing words like the ones below, proven to boost opens on Black Friday weekend:

• Sale
• Offer
• X% off
• Free shipping 
• Markdown
• Closeout

Note, however, that if you’re offering a discount, it’s worth putting the markdown percentage in the subject line only if it’s 50% or higher.

Anything less won’t move subscribers at this time of year. (Unless they love your brand truly, madly, deeply. But if that’s the case, then they’ll open just about anything you send them, including “You Jane. Me Email.”)

Then add a phrase that creates a sense of urgency:

• Black Friday 
• Cyber Monday
• Small Business Saturday
• Giving Tuesday
• Only X hours left
• For the next X hours only
• X more hours until …
• Soon
• Midnight
• Ends
• Won’t last

Signal your sale with a Black Friday emoji

Email emojis are also a good, subtle way to signal Black Friday sales in your subject lines. Anything colored black can indicate to subscribers the Black Friday context of your email.

For example…

Steal these email subject lines for Black Friday and Cyber Monday

To put it all together, here are 40 subject lines, paired with the occasional preheader text, to help you create your own taglines for your brand’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

Note: One email promoting your sale is never enough! You can kickstart your campaign with a series of pre-Black Friday teaser emails, as well as reminders during your sale.

Here are some phases to consider: 

1. T-7 days: Announce your deals/offer sneak peeks
2. T-48 hours: Remind your subscribers of your deals 
3. T-24 hours: Open your deals early for VIPs 
4. Going live: Call your subscribers to action
5. Halfway point: Remind your subscribers that time is running out

Bonus tip: Use a countdown timer in your email design to add to the urgency created by your subject line

40 subject lines for every type of holiday sale campaign

Whether you’re building suspense for the launch of your Black Friday sale, or sending Cyber Monday emails, we’ve got you covered with some of the best email subject lines to inspire your own. 

Plus there are a few extras thrown in — for anyone also planning email campaigns for Giving Tuesday or Small Business Saturday.

Related read: What’s email preheader?

Pre-Black Friday teaser subject lines

• Just 48 hours left until your favorite? Friday?
  • Preheader: Have you seen our deals on Gucci, Prada, and Chanel?
• Don’t break the bank this Black Friday 

• Ready to flex your power shopping muscles this Black Friday?
  • Preheader: All protein powders at ½ price
• Ready to Get Your? Holiday Shopping ? On?
  • Preheader: Don’t start without looking at these Black Friday deals
• Free in-store goodies for the first 50 Black Friday shoppers!
  • Preheader: Doors open at 8 a.m.

VIP sale subject lines

• Get an exclusive sneak peek at our Black Friday sales
  • Preheader: Start that shopping list now!
• Can you keep a secret, Sam? VIP access to Cyber Week sales!

• Only for You, Sara: An Early Access Pass to Our Cyber Monday Sales
  • Preheader: Browse sales 24 hours before everyone else!
• Psst … Cyber Monday Starts Tomorrow. Use These Secret Discount Codes!

Launching your Black Friday promotions

• Free Shipping. Check. Up to 50% Off. Check. Black Friday. Check.

• We can’t take it anymore! These Black Friday deals on electronics are too good!

• Get. In. Here. Now. The Black Friday Sale Has Arrived!

• So … we went a bit crazy with our markdowns. Black Friday deals like never before!

• 50. 70. 90% off. No, we’re not kidding
  • Preheader: Grab these Black Friday deals now!
• Psst … 25 Black Friday Sales You Must See to Believe?

• Unbelievable bargains this Black Friday!
  • Preheader: Seriously, you don’t want to miss these brands
• Get these Black Friday deals before they’re gone!
  • Preheader: 50% off select menswear

Last chance subject lines

• Deals like these are not going to last. Black Friday ends soon

• Don’t walk. Run! 5 hours left to save big for Black Friday!

• Up to 75% off all appliances for the next 48 hours only!

• Is it too late to save for Cyber Monday? Definitely not!
  • Preheader: 50–75% off all children’s toys for the next 3 hours
• Hey, Night Owls. Cyber Monday Ends at Midnight!

Small Business Saturday email subject lines

• All current NYT bestsellers 50% off this Small Business Saturday
  • Preheader: Shop local this holiday season
• Shop small, save big this Small Business Saturday

• Small Business. Big Bargains. This Saturday Only.

• Free coffee with every purchase this Small Business Saturday

• Support a local business AND save a ton this Small Business Saturday

• Don’t miss our in-store fun and games this Small Business Saturday!

Cyber Monday email subject lines to promote your sale

• Set your alarms now for our Cyber Monday sale
  • Preheader: Unmissable deals for one day only 
• Our extended return policy makes Cyber Monday shopping stress free!
  • Preheader: Return all purchases for up to 60 days. No questions asked
• Skip to the front of the line! Free shipping on Cyber Monday deals

• Achieve shopping zen with these Cyber Monday online discounts

• Cyber Monday Sales Start in 3 … 2 … 1

• These Cyber Monday travel deals are supersonic!
  • Preheader: Book your holiday getaway now before they’re gone
• These Cyber Week bargains might not last until Friday
  • Preheader: Browse deeply discounted shoes and jackets!

Giving Tuesday email subject lines

• Consumption driving you crazy? Donate to a good cause this Giving Tuesday

• Solve holiday list anxiety by giving the gift of giving this year
  • Preheader: Donate for Christmas in the name of a loved one on Giving Tuesday
• How about giving instead of getting? 
  • Preheader: Donate today for Giving Tuesday 
• Our secret sponsor will match all donations this Giving Tuesday
  • Preheader: For the next 24 hours only!
• Enter to win free prizes when you donate on Giving Tuesday

Related: 100 Back to School Email Subject Lines That Boost Sales

Stand out in the inbox with your Black Friday email subject lines

Now you know what ingredients go into the secret sauce that will have you tasting Black Friday marketing perfection, along with 40 fully prepared Black Friday subject lines to inspire you. Go forth and find victory in the furious battle of the inbox.

And if you’re looking for an easy-to-use yet powerful platform to send your holiday sale emails this year, be sure to check out Brevo.

The post 40 Black Friday & Cyber Monday Email Subject Lines to Boost Your Open Rate appeared first on Brevo (ex Sendinblue).

There’s no question that Christmas is a huge time for sales. Last year consumers planned to spend an average of $950.5 on gifts and other holiday-related items.

Christmas is also a time for giving and togetherness. For many who celebrate the holiday, Christmas is full of nostalgia and happy memories. Some of the best Christmas email marketing campaigns tap into these emotions to engage subscribers.

This strategy is great for generating customer loyalty — 82% of consumers with a strong emotional bond with a company are likely to buy the same products again and again.

To drive sales, boost open rates, and build stronger customer relationships, try getting into the holiday spirit! Here are a few Christmas email examples and ideas to get you started. 

• Christmas email examples and ideas
• Christmas email marketing strategies
• Get your free Christmas email template

Christmas email examples and ideas

Christmas email marketing campaigns are a great way to connect with customers and drive sales during the busy holiday season. 

To inspire your campaigns, here are a few Christmas newsletter ideas and examples of emails that play up the Christmas spirit to engage subscribers.

Make it about the giftee

The Christmas season is a time of giving. Nothing beats the look of joy on your giftee’s face when they open your present.

Christmas shoppers are always looking for the perfect holiday gift to make their loved ones smile. Target them in your Christmas email marketing campaigns by centering your messaging around the giftee like this Christmas email example by Everlane.

Source

Offer a Christmas gift

Customers also like to get presents, right? Offer your customers a Christmas gift during this festive season to make their Christmas shopping even more rewarding. 

Like any Christmas gift, a special discount or freebie is a small gesture that goes a long way. It’s a token of appreciation that your customers will thank you for.

It also brings a delightful surprise to your subscriber’s inbox. This will make them more likely to support your business even after the Christmas season ends. Take a look at this Christmas email idea by Starbucks to see how it’s done.

Source

Send season’s greetings

Sending season’s greetings is one of the easiest and most effective ways to spread Christmas cheer during this festive time of the year.

Think of this Christmas email campaign as a Christmas card. It’s one way to wish your customers Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. You can also thank them for their support over the past year.

Source

This Christmas email example is a short and sweet holiday email that simply wishes subscribers a happy new year and some holiday cheer. They make it personal with a couple of emojis and a handwritten sign-off by the owners.

Grant your customer’s wishes

Nothing brings out your inner child like writing up your Christmas wishlist. Play the part of Santa Claus this year and use your Christmas email campaign to grant your customers’ Christmas wishes.

Start by asking your customers what’s on their wishlist, like in the example below.

Source

Share a yearly roundup

Christmas takes place at the end of the year. It’s a time for looking back at the months before, as well as looking forward to the new year ahead.

In your Christmas email newsletter, try sending a yearly roundup. Share any milestones you or your customers might have reached. Christmas is full of holiday nostalgia, so don’t be afraid to thank your customers for joining you on your journey.

Source

Focus on Christmas memories

Christmas isn’t just about the gifts. Often, it’s about the memories you make with your loved ones while gathered around a Christmas tree.

For many families, Christmas is one of the few holidays in the year when everyone can be together. Christmas memories are precious to all — try putting them front and center of your Christmas email marketing campaigns (and don’t forget to show your special offer).

Source

Bring customers together around a cause

Christmas is a time of giving. It’s also a time to give back. This holiday season, try partnering with an organization or cause that’s important to you and your business.

Your Christmas email campaign is a great way to share the cause with your customers as well as encourage their support.

Source

Related: Holiday and Christmas Email Subject Lines for Higher Open Rates

Christmas email marketing strategies

This time of year, Christmas deals, greetings, and promotions flood our inboxes. The last thing you want is to miss out on a chance to connect with customers.

Make your Christmas email stand out with these tried-and-true holiday email marketing strategies.

Offer Christmas gift cards

Gift cards are one of the most popular Christmas presents for a reason. They’re great as last-minute gifts and are sure to please even the pickiest giftees.

Use your holiday email campaign to promote your gift cards to Christmas shoppers. This Christmas email from Friends or Friends is a great example.

Created with Brevo

Target last-minute shoppers

Between Christmas travel and never-ending shopping lists, the winter holidays are hectic for everyone. If you offer last-minute deals on Christmas gifts, you’re sure to win your customers’ hearts.

This campaign from JK Adams gives last-minute gift ideas to inspire subscribers and take the stress out of the holiday shopping experience.

Created with Brevo

Count down the 12 days of Christmas

Unlike some other holidays, Christmas has a special countdown. Build excitement by counting down the 12 days of Christmas and sharing a holiday discount or limited-time deal one day at a time.

Source

Share gift guides

One of the hardest parts of Christmas is finding the perfect gift to offer your loved ones. Why not save your subscribers the hassle?

In your Christmas email marketing campaign, try sharing a gift guide like in this email from Lily & Roo. It’s the perfect way to showcase your products — and your customers will thank you for it!

Created with Brevo

Offer free shipping

One of the most enticing Christmas gifts you can offer your customers is free shipping. It’s one way to stand out against the competition — and win a place in your customers’ hearts.

Looking at last year’s trends 91% of customers considered free shipping to be the most important incentive for online shopping during the holiday season.

To avoid missing out on these sales, promote free shipping in your Christmas email campaigns.

Source

Promote gifts according to different budgets

Most customers want to give thoughtful Christmas gifts without breaking the bank. Make it easier for them this holiday season. Share gift ideas according to different budgets. (For example, gifts under $25.)

A Christmas newsletter is a great way to share your budget-friendly gift lists, like in this example from Be Everthine.

Created with Brevo

Hold a limited-time sale

The holidays are a time for sales and offers. Compete with other offers without devaluing your product by running a limited-time sale. 

Share the dates of your sale and include a coupon code so your subscribers have everything they need to bring their gifts home. Top it off with a CTA that creates a sense of urgency, like in this Christmas email example by Rifle Paper Co.

Run a post-Christmas sale

The festivities don’t have to end on December 25th! Make the holidays last a little longer with a post-Christmas sale.

Offer additional discounts and last chance deals — don’t forget to send a post-Christmas email campaign to warn customers not to miss out.

Source

Make Christmas puns

When it comes to holiday email marketing campaigns, clever email copy goes a long way in driving sales and boosting open rates.

The Christmas season offers countless opportunities for puns and wordplay. When in doubt, look to typical holiday greetings and Christmas music lyrics for inspiration.

Source

Further reading: A How-to Guide for The Perfect Holiday Marketing Strategy

Get your Christmas email ready

No holiday marketing campaign is complete without a festive Christmas email design.

With Brevo, create the perfect Christmas email marketing campaign with the easy-to-use drag-and-drop email editor or customize it in HTML. And if you need inspiration, choose a free Christmas email template from our library of free holiday email marketing templates and get your campaign running in no time.

The post Christmas Email Marketing: Examples & Ideas to Captivate Customers appeared first on Brevo (ex Sendinblue).

Fear not.

We’ll walk you through the basics to help you start your successful CRM strategy from scratch.

What was once the traditional buyer-seller model has shifted from transactional to customer-centric. Customer relationships today require higher levels of maintenance, which is why businesses now have entire CRM strategies dedicated to managing them.

One of the reasons is that consumers have bigger expectations than ever when it comes to customer service. They’re not going to think twice about going elsewhere if yours isn’t up to scratch.

When we hear the words ‘CRM strategy’, we’re inclined to think about CRM software or CRM technology. But software is only one piece of a much larger puzzle.

The best strategic customer relationship management incorporates both people and software. It also includes pieces such as:

• CRM data (such as contact information)
• Management tools
• Marketing efforts

What will CRM strategy do for my business?

There a number of reasons why your business needs a CRM marketing strategy.

A good CRM strategy will help you:

• Provide an enjoyable customer experience at all touchpoints of the customer journey, leading to customer loyalty
• Strengthen collaboration between sales, marketing, and customer service teams
• Clearly and quickly identify the most worthwhile leads and opportunities, and move them down the sales pipeline with the help of marketing automation
• Keep track of your leads and customers as they move through the sales funnel
• Run targeted marketing campaigns 
• Provide data insights for sales forecasting and inform your future business strategies

Read more: 8 Key CRM Benefits for Small Businesses

How to create a CRM strategy from zero

There are 8 essential steps to follow when creating an effective CRM strategy from scratch. 

Step 1: Define your CRM strategy vision and goals

The first thing to do before creating a CRM strategy is to revisit your overall business strategy and high-level business goals.  

Create a vision of what you want to achieve from the CRM strategy. That way it has a clear purpose from the very beginning. 

Think about how you want to contribute to the success of your business.

Increased customer satisfaction, higher productivity and efficiency, and decreasing customer churn rates are all examples of common CRM strategy goals.

Remember, your CRM strategy is not an end in itself. It exists to drive business goals. So you need to integrate it into the overall strategy of the business.

2. Define your target customer with buyer personas

Source

Create a buyer persona that represents your ideal customer based on market research and the marketing team’s collective insights. Make it as detailed as possible. Include customer information such as demographic and behavioral characteristics, as well as interests, challenges, and aspirations.

Here are some research methods you can use:

• Interview your sales and customer service teams 
• Study different customer profiles and even interview customers directly
• Send customer surveys

To maintain strong customer relationships and attract quality leads, you need to understand exactly who is purchasing from you and why.

Having a clearly defined buyer profile is essential to becoming a customer-centric business. It’s key to ensuring your teams are focused on the true needs and expectations of your customers.

That’s not all. Knowing exactly who to target will also ensure your sales and marketing don’t waste time on unsuitable leads.

Step 3: Define your customer journey

Customer journey example from GCH Hotel Group (source)

To master customer relationship management, you need to know each and every step of the customer journey. Then you need to ensure a top notch customer experience at each of those touchpoints.

Start at the beginning.

Map every single customer interaction from the moment they first discover you. It might be through digital ad campaigns, email marketing, direct contact with team members, or other processes.

This is where you’ll highlight areas for improvement and establish who is responsible for what.

When mapping each stage of the buyer journey, ask yourself:

• Which team/process is interacting with the customer at that moment?
• How can these interactions be improved?
• Look at the buyer personas developed in Step 2. Based on what you know about your customer, is this his or her preferred means of communication? Could there be a more effective way to get your message across?
• What’s the customer trying to achieve?
• What challenges does the customer face? How can you offer better support?
• What content is the customer coming into contact with?

Step 4: Plan how to provide a 360° customer experience

Your CRM strategy planning so far should have highlighted the areas that need improvement.

Now you’re going to look at the structure of your internal processes. Do you have the resources in place to provide a 360-degree customer experience?

Do an audit of roles and responsibilities to check all the necessary bases are being covered.

Here are examples areas to optimize processes:

• Presales: How are you doing when it comes to analyzing customer needs, gathering information, and putting together business cases?
• Sales processes: What sales tasks can be automated to increase efficiency?
• Customer relationship management: Are your offers tailored to your customers’ needs? Are your communications personalized and relevant?
• After-sales: Have you got the necessary support systems in place to resolve customer problems quickly? What feedback do you receive on the quality of your customer service? Do you need to be able to follow-up with customers regularly?

In short, ask yourself ‘How can I do it better?’ and then make the necessary changes within your organization.

Step 5: Study the market and decide your positioning

It’s always a good idea to look to the competitive landscape for inspiration when developing CRM strategies.

Ask yourself:

• Where does your company fit into the market?
• What is your unique selling proposition (i.e. what makes you different from others in your space?)
• How do your competitors differentiate themselves?
• What opportunities exist?
• Can you learn anything about how your competitors handle customer relationships?
• What are the trends in your industry right now?

Step 6: Know your product or service

Take the time to revise and develop your product/service narrative and elaborate your value proposition.

What are the messages you want to transmit? What benefits do you want to highlight? Why should a customer choose you over your competitors?

Communicate this narrative internally and implement employee training where necessary. Everyone needs to be on the same page, relaying the same message.

This is also a good opportunity to define your brand tone of voice and put in place best practice guidelines for communicating with customers.

Step 7: Implement CRM software

It’s impossible to drive forward your CRM strategy without a CRM software for your business.

A CRM system streamlines collaboration between teams, stores customer data, and tracks all interactions between you.

A CRM solution streamlines contact management

To choose a CRM platform, evaluate your existing business processes and get input from your various teams. The main factors to be considered are price, capabilities, and ease of use. It’s also important to choose a CRM tool that integrates with the other marketing tools you use. 

Good news – Brevo’s Sales Platform is now available for free!

As a part of the Brevo CRM Suite, the Sales Platform is fully integrated with the other marketing channels offered in it. Manage deals in the pipeline and assign tasks to your salesforce for a more effective workflow.

If you already use Brevo for marketing, communication history will appear in each contact profile along with engagement metrics. You can set task reminders and send emails directly from the contact profile page.

With the Meetings feature, you can also create custom booking landing pages and schedule demos, consultation sessions, and other meetings directly with potential customers.

Once you have the software, define best practices to support your outlined CRM strategy. Designate an admin to manage user access. When and how will your teams use this software? What would be the experience for your customer base?

Then, set up what counts as a lead, a prospect, or opportunity according to your CRM strategy. Remember to clean your contact list before importing it to start off with an organized and up-to-date database.

Step 8: Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

All strategic actions need to be backed up by figures and data – and your CRM strategy is no exception. You need to be able to measure its progress.

You outlined your CRM strategy goals back in Step 1. Now you’re going to give your sales team some concrete targets to work towards. 

Remember to set smart goals for your marketing and sales teams. S.M.A.R.T stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

Examples of performance metrics you may wish to include are:

• Customer satisfaction
• Customer retention
• Customer churn (when a customer leaves the company)
• Profits (overall total, totals per customer/account)

The success of your CRM strategy depends on the levels of engagement and collaboration of your teams. 

Get your employees on board from the beginning. Keep them informed, educated, and up to date on all aspects of your CRM strategy.

Launch your CRM strategy today

A well-thought out CRM strategy will do wonders for your customer retention and bottom line.

Follow the 8 steps above and you’ll be well on your way to customer relationship management success. And the best CRM is the one fitting your business needs and budget.

The post 8 Steps to Creating a CRM Strategy for Your Business appeared first on Brevo (ex Sendinblue).

High-volume email senders need something more reliable than a basic email marketing platform. SMTP service providers enable you to send bulk email campaigns and transactional messages at high speed, without having to worry about deliverability issues. 

We’ve reviewed the best SMTP service providers for high-volume sending and transactional emails here. Read on to find the best service provider for your company.

What the best SMTP servers do

A Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server is an application that sends emails from senders’ to recipients’ email servers. Simply put, SMTP transfers emails across the internet. 

There are regular SMTP servers, like Gmail or Outlook, and dedicated SMTP relay servers, like Brevo (formerly Sendinblue). While Gmail is good for sending personal emails and one-on-one business messages, sending bulk email campaigns and transactional emails is best with a dedicated SMTP server. 

SMTP service use cases

You need a professional SMTP services if you:

• want to send large volumes of emails, e.g. mass emails
• want to send transactional emails
• need high deliverability rates
• want to send emails from your site or app

For more details, check our guide to what SMTP server is.

So how do SMTP servers work? 

Without going too deep into the technical details, here’s what happens when you send a business email through an SMTP server:

1. Your Mail User Agent, or mail client, connects to your SMTP server.
2. The mail client communicates with the SMTP server and gets all the necessary information about the sender and recipient.
3. The Mail Delivery Agent takes the message information and sends it in a proper format to the receiving mail client.
4. The message reaches the receiving Mail Delivery Agent’s inbox.

The top SMTP servers at a glance

Choosing an SMTP server

How do you choose the right SMTP server as a non-tech specialist? Actually, you don’t have to be tech-savvy to choose and successfully use an SMTP relay server for your campaigns. You just need to be aware of the following factors.

Deliverability rate

High deliverability is the number one reason why anyone uses an SMTP server. The SMTP technology ensures better deliverability than regular marketing campaigns. 

So check reviews to make sure users don’t report deliverability issues. Then, send a few trial campaigns and use a deliverability testing tool to measure it yourself.

Sender reputation

Without a solid sender reputation, you can’t expect high deliverability from an SMTP server. It’s important that your SMTP relay server provides all the necessary tools for maintaining your sending IP address and helps you avoid recipients’ spam folders. 

A proper SMTP server requires new account validation, enables domain name authentication, and follows email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC).

Log retention

Retention logs are the metrics of the campaigns you send. It’s best that your SMTP email service retains logs for as long as possible. This way, you can always go back and check them if issues arise. 

Most SMTP servers have a 30-day retention period. Some apps, like Brevo, allow for unlimited log retention, enabling users to configure their retention period by themselves.

Ease of use

An SMTP server should be easily accessible by non-tech marketers and business owners as well as tech-savvy developers. It’s supposed to simplify the process of email sending, not overcomplicate it. 

A user-friendly interface, responsive support, and proper onboarding are among the key features you should be looking for in your SMTP server.

Transactional email templates and design

It’s not only your marketing campaigns that need to look nice. It’s equally important to brand transactional emails to reinforce brand trust and loyalty.

The best SMTP services offer ready-to-use email templates for various transactional purposes to get you started quickly. An intuitive email editor should also be available for non-tech users to create their own templates without coding.

Are there free SMTP servers?

Some SMTP servers are available for free. On this list, only Brevo and SendGrid offer free SMTP relay services.

The 7 Best SMTP services

We’ve compiled a list of the best SMTP service providers that help businesses to send large volumes of emails without roadblocks.

1. Brevo Transactional Email: The best SMTP service overall

“Needed an professional SMTP supplier with good delivery rate. Brevo is that perfect solution!” — Review on G2

Brevo has a dedicated transactional email service. It lets you send the whole range of transactional emails:

• Signup confirmations
• Order confirmation emails
• Password recovery emails
• Payment confirmation emails
• Bulk emails

Brevo has an established sender reputation among email clients, including Gmail and Outlook. It’s introduced all the necessary procedures to help you maintain your sender IP reputation. With Brevo’s SMTP server, you don’t have to worry about the deliverability of your emails.

On our Transactional Emails plan you get:

• RESTful APIs, SMTP, webhooks
• Email tracking and unlimited log retention
• Dynamic templates for personalization
• Drag-and-drop editor and a template gallery
• Dedicated IPs

Brevo Transactional Email pros

• Full control: Access dedicated IPs for high-volume senders. 
• Sender reputation: Split transactional and promotional emails by sender or IP address.
• User-friendly but open to developers too: The best SMTP service by Brevo doesn’t require technical skills to set up and run so it’s perfect for marketers. But if you need a custom solution, your developers are welcome to use our API.
• Automation: Build automation workflows based on user activity and website behavior for omnichannel marketing tools such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp.
• Unlimited log retention: Access logs and previews with no time limit.
• Unlimited contacts: You don’t pay for the size of your email list.
• Functionality: Brevo is more than an SMTP service — it’s a full CRM suite for growing businesses with capabilities for lead capture, email templates, A/B testing functionality, a drag-and-drop email editor, and other critical features for email marketers.
• Integrations for ecommerce: SMTP plugins for WordPress websites and ecommerce platforms available for free to promptly send notifications and updates.
• Quick and easy setup: Be up and running in no time without developer help.

Brevo Transactional Email cons

If you’re looking for an SMTP server without many bells and whistles, you might want to choose a more basic solution.

Brevo Transactional Email pricing

Brevo offers a free SMTP server. You can send up to 300 transactional emails and marketing messages per day without paying a cent. Paid plans for the transactional service only start at $15/month and include 20,000 emails per month with no daily sending limit. The marketing suite including both transactional and marketing emails starts at $25 for 20,000 emails a month.

2. Amazon SES

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) is a transactional and bulk email sending service. It allows developers to build email functionality into any application. It’s particularly good for companies that run applications on Amazon Web Service (AWS).

Amazon SES pros

• Dedicated IP addresses: Request a dedicated IP address to manage your own IP reputation.
• Reputation & deliverability dashboards: You can track issues impacting your reputation and delivery rates across two dashboards.
• Mailbox Simulator: Run tests to see how your application handles different scenarios, such as bounces, unsubscribes, or complaints, without making a real impact on your sender reputation.
• Affordable: Amazon SES doesn’t include typical marketing automation features, and therefore, the service is very cheap.

Amazon SES cons

• The implementation process requires a lot of manual work.
• Steep learning curve for non-tech users to set up and use Amazon SES.

Amazon SES pricing

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) offers a pay-as-you-go model, where you’re charged based on the number of emails sent and received. Pricing is $0.10 for every 1,000 emails. You can expect to pay extra for inbound emails, data usage, and other service fees on top.

3. SendGrid

SendGrid is among the best SMTP servers. It provides an SMTP service for reliable delivery and scalability.

SendGrid pros

• Reputation and delivery monitoring: Get insights into your sender reputation, delivery rates, and engagement analytics.
• Real-time email analytics: Access real-time performance data in your personal dashboard or via API.
• Documentation: The setup process is made easier with comprehensive documentation, open source libraries, and a clear setup flow. 
• Segmentation: Segment email and SMS audiences alike.

SendGrid cons

• After-sale support: Users report that the SendGrid support team isn’t very helpful when you sign up.
• Pricing: Since being acquired by Twilio, SendGrid got more expensive. 

SendGrid pricing

SendGrid’s SMTP service is free for up to 100 emails/day. Along with SMTP relay, APIs and webhooks are also available on the free plan. To access more email credits, you can upgrade to a paid plan starting at $19.95/month for up to 50,000 monthly emails. 

Related: 5 Best SendGrid Alternatives for Transactional Email

4. Mailgun

Mailgun is a popular SMTP server, offering a set of powerful APIs for sending, receiving, and tracking emails. Known as a transactional email service “built for developers, by developers,” Mailgun has comprehensive API documentation and an easy SMTP integration.

Mailgun pros

• Reliability: Mailgun is one of the most reliable services on the list.
• Dedicated mail server: Send both marketing campaigns and transactional emails alike.
• Real-time reporting: Access hourly data on your email performance.
• Enterprise-focused solutions: Create a custom enterprise-grade solution for sending emails at scale.

Mailgun cons

• Mailgun is built for developers. It’s not designed for non-tech teams. It’s a tech cloud-based SMTP service by Mailjet’s parent company Sinch.
• On cheaper plans, the log retention period is only five days, and the minimum message retention period is one day.

Mailgun pricing

Mailgun doesn’t offer a forever-free plan. A free trial lasts for 30 days and includes 5,000 free emails. Email APIs, SMTP Relay, and webhooks can be accessed during a free trial and are included in every paid plan. Mailgun’s pricing plans at $35/month.

Read more: 7 Best Mailgun Alternatives For Transactional Emails

5. Postmark

Postmark is ActiveCampaign’s SMTP service built for developers and product teams. The platform offers a simple but quality SMTP relay service for sending transactional email.

Postmark pros

• Deliverability: Postmark has a narrow focus on deliverability, which means your transactional emails will most likely always be reaching recipients’ inboxes.
• Control: Promotional campaigns and transactional emails are sent through separate sending infrastructure.
• Documentation: Postmark offers concise documentation, making it easy to start sending emails using SMTP.
• Message retention: Access email previews and recipient information within a 45-day window.

Postmark cons

Functionality: If you’re looking for an all-in-one marketing platform, Postmark won’t fit your needs.

Postmark pricing

Postmark doesn’t offer traditional packages and pricing tiers. You simply pay for email credits and access all the features, starting from $15/month for 10,000 emails. However, to get a dedicated IP address, DMARC monitoring, or custom activity retention, you’ll need to purchase an add-on for respectively $50, $10, or $5 per month.

6. Mailchimp (Mandrill)

Mailchimp Transactional Email (formerly Mandrill) is Mailchimp’s add-on providing SMTP and transactional email services. It counts among the best SMTP servers if you’re already using Mailchimp.

Mailchimp Transactional Email pros

• Functionality: If you need a comprehensive marketing automation solution, Mailchimp might be a good (but pricey) option, and the add-on makes sense.
• Email tracking: The platform lets you track the key metrics, like deliverability rates, bounce issues, click rates, and other stats.
• Deliverability: Similar to other SMTP servers, Mailchimp Transactional Email has no problems with email delivery.

Mailchimp Transactional Email cons

Pricing: to access the SMTP service, you’ll need to pay for Mailchimp’s email marketing functionality and buy transactional email credits as an add-on.

Mailchimp Transactional Email pricing

Mailchimp has a free plan with a sending limit of 1,000 emails and limited features. To access Mailchimp Transactional Email, you need to be on the paid Mailchimp marketing plan (starting from $13/month) and purchase transactional email credits at prices from $20 for a block of 20,000 emails/month. New users can send 500 transactional emails for free. 

Find out more: Best Mailchimp Alternatives Compared

7. MessageBird Email (formerly SparkPost)

MessageBird acquired SparkPost, a heavy-duty SMTP server. It’s more of a B2B, email-for-email companies software, used for large volumes of bulk emails.

MessageBird Email pros

• Handles huge volumes: Probably the biggest bulk sender
• Reliability: Great uptime of 99.99%
• Trustworthy: Big names from many industries rely on its technology

MessageBird Email cons

• For big players only: Small businesses may feel underappreciated by a service that handles such large clients
• Too complex: As a tech-focused platform, it can be overwhelming for non-tech users.
• Coding skills needed: You need to code your emails as there’s no drag-and-drop email editor.

MessageBird Email pricing

MessageBird Email does offer free SMTP test accounts with limited sending volumes. Plans start at $20/month for 50,000 emails and next tier at $75 with premium features.

The best SMTP server for your business

What are you looking for in your SMTP server? An API-based solution back-end solution to plug into your own system? An add-on to connect with your current email marketing platform? Or a complete email and SMTP service with automation capabilities? Then try out Brevo. 

The post 7 Best SMTP Servers for Email Marketers (2023) appeared first on Brevo (ex Sendinblue).

Soon enough winter will be here and once again we’ll be putting up the Christmas decorations and blasting out our favorite festive tunes.

But wait, not so fast!

Before you cracking open the eggnog, you might want to get your email newsletter strategy in order so you can take time to enjoy the festivities.

Whether you’re sending a seasonal greeting to your subscribers in order to nurture relationships or trying to tap into that holiday spending splurge, sending a Christmas newsletter can bring a host of benefits.

To get your December emails ready to send out, we’ve put together some Christmas newsletter ideas for business to inspire you. The ideas are divided into two categories:

• Sales-focused Christmas newsletter ideas (for ecommerce, SaaS, retail, paid apps)
• Editorial-focused Christmas newsletter ideas (for bloggers, nonprofits, media, small businesses)

Psst! Looking for an easy way to create professional-looking Christmas newsletters? Opening a free Brevo account will give you access to over 25 responsive holiday email templates along with our intuitive drag & drop email builder.

Build your holiday newsletters with Brevo! >>

Christmas newsletter ideas for boosting sales

For most ecommerce companies and other businesses selling online, the holiday season surrounding Christmas is the most important time of year. But your holiday sale promotions can only go so far…

Here are a few ideas that you can use in your Christmas newsletter that will enhance your wider holiday marketing strategy and help drive sales:

1. Put your offers front and center

Christmas is the ideal time to send out special offers and promotions because shoppers are buying things not just for themselves, but also for their friends and family.

That’s why it’s important to communicate those special offers in all of your seasonal emails. You want to get as many eyes on them as possible.

Create holiday promotions that encourage buying multiple items

When sending out promotional discounts and sale offers, you should also create promotions to increase the average cart size. This will increase ROI through increased traffic and conversions from your other promotions since each conversion is worth more!

But, how exactly do you do this? There are a few ways you can increase the size of your average cart this holiday season:

• Highlight complementary products together
• Offer discounted bundles
• Give free shipping for orders over a certain value — just be sure to set the minimum order well above your normal average cart value (e.g. if your average cart value is $40, give free shipping for orders over $75).

The Christmas email below cleverly offers a discounted item for holiday shoppers when they buy a gift for someone else.

Source

You can also stick to the traditional promotions (discount codes, product category sales, etc.) if that’s more your speed. Just make sure you’re not being outdone by your competitors, as customers will be looking for deals over the holidays.

2. Remove the fear of late or missed deliveries

When shopping online for Christmas gifts, one of the biggest customer fears is not receiving their purchase in time for the day itself.

Providing easy tracking and proof of delivery is important for customers ordering online. Make note if you offer this in your Christmas newsletters to make customers feel more comfortable buying from your store.

So, deliver like you’re Santa! Make their lives easier by reassuring them that their carefully curated gifts will make it to their door and under the Christmas tree in time.

Source

3. Give your customers some gift ideas

During the holiday season, it can be challenging to effectively segment your email list. That’s because subscribers are also looking at making purchases for their friends and family — not just themselves.

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure that receiving a promotional email for men’s hoodies is not going to help me find my girlfriend the right gift (even though that email is totally relevant to me!).

Instead of trying to fit a square peg through a round hole, you can dedicate space in your Christmas newsletter to educate subscribers on the “perfect gift” based on the person receiving it (friend, child, girlfriend/boyfriend, etc.).

With all of the craziness that comes with the holidays, your gift guide will provide a welcome dose of assistance to your customers.

This Christmas email example by the meal service company Tovala shows us how it’s done, clearly demonstrating how their product could work as a gift for different friends and family members.

Source

4. Reward your subscribers with free resources

Brands are always offering something special during the holiday season. Usually, it’s putting certain items on sale, giving a special coupon code, or even doing a site-wide sale.

If you want to stand out from the crowd, you’re going to have to beat their generosity. Give your customers a real gift that they can enjoy, for example:

• An ebook or other gated content related to your niche
• A downloadable activity/game (coloring book, origami instructions, etc.)
• Company swag

The nice thing about this type of gift is that it’s engaging for subscribers but doesn’t cost you too much. Just be sure that what you’re offering reflects your brand and provides real value to your customers.

5. Turn up the heat during the holidays

To get the most out of the holiday shopping season, you should turn up the marketing pressure of your Christmas emails by increasing your newsletter frequency. This will ensure you get your message to as many shoppers as possible before they start looking for gifts — even if they wait until the last minute.

How to increase marketing pressure

In addition to increasing the frequency of your email marketing campaigns over the holiday period, you also need to create a sense of urgency to encourage shoppers to buy. There are a few different ways you can do this:

• Use copy that gives your readers “fear of missing out”, or FOMO
• Insert a countdown to Christmas in your emails
• Make your promotions time sensitive

To get the most benefit from these, you should use them in conjunction with each other.

Creative tip: You can also consider using a single, relevant Christmas-themed emoji in your subject lines to make your email more visible.

The Christmas newsletter example below utilizes the FOMO-inducing subject line Free Gift. Last Chance. Open This. — the subject line reinforces the urgency of the content within the email itself. 

Source

Further reading: Holiday Email Marketing Strategies to Boost Engagement

Editorial Christmas newsletter ideas your subscribers will love

For many businesses, an email newsletter is just that: a newsletter. It’s used to communicate updates and keep customers or subscribers connected and engaged with the business. In these cases, it’s best to take an editorial approach when creating your Christmas newsletter.

But even if you’re not trying to boost sales and revenue with your holiday emails, there are still some things you need to keep in mind. Here are some great Christmas newsletter examples to use as inspiration, along with tips to make sure your editorial content is on the right track:

6. Reinforce client relationships with your Christmas newsletter

The holidays are also a time to strengthen customer relationships. Use your Christmas newsletter to take a step back and reach out with a genuine message of gratitude to let your subscribers know you care and build customer loyalty.

Here are some ideas for your December newsletter that will help get more fans for your brand:

• Send your customers well wishes for a happy new year
• Restate your business’s mission and update customers on anything new
• Thank your customers for their loyalty

Taking the time to connect with your customers on a more personal and genuine level instead of focusing on sales can do wonders for your customer relationships for the coming year.

This Christmas newsletter example gets it spot on:

Source

One thing to note about this example is that they didn’t say “Merry Christmas”, but rather “Happy Holidays”. This is a thoughtful detail that makes this newsletter more inclusive of subscribers of other religious and non-religious backgrounds.

Want more tips on using email to strengthen customer relationships? Check out our blog post on relationship marketing with emails.

7. Use playful humor in your email copy

A great way to grab your subscribers’ attention is to make them laugh. The holiday newsletter is an opportunity to show your brand’s fun and playful side.

Here are some tips for bringing holiday fun into your email subject lines and copy:

• Use puns, jokes, and wordplay
• Not a wordsmith? Use a gif to do the talking for you
• Use the subject line to tell a joke then put the punchline in the body of the email
• Catch readers’ attention with references to contemporary Christmas classics like “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “Home Alone,” “Love Actually”, or “Die Hard”. Fans are bound to perk up at the reference
• Wrap up with a fun and clever CTA that perfectly encapsulates the email’s concept — don’t spend time writing hilarious copy only to finish on a boring “Buy now”

Check out this Christmas email by the brand BarkBox, with the subject line Dog people give the best gifts. That holiday subject line effectively uses festive humor to charm subscribers.

Source

But how to know what kind of humor your subscribers will appreciate?

Dig into your buyer personas and do some research! On top of this, you can try A/B testing your email subject lines to see what kind of content works best for your audience.

If you’re looking for help generating subject lines, Brevo’s latest AI assistant add-on will get the job done. 

8. Reflect on the previous year and discuss the future

Because it comes at the end of the year, Christmas (and New Year’s) is an excellent time for businesses to look back and reflect on the previous year and communicate the successes to their loyal customer base. And what better place to do it than the Christmas newsletter since it’s often the final communication that businesses send customers before starting the new year?

This approach is especially effective for nonprofits that have a strong mission and use their newsletter to share progress toward their goals. Read our guide to email marketing for nonprofits for more tips.

Reflecting on the past year is also a natural segue into discussing what your plans are for the coming year. This is an excellent strategy because it gives your customers the feeling that they are part of your organization and creates a sense of exclusivity (like they’re being kept in the loop).

Christmas newsletters can also be a nice way to showcase any successes you’ve achieved as a business over the past year. It’s also a chance to sum up your customers’ achievements as well!

Source

As long as your message is interesting, customers will want to pay attention to your future emails in order to see when plans are put into action — so make sure you don’t get too far ahead of yourself if you take this strategy.

Put these Christmas newsletter ideas to practice

Inspired to try some of these ideas for your Christmas newsletter? Here’s where to start.

1. Choose a newsletter software
2. Start with a ready-made Christmas newsletter template and customize it to fit your branding and the occasion
3. Give it a catchy holiday subject line
4. Schedule to be sent at the best moment for each subscriber to encourage open rates and engagement
5. Enjoy the end of the year yourself!

Download our 2023 holiday marketing calendar to keep up with important dates and get helpful tips for every month of the year!

The post 8 Christmas Newsletter Ideas & Examples to Wow Your Subscribers appeared first on Brevo (ex Sendinblue).

To set your email marketing campaigns up for success, you should first know how to build an email list. Often, it’s not enough to simply include an email signup form on your website. Not only do you want to grow your email lists — you want to make sure your email campaigns reach the right people.

That’s why email list-building tactics are crucial to reaching potential customers and growing your audience. However, this can seem like a daunting task, especially if you’re building your list from scratch.

Luckily, we’ve put together this list to show you how to build an email list for your business.

1. Choose the right email marketing software
2. Create a compelling incentive
3. Optimize your call-to-action (CTA) copy
4. Place signup forms strategically
5. Add an exit intent pop-up form to your website
6. Create landing pages that convert
7. Promote signups on social media platforms and your email signature
8. Create a referral program
9. Use chat to make signups more interactive
10. Encourage offline signups with QR codes

What makes a high-quality email list?

Before diving into list-building tactics, it’s important to understand what makes a good email list in the first place. In general, an email list should be:

1. Consent-based. You should always get permission from email subscribers before sending them campaigns. One way to do this is through double opt-in signup. This will help you maintain your sender reputation and comply with data privacy regulations (e.g. GDPR, CAN-SPAM Act).
2. Receptive to your content. The contacts in your email list should be interested in both your business and the email newsletters you share. That’s why you should never buy an email list. Although it might help you grow your list quickly, purchased contacts are more likely to mark your emails as spam or unsubscribe.
3. Simple to segment. Email segmentation is a great way to send targeted email campaigns. When gathering information from new subscribers, try to capture data such as preferences and demographics (e.g. age, gender identity, location).
4. Increasing. You should aim to grow your email list as much as possible. This will help you reach new customers and drive conversions. To grow your email list, it’s helpful to know the most effective list-building tactics.

Related: 5 Effective Email List Cleaning Tactics For Better Engagement

How to build an email list

Here’s an overview of the steps to build your email list. Sticking to these best practices will only benefit your email performance and create a more valuable email list for your business.

1. Choose the right email marketing software

Having the right email service is the best way to grow and manage email lists over time. It’s best to look for a tool that stores contacts in a customer relationship management (CRM) software.

This will help you keep track of customer information such as preferences and behavior. It also makes it easier to integrate email with other digital marketing channels (e.g. SMS, WhatsApp, chat).

For example, Brevo offers core email marketing tools including signup forms and a Drag & Drop email builder. You also get unlimited contacts, which are easily synced with Brevo’s native CRM.

2. Create a compelling incentive 

Every successful list-building tactic starts with creating something your customer values. Without a high-quality lead magnet, there’s no lead generation. 

What’s something your customers want? And, how does it tie into what you’re selling? Maybe it’s a template for how to do something with your product or a timesaving checklist that will save your reader headaches. 

It can be valuable content like a free ebook or case study, as well as a physical freebie. Other ideas for incentives include exclusive content or coupons.

Opt-in incentive example from Sleeknote Blog

3. Optimize your call-to-action (CTA) copy

Craft call-to-action (CTA) copy so that visitors see the value of your incentive across your email opt-in forms.

Experiment with CTA copy like “subscribe,” “download,” and “get my ebook” to see which performs better. You can even make this part of your list-building strategy and try A/B testing different graphics and language. 

Here’s a clever email list-building tactic where you sign up to get a code which grants access to their presale. 

CTA example from Spark Hydrate

4. Place your signup form strategically

After you create a signup form to collect email addresses, you should place it where it will reach the most website visitors.

Try to position it on high-traffic pages of your website. Your blog homepage, headers, and footers are typically good places. Another common placement for your email signup form is on the sidebar of your website.

Sidebar signup form by Gimme Some Oven

Related: 20 Newsletter Signup Examples to Take Inspiration From

5. Add an exit intent pop-up form to your website

To grow your email list, trigger an email signup form to pop up just before visitors exit your website. That’s because pop-up windows are often effective for building lists and increasing conversion rates.

Take this statistic from Beeketing that says ecommerce companies can salvage up to 35% of otherwise lost visitors with exit pop-ups. 

Pop-up form example from Pixelme.me

6. Create landing pages that convert

Dedicated landing pages can play a big role in growing your email list. The purpose of a landing page is to send people to “land” on it. For example, if you’re a podcast or webinar guest, you can mention your incentive and send people to your landing page to sign up.

This will be easier than sending them to your homepage where they have to find your signup form on their own. Landing pages also help with SEO because someone might directly search for “sign up for X brand’s mailing list” on search engines.

Newsletter signup landing page from Backlinko

7. Promote signups on social media platforms and your email signature

Grow your email list by promoting your newsletter across your email and social media accounts. Post a link to your signup form in social media posts. Or, gather subscribers by running social media contests or giveaways. 

Adding an email signup CTA in your bio can also help grow your email list. That way, every time someone checks out your bio, you have the opportunity to gain a new subscriber.

Consider adding a subscriber link to your email signature as well. This is a great way to promote your newsletter to the people who’ve already been in touch with you.

Example of a signup CTA in an email signature by Kaleigh Moore

8. Create a referral program

Referral programs are another effective list-building tactic. Get existing subscribers to share your email newsletter with their networks. To further encourage them, offer an incentive such as reward points or an exclusive discount.

Referral program example from The Daily Carnage

9. Use chat to make signups more interactive

Install a chatbot to engage website visitors and turn them into email subscribers. That’s because chat is for more than just customer support — it can also be used for lead generation.

Simply set up conversation flows to capture subscribers’ email addresses and other contact details. This makes the signup process more engaging and interactive. With Brevo, it’s easy to add chat to your website and customize your chat widget for email signups.

10. Encourage offline signups with QR codes

Grow your email list by collecting email addresses offline, for example at in-person events or a brick-and-mortar store. QR codes are a convenient way to bridge the gap between offline and online and grow your email list.

You can turn any signup form into a scannable QR code. Find out how to do it here.

Read more: 8 Best Email List-Building Tools

Start building your email list today

Hopefully, this gives you lots of ideas on how to build an email list and kick-start your marketing strategy. With a little planning, you can build an email list for successful email campaigns.

The post How to Build an Email List: 10 Tactics That Work appeared first on Brevo (ex Sendinblue).