How you can create an email that drives engagement and boosts sales this holiday season

Did you know a huge percentage of all annual music sales happen in the last six weeks of the year? That makes sense, since end-of-year sales spike for books, clothes, and almost every other product on the market (except for bug spray and bathing suits). And this trend isn’t just physical; streaming activity generally sees a boost as well during the holidays.

With the boom in sales and activity, of course, comes a huge increase in marketing emails too. Because email is still the best way to reach people online — and everyone out there with something to sell knows it. To make your emails as effective as possible this season, they’ve got to cut through the rest of the noise in your fans’ inboxes.

Here are five ways to make sure people are seeing, opening, reading, and acting on the info in your holiday emails:

1. Give your emails a special seasonal makeover

If you’ve used the same template in your list management system for a while, it’s time for a refresh. Spruce up the design of your emails with a holiday-themed header and some festive images, fonts, colors, etc.

2. Entice with pricing, for a limited time.

We love deals. We want to feel like we got in on something special.

So run a holiday sale on your CDs and other merch. Heck, run two sales. Run three.

Your favorite brands are all doing it. Why shouldn’t you?

Do a Black Friday deal, then a Cyber Monday deal, then a Last-Chance for Gifts Deal.

If you’re not exhausted yet, do a New Years Eve deal where you clear the shelves of older merch items.

Fans should get a notable percentage off the usual price of the merch, and feel like each sale is a special event. You want them to sense the urgency so they’ll act immediately.

Also, consider a two-for-one deal (one purchase, two gifts checked off the list!)

Lastly, tell your fans that CD Baby offers ONE CENT shipping on any order of 3 or more CDs or vinyl records.

3. Don’t be afraid to email more than once

It’s ok to contact your fans multiple times throughout the holidays. Frequency is key. People are busy, and they might not have opened your earlier emails. Just about the time you think you’re pestering your audience is probably about the time they’re finally paying attention.

If they haven’t opened previous emails, go ahead and duplicate the previous email as a new campaign and re-send it to a segment of your list that didn’t open the first one.

If you’re running multiple sales throughout the season, get ready to send a bunch of emails. But even if you’re not doing different deals, it’s fine to send a few different messages about the SAME offer: announcing the deal, reminding about the deal, and warning folks when the deal’s about to expire.

And let’s forget about sales for a sec. Even if you’re running zero holiday sales, you still have many opportunities to communicate with your fans via email during the holidays: a year-end recap, a holiday greeting, sharing a Christmas single, etc.

4. It’s not just about your latest release

You should remind your fans — even if they’ve already purchased your whole back-catalog for themselves— that your older albums are always new to SOMEONE out there, and they make great gifts.

Same goes for sharing your music on streaming platforms. When your listeners add one of your songs to a playlist, it goes a long way towards introducing your music to new people. So remind your fans that they have the power to help you in this way.

5. Give a present to your fans

Make sure to thank the folks out there who enjoy your music. Offer something in each holiday email that shows your appreciation — a XMAS card image with a greeting, a special holiday video, a free holiday song download, or a winter-y tour diary. You could even give away one of your older CDs for free.

‘Tis the season for giving back to your fans.

Hopefully these tips help you craft emails that will increase engagement and boost your sales this Christmas!

Got any advice to add? Let us know in the comments section below.