11 Holiday Email Marketing Examples for Small Businesses

Email is one of the most effective marketing channels for small businesses, and the holidays are a great time to launch an email marketing campaign.

People are online shopping and checking their inboxes for invoices and order confirmations. Why not engage them with discounts, promo codes, and updates from your company? A catchy email subject line paired with an exclusive offer is a great way to attract and retain customers during the holiday season.

In this post, we'll list the best holiday email marketing campaigns for small businesses. We'll feature examples from other companies and explain how your business can create something similar. By the end, you'll have everything you need to create an effective email marketing campaign for this holiday season.

Holiday Email Marketing Examples

Here are 11 holiday email marketing ideas for small businesses.

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1. Share an exclusive deal.

The holidays are one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year. It's the perfect time to send customers an exclusive deal that motivates them to buy from your business. You could give a discount on your services or share a special deal on one of your products. Just ensure your offer is front and center so customers can easily see it and learn more with a click of a button.

Holiday Email Marketing Example: Lenovo

This holiday marketing email advertises an exclusive deal on Lenovo products. I like how it mentions the deal immediately and tells you that you can "save up to 75%" with this offer.

To improve this email, I would include an image of a top-selling product that's on sale. I would show customers the before-and-after prices so they can see how much they're saving. That would showcase my product and highlight the value of the sale.

2. Give your customers a gift.

The holidays are for gift-giving, and you can get into the season of giving with your marketing emails. Send your customers a gift, like free shipping and promo codes only available in your email newsletter. That will give existing customers a reason to keep opening your messages while enticing new customers to sign up for your emails. Your gift should be something simple to redeem and encourage people to learn more about your business, like a free quote or estimate, shipping deals, etc.

Holiday Email Marketing Example: Weber

Here's a holiday marketing email from Weber that I received last year. It offers a free grill frame with every two items that I purchase. I like how "Get a Free Frame" is in big font that's hard to miss, and the festive imagery makes you think that a grill would be a great holiday gift.

Tip: Use words like "Free" and "Limited-Time Offer" to bring more attention to your deals.

3. Wish people a happy holiday season.

Some businesses aren't launching major holiday deals this season - but that doesn't mean you can't engage people via email. A simple and straightforward marketing strategy is to thank your customers for their business. Send them an e-postcard or personalized thank you note. It will communicate your gratitude and strengthen bonds with existing customers, improving loyalty and creating repeat purchases.

Holiday Email Marketing Example: Golf & Ski Warehouse

This holiday marketing email comes from Golf & Ski Warehouse, a local retailer in New England. I like how genuine this message is, as well as the professional tone that the business takes. I would improve their email by adding some punctuation to make the message feel warmer. For example, adding an exclamation point to "Happy New Year" would make the header pop and stand out to the reader. Remember, style is very important when it comes to email. How your message looks is just as crucial as what it says.

4. Distribute coupon codes.

Coupons and limited-time offers create a sense of urgency for customers. By adding a deadline, customers are more likely to take advantage of your deal because they know they must act quickly. If you give them too much time, they might find a better deal or forget about your offer.

WATCH VIDEO: Win New Customers this Holiday Shopping Season

Email is great for sharing coupons because it creates a conversion path to your website. Customers can open your email, view your coupon, and navigate to your site in seconds. That helps you advertise to people who are ready to buy but just need that last bit of motivation before they make a purchase.

Holiday Email Marketing Example: Valvoline

If you subscribe to Valvoline, you'll get emails like this all the time. Valvoline constantly sends customers coupons with discounts on routine services like inspections and oil changes. These offers keep customers engaged and give them a reason to make repeat purchases. It's an effective strategy for service businesses and retail brands that don't sell unique products. Rather than advertising a product or service, you promote your business as a more cost-affordable option than your competitors.

5. Announce seasonal offerings.

Your business might have several holiday deals you want to promote this season, and email is a great place to do it. You can use email campaigns to share your company's latest offers and deals, like free shipping, same-day delivery, and more. Pair these messages with a product that's on sale and add links to your website so customers can check out your online store. That will drive traffic to your site and let people know your store has special deals.

Holiday Email Marketing Example: Bed Bath & Beyond

Here's a holiday marketing email from Bed Bath & Beyond that advertises the brand's shipping deals. This helpful graphic is added to each marketing email so customers are aware of these offers regardless of what the email is promoting. It's perfect for seasonal marketing, and service-based businesses can do something similar by advertising free quotes and estimates.

6. Send reminders about seasonal services.

If you're a service-based business like a dog groomer or an HVAC technician, the holidays are a good time to remind people about your seasonal services. People are busy shopping and decorating and might forget that they have to trim their dogs' nails or turn off their pipes for the winter. A friendly email can be that gentle nudge needed to schedule an appointment with your business and book your annual services.

Holiday Email Marketing Example: 1-800 Contacts

While not a holiday email, this message was sent a year after I bought lenses from 1-800 Contacts. I like this email because it's timely and uses clever messaging to re-engage its audience. It's a great use of marketing automation because the email was automatically scheduled when I first bought from the company. After a year without any additional purchases, 1-800 Contacts automatically sent this email to remind me to buy from them.

Tip: Email marketing tools like Thryv create messages that are sent automatically.

7. Promote an event.

The holidays are an excellent time to host an event, like a party or a trade show with other businesses. You can leverage email to invite more people to your events by sending them tickets and updates leading up to it. Even if it's free, sending people complimentary tickets makes them feel like they're part of an exclusive group, and they'll be more likely to attend your event if your company directly invites them.

Holiday Email Marketing Example: Petco

Petco hosts an event during the holidays where pet owners can get pictures of their pet with Santa. Petco uses email to inform people when the event is happening and which locations are participating. The event brings people into the stores, and the email is a vehicle for getting people to visit Petco's website.

8. Follow up with customers after the holidays.

The holidays are busy for everyone, and some customers might not have as much time to read emails until after the holiday season. If you work in a B2B setting, some of your customers might not be online because they're using the season to take time off and unplug from email, phone, and other work distractions. Sending these customers an email during the holidays is ineffective because they aren't looking for advertisements from your company. Instead, it's better to wait until the holiday season ends so you can engage these customers when you have their full attention.

Holiday Email Marketing Example: Wisdom Panel

Wisdom Panel is an online service that provides DNA tests for dogs. Last year, the company sent this marketing email to follow up with customers and extend its New Year's sale. I like how the email gives recipients a "last chance" at taking advantage of the deal because they know some people may have adopted a pet during the holiday season. By extending the sale, Wisdom Panel engages customers who might not have been as interested in this offer before but are now a good fit for its products.

9. Promote your newest products.

Many businesses launch new products during the holiday season to excite customers and increase sales. The holidays are all about buying the latest and greatest gifts, and releasing a new version of your product is an effective way to generate revenue. Distribution channels like email can promote these products and increase interest in your brand. Email is a great platform for showcasing new products because you can include images, videos, and testimonials from customers who are happy with your business.

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Holiday Email Marketing Example: Pep Boys

Here's a holiday marketing email from Pep Boys promoting its newest inventory of tires. It even comes with a deal, "buy 3 get the 4th free," which motivates viewers to learn more about the product. It's timely, too, because most people are thinking about installing winter or all-season tires during the holidays.

10. Spread some holiday cheer.

When it comes to the holidays, it's easy to get lost in deals, coupons, and exclusive offers. But, sometimes, just some good old-fashioned content marketing is an excellent way to engage your customer base. You could write blog posts, shoot videos, or record personalized messages and send them to your customers to spread a little cheer. Not only does this increase brand awareness, but it makes you appear more personable and easier to work with on contracts and projects.

Holiday Email Marketing Example: birddogs

Last year, birddogs sent me this lighthearted email about Karl, an employee shopping for the perfect holiday gift. The email chronicles his misadventures throughout New York City. It was a wild tale, but it definitely caught my attention and got me to scroll to the end of the email. It's a great example of creating interesting holiday content without promoting a sale.

11. Update your schedule.

Updating your holiday schedule is important because most businesses take time off or use special holiday hours. Even if you plan on leaving for the holidays, you should still communicate that to your customers. Let them know your new hours and days you won't be available. That will encourage customers to buy from you before you go on vacation and give them an alternative way to contact you while you're away.

Holiday Email Marketing Example: Waterville Valley Resort

Here's an email from a ski resort telling its customers that it will be closed on December 23rd. I like how genuine the tone is and how it feels like a real person is talking to you. I also like how they offer a detailed explanation for why they're closed. It's proactive communication that reduces questions and support calls from unhappy customers.

Creating a Holiday Email Marketing Campaign

If you want to promote your business this holiday season, then email is one of the best ways to do it. Email lets you control when and where your messages are sent, and most people check their inboxes daily. Use these tips to craft a click-worthy marketing campaign and generate more revenue for your business during the holidays.

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