Blog » eMail Marketing: Holiday Rant
eMail Marketing: Holiday Rant
Have you been getting emails wishing you happy holidays? Of course you have. We all get them this time of the year. How many are sent by people you know and who know you? One thing I’ve noticed this year is an increase in the number of “Holiday Greetings” emails I’m getting from organisations I’ve never done business with before. I don’t like it.
Is Christmas an opportunity to boost your email marketing? Are you legitimately sending holiday greetings to valued clients or are you trying to run conversions with your holiday card program? If you're viewing the tradition of sending holiday cards as a convenient sales opportunity, I think it’s a really bad idea.
BAH-HUMBUG
Here’s why:
- Despite what you say, I don’t feel like you’re sending me best wishes. It feels like you’re wishing I would do business with you. Have a look at the image above if you don’t understand what I’m saying.
- When I only hear from you at the end of the year, it makes me wonder where you’ve been the previous 11 months.
- Ulterior motives aside, you come off sounding insincere when you send a mass mailing out and don’t bother to personalise the note in any way.
- Limited “special offers” requiring me to purchase something from you are not a gift. They’re a sales promotion for your company. Don’t insult my intelligence.
- If I’ve done business with you, registered my details on your website or subscribed to your newsletter, let me know about your holiday sale. Otherwise, consider yourself a spammer.
Think relationship, not sales opportunity
Think twice before you blast the names on your database with holiday emails. A personalised note conveys a sense of appreciation to your customers and prospects. It shows you’ve taken the time to recognise an important relationship. A random email does the opposite. At best, it’s an annoying reminder that your company could improve its internal processes. At worst, you’re perceived as a spammer. If you’re viewing the holiday season as an opportunity to connect with your mailing list, make sure you impart glad tidings or don’t bother at all.
DO YOU HAVE A HOLIDAY RANT? WHAT IS IT?
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Image credit: Corporate Christmas Tree by placdarms, on Flickr
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Comments
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Well Jennifer, you're not alone on not sending out Christmas greetings to your clients. I haven't done it either for the very reason you mention; I don't want to get caught in the fray. I'll come up with a plan to connect with my clients in the new year but it won't be with an email marketing campaign.
You make another good point in your comment. eMail marketing does work which is why people do it. I just wish they followed your advice and use a best practice of one email with one reminder.
Have a great Christmas. I look forward to hearing more of your good ideas in the new year.Posted by Sarah Mitchell, 22/12/2010 10:07pm (1 year ago)
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I totally agree, I have been receiving an abundance of emails from companies thanking me for my custom (havent even used their services) and constantly badgering me with repetitive and urgent special offer announcements. I dont mind one email and then a polite reminder as it did make me sign up for some online training with one organisation that I'm really happy with, but others are getting beyond polite and literally "stalking" me everyday. I've been unable to send a Merry Christmas to my clients because I feel they are probably also being swamped by these companies that use Christmas as a marketing tool.
Posted by Jennifer Freeman, 22/12/2010 3:17pm (1 year ago)
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Hi Ralston,
You're right; when you focus on keeping current customers happy, it's only going to draw in new prospects at the same time. People can smell a sales job a mile away and they don't like it.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving such encouraging words. I appreciate it.Posted by Sarah Mitchell, 22/12/2010 6:36am (1 year ago)
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"...you come off sounding insincere when you send a mass mailing out and don’t bother to personalize the note in any way."
While especially sucky during Christmas, this gets an "Amen" from me any time of the year. Thinking relationship and not sales opportunity as you put it goes a long way to creating lasting, loyal connections with customers—or even would-be customers.
Great points, Sarah.
+RalstonPosted by Ralston Vaz, 22/12/2010 5:43am (1 year ago)
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Oh wow, Anna-mi, I've never heard of this before. I've never received a card from a friend written on their employer's stationary. If I did, I wouldn't be impressed. It sounds like you're struggling with the fact that your friends are willing to jeopardize their personal and professional integrity to save a few pennies. I think I would feel the same.
Your experience does raise a good point relative to this discussion. Every communication you have is an opportunity show your authenticity in business and as a person. Using stationary that doesn't belong to you or sending spam under the guise of a holiday greeting only hurts you and your business.
Thanks for stopping in and adding depth to my rant.Posted by Sarah Mitchell, 22/12/2010 1:45am (1 year ago)
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It has happened that friends have sent me christmas cards, nice christmas cards on nice paper, but it was their employers cards! My friends let their employer pay for their christmas cards. I always felt offended and a little bit ashamed in the same time that I just couldn´t take it more easily... But christmas cards are important for me, they can be the last link to keep an otherwise passive relation to be able to bring alive again, when times are ready: as long as you send a christmas cards the relation is just on "hold-on" or "stand-by" or what you called it. But when friends send me a company-card I don´t know what to call it. Not something nice, at least...
Posted by anna-mi, 22/12/2010 12:38am (1 year ago)
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As it turns out, there are a lot of us out there with the same complaint, Libby. I'm glad to know I'm in good company.
Posted by Sarah Mitchell, 21/12/2010 9:38pm (1 year ago)
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Hi Greg,
You're right, viruses wreak their own havoc and Hallmark is not immune. Having said that, I'm more miffed at the businesses who abuse their mailing lists or supplement their lists with email addresses they've collected over the year.
Posted by Sarah Mitchell, 21/12/2010 9:36pm (1 year ago)
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Yay! I'm not alone!
Posted by Libby Collins, 21/12/2010 8:22pm (1 year ago)
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A few years ago, there was a virus that spread as an link to an Hallmark e-card.
People seem to forget that clicking on strange links from unsolicited emails (even from people you trust) is just as bad an idea at Christmas as it is any other time of year.Posted by Greg Bromage, 21/12/2010 8:02pm (1 year ago)
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