10 Holiday Email Marketing Examples to Inspire You

Before diving into examples, it’s essential to understand how to craft a holiday email marketing strategy that delivers results.

The holiday season is a busy time for both businesses and customers, and inboxes are more crowded than ever. To stand out and engage your target audience, you need a clear, focused plan.

Let’s break down some holiday email marketing tips that make up a successful holiday email campaign:

1. Know your audience

Understanding your audience’s preferences and behavior is key to delivering a personalized experience. Look at past holiday campaigns and data to see what worked and what didn’t.

Segment your email list based on customer data like purchase history, browsing habits, or demographics. This allows you to tailor your holiday emails—whether it’s a product recommendation, special discount, or exclusive content—to resonate with specific groups of customers.

For instance, someone who previously purchased fitness gear may be more interested in activewear deals, while another customer might respond better to home decor suggestions.

The more targeted your email campaigns are, the higher your engagement and conversion rates will be.

2. Craft an irresistible offer

The holiday shopping season is all about deals, but it’s not enough to just throw out a discount. Think strategically about what will catch your audience’s attention.

Exclusive offers like limited-time discounts, early access to sales, or special holiday bundles can make your email feel urgent and valuable. You want your customers to feel like they’re getting something they can’t pass up—whether it’s a percentage off, free shipping, or a limited-edition product.

Time-sensitive deals like “24-hour flash sales” or “early bird discounts” are especially effective during the holidays because they create a sense of urgency. Make sure your offers are clearly highlighted in your email to avoid any confusion and drive quick action.

3. Create a sense of urgency

The holiday season is filled with deadlines—from shipping cutoffs to last-minute shopping sprees. Leverage this urgency in your email marketing campaigns by incorporating time-sensitive messages that push your target audience to take action.

Countdown timers, for instance, are a powerful tool to visually reinforce that time is running out. Subject lines like “Last Day to Shop for Christmas Delivery” or “Only 48 Hours Left to Save” can motivate customers to make quick decisions.

Urgency doesn’t just apply to discounts. It can also relate to product availability. If a product is in high demand, let your customers know they need to act fast to secure it before it’s sold out.

4. Optimize for mobile

More than half of email campaigns are now opened on mobile devices, so if your holiday emails aren’t optimized for mobile, you’re losing out.

Ensure that your emails are responsive, meaning they look great whether they’re viewed on a phone, tablet, or desktop. This includes using large, clickable buttons for CTAs (call-to-actions), making sure your images scale properly, and keeping text easy to read on smaller screens.

Test your holiday email across different devices and email clients to ensure a seamless experience. A mobile-friendly design not only improves user experience but also boosts your chances of converting that holiday traffic into sales.

5. Make your emails visually appealing

With so many holiday emails flooding inboxes, you need to make yours visually stand out.

Use high-quality images that showcase your products in a festive setting, and incorporate holiday-themed design elements like snowflakes, ribbons, or holiday colors (think red, green, gold, or silver). A well-designed email campaign is more likely to capture attention and encourage engagement.

However, be cautious not to overdo it. Keep the design clean and focused on your key message. Ensure that your visuals support the overall goal of the email—whether it’s driving sales, increasing website traffic, or promoting brand awareness.

6. Plan your timing

Timing is everything when it comes to a holiday email marketing strategy. Start your campaigns early enough to capture pre-holiday shoppers, but don’t forget about last-minute buyers either.

Here’s a breakdown of key email timings to consider:

• Early shoppers: Start in mid-November with teaser emails for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.
• Main holiday period: From Thanksgiving to mid-December, focus on your biggest sales and promotions.
• Last-minute shoppers: In the week before Christmas, emphasize fast shipping options or in-store pickup for those still scrambling for gifts.
• Post-holiday sales: Don’t forget about post-holiday campaigns that capitalize on gift cards or year-end clearance sales.

Also, consider sending reminder emails for flash sales or deadlines like “last day to get free shipping” to encourage those who might hesitate to buy.

7. Use engaging subject lines

The subject line is the first thing your email subscribers will see, and it can make or break your open rates.

During the holidays, people are bombarded with promotional emails, so your holiday email subject lines need to be eye-catching and concise. Use emojis, personalization, or a bit of humor to stand out, and highlight the value your email provides.

For example, subject lines like “🎁 Gifts That Ship Free (But Only for 24 Hours!)” or “Santa’s Pick: 50% Off Our Best Sellers” immediately grab attention and create curiosity.

8. Test and optimize

Don’t settle for a one-size-fits-all approach. A/B test different elements of your holiday email campaign to see what resonates best with your target audience.

You can test subject lines, CTAs, images, or even the time of day you send your emails. Use the data from these tests to optimize future email campaigns and increase performance throughout the holiday season.