Jingle All the Way to Sales: What is Seasonal Marketing and How to Use It

The holiday season is here, and with it comes one of the biggest opportunities for businesses to connect with their audience and boost sales. Christmas isn’t just a time for celebration—it’s a prime moment for creative and impactful marketing. With consumers ready to spend and looking for the perfect gifts, brands have a unique chance to stand out by embracing the festive spirit.

In this article, we’ll explore how to craft seasonal marketing campaigns that captivate your audience and drive results.

A Christmas-themed reactivation email from LastMinute

Why Seasonal Marketing is Important

Christmas is one of the most significant retail periods of the year. This makes it a critical time for brands to harness the power of seasonal marketing strategies.

A 2023 study found that 70% of London small and medium-sized businesses generate up to 86% of their annual revenue from holiday shoppers. Effective Christmas marketing lets you grow your profits, stand out among competitors, showcase your brand’s personality, and build customer loyalty through memorable, emotionally engaging campaigns.

A survey showed that 40% of consumers plan to spend less this year, and 47% expect to spend the same as last year. This means sales growth in 2024 will be limited, with only a modest 2% year-over-year increase predicted. To succeed, brands will need to be more innovative and flexible with their holiday campaigns.

Here are some seasonal marketing tips to help you maximize your profits.

Seasonal Marketing Tips

Kick off a Pre-Holiday Sale with a Countdown Timer

Start the holiday season with a bang by offering your customers a festive sale. But don’t wait until the sale starts to get the word out—build excitement in advance.

Before the sale goes live, make sure to alert your visitors about the upcoming event. This not only boosts interest and sales but also gives you a chance to grow your email list. Offer holiday shoppers the opportunity to sign up for updates and early access to deals.

Using a pop-up is a great way of notifying visitors about the sale and its start date. You can also create some buzz by giving them a sneak peek of what to expect.

Christmas popup example. Source: poptin.com

Send Emails at the Right Time

Timing is everything when it comes to holiday marketing emails. You want to make sure your messages aren’t lost in a crowded inbox, but you also don’t want to miss the perfect moment when your subscribers are most likely to engage. The highest email engagement happens between 9 AM to 11 AM.

However, the ideal time to send an email isn’t the same for everyone. To determine the best time for each recipient, use Altcraft. Its self-learning algorithms personalize the send time, ensuring that each subscriber receives the message when they’re most likely to open and engage with it.

Keep Promoting Your Sale

When your holiday sale is live, make sure every visitor knows about it by featuring it prominently on a popup on your landing page. You don’t want anyone browsing your site to miss out on great discounts while shopping for Christmas gifts.

To maximize your reach, integrate your sale announcement into an omnichannel strategy. Promote the campaign across email, social media, and even SMS to ensure your message reaches customers wherever they are

Discover omni channel advantages and disadvantages and find out how to implement this strategy — read now.

Make sure your messaging is consistent across all platforms and tailored to each channel’s strengths—for example, use engaging visuals on social media, concise reminders via SMS, and detailed offers in email.

Boost customer loyalty with Altcraft’s omnichannel marketing. Deliver seamless, high-quality interactions across all channels. From email to SMS to messengers, ensure your customers enjoy consistent service and a better brand experience—every time, everywhere. Try Altcraft!

Encourage Subscribers to Use Their Coupon Codes

Ensure your subscribers make the most of their discount codes by implementing trigger campaigns powered by dynamic personalization. For example, send reminders about unused discount codes to those who added items to their cart but didn’t complete the purchase or highlight relevant products they’ve shown interest in.

By delivering personalized messages at the right moment, you create a sense of urgency—especially when tied to limited-time holiday offers—encouraging shoppers to redeem their codes and complete their purchases before the Christmas season ends.

Add Gamification

Add some fun and excitement to your website or emails by using gamification. Even if visitors don’t know much about your brand, they’ll enjoy interactive features like scratch cards or spinning wheels.

By incorporating holiday-themed games, you can create a festive and memorable shopping experience that keeps visitors engaged and adds a cheerful seasonal touch to your site or messages.

What is gamification in marketing and how to use it? Learn more here.

Email message template with gamification. Source: vouchermatic.app

To create gamified emails, you’ll need AMP technology. For example, with Pixcraft Email Builder, you can design interactive emails effortlessly—no HTML coding required.

Add Special Design Elements

Make your emails stand out with festive design elements. There’s no need for a complete redesign—small seasonal updates to your current templates can have a big impact.

Add holiday-themed visuals like snowflakes, gift boxes, or decorative borders. Subtle animations, like falling snow or twinkling lights, can make your website or emails feel more dynamic. You can also use ribbons and ornaments to dress up headers and footers.

Email example from Starbucks. Source: designmodo.com

Entice Shoppers with Free Shipping and Clear Delivery Info

Unexpected shipping costs are a top reason shoppers abandon their carts, especially when they’re revealed at checkout. For many, this last-minute surprise is enough to cancel the purchase.

During the holiday season, customers are not only budget-conscious but also eager to ensure their gifts arrive on time. Clearly communicating shipping details—delivery times, fees, and conditions—can help build trust and reduce cart abandonment.

Free shipping is a game-changer. Did you know that 9 out of 10 consumers say free shipping is the top reason they shop online more? Orders with free shipping also average 30% higher in value. Additionally, 93% of shoppers are encouraged to buy more products if free shipping is offered, and 58% add extra items to their cart just to qualify.

Including free shipping in your holiday promotions is one of the most effective strategies to increase order value and boost sales.

Conclusion

Holiday marketing is all about connecting with your audience in fun and meaningful ways. By adding personalization, gamification, and festive touches to your campaigns, you can boost engagement, drive sales, and make your brand memorable. Start now to make this holiday season your most successful yet!

Not sure which marketing platform to choose? We can help with your marketing automation platform selection. Altcraft offers the tools you need to automate, personalize, and optimize your campaigns, making it easier to drive results and save time. Try Altcraft Platfrom!