To deliver optimal campaign results during this critical revenue time, senders should do everything they can to send their flashiest, most engaging email campaigns. There’s only one problem. Every year, the black Friday seems to start earlier and last longer than the previous year. This means subscribers receive promotional emails constantly, which not only makes it harder to reach their inboxes but also stands out!
How can a sender hope to get a subscriber’s attention when most inboxes are more crowded than ever? Based on last-minute inspiration from the biggest brands. Check out these five eye-catching campaigns from top brands to help you find timely inspiration for Black Friday.
1. Hulu
With the excitement surrounding Black Friday, many marketers see this as a great opportunity to re-engage inactive subscribers, but it can be risky. If you go back too far from your database to re-engage inactive addresses, you risk falling into a recycling spam trap, damaging your sender reputation and reducing your deliverability. (i.e. the likelihood that the email you send actually reaches the inbox of the subscriber). However, when done properly, rolling back into your database can produce great results. For example, Hulu does this with its Black Friday campaign.
To entice old subscribers to keep coming back, the campaign describes a limited-time exclusive offer (i.e. join Hulu for just 99¢/month for a year) in simple language and highlights the best shows on the platform. Additionally, by using its segments to target only inactive customers, Hulu doesn’t risk overwhelming or boring its active customers.
This is a great example of using a Black Friday strategy to target just one segment of your audience, rather than trying a one-size-fits-all approach.
2. Victoria’s Secret
Who doesn’t love a good countdown? In this campaign, Victoria’s Secret creates a sense of urgency by counting down to the end of the big Black Friday sale. The branding also included a golden confetti GIF to display the title, “BLACK FRIDAY” provided for several days. This simple yet eye-catching add-on instantly captures subscribers, piqued their interest, and made them more likely to click.
The black and gold color scheme also stands out from the brand’s brighter, regular email designs. For subscribers who are used to viewing typical Victoria’s Secret email content, this design tells them at first glance that this is something to look out for!
Don’t be afraid to follow their example. Replace your typical email template with something special for Black Friday! After all, it’s supposed to be a fun time of year, so show off your brand’s playful personality with a fun new design.
3. Rituals
When it comes to Black Friday email marketing, big and bold is often the way to go. However, that doesn’t mean simplicity can’t be encapsulated. For example, the ritual takes a unique approach by only mentioning Black Friday in the text before its title:
Subject Line:
Birds get protein shakes soon
Previous Title:
Early access on Black Friday
The brand is taking advantage of the general Black Friday buzz to advertise its new protein powder. However, unlike many other brands at this time of year, they don’t go public about it, which is to their advantage.
With so many ad campaigns flooding subscribers’ inboxes, most of which have “Black Friday” in the subject line, this simple Ritual campaign is a delightful break from the madness. . The quirky subject line draws attention on its own without mentioning Black Friday, while the headline text hints that they’re about to get a bargain.
Your campaign design can be very beautiful. But if your subject line isn’t engaging (or doesn’t stand out), no one will choose to open it. Consider trying an A/B test where one email has “Black Friday” in the subject line and the other in the subject text first to see which emails (if any) get the most traffic.
4. Etsy
Empathic marketing is on the rise. You don’t have to wait until Tuesday to show your business. For example, Etsy uses Black Friday to support small businesses. Branding includes a clear CTA that stands out instead of the usual “Buy Now” it says “Big savings.
Incorporating empathy into their marketing strategy helps Etsy customers feel comfortable spending money on the brand. Plus, it sets them apart from the big box stores as a community-driven company.
5. Betty Sweaty
Want to be more playful during the holidays? Literally trying to give your audience a game to play. Sweaty Betty does this during the Black Friday campaign with a simple “Spin to Win” game that invites subscribers to click through to their website. If your goal is to get people to click on your website, this is a really easy and effective way to do that while keeping things interesting for your audience. No time to lose!
As global email volume trends continue to grow, it’s more important than ever to find inspiration and new methods to reach your audience. Following these tips is a great starting point to prepare for peak sales season
