The most wonderful time of the year is right around the corner — and for small business owners that means it’s time to start planning those seasonal email campaigns. Creating emails ahead of time can decrease the stress of the busy holidays. With VerticalResponse’s Email Automation, you can create an email or email series, and then schedule the campaign to be sent at a later date. As you prepare your holiday campaign schedule, you’ll want to make sure that you send these five emails to your subscribers.

Season’s greetings

From Diwali and Thanksgiving to Hanukkah and Christmas, your customers have so much to celebrate during the fall and winter months. It’s never too late to wish them well and to let them know you’re celebrating right along with them by sending a holiday greeting.

Want to take this message to the next level? Show your subscribers how much you appreciate them with a heartfelt seasonal thank you. Everyone’s inboxes are overflowing with sales offers during this time of the year, so a message that isn’t sales-driven has a good chance of standing out — and an even better chance of helping you build a meaningful relationship with your customer base.

Make sure to tailor the content to fit the time of the season when the message is scheduled to be delivered. A greeting scheduled for the end of December, for instance, might mention what you hope to accomplish in the New Year.

Seasonalized newsletter

Are you planning a special fall or winter event? Do you have seasonal tips you’d like to share with your readers? Give your subscribers all of the details in a holiday-themed newsletter. Your newsletter lets your audience know what’s going on at your business, and during the holidays, you can use it to get your readers excited about all of the festive offerings you have in store for them. What’s more, an automated holiday newsletter is the perfect way keep your brand in customers’ minds during a time of the year that brings a boost in revenue for many businesses.

Welcome email

Quite possibly the most common type of automated message, welcome emails should be sent all year long. But if it’s been a while since you’ve updated the copy of your welcome autoresponder, the holidays are the perfect time to refresh your messaging. With so many consumers searching for gifts and seeking out seasonal services or deals, you might find yourself with a new crop of subscribers during fall and winter. Greet your newest readers with a warm message that encourages them to continue engaging with your brand. Introduce your business and tell new subscribers exactly what they can expect from your emails. And because it is the season of giving, you may even want to include an offer in the message as a gift for signing up.

Retail holiday promotions

You don’t want to miss your chance to connect with consumers when they’re most receptive to your marketing messages. So get your calendar out, and make sure you have promotional emails and offers scheduled to be sent out in advance of major sales days. Although Thanksgiving weekend and its big shopping days may have passed, don’t forget Green Monday (Dec. 10), Hanukkah (running through Dec. 10), Free Shipping Day (Dec. 14), Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (Dec. 24 and 25), and Kwanzaa (Dec. 26).

Help for last-minute shoppers

We all know that the early bird gets the worm, but that won’t stop many consumers from waiting until the eleventh hour to start their seasonal planning. You can lend a helping hand with last-minute ideas for costumes, gifts or recipes that are scheduled to land in inboxes a few days before major holidays.

Do you ship products? If so, there’s one more way to help out procrastinators and early birds alike: Schedule a reminder email, letting readers know which day they have to place their orders to ensure on-time delivery.

Email automation is a time-effective way to engage subscribers and spread the word about your business. When the holidays are in full swing, and you’re at your busiest, having your campaigns scheduled and ready to go is bound to make your day-to-day operations merry and bright.

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Editor’s note: This article was originally published in October 2017 and has been updated for accuracy and relevance.

© 2017 – 2018, Amber Humphrey. All rights reserved.