The early bird gets the worm, but the early bird shopper gets everything they’re looking for. While you may suffering from Halloween candy overload, it’s not too early to start sending holiday emails. According to National Retail Federation’s recent survey, 40% of shoppers begin shopping before Halloween. So it really is time to get your holidays email marketing out there. As a small biz you can get a jump on the big guys now, and make this a super successful holiday season. Here are a few points to keep in mind for your early holiday emails:

1. Don’t go crazy on the kitsch. It may be too early to fill your email with dancing reindeer, falling snow or jolly snowmen — you may want to save those for later in the season and take one holiday at a time. Some people get annoyed if Christmas shows up too soon, but you’ve got Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday all right around the corner.

2. Offer unexpected value. That doesn’t have to mean discount everything in sight, provide a service that your readers aren’t expecting. People know there will be big discounts as the holidays get closer. Shopping early will give them peace of mind that they’re done, they don’t have to deal with the crowds and they’ll get exactly what they want.

3. Update your readers. If you’re planning an aggressive email campaign, let your readers know ahead of time. Say you’re going to mail very frequently, or daily. You can also ask them to sign up for a different mailing list so they know what to expect. Otherwise, just let them know how often you’ll mail during the holidays and when you’ll go back to the usual schedule.

Want to do this in your VerticalResponse account? We have lots of holiday templates to use and helpful tips in our blog post here, or via a free recorded webinar. You can also visit our Everything Holiday site.

When creating your holiday email marketing, remember to mention any holiday events you’re planning, or special deals you’re offering. Free shipping and peace of mind? Sold!

Are you going after the early bird shoppers yet? What’s your plan to help them and get your share of holiday sales? Share in the comments!

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