November Email Marketing Calendar

Once Halloween comes and goes on October 31, the holiday season is off and running. It’s never too early to plot out your holiday marketing campaigns. Our Email Marketing Worksheet will help get you started! Many of November’s big events hit the back half of the calendar, galloping right behind Thanksgiving. But don’t forget other dates, like Election Day and Veterans Day, that come earlier in the month and can be good excuses for promotions, contests, giveaways, or events. No matter which holidays you choose to promote for your business, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Start your campaigns early
  Begin emailing your customers at least one week beforehand, and often even earlier than that.
• Remind your readers as the date gets closer
  Customers are inundated with emails, promotions, deals, and sales all competing for their attention this time of year — make sure yours cut through the clutter.
• Build buzz on social media
  Create excitement by beating the drum about your promotion or event on your social media pages.
• Thank your customers afterwards
  Sending a thank you email after an event is one more way to build strong ties between your business and your customer base. Even if a promotion isn’t as successful as it could have been, thanking customers afterward is always a good use of time.

November 8 – Election Day

November kicks off the busiest time of year for email marketing. Get a head start by taking advantage of the country’s interest in the upcoming presidential election. By running an election-themed marketing campaign, you tap into what’s already on the minds of many people. A campaign like this allows you to craft a relevant message and an opportunity to have a little fun if humor is part of your brand.

Take JetBlue’s marketing campaign during the 2012 election. As Americans started chiming in with threats to move abroad in the event their preferred candidate wasn’t elected, JetBlue’s brilliant campaign promised international travel to 1,006 voters of the losing party.

 

By using email, social media, and other marketing channels, JetBlue got people to their Election Protection website to select their candidate and international destination of choice. Not only did they create some fun and banter around the campaign and grow their email list, but they also encouraged people to vote.

While you may not have the budget for a contest of this magnitude, you can still create buzz with a promotional giveaway that makes sense for your business.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Landing page for the promotion
• Prize(s) for the giveaway
• Way to collect information from entrants
• Email and social media campaign
• Budget for advertising

Important tip: Because there are strict rules and guidelines around running sweepstakes, you’ll want to make sure you’re well-versed, or consult with someone who has managed sweepstakes before.

November 11 – Veterans Day

November’s main holidays tend to revolve around eating and shopping. Veterans Day, in the first half of the month, is a less frenetic day of commemoration that lends itself to email marketing. Although many retailers hold Veterans Day sales, November 11 is an opportunity to run a promotion that more directly benefits the current and former service members in your community.

Each Veterans Day, Applebee’s offers free dining to active and retired members of the armed forces. It’s their way of saying thank you to them, and it shows they care about the communities they’re located in. It’s also good for business because those service members visit Applebee’s to take advantage of the complimentary meal — and bring their spouses and families with them.

If your business is a restaurant or cafe, it’s simple to implement a Veterans Day promotion like Applebee’s. Even if you don’t work in the food industry, you can offer service members a complimentary product or service.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Landing page explaining the benefit, and its terms and conditions
• Details about showing proof of service
• Email and social media campaign
• Budget for advertising

November 24 – Thanksgiving

Before sticking your fork into a juicy slice of turkey or asking your uncle to please pass the potatoes, it’s customary to say a few words of gratitude. Why not take a cue from this time-honored tradition, and express gratitude to your loyal customers before the shopping weekend begins?

 

This Thanksgiving, switch up your holiday greeting routine and send your customers a thank you card. The advantage is you’ll stand out from cards typically mailed in December. And the personal touch of a thank you card connects you with customers on an emotional level. It’s not only a kind gesture, it’s also good for business.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Customer mailing list
• Thank you cards
• Envelopes and postage

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