During the months of November and December, we see a seasonal drop in email performance across the board, as our clients aren’t retailers that experience a surge of sales during the holidays. And just as the chipmunk gathers its nuts for the winter months, so too does the email marketer prepare for the scarce resources of winter. Advertisers aren’t releasing many new offers, they aren’t providing many new creatives for existing offers, and subscribers just don’t convert as well. Luckily, our “hibernation” ends January 1st.
So what do we do during this slower period?
Focus on re-engagement
This year especially, we have been experimenting (successfully!) with different ways to re-engage dormant subscribers. One way is to do occasional sends to larger segments than we normally would (the criteria for designing these segments is a Loop7 secret - contact us to learn more!) For this send, we will pick something that we know opens at a high rate. Subscribers who open this email will continue to receive subsequent emails, thereby growing the segment.
Temporarily cut sends from the schedule
As this period has lower conversion rates, and there aren’t many new offers to choose from, we have cut some sends from the schedule. If a list sends twice a day daily, we may just send once a day. This is to limit the risk of fatiguing subscribers and minimize unsubscribes before the New Year frenzy.
Organize for the New Year
This includes scrutinizing the current processes we have, and putting in place new ones. Are there reports that we generate that are no longer necessary? Are there metrics we should be tracking differently? For example, with the iOS changes, we are retooling how we identify filtering issues as opens aren’t as reliable.
This is all leading up to January - when the hungry chipmunk wakes up to collect nature's bounty. We are primarily in the health, wellness, beauty, and weight loss space, so New Year’s resolutions bring a surge of interest to these types of offers. Advertisers are releasing all their latest and greatest offers, partners are jostling for space on the schedule, the eCPM’s increase, and we are happy our winter is over.