Smart summer campaigns

Do you remember those holidays (not so) long ago, when you had to queue for hours in a post office or bank to cash your traveller’s cheques? A wonderful opportunity for getting to know the locals, as there invariably was a long line of senior citizens in front of you, waiting to withdraw their pensions. If you wanted to phone home, you needed a fistful of coins. This gave you about 30 seconds conversation in a phone booth, just enough time to let everybody know you were ok and having a great time. At irregular times you were able to buy a week old newspaper for ten times the normal price, to catch up with the news from home.

These days you can withdraw cash from almost every ATM anywhere in the world with your debit card, use the free WiFi in your hotel to Skype or Facetime with the loved ones at home, post daily pictures on Instagram and check the news online while enjoying a cappuccino on the boulevard. Since the abolition of roaming costs within Europe, many of us can even use our data plan abroad.

Strange then, that the volume of marketing emails decreases sharply during the summer holidays.

Why do marketers stop marketing in summer?

Is it because goods bought online can’t be delivered if nobody is home? About a third of the Dutch population spends their holidays in the Netherlands each year, and this figure has inevitably grown since corona. So it’s a good idea to offer delivery options to a different address, or the choice of a later delivery date. Another good idea would be to segment email campaigns according to region (North, Middle, South), as the school holidays are at different times.

Summer is not the time to stop sending emails …

Your target audience is connected 24/7 and might be in the mood for a little holiday shopping. Don’t stop emailing them, just make your email campaigns smarter!

Summer is the time for getting the most out of marketing automation

Marketing automation allows you to schedule your email campaigns and to segment and personalise them according to the online behaviour of your customers. You can also use predictive analysis  and AI to ensure you are sending the right message at the right time.

Don’t stop at regular newsletters or special offers either: how about an abandoned shopping cart campaign? Try targeting the customers that put something in their shopping cart, but stopped short of actually going to check-out. Send them a follow-up mail to find out why. Offer to deliver the goods at an alternative (holiday) address, or at a later time. Marketing automation also makes it easier to keep your campaigns going while you take a well-deserved break yourself. This is especially useful for businesses without a large marketing department.

If you want to learn about marketing automation in summer (or any other season), feel free to contact us, we would love to tell you more!