Email examples for gift cards and shipping emails
Running low on ideas for December campaigns? If so, you may want to incorporate a few gift card and shipping deadline emails into your calendar. Due to earlier shipping deadlines for ecommerce retailers, you’ll have to spend a large portion of December highlighting gift card purchases for those who missed the shipping deadline or marketing in-store/curbside pick-up (for those brands that can). In fact, since 9 in 10 shoppers said they plan to make at least one gift card purchase this holiday season, why not make it from your brand?
In this article, we’ll walk through some inspiration from the MailCharts Index and fresh ideas to repurpose for your brand this holiday season.
Get inspired: Gift Card Content Strategies
e-Gifting is nothing new to the holidays. Last year, many retailers in the Apparel, Accessories, Beauty, and Sportswear category used ‘gift card’ within their subject lines in the days leading up to Christmas.
If you’re stuck on how to incorporate ‘gift card’ messaging, you’re not alone! We all have Cyber 5 fog. Here are a few ideas and examples to inspire your gift card campaigns:
1. Offer a gift card promotion the week leading up to Christmas
With many brands starting promotions in early November, this is a nice break from the typical discount messaging consumers are seeing and will help you generate revenue before Christmas, especially if your shipping cutoffs are early December.
Here’s an example from Purple last holiday season offering a $20 gift card with a $100 gift card purchase:
Purple Gift Card BOGO!
2. Lean into late gifting messaging for people you may have missed on your list or for family you’re unable to visit this holiday season
We’re in an unusual time where families are not gathering for events due to COVID. Because of this, brands have an opportunity to lean into messaging around sending a pick-me-up or gift to relatives you’re unable to be with this holiday season. Brands can also lean into messaging around missing someone on your list for last-minute gifters.
Here’s a great example from Nicole Miller that utilized this type of messaging in both the subject line and email copy last holiday season:
You Forgot Someone...
3. Start incorporating gift card banners into your calendar sends throughout the month
Brands have an opportunity to create banners within their early December emails featuring both shipping cutoffs and gift card options to encourage site purchases and visitors. Even if the email message itself isn’t centered around gift cards, it’s a great way to remind customers you have them!
In the example below, we love how in early December Fenty Beauty is already incorporating gift card messaging. We think their sleek design and subtle mention is a great way to promote gift cards without detracting from the highlighted products.
Get ahead of the game with your holiday shopping
4. Create a unique e-gift experience
If you have the capacity and your current gift card gifting experience is lackluster, create a unique and special gifting experience where gift card senders can incorporate a message or image to the card for more personalization. You’ll want to ensure the process is either automated to ensure a seamless experience. If you have e-gift emails recipient and transaction emails already set up, consider updating content to reflect the holiday season and messaging.
1-800-Flowers has a great e-gift experience with the ability to customize the recipient’s message as well as a photo on the e-gift card using Blackhawk Network. Below is a quick look at how 1-800-Flowers is currently promoting their gift cards within calendar sends (similar to Fenty Beauty above):
Get a Holiday Head Start with Up to 50% Off!
Get inspired: Shipping Cutoff Content Strategies
1. As we mentioned in the gifting section, mention shipping cutoffs early and often within calendar send banners
These banners can be simple and text-based with easy to read copy: ‘ORDER BY X TO RECEIVE BY THE 25TH!’ near the beginning of the email. By putting this snippet towards the top, it’ll draw attention while not detracting from the main email message.
This ThirdLove example from last year had a great subtle text banner and incorporated a free shipping offer for those who spend more than $200.
Final hours! Free 2-day shipping ends soon
2. Have multiple dedicated sends to promote shipping cutoff urgency leading up to the final day for shipping
As we mentioned before, we’re in an unusual time where shipping cutoffs are earlier than normal. Highlight urgency in a few emails leading up to the cutoff and on the date of the actual shipping cutoff.
Take a look at Rothy’s shipping examples from last year. They incorporated an on-brand gif and main CTA to shop now and get free expedited shipping.
Expedited shipping is on us.
3. Incorporate countdown timers
This is a great way to promote urgency without offering a discount. As many consumers are fatigued by promotions already, this will allow you to draw more attention to the shipping cutoff and bolster sales before shifting into gift card messaging.
This year, TJ Maxx began incorporating countdown timers into their calendar sends early in December:
Online CLEARANCE is going FAST
Get more shipping and gift card inspiration
With a MailCharts account, you can search for more shipping and gift card emails by industry to inspire your next campaign and view hundreds of email journeys in our MailCharts Index.
Editorial photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash
