Over the last few years, the U.S. IRS refunded on average $2,800 per person in taxes and it looks like that number will be even higher in 2021. With the right tax season campaign, some of that money could be spent in your online store. But what type of tax day emails should you send?
Let’s have a look at some great tax season marketing ideas from other ecommerce businesses for inspiration.
6 Tax Season Marketing Ideas
1. Bring out the puns
Adding a smart pun to your subject line can be enough to put a smile on your recipient’s face. In this case, gift and home decor brand Lillian Vernon offers free shipping to subscribers who are feeling taxed – in this case, both literally and figuratively. Even if you’d miss the pun in the subject line, the big grey image with a call-to-action button makes it clear that this email holds a special Tax Day offer.
2. Offer your own type of tax relief
HOM’s subscribers may not get tax relief from the government, so the brand decided to offer its own type of tax relief with a sale. On top of that, they offer a 12-month payment plan with no down payment required. The whole angle of the email is to help recipients save money while they’re decorating their homes.
3. Run a tax season sale
Any special occasion is a good occasion to run a sale and there’s nothing wrong with clearly stating that’s what your email is about. You avoid the misinterpretations that can occur with witty subject lines and let the recipient know exactly what they can expect.
That’s the approach TigerDirect took with their tax season sale. The subject line announces the sale while the preview text lists some of the products on sale. The big image at the top of their promotional email lets the recipient know that if they need new electronics, they can make their tax refund go further by shopping during the sale.
4. Keep up with the news
You can plan, create, and schedule your Tax Day email campaign well beforehand so that you don’t have to worry about it too much when tax season comes, but it’s even better if you’re also prepared to send a few extra emails in case something relevant happens.
This year, for example, Tax Day was extended and kids furniture brand Matrix responded swiftly to that news by also extending their tax season free shipping offer. This way, they’re showing that they’re willing to support their customers throughout the tax season and that they’re on top of things.
5. Let subscribers keep their refund… for now
Imagine how this email from Camping World stands out: when all other companies are trying to get a piece of your tax refund, Camping World tells you to keep your money. For now, at least.
By waiving the down payment and not claiming any payments for 90 days, Camping World is basically offering its subscribers three months of RV ownership, as long as they start paying afterward.
6. Play to sentiment
Most people are happy when their taxes have been filed and that’s exactly the sentiment Hummel’s plays to with this email. Not even offering a discount, they’re counting on the fact that companies will want to shove aside those piles of financial documents as quickly as possible to get back to business. And what better place to put them than into a filing cabinet?
Perhaps not the most visually appealing email, it does show that you don’t always need to offer a special deal. Combining knowledge of your audience’s pain points and great timing can be enough to make them take action.
Make The Tax Season Count
Tax season can be a stressful time for people but it’s also a good time to start planning new purchases. When that happens, you want to land in their inbox and grab their attention. Use the tax season marketing ideas in this article to prepare for next year’s campaign and experiment with different approaches, from creative subject lines to straightforward Tax Day sales.
Need more tax season email ideas? Sign up for a free MailCharts account to see which tax day emails thousands of other ecommerce brands are sending.
