20 Slightly Different Christmas Emails & Templates (eCommerce)

We all know how important email marketing is for marketing during Christmas.

BUT most eCommerce brands fail to deliver the right note.

Some emails are either too generic while others just lack a personal touch.

Check out these 20 examples below and develop a fresh perspective for your eCommerce marketing emails during Christmas.

With a little creativity, you can make your emails stand out in a crowded inbox.

1. Bring In the Christmas Lingo

To really stand out in customers’ inboxes, get creative with your email marketing. Instead of a traditional holiday greeting, integrate the lingo into your own brand. Speak about how your products would work well for the season.

Pro Tip — While using CTA words like “buy”, “now”, and “subscribe” has a proven effect, they’re just as useful on the rest of your email. Try and integrate them with the Christmas lingo to prompt more purchases.

2. Call Out the Latecomers

Your customers are bombarded with holiday marketing messages from all sorts of businesses. So, to stand out, make your messages personal. Address that some people are just late shoppers - and account for them. Actually help them get their purchases in a way that benefits them.

Pro Tip — Use a countdown timer that keeps customers in the loop with the last day for shipping, delivery timelines, and how to get delivery quicker. Send regular emails and enable the option for them to add this to their Google calendar.

3. Drop A Hint

Got a business that works with a lot of gifting? Encourage customers to add to their wishlist and then drop “hints” to their friends and family about what to get them for Christmas.

Pro Tip — Ensure your wishlist can add other people, share with links, and even create Secret Santa compatibility. This will all come in handy with gift registries for the season.

Keep Reading: Order Wishlist Page: 9 Ways to boost conversions (and lessons from Amazon)

4. Where’s the Brand Mascot?

Make your emails more memorable with your brand mascot all dressed up and ready for the season. 

Pro Tip — Have a specific item you’d like customers to buy? Ensure the brand mascot has it on.

5. Be Advent-orous

Integrate your brand with a classic Christmas ritual: the advent calendar. Offer one idea for each of the days that you’re counting down and be sure to include a special discount on those items.

Pro Tip — Create affinities between these products so customers are also interested in buying multiple at the same time. Offer better discounts for upsell and cross-sell chances.

6. Use Catchy Colors to Catch Attention

One of the best ways to connect with your customers during the holidays is to use bright colors & bold animations. Include a personalized message in your emails and make sure the email does not take too long to load. 

Pro Tip — Look into using quick-file animations that can save you as much as half the amount of time.

7. Call Out The Discount

Everyone loves a good deal, so be sure to promote any sales or discounts you are offering in your email marketing campaign.

Pro Tip — With the season taking the heat, discounts become even more crucial. Enable cross promotions so customers feel encouraged to buy gifts for the entire family from your store.

8. Guide Your Customers

Your email marketing should reflect the festive mood of the season. Use holiday-themed guides and make sure your subject lines are eye-catching.

Pro Tip — In an email, be sure to include one product per category as part of the guide. You can then follow this up with a gated downloadable.

9. Be Personal

Your customers want to feel like they are being communicated with as individuals, not as part of a faceless mass. Personalize your email content as much as possible, and make sure to include the recipient’s name in the subject line and in the body of the email where appropriate.

Pro Tip — Don’t just include the customers’ names. Also include yours. This is especially lovely for SMBs who can afford to have that personal touch with their audience: use it to your benefit.

10. Think About The Kids

Sure - we’re referencing pets here. But the crux of this point is to think beyond your immediate customers and look into their kids, cousins, pets, and the rest of the family that make this occasion so inviting.

Pro Tip — What better than a gift that keeps on giving? Create different subscription boxes for pets/kids that are more likely to need repetitive purchases like snacks, toys, and even clothes.

11. Experiment with Visuals

Don't be afraid to get creative with your email marketing this holiday season. Think outside the traditional holiday template and come up with something unique that will capture your audience's attention.

Pro Tip — Animations are great for capturing attention but can be damaging when it comes to speed. In such a case, it’s best to limit it to 2 - 3 visual changes or one solid one running at a lower resolution.

12. Very Last Gift Of The Day

Hearing that, I’d be intrigued! Like we’ve discussed earlier, a whole bunch of customers keep their shopping till the last minute. We love how Anthropologie has planned for them with last-chance gift shipping.

Pro Tip — Gift cards are still a solid gift. Create season special eGift Cards that customers can share with their family and friends even if they purchase them on the same day.

13. Have Fun With Your Copy

Christmas is sweet, memorable, and jolly - have a brand that’s a bit different? Have fun with it. Use your emailers to bring out the essence of YOUR brand.

Pro Tip — Remember that Christmas is in the spirit of religion and community. Avoid venturing tooo far away from this :)

Hey, have you seen this? Top 26 Christmas Marketing Examples in eCommerce

14. Collaborate with Another Brand

Tap into two different sets of audiences with a joint collaboration that benefits both - just like Starbucks and Uber Eats do here.

Pro Tip — Even with a joint collaboration, it’s important to segment your audience and reach them through different forms of A/B testing. 

15. Get Festive

Get into the holiday spirit with your email marketing! Use festive colors and images, and write copy that captures the excitement of the season.

Pro Tip — Amp up the personal appeal by sharing your festivities with your customers. Include a special video recorded by your team.

16. Think Beyond Christmas

Hanukkah, Yule, Soyal, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, New Year. There’s a LOT going on during this season. Tap into the potential all of these events offer.

Pro Tip — Turn off the sales call. They’re everywhere, right? Make your brand different (and authentic) by genuinely wishing your customers happy holidays.

17. Embrace Simplicity

No one wants to read a long, drawn-out email during the busy holiday season. Keep your email content concise and to the point.

Pro Tip — Structure your email with one headline, one sales call, and one CTA. That’s all you need to get going.

18. Make It Pretty

This is your chance to stand out in a crowded inbox, so make sure your emails are creative and attention-grabbing.

Pro Tip — Emails that are too heavy with images are often sent to spam. So, try and maintain a ratio of 80% text and only 20% images. Make each visual count. 

19. Bring In the Fam

Your customers are especially interested in hearing from you if your message is relevant to their interests. In this email, the brand has tailored the message with such specificity that even the busiest people have something that will actually help them.

Pro Tip — Address 5 of the most important people in your customers’ lives and offer only 1 - 2 recommendations per person. Any more will likely overwhelm the reader.

20. Include Trust Badges

They’re always a good idea! This is even more important when customers are shopping impulsively and want to be assured that their interests are at heart.

Pro Tip — Be sure to include trust badges around payment, returns, and shipping. The more hassle-free your business looks, the far more likely customers will finish shopping with you.

Keep Reading: 20 High-converting examples of automated emails

When it comes to email marketing for eCommerce, Christmas is a critical time to get it right.

By following these tips, you can make your email marketing campaign a success this season. So get started today and promote your eCommerce business like a pro!