Black Friday isn’t the start of the shopping season anymore.
In fact, 26% of marketers begin sending Black Friday emails before November 19. Some send them as early as November 1, according to a study by Yes Marketing. This continual shift means marketers need to adjust their holiday strategies as consumers begin shopping earlier in the season.
An analysis of six million emails sent during the 2018 holiday season found that holiday-themed emails resulted in doubled conversion rates in November (6.1%) than December (3.1%). This means marketers who deployed campaigns earlier or before the holiday season were more successful.
The study also found Black Friday-themed emails were extremely popular. Nearly 50% of marketers sent emails with Black Friday in mind. That’s a 27% increase from the 2017 holiday season.
Black Friday conversion rates also increased by 37.5% year over year, almost doubling the standard marketing conversion of 4.9% over the same period. Marketers who sent emails before November 19 experienced a 13.1% open rate and a 1.5% click-through rate. That’s above the average of 12.1% and 1.1%, respectively.
The most successful marketers deployed emails both before the holiday season and during the days leading up to Black Friday. The reinforced messaging helped them achieve stronger conversion rates.
Additionally, email conversion rates dropped dramatically when deployed later in the shopping season. For example, conversion rates decreased by 38% on Green Monday, the second Monday in December.
The truth is in the data. While Black Friday remains a well-known shopping day across the country, marketers have now realized successful campaigns begin well before the holiday shopping season.
