Originally published on October 29, 2020. Last updated October 22, 2021.
Cyber Monday is the most significant e-commerce event of the year. It’s the busiest online shopping day, which makes it crucial for businesses to take advantage of the hype. Cyber Monday sales are projected to more than double Thanksgiving sales, reeling in about $11.3 billion this year. Black Friday sales fall a bit short of Cyber Monday with about $9.5 billion in sales.
What’s the best way to boost your Cyber Monday sales? Building a Cyber Monday email marketing campaign. Email is by far the most effective marketing channel before, during and after this day of online shopping.
Focusing on your entire campaign means sending plenty of emails before, during and after Cyber Monday and Black Friday. The “after” is called Cyberweek, and this is when companies big and small extend their Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions throughout the week, and launch big email campaigns to go along with them. Each stage of the campaign is necessary to reach your sales goals.
Here are a quick roundup of Cyber Monday and Cyberweek email marketing ideas to help stand out in the inbox.
What is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday takes place on the Monday after Thanksgiving. The term “Cyber Monday” came into play in 2005. The National Retail Federation noticed a spike in online purchases on the Monday after Thanksgiving — and decided to coin the phrase to take advantage of the increase in sales. Cyber Monday sales have continued to rise annually making this day a well-established event that consumers look forward to.
Why should you participate in Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday shoppers span across varying age and race demographics: No matter who your target audience is, they’re likely to be browsing online stores on Cyber Monday. It’s your job to get your products on their screens.
Since email marketing is one of the best ways to increase your visibility to win over customers (new and old). Start planning your Cyber Monday and Cyberweek email marketing campaign now to be competitive and stand out from the crowd. Here are a few sale-boosting tips, ideas and examples to keep in mind.
Cyber Monday sale-boosting email tips
Crafting your Cyber Monday and Cyberweek emails doesn’t have to be intimidating. Once you craft your strategy and an optimized design, you are smooth-sailing towards increasing your sales. Follow along with these best practices:
Make it exclusive
Consider opening the proverbial doors early by offering a Cyber Monday discount code on Sunday, portraying the early access as an exclusive perk. When you create a sense of exclusivity around a sale, it makes the demand go up and encourages consumers to make snap decisions to get a product before it’s gone. Gap did that here by sending an early Cyber Monday code (applicable online and in-stores) on Sunday morning.
Subject line: We’re giving you code CYBER early (hint: open quick!)
Craft good copy
Skillshare’s Cyber Monday email did a great job with its copy by skillfully addressing the reader’s pain points in a few words, promising to make next year “your most productive and creative year yet.” Skillshare also has one of the best Cyber Monday subject lines, reminding customers that their deal is only available for a limited time.
Subject line: 24 hours only: Get our best deal of the year
Perfect your Cyber Monday email subject lines
Speaking of subject lines, we’ve been seeing a few key trends in the Cyber Monday email subject lines in our inbox. Many brands are working to create urgency where they use pressing language and all caps, they are extending their sales past Cyber Monday itself, and they are using emojis to help grab their readers’ attention.
Try a holiday-inspired design
On Cyber Monday, Thanksgiving is over and brands are transitioning into Christmas and holiday-oriented marketing. Don’t be afraid to tap into the new season and use holiday-inspired design elements in your Cyber Monday email marketing. TOMS created a festive red background for this discount email.
Subject line: Today only! 30% off for Cyber Monday!
Create engaging content
Take a little extra time in your Cyber Monday email marketing to create content that builds your customer engagement. For example, skincare brand Murad created a holiday gift guide arranged by budget (under $50, under $100, under $150) and by person (for Mom, for a friend, for a work friend). This piece of content provides true value to customers who are thinking about what to buy for friends and family.
Subject line: ➡️ 30% off Cyber Monday savings inside
Jazz it up with GIFs
Don’t be afraid to add a little spice to your emails. Every Cyber Monday email campaign could use a little humor and personality. GIFs are a fun way to help your product stand out. Take it from Kate Spade, which created this marketing email to showcase a discounted product in style.
Subject line: cyber monday special: only $129 for this tote
Use quality images
The North Face created a visually striking Cyber Monday email that works for several reasons: It’s simple, with one primary image and basic black lettering. It’s strategic, with links to the men’s and women’s product pages right up top. And most of all, it’s inspiring — the stunning visual grabs a subscribers attention and excites them to check out your sales. Design your Cyber Monday email with beautiful images that are hard to resist.
Subject line: Cyber Monday sale starts NOW
Craft a strong CTA
Make it easy for people to shop by providing links that will take them directly where they want to go. Puma offers multiple CTA buttons with different product categories — men’s, women’s and kids’ — for each reader quickly finds what they need. Your CTA is a big part of what hooks people into clicking “Buy,” so make it visible, unique and as tempting as possible.
Subject line: Snoozed on Cyber Monday? The savings continue.
Offer free shipping
Many Cyber Monday emails advertise their free shipping first, announcing it at the top of the email before continuing on to explain the rest of the deal. Sometimes, free shipping is the equivalent of a 15% or 20% discount, which pays off big time for shoppers with a lot to buy. Try taking the same approach as TJ Maxx and designing your Cyber Monday email with a highly visible free shipping offer.
Subject line: Cyber Monday treat: FREE shipping!
Initiate a sense of urgency
If your goal is to get people to make a purchase, your Cyber Monday and Cyberweek email designs should reflect it. Like Boll & Branch does here, remind customers that time is running out — if they don’t shop now, the deals will be gone for the season. When somebody feels like they’re missing out, they’ll be more likely to buy. Use your subject line, copy and other elements of the email to help improve conversions.
Subject: Missed Cyber Monday? There’s Still Time
Design your Cyber Monday emails with Beefree
Even though it’s an unestablished holiday, Cyber Monday has provided businesses with immense amounts of sales and growth, with email marketing being the key to leveraging that growth. With a well-designed Cyber Monday email sequence and marketing strategy, your business will be in a position to reel in crazy amounts of excited customers.
Get inspired and quickly design using a template from our Cyber Monday collection. Easily customize your template with the necessary copy, logo and images to match your brand identity. BEE Pro helps you get your emails out fast so your customers know about your big promotions sooner than other businesses.