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6 Tips For Designing A Winning Back-To-School Email Campaign

Back-to-School is a huge shopping event along with Black Friday and Christmas. In 2020, despite the pandemic, 80% of the shoppers were expected to complete their back-to-school shopping between late July to early August. One more factor that needs to be considered is that early shoppers spend about $100 more than the average shoppers. One of the best ways to reach out to them is through email marketing, proven to be one of the most effective and cost-efficient marketing strategies. And the exciting news for us email marketers is that most of this shopping will be done online this time. Today, I will discuss the top six tips that will help you create a winning back-to-school email campaign.

1 Use The Subject Lines Tactically

For these types of campaigns, simple and relevant subject lines work best. Do include the word ‘school’ in the subject line. If you are offering freebies or discounts, clearly mention them too in your subject line. Some of the subject line samples could be as follows:

  • Start your new school year with Puma
  • Going back to school? Up to 40% off on uniform
  • Back-to-school sale! Buy one get one free
  • Back-to-school? 15% off on toner and ink

2 Simplify The Ordering Process

In case you are mailing a long promotional email with multiple offers, you must use differentiable CTA buttons for each category. Also, state your shipping and return policy as well as the shipping charges appropriately. Always mention all the ins and outs explicitly as hidden terms may discourage your subscribers, leading you to lose your loyal customers forever. Let us take an example of below an email from Paperchase. You will notice that this attractive but long email has a CTA button for each category; it has a clearly stated delivery policy; you will see distinct discount offers and giveaways in the upper fold.

(Image Credits)

3 Make Sure You Are Using Back-To-School Templates

There are numerous ways to design back-to-school theme-based email marketing campaigns, but few things are essential, like the HTML email templates used should be bright and colorful. You may want to try Comic Sans font or handwriting. Parents of little ones will love that, so don’t restrict yourself and be imaginative wherever possible. You can add a hero image that creates an atmosphere of a school where kids play, paint, study, or indulge in an activity that suits your product line. You can also use pencils, erasers, ink cartridges, or headphones in your design elements.

4 Talk To Gen Z Themselves

Can you guess what kind of purchasing power Gen Z enjoys? Well, according to a white paper published by CrowdTwist, Generation Z commands a whopping 40% of total consumer spending. Like millennials, this generation is tech-savvy, socially aware, and pragmatic in their planning. Since they are digital beings, you need to have an online presence, and if you are not on the internet, then you do not exist for them. So, it is of utmost importance that you embed your social media buttons and web address without fail. 93% of parents agree that Gen Z influences their purchase decisions, and thus, your email copy should be in-line with their expectations. They have a massive impact on your bottom line, and it is expected only to grow further in the future. Thus, it pays to have them on your side.

(Image Credits)

Boden being a cloth retailer, played its card well with the overall design that’s attractive to both parents and students alike.

5 Extend Offers To Parents Too

Just like kids, their parents too eagerly prepare for back-to-school season. As email marketers, we are expected to help these parents prepare for their kid’s new academic year. We need to help them purchase typical back-to-school items (stationery supplies, backpacks, and uniforms) for their kids and articles for working moms and dads. The ideal time to send these emails to parents’ inboxes is between 8 to 10 AM  and 4  to 8 PM,  and preferable days are Tuesdays and Thursdays. Make sure your mail gets delivered during these times.

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6 Be An Early Bird

Back-to-school is expected to be a busy shopping time, and there are all the chances that your email marketing campaign may miss out on opportunities if you don’t start early. When planning your campaign, you should set the discount girds for different segments and mailing schedules well in advance.  You need to send these promotional offers to your audience according to their roles; therefore, design separate emails for school-going children, undergrads, teachers, and parents. You can kick off your back-to-school campaign around a month before June and slowly increase the frequency. 

(Image Credits)

Wrap Up

Usually, back-to-school emails are not only well received but also eagerly awaited. But still, the design needs captivating along with a killer subject line to stand out in an overcrowded inbox. Do remember the back-to-school season is the second only to the Christmas holiday in terms of spending. You can not miss out on this opportunity even if you are not dealing directly with typical school-related products such as uniforms, backpacks, and gadgets. I hope this article adds to your knowledge of back-to-school campaigns.

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