If your holiday emails last year were more “meh” than “merry,” it’s time to up your game.
Because let’s be honest, holiday email marketing in 2026 is not just about slapping a Santa hat on your logo and calling it a day.
Ecommerce marketers need real, conversion-friendly holiday email marketing strategies that stand out in cluttered inboxes.
Here’s your guide to holiday email marketing with 20 strategies proven to drive engagement, clicks, and sales, plus 5 stats that will convince even the grinchy-est boss to approve your email campaign.
Key Topics
5 Holiday Email Campaign Stats to Know Before You Hit Send
- 79% of consumers plan to do most of their holiday shopping online in 2026.
- Holiday email marketing campaigns generate up to 6x higher conversion rates than average monthly sends.
- Adding a countdown timer boosts holiday email campaign conversions by 34%.
- 52% of holiday emails are opened on mobile, optimise those templates! (Litmus)
- Email marketing campaigns featuring gift guides have an 18% higher click-through rate.
Your 20-Point Holiday Email Marketing Strategy
Let’s dig into 20 ways to create the best holiday email campaign your subscribers have ever seen.
1. Integrate a game (gamification)
Brand: Two UK
Subject Line: “Get in the Holiday Spirit! Decorate a Christmas Tree with Two UK!”
Gamification in your holiday email marketing campaign adds a fun twist that increases engagement. Think spin-to-win, scratch cards, or quizzes. It’s a clever email marketing strategy to boost clicks and sales while delighting email subscribers. This tactic improves email performance and can turn your holiday emails into share-worthy experiences.
2. Give a gift card
Brand: Taco Bell
Subject Line: “Give the Gift of Taco Bell – Get a $5 Bonus Card with Every $15 Digital Purchase!”
Gift cards are a must-have in any holiday email strategy. They offer flexibility for holiday shoppers and reduce decision-making friction. Promote them in your holiday email campaign to increase conversion rates and support last-minute sales. It’s a smart email marketing campaign move that supports an effective holiday promotion with real results.
3. Remind people of delivery times
Brand: Moment
Subject Line: “Order Before 11:59PM PST for Guaranteed Christmas Delivery – Don’t Miss Out!”
Avoid disappointed customers by including clear shipping deadlines in your holiday emails. Add banners, graphics, or countdowns to your email templates. It’s one of the simplest email marketing best practices to enhance user experience. An effective holiday marketing strategy keeps buyers informed, driving urgency while reducing cart abandonment.
4. Publish an Advent Calendar
Brand: Wonderbly
Subject Line: “Unlock Today’s Exclusive Discount on Personalised Kids’ Books – Click to Reveal!”
Build anticipation with an interactive email advent calendar. Each day offers new deals, surprises, or content—perfect for increasing email opens and brand touchpoints. This holiday marketing strategy turns your email campaign into a 24-day journey, strengthening relationships and driving consistent sales throughout the holiday season.
5. Suggest Creating a Wish List
Brand: J.Crew
Subject Line: “Create Your Holiday Wish List with J.Crew – Share Your Gift Ideas & Shop with Ease!”
Encourage subscribers to create a wish list on your site and remind them via holiday emails. This email marketing strategy not only drives engagement but gives you valuable segmentation data. Send follow-ups based on saved items, making your holiday email marketing campaign more personalized, relevant, and aligned with shopper intent.
6. Recommend Gifts by Category
Brand: Wool and the Gang
Subject Line: “Shop Our Ultimate Gift Guide Now!”
Gift guides based on recipient type (e.g., “For Him,” “For Pet Lovers”) make shopping simple. This holiday email marketing strategy improves UX and increases product discoverability. It’s a go-to tactic in any holiday email campaign, helping subscribers find exactly what they need and fueling a more successful holiday sales push.
7. Recommend Gifts by Price
Brand: Ban.do
Subject Line: “Perfect Gifts for Every Budget: Find the Ideal Present Today!”
Organize gift ideas into price tiers in your email campaign to cater to all budgets. “Gifts under $25” creates an effective holiday filter that helps reduce decision fatigue. This holiday marketing strategy appeals to budget-conscious shoppers and improves conversion rates, especially during key holiday email blasts.
8. Address Last-Minute Needs with Humour
Brand: Brooklinen
Subject Line: “Oops, Did You Forget Someone? We’ve Got the Perfect Gift Ideas!”
Use witty email subject lines like “Oops, Forgot Someone?” to target last-minute shoppers. A light-hearted approach in your holiday emails drives engagement and humanizes your brand. When paired with quick shipping or digital gift options, this holiday email strategy becomes a powerful way to salvage those final days of the holiday season.
9. Offer More Options
Brand: Kate Spade
Subject Line: “Endless Gift Options Await – Shop Today!”
Promote flexible options like payment plans, bundles, and return policies in your holiday email marketing campaign. These perks remove friction and boost buyer confidence. A customer-friendly marketing strategy like this one supports conversion while reflecting an effective holiday email marketing strategy designed for modern ecommerce.
10. Promote a Scarcity-Driven Sale
Brand: Poo~Pourri
Subject Line: “RIP Sale 👻 (No Tricks, Just Treats)”
Use urgency-inducing phrases like “Only 10 left!” or “Ends Tonight” in your holiday emails. Add countdowns to amplify effect. This holiday email marketing strategy creates FOMO and drives quick action. Scarcity is one of the oldest email marketing best practices, but still one of the most powerful during the holiday shopping season.
11. Create a Holiday To-Do List
Brand: Bonobos
Subject Line: “Welcome to the Holidays, People.”
Send a checklist-style email campaign to help shoppers stay organized: “1. Buy gifts, 2. Wrap, 3. Relax.” It’s engaging, helpful, and subtly promotional. This holiday email strategy positions your products as essential, practical solutions. It also keeps your holiday email marketing light and friendly—perfect for email subscribers.
12. Emphasise Sustainability
Brand: United By Blue
Subject Line: “Why We Picked Up Trash Today.”
In 2025, more customers shop with values in mind. Use your holiday email campaign to highlight eco-friendly products or carbon-neutral shipping. Sustainability is not just a buzzword—it’s a holiday marketing strategy that resonates with mindful buyers. It builds trust and supports an effective holiday email marketing campaign that feels good.
13. Add a Countdown Timer
Brand: Aerie
Subject Line: “Unlock 50% Off Your Entire Purchase – Limited Time Only!”
Countdown timers in holiday emails boost urgency and engagement. Whether you’re counting down to a shipping deadline or flash sale, it’s a proven way to improve email performance. This email marketing campaign element increases conversions and fits perfectly into any holiday email marketing strategy focused on last-minute decision-makers.
14. Reflect with a Year-in-Review
Brand: Sevenly
Subject Line: “Thanks! Because of You…”
Showcase your milestones or recap your customer’s journey with your brand in a holiday email marketing campaign. This email content fosters emotional connection and boosts loyalty. A heartfelt year-in-review makes for an effective holiday email campaign, offering reflection before the new year while strengthening your brand story.
15. Encourage Self-Gifting
Brand: Mahabis
Subject Line: “No Mahabis Under the Tree? Treat Yourself Instead…”
Use subject lines like “You deserve this” to promote self-gifting during the holiday season. With the right email templates and positioning, this can drive impulse buys. It’s a fun holiday email strategy that recognizes self-care culture and maximizes value from every holiday email blast you send during peak season.
16. Highlight Shipping Deadlines
Brand: Puma
Subject Line: “⌚ Order Before 2PM EST for FREE Overnight Shipping.”
Repeat this one often! A clear email subject line announcing shipping cutoffs is essential to an effective holiday campaign. Use your email marketing campaign to build urgency as deadlines approach. This simple tactic reduces support questions and supports the success of your holiday email with well-informed, ready-to-buy shoppers.
17. Start Early
Brand: Cox & Cox
Subject Line: “Only 50 Days Until Christmas – Start Planning Your Holiday Décor with Cox & Cox!”
Start your holiday email campaign early to stay ahead of the competition. October and early November are key times to tease your offers and build excitement. An early email marketing strategy lets you space out promotions and avoid email volume overload later. This is one of the top holiday email marketing tips to win in 2025.
18. Show Aprpeciation with a Special Gift
Brand: &Open
Subject Line: “The Deadline to Buy Gifts is Coming Up.”
Send a thank-you email with a surprise gift or discount code. It’s one of the most effective ways to drive loyalty. This holiday email marketing strategy shows gratitude while nudging repeat purchases. Make your email subscribers feel valued and appreciated during the holiday season, turning a nice gesture into serious ROI.
19. Encourage Gratitude with a Gift
Brand: Finn
Subject Line: “Enjoy a Special Gift with Your Finn Purchase – Shop Now!”
Flip the script with holiday emails that say: “Send a thank-you to someone who helped you this year.” This emotional holiday marketing strategy creates meaningful engagement and encourages gifting with heart. An email campaign like this adds purpose and emotional depth to your holiday email marketing campaign.
20. Leverage Humour for Black Friday
Brand: Casper
Subject Line: “Snooze Through the Sales…”
Black Friday emails are everywhere, so humour helps you stand out. Use funny email subject lines or quirky copy to connect. A well-timed joke can increase email opens and conversions. Humour is an underrated email marketing best practice that, when done right, makes your Black Friday email campaign truly memorable.
Common Pitfalls of Holiday Email Marketing Campaigns
Even the best email marketing strategy can fall flat during the holiday season if you hit one of these speed bumps:
- Forgetting to segment your email list
Sending the same holiday emails to all your subscribers reduces relevance and hurts email performance. Use behavior-based segmentation. - Ignoring mobile optimization
Over 50% of holiday email opens happen on phones. If your email content isn’t mobile-friendly, it’s invisible. - Skipping a clear CTA
Busy holiday shoppers don’t have time to guess. Weak or confusing CTAs are one of the most common holiday email marketing campaign killers. - Sending too frequently without value
Blasting emails during the holiday season every day without real value leads to unsubscribes. Quality > Quantity. - Overlooking email infrastructure
Heavy email volume during the holiday rush can crush your deliverability if your email program isn’t set up for scale. - No plan for Cyber Monday or Black Friday
Missing these major holiday spikes—or blending in too much—is a missed revenue opportunity in your email marketing campaign. - Unclear subject lines
Vague holiday email subject lines get ignored. Be direct, timely, and maybe even a little witty to create a sense of urgency. - Not tracking past email performance
If you’re not reviewing past holiday metrics, you’re flying blind. Use last year’s data to avoid repeated mistakes in this year’s holiday email strategy.
Email Marketing Best Practices for the Holiday Season
Want a successful holiday email marketing campaign? These best practices help email marketers get results and avoid burnout:
- Personalize your email content
Use names, purchase history, or holiday preferences to tailor your holiday emails for each subscriber. - Start planning your holiday early
A rushed email campaign leads to sloppy copy and missed opportunities. Prep your holiday email strategy in October or earlier. - Test your subject lines
A/B testing holiday email subject lines helps increase email opens. Emojis? All caps? Try it. Track it. Improve it. - Build a holiday email series
Create themed email sequences for countdowns, wish lists, or flash sales. A smart holiday marketing strategy keeps your brand top-of-mind. - Use urgency and scarcity wisely
Limited-time offers or “only a few left” messages can boost conversions—but don’t fake it. Be authentic in your email content. - Balance sales with storytelling
Mix product promos with brand stories, values, or customer highlights. It builds loyalty during the holiday season. - Use clean, mobile-friendly templates
Clunky email templates kill conversions. Keep it fast, clean, and thumb-tappable for your mobile-first audience. - Monitor email deliverability daily
With high email sends, spam traps are everywhere. Use tools to monitor bounce rates and maintain a healthy email program. - Offer gift guides and bundles
These are a must-have in ecommerce email marketing. They simplify decisions and increase average order value. - Measure everything
Track email opens, clicks, conversions, and unsubscribes. Your holiday email marketing campaign should evolve in real-time.
Ready to make your holiday emails work harder this year?
Whether you need help crafting an email campaign, building a full holiday email marketing strategy, or just want a second set of eyes on your email content, Webfuel Digital is here to help.
We’ve supported ecommerce brands through successful holiday email marketing campaigns, optimized email performance, and created strategies that drive real sales from email—not just opens.
Let’s create the best holiday email marketing campaign for your brand this holiday season.
Get in touch with Webfuel Digital and let’s turn your marketing strategy into something magical.
