Even in the middle of summer – with beach trips, popsicles and fireworks – it’s never too early to begin planning your fall email marketing campaigns.

Traditionally after summer trips and back to school expenses, consumers take a spending break in the fall.

But there are still key timeframes when marketers should be sending campaigns.

fall email marketing: generate awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and many companies either sell products, generate awareness, or donate proceeds to breast cancer charities during the month of October.

After all, 33 percent of consumers choose to buy from brands they believe are doing social or environmental good.

When sending breast cancer themed emails, be sure you mention how your company supports the cause. Does a portion of sales get donated? It’s important to tout this in all of your campaigns leading up to AND during the month of October.

This awareness campaign from Ralph Lauren hits the nail on the head.

fall email marketing: observe holidays

Columbus Day

This bank holiday falls in early October. It’s a day most retailers take advantage of to empty their shelves of summer items in preparation for the winter holiday onslaught.

It’s also a time to be innovative with promotions and email campaigns. Columbus Day is a busy day for fall email marketing, so be sure to stand out in the inbox. One way to do this is with short-term discounts encouraging consumers to act fast. And fun, engaging subject lines never hurt.

Thumbs up to this Columbus Day fall email marketing campaign from Pottery Barn Kids.

Halloween

Of course, we can’t talk about fall email marketing without mentioning Halloween. Most people start shopping for this holiday during the first two weeks of October.

Most Halloween-themed emails are deployed during the month of October and 40 percent of those are deployed in just the last five days of the month. As October 31st approaches, Halloween emails will be everywhere.

Make your fall email marketing stand out by using engaging imagery or animated gifs like Pizza Hut did.

daylight saving time

Love it or hate it, each fall, on the first Sunday in November, most of the United States observes daylight saving time.
If you have geographic data about your email subscribers, you’ll want to segment out Hawaii and Arizona from receiving these sends since they don’t observe this change.

Have fun with your subject lines (ex: Fall into savings with X% off) and consider animation in these emails, as well. Here’s an idea to borrow from Brookstone:

Veterans Day

The last fall email marketing date we’re going to cover is Veterans Day.

It falls on November 11 each year and is a time to recognize those who are serving or have served in the U.S. armed forces.

Many companies choose to offer promotions on Veterans Day and these fall email marketing campaigns are full of patriotic imagery. Similar to Breast Cancer Awareness month, Veterans Day is an excellent opportunity for cause marketing.

Anything your company is doing to support veterans and their families should be front and center in your email marketing. Take a cue from Life Is Good:

conclusion: warm up your fall email marketing

Although fall tends to be a bit of a slower time of year for most marketers, there are still opportunities to engage your email audience. Take advantage of the many observance days, holidays, charity opportunities to drive engagement from your list.

If you need help creating snazzy new templates for your fall email marketing campaigns or you’d like someone to help you with strategy, our team of experts is here for you. Just reach out!