A Clickable End to Summer

If your inbox is anything like mine, you have been receiving an endless amount of content regarding promotions for one of the most notorious end-of-summer events; Labor Day Weekend. In theory, it seems like a win-win. Consumers make out with great deals and big savings, and brands have two widely popular events to use for content. However, it isn’t as straight forward as it sounds.

On any typical day, consumers receive multiple emails from brands pushing content. During the end-of-summer events, consumers inbox’s are overflowing with timely sales and other content. For me, this is the time where I utilize the “bulk-delete” function the most. Getting consumers to open and engage with a piece of content requires more than just a creative subject line. It is also about the relationship that the brand has developed with the consumer. Brands that have fully taken on the Customer Life Cycle (as opposed to the force feeding strategy of the ancient Marketing Funnel) will see the highest engagement with their content.

Below are three most clickable pieces of content I’ve received from brands highlighting Back-to-School or Labor Day, over the last two weeks.

 

1.

9 one-season wonders you can start and finish this holiday weekend 

 

• Lived
  • Webpage, blog post
• Brand:
  • Mashable
• Clickable Because: 
  • Caught the attention of those who were not traveling for the Holiday weekend. The headline alone indicated that the seasons highlighted in the article would be possible to finish in one (long) weekend, without requiring the show to spill-over into the work week.
• Goal: 
  • The author of this Mashable article is trying to appeal to the “home-body” niche, those that are not traveling for the Holiday weekend and those that are not fond of the party scene. They are hoping to catch the attention of the people that would enjoy binge watching a season (or a few seasons) of streamable TV over the Holiday weekend.

 

2.

Start Getting Ready, Amelia

• Lived:
  • Email
• Brand: 
  • Loft
• Clickable Because: 
  •  Loft took advantage of the weekend assuming that a lot of people would be traveling, or getting ready for something, and use that phrase in their subject line, plus the consumer’s first name. Loft used this play on words to give Loft Insiders a heads-up for the upcoming Labor Day sale. Once opened, the GIF made me click to preview Loft’s new selection.
• Goal: 
  • Loft’s goal with this email was to create hype within the Loft Insider community for the sale that was going to be taking place.

 

3.

Everything to do when everyone’s out of town

• Lived: 
  • Email
• Brand: 
  • PureWow
• Clickable Because:
  • Like many others, I am not traveling out of town for this Holiday weekend. Because of this, the email subject line peaked my interested causing me to click on the article to see what is going on around for those that are not traveling.
• Goal: 
  • PureWow sent out this email in an attempt to gain the interest of those staying in town. They would used this content to bring readers to their blog and then hope for additional engagement with the rest of their content.