6 Cyber Monday Email Ideas to Improve Your Sales

For us #emailgeeks, the Thanksgiving season is about a lot more than turkey and stuffing. Preparations for Black Friday go hand-in-hand with those for Cyber Monday. In fact, we're big advocates for crafting a unified, on-brand holiday campaign that extends all the way from now until the end of the year!

Why Cyber Monday?

The term "Cyber Monday" came into play in 2005. The National Retail Federation had noticed an increase in online revenue on the Monday after Thanksgiving, most likely people doing Christmas shopping online at work where their kids couldn't take a peek, and decided to coin the phrase and take advantage of the spike in sales. Now Cyber Monday is a well-established event that consumers make a point not to miss. Over 174 million Americans shop over the post-Thanksgiving weekend, spending an average of $335 each, and revenue on Cyber Monday is even bigger than Black Friday.

#1. 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.

#2. Have a strong CTA

Your CTA is a big part of what hooks people into clicking "Buy," so make it visible, unique, and as tempting as possible. Customized CTA buttons help customers find exactly what they're looking for, and pairing your CTA with product spotlights underneath lets shoppers see exactly what they'll be offered before they visit the website.

#3. Create an inspiring design

A visually striking Cyber Monday email works for several reasons: it's simple, with one primary image and basic lettering; it's strategic, with links to key product pages right up top; and most of all, it's inspiring, helping shoppers imagine themselves using the product. Design your own Cyber Monday email with beautiful images that are hard to resist.

#4. Play up the holiday angle

Many Cyber Monday shoppers aren't shopping for themselves, they're doing Christmas shopping. Brands that lean into the holiday angle, using Christmassy reds and golds and pointing out that shoppers can find gifts for everyone on their list, tend to see the benefit.

#5. 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, so it can pay off big time for shoppers with a lot to buy. Consider designing your Cyber Monday email so that your free shipping offer is highly visible.

#6. Craft good copy

Great Cyber Monday copy skillfully addresses the reader's pain points in just a few words, and a strong subject line reminds customers that the deal is only available for so long, creating urgency that drives action.

Wrap-up: Cyber Monday emails

The holidays are coming up fast, so start designing your Cyber Monday emails now with a minimalistic or promo-style template that's easy to fill in with your own text, images, and graphics.