When to Send Marketing Emails

Timing makes all the difference between a successful email marketing campaign and one that goes unnoticed. If you want to connect with and engage your audience, it's critical to send the right campaigns at the right time. 

Here are six instances when sending campaigns can do wonders for your marketing, no matter what you want to promote. From leveraging relevant holidays and seasonal content to announcing new releases, read on for valuable tips and real-world examples to help you make the most of your email marketing strategy. 

1. During relevant holidays and seasonal changes

An age-old way to connect with your subscribers on a more personal and emotional level is by sending them marketing emails tied to relevant holidays or seasonal themes. It gives you a chance to tap into the excitement surrounding these specific times of the year.

Start by planning your email marketing calendar around important holidays and seasons. The most common holidays for ecommerce sales include Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Valentine's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, back-to-school, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Independence Day. Add or remove any depending on what’s relevant to your brand.

Next, write engaging subject lines that resonate with the occasion. It's common to use festive visuals and include holiday-themed content or promotions. To guide this, you can easily import discounts into your email using the Squarespace email editor. Or tap Squarespace AI to help you draft some seasonally appropriate email copy.

Make sure the email reflects the celebratory tone of the event and is considerate of all beliefs and backgrounds. Include clear calls to action (CTAs) that drive subscribers to your products or content. If you need help getting started, Squarespace has you covered with a Seasonal Category in the email template store, which regularly gets updated.

2. Announcing new content or products

Create anticipation and drive traffic to your new content or products by keeping your subscribers in-the-know. You can import blog posts and products into your email editor, reducing the effort and time it takes to finish an email draft.

Start by writing a compelling subject line that highlights what you're announcing. Provide a brief but interesting description of the new content or product, emphasizing its value to your audience. 

If you want to build anticipation ahead of a big release, send a few hints or previews in the week or two before your announcement email. Include eye-catching visuals and a prominent CTA to direct subscribers to learn more or make a sale. Keep the email concise and to the point.

3. After a subscriber signs up

Set the tone for future interactions and encourage engagement by sending an automated welcome email when someone subscribes to your mailing list. These help establish a strong initial connection with your subscribers and keep them engaged.

To establish a positive brand connection, start the email with a warm and welcoming tone. Express gratitude for the subscriber's interest and highlight the benefits they'll receive by being part of your community. Provide clear instructions on what to expect and how to access valuable resources, like your shop, returns page, or latest releases. 

It can also be helpful to include a step-by-step guide for whitelisting your email address and to encourage subscribers to reply with any questions or feedback, ensuring your emails reach their inbox.

Get more tips for subscriber welcome emails

4. When subscribers haven't purchased yet

A discount email can target potential customers who may need an extra nudge to make their first order and convert those leads into paying customers. In fact, emails with discounts get more engagement than emails without—your audience may want them. You can test and repeat this approach any time you have a handful of subscribers who haven’t bought from you yet.

Get started by writing a subject line that communicates the exclusivity and value of the discount. Including the discount percentage in the subject line is typically a good practice to encourage email opens. 

Then, remind recipients of which items they've shown interest in and highlight the savings they'll enjoy. Use persuasive language to encourage action and provide a clear expiration date for the offer to create urgency. Import or create the discount within your Squarespace email editor for a seamless customer experience.

See more email marketing strategies that can boost sales

5. After completing new work

If you don’t let your audience know about the awesome work you do, how will they find out? Share recent projects or uses of your products to showcase your expertise, build trust with your audience, and attract new clients or customers. Squarespace has many different email templates to get you started. Make a plan to share projects regularly, like once a month or in a quarterly recap.

Consider a brief introduction about the project and client, emphasizing related challenges and solutions. Include images or videos to showcase the work, then add client testimonials or feedback to reinforce your credibility. Encourage recipients to reach out for similar services or products and provide contact information.

Get more tips for driving traffic back to your website

6. When building an online course audience

Try offering a free online course that’s sent to subscribers over multiple days (i.e., a drip campaign) using scheduled email automation. This email marketing strategy helps course creators build an email list while also positioning you as an industry expert, nurturing leads over time. A free course is a great way to get potential "student" email addresses and get them on a path toward buying a paid course. 

Step one is to develop a high-quality online course with valuable content. From there, you can create a landing page on your website to promote the course and collect email addresses. It's also in your best interest to set up an automated email campaign to deliver course modules over time—but keep the content engaging and actionable, ensuring each module provides value.

You'll better encourage interaction and discussion with course participants by asking them to reply and reach out, fostering a sense of community and learning. Then, on the last day of your free course, send an email inviting your students to learn even more with a premium course. 

Get our full checklist for marketing emails