Triggered Email Workflows: How To Drive More Revenue This Holiday Season

Triggered Email Workflows: How To Drive More Revenue This Holiday Season

The holiday season is the busiest time for you and your customers. Shoppers have never been more primed and ready to buy, and you are more eager than ever to see your fantastic holiday email marketing campaigns perform. 

So, while there is potential, there is also competition. To the extent that Adobe forecasts an online sale worth  $240.8B this holiday season between November and December, 8.4% growth over 2023.

While holiday shoppers are already checking off things on their lists, they are also decision-fatigued and distracted. With inboxes flooded with festive offers, their decision-making windows have shortened like a toddler's attention span—jumping from one deal to the next. 

Communicating with your customers when they listen conveniently is essential, even while juggling multiple balls of holiday email marketing. 

And that’s where triggered email workflows come into play.

Unlike batch emails, which are sent to a broad audience with no particular timing, these automated emails are personalised and timely. They land you in your customers' inboxes exactly when they need a nudge. That makes them far more effective at driving engagement and, of course, all-important holiday sales.

So, how can you optimise your triggered email workflows to increase holiday sales and skyrocket revenue before the new year rolls in? Let’s find out. 

What Are Triggered Email Workflows?

Email marketing nurtures your relationship with customers. But triggered email workflows give teeth to your email marketing strategies for this holiday season. 

Triggered email workflows are a series of automated emails. They are “triggered” and sent based on an email subscriber’s specific action or behaviour. The events that spark such emails are wide-ranging, from signing up for a newsletter to abandoning a shopping cart. 

You’d be correct in thinking that triggered emails differ from standard marketing emails. While the latter are sent in large batches to an entire email list, triggered emails are prompted by an individual subscriber’s interest and engagement. 

The best part is they are automatically sent based on the conditions you’ve set up without any intervention from your marketing team. 

For example, A customer adds a few items to their cart but doesn’t finish the purchase. A triggered email workflow shoots a series of personalised reminder emails, such as “You might have missed this—just a reminder!” 

Done well, triggered email workflows can be super uplifting for email marketing strategies for this holiday season. For one, they offer many opportunities to connect with subscribers and get them stoked about the upcoming holidays with warm, personalised emails. 

Another thing it does for you is get them to think of your brand for their festive shopping needs and nurture more leads.  

Triggered emails work because they make your email campaigns more agile and relevant. They eliminate the guesswork of sending generic messages to your entire list. Instead, you’re providing What exactly the subscriber needs when they need it.

They are your chance to keep your brand accessible exactly when your subscriber is most likely to open an email and engage. And that’s what you need to capitalise on the busy holiday season when timing and relevance are everything.

Expert-Backed Tips for a Holiday-Ready Triggered Email Workflow

1 – Audit Your Existing Emails

First, put your automated emails under the microscope. Find emails that are pushy or create any false sense of urgency and halt them for the holiday season. The last thing your subscribers want is another email that stresses them out. 

Instead, focus on sending content that’s helpful for your audience during a busy time. Save urgency for only truly time-sensitive offers. 

2 – Tailor Emails to Match Each Customer’s Journey

Should you send your Halloween email to everyone on your mailing list because holiday email marketing automation lets you do that? While you can, you should not. 

A big part of successfully triggering emails is considering how customer intent changes as they move closer to purchase. This helps you deploy the most effective emails that guide them through their journey in the most seamless manner possible. 

For example, an upsell email isn’t an answer for a subscriber who has never bought from you. And long-time subscribers won’t appreciate being treated like new customers. 

Understanding where each customer is in their journey is essential when setting up email workflows for the holiday season. 

So, the key here is to build triggered email workflows based on subscribers’ browsing behaviour. Say a customer has been looking at a particular product. Then, set up a campaign to send them more information about it. Then, use a follow-up flow for those who click through. This makes your holiday emails feel more like a 1:1 conversation with subscribers. 

3 – Use Personal Outreach for High-Ticket Products

When selling high-ticket items, don’t just rely solely on tailored offers. Of course, personalised holiday emails are essential. However, a 1:1-style message from a dedicated salesperson adds a new level of validation and credibility.

Hence, sprinkle some emails from a dedicated sales rep in your triggered email workflows during the holiday season. 

But remember, if the subscriber is still in an early relationship, they would be more familiar with your brand than a specific representative. 

As Jessica Stamer, Consulting Technical Manager at Oracle Marketing Consulting, explains, “When an email contact is close to conversion and developing a relationship with Sales, sending from a person helps strengthen that relationship. But at the top of the funnel, keep those initial emails from the brand to establish brand trust first.”

4 – Get The Timing Right

The holiday season does not last forever. The time buyers spend considering a purchase is limited. If your automated holiday email series is not scheduled at an optimal time for customer engagement, they will fail to move the customers. 

Litmus found that Americans are most likely to engage with holiday content in the evenings, around 7 p.m. It's worth A/B testing your holiday email campaigns at different send times in the evening and checking what works best for your subscribers. 

Another classic dilemma for marketers is determining when to send cart or browse abandonment emails. Because buying decisions are fast-paced during the holiday rush, you want to eliminate any delay in sending such emails. Otherwise, it might cost you sales. 

The trick is to determine the time it takes for them to return to their carts. Schedule your cart abandonment email flow after that window. This ensures the right push to buyers without interrupting their normal buying behaviour. 

Alexandra Palau Conde, Founder/Email Strategist at All About Email Marketing, recommends this—

If you plan to send an abandonment email with limited stock or a special promotion, send it within 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

One last tip: Engagement with holiday email campaigns steadily declines after the second week of December. So send emails earlier in the month while their attention is at peak. 

5 – Send Them a Holiday-ready Welcome

First impressions are hard to shake, whether it’s a first-time buyer or a casual browser. So, they always kick off their journey with Welcome emails—they have an impressive average open rate of 83.63%.

You wouldn’t be wrong to consider welcome emails the best opportunity to connect personally with the season's greetings. We agree that a Merry Christmas email is an excellent way to make a great first impression. 

But do remember that during the holiday rush, first-time purchases often materialise due to promotional offers and discounts. Holiday shoppers are usually interested in buying gifts, so your welcome email should tap into this intent. 

Hence, consider revisiting your welcome email flows before setting up practical email triggers for holidays. 

You can constantly adjust your first welcome email to offer coupon codes, gift guides, limited-time festive offers, etc., with a dash of seasonal elements. Then, insert this email into your usual email workflow.

Otherwise, you might temporarily turn off the standard welcome email flow and base your holiday workflow on subscriber behaviour. The choice is yours. 

Either way, a warm onboarding helps build long-term retention that continues long after the holiday season ends.

6 – Continue The Spell With Post-Purchase Emails

Many email marketers think little can be done with post-purchase emails during the holiday season. They feel the only way to adorn them is with a “thank you for your order.” 

Don’t be that person. 

Post-purchase emails can do so much good for your holiday email marketing. They are a great way to deepen the relationship and drive repeat sales. 

Use a purchase trigger to send a warm thank-you email. Then, introduce complementary holiday-themed items like gift wraps or seasonal accessories. Slip in a time-sensitive offer—a discount on their next holiday purchase. 

Plus, add a festive twist to your rewards program. Get them stoked about earning double points and redeeming them on their next order. 

And don’t be afraid to give festive hints to your rewards program. Get them stoked about earning double points and redeeming them on their next order. 

7 – Make Shopping Easy with Product Suggestions and Gift Guides

Use a triggered email workflow this holiday season to offer more than coupons. Instead, become a holiday lifesaver. 

The holidays can be hectic for your customers. Many of them browse without a clue what they are looking for. Be their source of inspiration. 

Send thoughtful gift guides, holiday hacks, and stress-busting holiday tips to show you understand what your subscribers need this time of year. 

Get creative with your holiday gift guides by organising gift guides by price. You could also create guides featuring picks for specific people. Also, tailor gift guides based on hobbies and interests. 

Don’t forget last-minute shoppers. Offer gift cards as a quick and versatile gift option. With these helpful guides, you are making holiday shopping more accessible and solving real customer problems. 

8 – Highlight The Urgency of Holiday Sales

Time crunch is the classic problem of holiday shoppers. They are snowed under many tasks, from selecting the perfect gift to getting it before the big day. When they are more selective with time, you risk being forgotten if you do not close your holiday sales.  

So, make sure your triggered workflow creates a sense of urgency. 

• Give them a little FOMO using phrases like “For Today Only!” or “Ends Tonight!”. 
• Add a countdown timer on essential product or checkout pages. 
• Let there be a clear deadline. Shoppers need them to make sure their gifts will arrive on time. And if you can’t guarantee it will be there in time, make sure they know that also. 
• Set a flow for last-minute shoppers. Tailor messages for procrastinators to let them know there’s still time to grab something for their loved ones. Time-sensitive offers are also effective for shoppers who are on the fence about buying your products. 
• Add gentle reminders in existing triggered emails rather than going for a separate message. For instance, add a “LAST CHANCE: Black Friday Sale Ends Today!” note to your abandoned cart emails. 
• Keep your urgency-focused messages short, punchy, and to the point. A quick, bold reminder cuts through the noise and lets shoppers know what to do.

IMPORTANT>> Review your workflow and pause any automated emails that create a false sense of urgency. Adding to the stress around holidays can be counterproductive and will only undermine your holiday email strategy. 

9 – Use Responsive Email Templates

71.5% of consumers check their email on mobile devices. If you want subscribers to engage with your holiday emails, you’d better not overlook mobile-friendliness. 

It makes it easy for holiday shoppers to interact with them. While shopping on the go, shoppers check for better deals on their mobile phones and compare prices even when in the shopping aisles or waiting in the checkout line. 

Ensure they read your email and get that last-minute promotion code before your competitors. 

So they can open your emails, browse your site, and buy without having to access desktops anytime, anywhere. 

Here’s how:

• Choose responsive templates that adapt to different screen sizes. 
• Compress images to cut down on load time. 
• Use tap-friendly buttons. Make links and buttons large enough and spaced for easy tapping with a fingertip.
• Use a single-column layout. 
• Use a readable font size for small screens. 
• Shorter subject lines are better. Use up to 60 characters in subject lines. 
• Use white space and keep the email from feeling cramped. 
• Keep the email concise to avoid scrolling. 
• Test on multiple devices. 

10 – Holiday-fy Your Email Design But Keep It On-brand

The main content of your holiday emails should always be about why they were sent. That is not to say that your design can’t be holiday-centric. 

Your automated emails must be eye-catching, warm, holiday-themed, and on-brand. Most importantly, resist the temptation to be edgy with bold visuals or overwhelming messages. You will probably be responded to with a quick delete by your subscribers.

Instead, add simple holiday touches that retain familiarity with your brand. Discuss with your email designer and developer to brainstorm holiday touches that can be integrated into your current email system. Look for enhancements that won’t require a complete redesign—sometimes, even a tiny festive touch makes a significant impact.

Talk to your design team about quick, impactful holiday designs. Instead of a complete redesign, ask them to brainstorm creative, festive touches within your brand guidelines. 

Let’s look at a holiday email example from Email Uplers that shows how even simple tweaks can make an email seasonally on point. 

In their holiday-themed email (image 1), Email Uplers added small festive elements like colourful string lights, wreaths, candy canes, gifts, etc. Adding such elements sets a seasonal tone while giving customers a visual cue that this email is part of a limited-time holiday campaign.

The standard email template (image 2) uses a clean, professional look without seasonal decorations. You’ll still recognise email upper’s branded design elements in both emails.

Another important tip: Readers spend only 8.97 seconds on average. The hierarchy of your holiday emails should make it easy for readers to consume the content. Dressing up your emails with clear visual anchors, bold headlines, and skimmable content blocks can be the perfect way to enable crucial information to stand out. 

11 – Create Deals That Command Action

Festive shopping is all about drawing good deals. If your brand is not offering such discounts, you will probably be talking to the hand. When setting up a triggered email workflow, slipping in some drool-worthy offers makes them even more relevant for the audience ready to act. 

Here are some ideas to draw inspiration for your brand:

• Offer tempting discounts in your automated emails. Add phrases like “Black Friday Sale Ends Today! See how to shop with 40% off inside!”. Include these in triggered emails for browsing or cart abandonments to target shoppers on the fence.
• Add cashback offers to your holiday workflows. The abandoned cart or post-purchase emails are an excellent place to promise cashback. 
• Offer free shipping. Shipping costs are one of the significant reasons customers abandon their carts. Triggered workflows are your chance to eliminate this barrier. If it’s feasible for your brand to offer free shipping, do that. And also promote that in your holiday workflows. 

For instance, you can feature this incentive in back-in-stock or loyalty milestone emails so that they pull the purchase trigger on time. 

• Delight new subscribers with a festive surprise. Think of a holiday discount code or bonus offer in your welcome email. 

• Send back-in-stock emails for popular restocks, adding an exclusive holiday discount. 
• Tell your loyal customers that you appreciate them with holiday-themed loyalty milestone emails. 
• Keep your offers fresh with real-time personalisation tools. Use dynamic content to update discounts and promotions across your email workflows. This keeps the experience personalised and saves you from manually adjusting offers.
• Encourage referrals to existing customers and grow your customer base. Attractive incentives can help you drive repeat business and more sales. So offer them a particular discount or gift if they refer a friend. 

12 – Remind Customers of Delivery Deadlines (and Why It Matters)

Providing estimated delivery dates or, better yet, real-time shipping updates is a bonus during the holiday shopping season. When customers know when to place orders to receive their gifts on time, they’ll be less likely to hesitate. Plus, it reduces the hassles of rushed shipping. 

Be as specific as possible about shipping options and order-by times. For instance, mention cutoff times for various shipping types—and terms and conditions for free or expedited shipping offers.  

Lastly, fire your triggered emails based on browsing behaviour. For example, if a customer has been eyeing a product, they receive a “now or never” email to close the sale. You remind them of the free shipping option until a specific date, making the purchase decision much easier. 

The Final Word

Despite all the bells and whistles you add to your email campaigns, nothing works, as well as triggered email workflows for the holiday season. 

They are well-timed and relevant, build loyalty, close sales, and retain customers even when inboxes are cluttered with holiday email noise. 

However, well-designed triggered emails might not always be easy to pull off. So, if building them gets you at your wit’s end, lean into the core strategies we covered. 

Focus on seasonal offers, timely reminders, and personalised content. Keep it festive and concise, and make each email feel like a heartfelt note from a friend. You help your customers find their needs, and your holiday revenue follows.