ColumnistsOct 31, 2024
Peter Smith: Nervous Flyers and Emotional SellingColumnistsNov 26, 2024
The Smart Lab: 7 Strategies for Refining Your Holiday Email Marketing Campaigns
Successful email marketing campaigns are all about timing, personalization, and compelling CTAs, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
Emmanuel Raheb is the CEO of Smart Age Solutions, a digital ad agency and coveted Premier Google Partner. Contact him at eraheb@smartagesolutions.com.
With so many retailers competing for consumers’ attention as the holidays approach, now is the time to elevate your email marketing strategy and create campaigns that don’t just reach your customers but captivate them.
Email marketing isn’t just a tool, it’s your direct line to a buyer’s heart, and a way to build anticipation and create real connection during the holidays.
It gives you the ability to convert a passing interest into a completed sale.
Here are seven ways you can refine and improve your email campaigns to help drive more sales this holiday season.
1. Personalize Your Emails
The secret to effective email marketing is personalization.
Begin by segmenting your email list into specific groups based on purchasing history, preferences, and behaviors.
For instance, if a large segment of your customers purchased engagement rings, consider targeting them with suggestions for anniversary gifts. Also, consider targeting customers who have birthdays coming up during the holidays.
Craft your emails to speak directly to the reader, using personalized content wherever possible.
Many email systems also allow you to display dynamically generated content with items relevant to each customer’s interests.
Email marketing isn’t just a tool, it’s your direct line to a buyer’s heart, and a way to build anticipation and create real connection during the holidays.
It gives you the ability to convert a passing interest into a completed sale.
Here are seven ways you can refine and improve your email campaigns to help drive more sales this holiday season.
1. Personalize Your Emails
The secret to effective email marketing is personalization.
Begin by segmenting your email list into specific groups based on purchasing history, preferences, and behaviors.
For instance, if a large segment of your customers purchased engagement rings, consider targeting them with suggestions for anniversary gifts. Also, consider targeting customers who have birthdays coming up during the holidays.
Craft your emails to speak directly to the reader, using personalized content wherever possible.
Many email systems also allow you to display dynamically generated content with items relevant to each customer’s interests.
For example, an email could read, “Dear John, X years ago you choose us when you celebrated your proposal and wedding. Why not commemorate that special day with a piece from our new line of anniversary bands?”
By directly referencing their past purchases and suggesting related jewelry, you’re creating a personalized experience that increases the likelihood of a follow-up purchase.
It shows that you see them, value their business, and understand them.
Personalization creates loyalty, and loyalty translates into sales.
2. Use Timely Offers in Your Email
Timing your offers can drastically enhance their effectiveness.
Create a sense of urgency with time-limited discounts, exclusive holiday bundles, or special-edition pieces available only to subscribers of your email newsletter.
For example, an email sent in early December might include an exclusive coupon code for “30 percent off all silver bracelets, this weekend only.” This encourages quick action by using a “limited-time offer” to drive additional sales.
Urgency doesn’t just prompt a quick response, but it also taps into the holiday excitement and helps build anticipation for what’s next. That’s the feeling you want to create in your customers.
3. Improve How Your Emails Look
The visual presentation of your email can make or break the recipient’s decision to read further. You only have about one to two seconds to make an impact before they scroll on.
To improve your chances, you’ll want to invest in high-quality images that showcase your jewelry in the best light, ideally in festive or luxurious settings that align with the holiday mood.
When you include images of people wearing your jewelry at holiday events, this helps your customers visualize your jewelry on themselves or as the ideal holiday gift for a loved one.
In email marketing, beauty sells.
If your images evoke the magic of the season, your customers won’t just open your emails; they’ll be inspired to buy.
You must use every opportunity to grab your customer’s attention if you even want to have the chance of making a sale.
4. Optimize Your Call-To-Action
Clear and compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) are a must.
Ensure that every email has a standout CTA, such as “Shop Now” or “Discover More,” which leads directly to your online store where customers can make their purchase.
Be sure to make your CTAs large, clickable, and prominently placed, ideally above the fold (meaning before the screen cuts off) in the email layout.
Make it impossible to ignore, and ensure it leads directly to a collection or product page so that customers can act without any additional friction.
When you do this, you reduce the effort required to take the next step.
Remember, less is always more when it comes to conversion.
5. Focus on Mobile Optimization
With most emails now being opened on mobile devices, your email campaigns must be optimized for mobile viewing.
To make sure every email looks fantastic, you’ll want to use responsive design templates that adapt to any screen size, ensuring that your emails look great whether they’re viewed on a desktop or a smartphone.
Another good tip is to keep your subject lines concise and enticing, as mobile screens will truncate longer text and cut it off.
Keep your character counts as low as possible, no more than 50 to 60 characters in length.
Remember, although your message may be big, your screen real estate is small.
A mobile-optimized email creates an effortless experience, and that kind of ease is what makes customers hit “buy.”
6. Trigger Abandoned Cart Emails
To win this holiday season, you need to have a strategy for abandoned cart recovery.
These are the easiest sales to capture and the most profitable. Your customers are telling you what they want, and the item is in their cart.
Now, it’s up to you to convince to purchase.
Send an automated email reminding customers about the items they’ve left behind.
You can enhance these reminders with more personalized messages like, “We noticed you admired our sapphire diamond bracelet and it’s waiting just for you. Complete your purchase within the next 24 hours for an extra 15 percent discount. Enter offer code XXXXX”
Abandoned cart emails don’t just remind customers, they make them feel valued.
An approach like this will immediately increase your conversion rate. Give it a try.
7. Adapt Your Email Strategy Based on Your Analytics
Use the data from your email campaigns to refine and improve your results.
You need to analyze your metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to understand what’s working with your audience.
Experiment with A/B testing different parts of your emails, from the subject lines to your image choices and CTA placements, continually honing your strategy to improve performance.
Every email is a chance to learn and improve. The more you optimize based on your findings, the more effective and profitable your campaigns will be.
This holiday season, your email marketing strategy should be as meticulously crafted as the jewelry you sell.
Follow these seven guidelines and craft email messages that inspire, engage, and convert. Show them that your store isn’t just a place to shop, it’s the destination for meaningful, lasting gifts.
By personalizing your approach, creating visually compelling content, and optimizing every message for conversion, you can transform your email marketing into a powerful tool for driving new sales.
Make your jewelry store the first choice for holiday shoppers looking for that perfect gift.
Start today and turn this holiday season into your most profitable one yet!
Use the data from your email campaigns to refine and improve your results.
You need to analyze your metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to understand what’s working with your audience.
Experiment with A/B testing different parts of your emails, from the subject lines to your image choices and CTA placements, continually honing your strategy to improve performance.
Every email is a chance to learn and improve. The more you optimize based on your findings, the more effective and profitable your campaigns will be.
This holiday season, your email marketing strategy should be as meticulously crafted as the jewelry you sell.
Follow these seven guidelines and craft email messages that inspire, engage, and convert. Show them that your store isn’t just a place to shop, it’s the destination for meaningful, lasting gifts.
By personalizing your approach, creating visually compelling content, and optimizing every message for conversion, you can transform your email marketing into a powerful tool for driving new sales.
Make your jewelry store the first choice for holiday shoppers looking for that perfect gift.
Start today and turn this holiday season into your most profitable one yet!
More on Columnists
The Latest
IndependentsMay 09, 2025
Lugano Diamonds CEO Resigns Amid Internal InvestigationMoti Ferder stepped down Wednesday and will not receive any severance pay, parent company Compass Diversified said.
CollectionsMay 09, 2025
Pieces of the Week: Marie Lichtenberg’s Collaborations for Mother’s DayLichtenberg partnered with luxury platform Mytheresa on two designs honoring the connection between mothers and daughters.
SourcingMay 09, 2025
Gemfields Resumes Emerald Mining in ZambiaThe miner announced plans to recommence open-pit mining at Kagem.
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the GlobeGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
CrimeMay 08, 2025
Former NYC Jewelry Store Employee Arrested in 2017 Choking Death of Boss Michel Desalles allegedly murdered Omid Gholian inside World of Gold N Diamond using zip ties and then fled the country.
Weekly QuizMay 08, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
EditorsMay 08, 2025
5 ‘Superfine’ Met Gala Jewelry MomentsAssociate Editor Lauren McLemore shares her favorite looks from a night of style inspired by Black dandyism.
Supplier BulletinMay 08, 2025
Instappraise Introduces Game-Changing Trifold Appraisal FormatSponsored by Instappraise
Brought to you by
Watch: The Winston Red: GIA Examines the Smithsonian’s Newest AdditionSupplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA
FinancialsMay 08, 2025
Brilliant Earth Notes an Uptick in Engagement Ring Sales in Q1CEO Beth Gerstein discussed the company’s bridal bestsellers, the potential impact of tariffs, and the rising price of gold.
IndependentsMay 08, 2025
Margot McKinney Lands in the U.S. With New BoutiqueThe brand’s first independent location outside of Australia has opened in Beverly Hills, California.
IndependentsMay 08, 2025
Verragio Announces New Regional Sales ManagerCathy Marsh will lead the jewelry company’s efforts in the upper Midwest and western United States.
FinancialsMay 07, 2025
Pandora Posts Strong Q1, Plans for TariffsThe company has multiple strategies for dealing with tariffs, though its CEO said moving manufacturing to the U.S. is not one of them.
SourcingMay 07, 2025
Gemfields Says Emerald Sales Improved in Latest AuctionIts commercial-quality emerald sale held last month totaled more than $16 million, up from about $11 million in September 2024.
TechnologyMay 07, 2025
Punchmark’s Latest Podcast Features a Very Special Guest National Jeweler Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff joined Michael Burpoe to talk tariffs, consumer confidence, and the sky-high price of gold.
AuctionsMay 06, 2025
Harwell Godfrey Reimagines 10-Carat Blue Diamond for Met Gala-Ready BroochDesigner Lauren Harwell Godfrey made the piece as an homage to the 2025 gala’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
Events & AwardsMay 06, 2025
Here’s Who Made Jewelers of America’s New ‘20 Under 40’ ListExpanded this year to include suppliers, JA’s 2025 list honors 40 up-and-coming professionals in the jewelry industry.
IndependentsMay 06, 2025
Sissy's Log Cabin Opens New StoreLocated in Fort Smith, it’s the Mid-South jeweler’s first store in Northwest Arkansas.
IndependentsMay 06, 2025
Gunderson’s Jewelers to Be Featured on ‘World’s Greatest’ TV SeriesThe episode about the family-owned jeweler will premiere May 17.
IndependentsMay 05, 2025
Zadok Jewelers Opens Store in AustinThe Houston-based jeweler’s new 11,000-square-foot showroom will include a Rolex boutique.
AuctionsMay 05, 2025
Nancy Astor’s Cartier Tiara Heads to AuctionThe turquoise and diamond tiara hasn’t been on the market since it was purchased by Lord Astor in 1930.
SourcingMay 05, 2025
Crater of Diamonds Yields 4-Carat Brown Diamond“The Duke Diamond” is the largest diamond registered at the Arkansas park so far this year.
TrendsMay 02, 2025
Ring Concierge, Kraft Partner on Mother’s Day Macaroni Necklace The childhood craft of making dried pasta necklaces for Mother’s Day is all grown up as the 14-karat gold “Forever Macaroni” necklace.
CollectionsMay 02, 2025
Piece of the Week: Angely Martinez’s Emerald Promise RingSet with May’s birthstone and featuring an earthworm, this ring is a perfect celebration of spring.
MajorsMay 02, 2025
Stuller’s New Bridal Catalog Is Here“Bridal 2025–2026” includes popular styles and a dedicated section for quick pricing references of lab-grown diamond bridal jewelry.
SourcingMay 01, 2025
Tariffs & Colored Gemstones: Relying on Stock, Considering the Ripple EffectThough currently paused, high tariffs threaten many countries where gemstones are mined. Dealers are taking measures now to prepare.
MajorsMay 01, 2025
Peek Inside David Yurman’s New Miami Flagship StoreLocated in Miami’s Design District, the 4,000-square-foot store is an homage to David and Sybil Yurman’s artistic roots.
TrendsMay 01, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: 20 Pieces of Emerald Jewelry for MayMay babies are lucky indeed, born in a month awash with fresh colors and celebrated with one of the most coveted colored gemstones.
