This content was previously published by iModules, now part of Anthology. Product and/or solution names may have changed.

The holidays are upon us and we are moving into the season of perpetual hope.

But when it comes to email marketing, hope is not a strategy. Gone are the days of sending out a blanket email to all of your supporters and hope they open it … hope they engage … and hope they give.

Catching your constituents’ eye and fostering engagement requires a little bit of research, some strategic insights, and a heck of a lot of forethought.

To help you break through the holiday inbox clutter, we’re sharing five easy-to-implement tips to give your organization an advantage in the end of year email blitz.

Don’t get stuck in a digital traffic jam. 

Just like major roads get congested at 5 p.m. when everyone leaves work at the end of the day, ISPs can get overloaded when everyone sends email communications at the same time. Email marketers tend to deploy mass communications at the top of the hour, causing digital traffic and inbox messages to increase dramatically. To help your message stand out, schedule your emails to send at an irregular time like 9:17 a.m. or 12:42 p.m., missing the busiest time of the inbox.

##Tokens## are your friend! 

Personalization is key to creating a thoughtful email communication. But remember, you can leverage personal data through token values in subject lines and your pre-header text to help your email catch your constituents’ eye.

Remember the sender.

According to our Email Subject Line study, the open rate for emails using the institution name was lower than the average open rate at 19.3%. We learned that when an individual’s name is used in the From Name field, it led to a higher open rate of 26.2%. Additionally, emails from volunteers, the school president, or a dean also produced higher open rates. A recognizable From Name creates a more personal experience and builds trust with your constituents.

Give the people what they want. 

Yes, it’s the season of giving, but it’s critical to be mindful of your ask. In the 2019 Alumni Communications Survey, respondents noted that they received solicitations for donations with high frequency, but this was the subject they were least interested in receiving. Ultimately, it’s about finding the right communication mix to build engagement and drive giving.

Engage your most engaged. 

As you plan your end of year messaging cadence, be sure to consider the engagement levels of your recipients. If a constituent hasn’t opened your last handful of email communications, we recommend not increasing the frequency of those recipients during the holiday season. Strategically use segments to nurture your relationship with your engaged supporters and make sure the messages you communicate are truly relevant to them to keep them engaged moving forward.

Cheers!