Oversaturated platforms and tired consumers make contemporary communications difficult in the best of times, but at this point in the year as messages become homogeneous, attention can be even elusive. Carol Howley explores a Christmas messaging strategy.

The holiday season is a busy time for brands and consumers alike. With the sheer volume of promotional emails, targeted ads and offers crowding inboxes, consumers become overwhelmed and tune out, making it difficult for brands to cut through the noise to connect with their audiences. Leveraging the trust and visibility that direct emails offer, marketing leaders can ensure their brand’s message is seen and heard, even amid the holiday noise.

Nailing the potential that email signatures offer as a marketing channel is an effective but overlooked way for brands to get their message seen. After all, the majority of consumers prefer to communicate with brands via email. During the hectic holiday period, let’s explore how marketing leaders can create meaningful connections with their customers by taking advantage of the power of email signatures to deliver personalised messages.

The power of one-to-one emails

One-to-one emails undoubtedly carry more weight than bulk marketing emails. This is because they’re generally trusted more than mass marketing emails.

This trust stems from the personal nature of these emails. They’re often addressing the recipient’s specific concerns, and the recipient’s expecting them. As a result, one-to-one emails are almost always opened, trusted and engaged with.

Compared to marketing emails that get lost in crowded inboxes, the personalised messages in business emails stand out. They provide a unique opportunity for brands to connect with their customers meaningfully. This opportunity is particularly critical during the holiday season when the competition for attention is fierce. 

Capitalise on a channel that you already own

A great reason for using email signatures as a marketing tool is the cost-effectiveness that comes with using a channel you already own. Every day, each person in your organisation sends 40 business emails. Each of these is an opportunity to market your brand. And the beauty of it is that the infrastructure is already in place. You’re already paying for your business email system. Using the email signature costs as little as $1.31 per person (that’s if you don’t already have a signature management tool in place). So, there’s no need for a big budget or extra resources. 

In contrast, other marketing channels often need significant investment. Paid advertising, for instance, can be expensive and for notoriously low returns. But by leveraging a channel you already own, your marketing strategy becomes more personal and effective. Email signature marketing is a smart way to stretch your marketing dollar. It’s a wise strategy for all organisations, but particularly for B2B brands and smaller businesses with limited budgets.

Delivering a range of messages across the funnel

Using email signatures isn’t limited to a specific point in the marketing funnel. You can use them at every stage, from raising awareness to nurturing leads, driving conversion, or even retaining customers. 

Using a signature management tool with segmentation capabilities, you can guide your audience through the entire buying process – all while staying authentic and relevant through personalised communications.

Harness the power of email signatures to stand out in 2024

Now’s the time to seriously consider using email signatures as part of your holiday marketing strategy. This simple yet powerful tactic has the potential to cut through the noise at any time of the year. 

Carol Howley is CMO at Exclaimer. 

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