Featured Post: My Reading & Podcast List
Here are recent books I’ve read and podcasts I enjoy. If you’re looking for something interesting to listen to or read, these are a few that have stood out to me. Let me know if you have a recommendations.
The Retail (Blue)Sky is Falling — Week of April 14
Here is a collection of ecommerce and retail industry articles I found interesting and some correlating Bluesky posts from the week.
Ecommerce and retail stories that caught my attention, plus, some of my Bluesky posts from this week.
Retail & ecommerce stories that caught my eye
Friday: US Wine Industry ‘Crushed’ by Trump Tariffs, Canadian Trade Retaliation
Thursday: Temu is in big trade war trouble
Wednesday: Survey: Consumers to prioritize lowest prices in coming months
Wednesday: Michaels looks to fill void left by Party City; expands balloons, party supplies
bluesky posts of the week
No one is immune retailwire.com/us-wine-indu... #ecommerce #retail #tariffs #wine #economy
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 18, 2025 at 11:08 AM
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De minimis is coming to an end in two short weeks. qz.com/temu-amazon-... #ecommerce #temu #deminimis #retail #tariffs
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 17, 2025 at 6:33 PM
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Lowe's ... It's in the game! chainstoreage.com/lowes-extend... #Ecommerce #retail #culture #gaming #marketing #lowes
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 15, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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Shoppers seeking value everywhere! Personally, I feel food quality has gone down while prices have increased to the point that I don't even want to go out anymore. retailwire.com/us-diners-sw... #retail #consumers #economy #dining #ecommerce
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 15, 2025 at 12:57 PM
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Follow me on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/gregzakowicz.com
The Retail (Blue)Sky is Falling — Week of April 7
Here is a collection of ecommerce and retail industry articles I found interesting and some correlating Bluesky posts from the week.
Ecommerce and retail stories that caught my attention, plus, some of my Bluesky posts from this week.
Retail & ecommerce stories that caught my eye
Thursday: Most consumers jump brands after 2 negative experiences
Wednesday: China slams US with 84% tariff after new wave of Trump levies: Live updates
Wednesday: Amazon Reportedly Canceling Wholesale Orders From Asia Due to Tariffs
Tuesday: US companies are adding tariff surcharges to customer bills: ‘New norm in Trump economy’
bluesky posts of the week
Nearly 1/4 will stop purchasing after just one bad experience, 70% after two! Customer service is a differentiator! Also, create value-added post-purchase email series — it works! www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/most-co... #EmailMarketing #emailgeeks #customerservice #retail #ecommerce
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 11, 2025 at 11:52 AM
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There won't be a trade war, the world will bow to us, it'll be fixed day 1, they say. I say, you failed to recognize our economic reliance on global partners. You could've chosen a methodical approach instead of tanking the economy. So, who blinks 1st? #tariffs #ecommerce #tradewar #retail
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 9, 2025 at 9:36 AM
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Let the surcharges begin. I believe that calling it a surcharge gives companies an excuse to raise prices — legit or not — without having to face the same blow-back that simply raising prices would. www.financialexpress.com/trending/us-... #tariffs #retail #ecommerce #economy
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 8, 2025 at 12:30 PM
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Yesterday was busy. Did anything happen? Unrelated, people are worried about tariffs (sarcastic) chainstoreage.com/consumers-se... #ecommerce #tariffs #retail #business #economy
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 8, 2025 at 12:28 PM
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Follow me on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/gregzakowicz.com
The Retail (Blue)Sky is Falling — Week of March 31
Here is a collection of retail industry articles I found interesting and some correlating Bluesky posts from the week.
Ecommerce and retail stories that caught my attention, plus, some of my Bluesky posts from this week.
Retail & ecommerce stories that caught my eye
Friday: Kroger Expands Private Label With Trendy New Offerings
Friday: Fashion industry reacts to sweeping tariff changes
Thursday: De minimis trade loophole that boosted Chinese online retailers to end May 2
Wednesday: Building Loyalty, Not Just Sales: Key Takeaways From Shoptalk 2025
Tuesday: How brands are falling behind in customer engagement
bluesky posts of the week
Will this give secondhand commerce an added boost? www.retaildive.com/news/trump-t... #tariffs #ecommerce #fashion #retail #deminimis
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 4, 2025 at 2:09 PM
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More investment in private labels as shoppers make value-driven purchases retailwire.com/kroger-our-b... #Ecommerce #CPG #Grocery #retail #economy
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 4, 2025 at 2:06 PM
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Calling all agencies, join me at Web Agency Summit 5 on April 10 as I talk about how agencies can increase their clients’ sales and retention by using the right automations. REGISTER HERE »» atarim.io/summit/?utm_... #Ecommerce #retail #emailgeeks #Agencies #EailMarketing
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 4, 2025 at 9:24 AM
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SO MANY ❓: » Is this the end of the Temu & Shein business model in the US, or a temporary hiccup? » Will this impact TikTok Shop for US users? » Does this make TikTok a less likely acquisition target or is it a ploy to speed up a sale? www.cnbc.com/2025/04/03/d... #Ecommerce #tariffs #retail
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 3, 2025 at 11:13 AM
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Most interesting parts of this: 👉 54% of surveyed consumers say they ignore brand names 👉 57% have switched to private label alternatives due to cost 👉 55% think the quality is comparable to branded ones chainstoreage.com/news-briefs/... #Ecommerce #Retail #Marketing #Economy
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 2, 2025 at 3:49 PM
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I am pretty sure this is frowned upon by CAN-SPAM. Also, not a good way to engage me personally. You can do better email marketers!!! #EmailMarketing #EmailGeeks #Ecommerce #Marketing
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) April 1, 2025 at 4:20 PM
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A look back on COVID-19’s impact on retail. It feels like yesterday! www.retaildive.com/news/look-ba... #Ecommerce #Retail
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) March 31, 2025 at 7:54 PM
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Follow me on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/gregzakowicz.com
The Retail (Blue)Sky is Falling — Week of March 24
Here is a collection of retail industry articles I found interesting and some correlating Bluesky posts from the week.
Ecommerce and retail stories that caught my attention, plus, some of my Bluesky posts from this week.
Retail & ecommerce stories that caught my eye
Friday: Numerator Breaks Down Who Is Shopping At Target
Thursday: Walmart Sheds $22 Billion in Valuation as US Consumer Confidence Hits 12-Year Low
Wednesday: Consumer Edge: ‘Value-driven’ shopping reshaping retail industry
Wednesday: How Private-label Beauty Quietly Became Sexy
Tuesday: Consumers' expectations for the future at a 12-year low
Monday: China is turning up pressure on Walmart. That could mean higher prices for US customers (CNN)
bluesky posts of the week
I recently sat down w/ Jordan Welch to discuss his ecommerce successes & failures, marketing, lessons learned from going broke, tips for success, and his chess game. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. youtu.be/0vlA57yXcyk?... #Ecommerce #retail #Shopify #dropshipping #Omnisend
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) March 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
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Consumer confidence drops again. No surprise here! The administration seems incredibly inept thus far and has no sense or care of what the average American is dealing with. Don't expect this to change. www.conference-board.org/topics/consu... #Ecommerce #Retail #economy #ConsumerConfidence
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) March 25, 2025 at 10:53 AM
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Of course they said no. The Chinese govt would rather press their domestic suppliers to accept fewer sales to make US consumers feel pain. It's a long-term strategy to destabilize the US & make the USD a less-desired global standard currency. www.cnn.com/2025/03/24/b... #Ecommerce #retail #tariffs
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) March 24, 2025 at 9:26 AM
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Follow me on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/gregzakowicz.com
The Retail (Blue)Sky is Falling — Week of March 17
Here is a collection of retail industry articles I found interesting and some correlating Bluesky posts from the week.
Ecommerce and retail stories that caught my attention, plus, some of my Bluesky posts from this week.
Retail & ecommerce stories that caught my eye
Walmart expands premium beauty options
Home Depot to host 'Spring Black Friday' event in April (Chain Store Age)
Beyond Sells Majority Stake in Zulily for $5 Million (Total Retail)
Macy’s Launches Arch Studio: A Strategic Addition to Private Label Portfolio (OmniTalk)
Amazon uses Big Spring Sale to promote Amazon Haul (Retail Dive)
Amazon, Walmart to host spring savings events (Chain Store Age)
Costco follows Walmart's lead, pressuring China suppliers to absorb U.S. tariffs (Quartz)
bluesky posts of the week
Consumers are cautious, many are feeling very nervous/scared. I expect it to get worse before it gets better. www.cnbc.com/2025/03/17/r... #Ecommerce #Retail #EmailMarketing #Economy
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) March 17, 2025 at 11:13 AM
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I know mine is. chainstoreage.com/consumer-sen... #Ecommerce #retail #Consumers #EmailMarketing #Marketing
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) March 17, 2025 at 11:26 AM
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Brands attempting to capture every last sale possible while they can. For Amazon, can they convince value-shoppers there truly is "more to Prime?" My question: how much will they push Haul during this event? chainstoreage.com/amazon-walma... #retail #ecommerce #amazon #ecoonomy
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) March 19, 2025 at 2:28 PM
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Per my previous post, I now have the answer. Most shoppers have not tried Haul (I personally think the UX is poor) but this may be a good chance to pull some of those Temu shoppers to Amazon. www.retaildive.com/news/amazon-... #Ecommerce #retail #amazon #emailgeek #marketing
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) March 20, 2025 at 9:59 AM
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This makes sense. Auto parts stores have been feeling serious pressure from online stores for some time, especially Amazon. www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/advance... #Ecommerce #retail
— Greg Zakowicz (@gregzakowicz.com) March 21, 2025 at 1:21 PM
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Follow me on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/gregzakowicz.com
How to Combine Email and Social Media Marketing Efforts to Maximize ROI
Brands are expected to spend $247 billion on social media marketing in 2024 to fight for consumers’ attention. With people spending more than two hours a day on social media, brands would be foolish not to spend their ad dollars on social platforms, right?
According to recent data, brands may have it all wrong. For every dollar businesses spend on social media, they get $5 back. Even though this is considered a good return on investment (ROI), other marketing channels, such as email, perform seven times better.
Email marketing has a ROI of 3600 percent worldwide and 7200 percent in the U.S. This means that businesses get $36 for every dollar they spend on email marketing, or $72 if they are based in the U.S.
Brands are expected to spend $247 billion on social media marketing in 2024 to fight for consumers’ attention. With people spending more than two hours a day on social media, brands would be foolish not to spend their ad dollars on social platforms, right?
According to recent data, brands may have it all wrong. For every dollar businesses spend on social media, they get $5 back. Even though this is considered a good return on investment (ROI), other marketing channels, such as email, perform seven times better.
Email marketing has a ROI of 3600 percent worldwide and 7200 percent in the U.S. This means that businesses get $36 for every dollar they spend on email marketing, or $72 if they are based in the U.S.
People don’t open their social media apps to view ads; they’re just a part of the experience. With email, it’s the opposite. People choose to receive them. When they open their inboxes, they’re looking to shop and you have their attention.
Email Marketing Outperforms Social Media Marketing
The ROI difference alone isn't the only metric that proves how email marketing outperforms social media. Consider the following:
The Power of Back-in-Stock Email Marketing
For e-commerce brands, it’s not the year of the dragon, it’s the year of the back-in-stock message. Automated back-in-stock message sends have been on a multiyear rise. In 2023, brands sent 4x as many as the year before, generating 3x the number of orders than the year before.
Back-in-stock messages perform exceptionally well compared to their email marketing counterparts. Their 60 percent open rate is higher than any other marketing email. The 19 percent click rate far outpaces the next best automation email, product abandonment, which has a 6.2 percent click rate. And when it comes to conversion rate, it’s not even close: back-in-stock messages see a conversion rate of 5.8 percent, more than double that of welcome messages, the second-best automated email.
Why do back-in-stock messages perform so well?
For e-commerce brands, it’s not the year of the dragon, it’s the year of the back-in-stock message. Automated back-in-stock message sends have been on a multiyear rise. In 2023, brands sent 4x as many as the year before, generating 3x the number of orders than the year before.
Back-in-stock messages perform exceptionally well compared to their email marketing counterparts. Their 60 percent open rate is higher than any other marketing email. The 19 percent click rate far outpaces the next best automation email, product abandonment, which has a 6.2 percent click rate. And when it comes to conversion rate, it’s not even close: back-in-stock messages see a conversion rate of 5.8 percent, more than double that of welcome messages, the second-best automated email.
Why do back-in-stock messages perform so well?
They combine a consumer’s shopping desire with social proof and a fear of loss. It’s the same trifecta that works so well for shopping cart abandonment messages which highlight that the items left behind may sell out fast.
The difference is that with cart abandonment messages the shopper has yet to miss out on anything. Their products are still in their cart and they remain in control. With back-in-stock messages, the consumer feels timing pressure. After all, the items sold out once, and they likely will again.
Here are a few tips for e-commerce merchants looking to effectively use back-in-stock messages to increase sales:
My Reading & Podcast List
Here is my list of recent reads and podcasts I am currently enjoying. Maybe they’ll give you something new to look into and enjoy.
Read more to find what I’ve been digging into lately, including:
Building a Story Brand
The Power of Geography
The Greatest Beer Run Ever. A Crazy Adventure In a Crazy War
The Escape Artist. The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World
Devil in the White City. Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
Here is a list of books I’ve recently read and podcasts I listen to. I hope they give you something new to look into and enjoy.
Recent reads
Bad Company
Bootstrapping Bronto: The Art of Scaling Your Startup Without Venture Capital
Code Name: Pale Horse: How I Went Undercover to Expose America's Nazis
Careless People
War Made Invisible
The Weirdest People in the World
The Let Them Theory
The Path Between Two Seas
Fish
The Lost City of Z
Building a Story Brand
The Power of Geography
The Greatest Beer Run Ever. A Crazy Adventure In a Crazy War
The Escape Artist. The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World
Devil in the White City. Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
You Can Read Anyone. Never Be Fooled, Lied To, or Taken Advantage of Again
Key West (by John Breakfield)
Bright Galaxies, Dark Matter, and Beyond. The Life of Astronomer Vera Rubin.
The Wager. A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder
The Forgotten 500. The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of WWII
The Spy and the Traitor. The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
Everything Happens for a Reason
Night (by Elie Wiesel)
Waxing On. The Karate Kid and Me
The Power of Letting Go. How to Drop Everything That’s Holding You Back
The Power of Regret. How Looking Backward Helps Us Move Forward
The Recruiter. Spying and the Lost Art of American Intelligence
Killers of the Flower Moon
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
How to be Perfect. The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question
The Age of AI and Our Human Future
A Promised Land
A Colorful Way of Living. How to Be More, Create More, Do More, the Vera Bradley Way
Talking to Strangers
The Soulful Art of Persuasion. The 11 Habits That Will Make Anyone a Master Influencer
Measure What Matters. OKRs — The Simple Idea That Drives 10x Growth
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Let The Elephants Run: Unlock Your Creativity and Change Everything
SCRUM: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time
The CEO Next Door
Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations that Matter
Cold Hard Truth in Men, Women, and Money
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing (review: eh).
Podcasts I enjoy
Revisionist History
Armchair Expert
Here’s Where it Gets Interesting
RetailGentic
Give it a Chance
History That Doesn’t Suck
Smartless
StarTalk Radio
The Playcaller’s Club
This Week in Virology
The Dollop
Two Cool Moms
Today in Digital Marketing
The Pitch
The Jason & Scot Show
Examples of Back in Stock Email Marketing, Complete with Subject Lines
Back-in-stock notifications may be the highest-performing automated emails a brand sends. In this post, you’ll find top-tier example subject lines, performance stats (60% open, 19% click, 5.8% conversion), and five immediate tactics you can apply to your e-commerce email flows.
How Effective are back-in-stock messages?
In 2024, Back-in-stock messages had a 59.2% open rate, 19.5% click rate, and a 5.3% conversion rate. This was the highest conversion rate of ANY automated message, by far. Consider these must-have automated email messages for brands — both automated and scheduled campaigns.
Here are a few tips for ecommerce brands looking to use back-in-stock messages to increase sales.
Provide early access with back-in-stock automation
Use a sense of urgency and fear of loss in your messaging
Don’t feel the need to discount
Tailor messages to specific products when necessary
Include product recommendations
Back-in-Stock Email Marketing Examples
What’s the best back-in-stock subject line to use?
The best back-in-stock subject line uses a sense of urgency and combines it with the term “back.” This combines the urgency with social proof (they sold out once, they will again). A good example is “Back in Stock, But Not For Long.”
Examples of The Perfect Back-in-stock email subject line
Here are some back-in-stock email message subject lines used by real brands:
Top Sellers Back in Stock😍
🐍Back in ssssssssstock
Restocked! Ribbed Cotton Range Is BACK
Back in Stock: Lafeber Products
BACK IN STOCK: The Henley
THEY’RE BACK ⚡
URGENT: It’s Back In Stock!
Back in Stock 🌿 CBD Truffles
Back In Stock? Enough Said.
The wait is over: ramen is back!
Greg, SILK BEDDING BACK IN STOCK
Your fave Birkenstock style is BACK!
Back In Stock...
Back & Selling Fast!
Your fave camera bag is back in new colors!
LOOK WHO'S BACK 👀
Your favorite is back!
Favorites Back in Stock!
Everyone's adorable bestie is back 🎀
Your Favorite Lingerie is Back! (But not for long 👀)
Missed me? Back in stock
Back in Stock: A Knit to Know
WOW! Back In Stock: But Not For Long
Love Everybody 🖤 Back In Stock
MUST-HAVE BACK IN STOCK
Back in stock and going fast 💨
BACK IN STOCK You Have Been Waiting
Our holiday gift to you: back-in-stock best sellers
Have any questions about back-in-stock email marketing? Let me know.
Email and SMS Marketing in 2024: 5 Trends to Expect
2023 was another record-setting year for e-commerce sales and the growth is expected to continue in 2024. How companies achieve their growth will depend on how effective they are with engaging their audience via different channels and subsequently maximizing the return on investment of those channels.
In all of this, one thing remains consistent year after year: opt-in channels continue to punch beyond their weight in terms of engagement and ROI. The trends from the past several years continued throughout 2023 and shed light on what we should expect to see from brands in 2024. Those trends include the following:
1. Email will continue its staying power.
While news headlines focus on the challenges of increasing e-commerce sales on social media sites, with their fluctuations in daily users, email keeps quietly engaging customers and generating sales. According to a recently released report, e-commerce brands sent 33 percent more promotional email campaigns and generated 17 percent more orders in 2023 than the year before.
The performance of marketing emails continues to be positive for retailers. Open and click rates for campaign emails increased year-over-year (YoY), meaning more people see and engage with the emails in their inbox.
2023 was another record-setting year for e-commerce sales and the growth is expected to continue in 2024. How companies achieve their growth will depend on how effective they are with engaging their audience via different channels and subsequently maximizing the return on investment of those channels.
In all of this, one thing remains consistent year after year: opt-in channels continue to punch beyond their weight in terms of engagement and ROI. The trends from the past several years continued throughout 2023 and shed light on what we should expect to see from brands in 2024. Those trends include the following:
1. Email will continue its staying power.
While news headlines focus on the challenges of increasing e-commerce sales on social media sites, with their fluctuations in daily users, email keeps quietly engaging customers and generating sales. According to a recently released report, e-commerce brands sent 33 percent more promotional email campaigns and generated 17 percent more orders in 2023 than the year before.
The performance of marketing emails continues to be positive for retailers. Open and click rates for campaign emails increased year-over-year (YoY), meaning more people see and engage with the emails in their inbox.
Expect brands to double down on this proven channel. In particular, by increasing their focus on improving their day-to-day email campaigns to maximize sales and finding ways to refine their email program strategy even further in 2024.
New Black Friday Marketing Report Shows Consumers Still Love Email and SMS
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, it’s a good time to assess how different marketing channels performed through another record-setting BFCM shopping period and what this can tell us about consumers’ shopping habits in 2024.
Looking at Omnisend’s recently released BFCM marketing report, which analyzed over 2.5 billion marketing emails, 29 million SMS, and 30 million web push messages sent by Omnisend merchants in November, five holiday shopping insights stuck out to me:
1. Companies Were Prepared for an Early Start
We anticipated an early start to the holiday shopping season — and we got it. Shoppers spent $76.8 billion online in October, up 5.9 percent year-over-year (YoY). Brands were well prepared with their marketing.
In October, brands sent 39.9 percent more emails and increased orders by 16.5 percent YoY. But while the send increase was consistent throughout the month, orders saw a heavier uptick in the second half. The week of Oct. 22 saw email orders increase by nearly 26 percent and 27.7 percent the following week.
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, it’s a good time to assess how different marketing channels performed through another record-setting BFCM shopping period and what this can tell us about consumers’ shopping habits in 2024.
Looking at Omnisend’s recently released BFCM marketing report, which analyzed over 2.5 billion marketing emails, 29 million SMS, and 30 million web push messages sent by Omnisend merchants in November, five holiday shopping insights stuck out to me:
1. Companies Were Prepared for an Early Start
We anticipated an early start to the holiday shopping season — and we got it. Shoppers spent $76.8 billion online in October, up 5.9 percent year-over-year (YoY). Brands were well prepared with their marketing.
In October, brands sent 39.9 percent more emails and increased orders by 16.5 percent YoY. But while the send increase was consistent throughout the month, orders saw a heavier uptick in the second half. The week of Oct. 22 saw email orders increase by nearly 26 percent and 27.7 percent the following week.
4 Ways to Prepare Your Email and SMS Marketing for the Holidays
When it comes to maximizing holiday sales from your email and SMS marketing programs, discovering the nuances of the season can help brands squeeze as much eggnog out of … whatever eggnog comes out of. With all of the data out there, uncovering the lesser-known can feel overwhelming to downright impossible.
Here are four nuanced tips to help you prepare your email and SMS marketing for the long, drawn-out holiday shopping season:
1. Don’t wait until November.
Holiday sales, as they have for years, start early. Target began its “Circle Week” on Oct. 1, and Amazon.com's Prime Big Deals Days start on Oct. 10. Consider this second date to be the unofficial official start of the holiday shopping season.
Marketing should start no later than mid-October, and by Nov. 1 brands should be significantly ramping up their marketing. Last year, according to Adobe, Friday, Nov. 11 was the last time daily online sales dropped below $3 billion until Dec. 16 ($2.8 billion). That corresponding day this year is Nov. 12. This is when the full-court press should go into effect.
Because holiday deals begin earlier, the reliance on standalone days like Black Friday take a back seat to extended periods like Black Friday Week. These sales should begin on Nov. 18 or 19.
When it comes to maximizing holiday sales from your email and SMS marketing programs, discovering the nuances of the season can help brands squeeze as much eggnog out of … whatever eggnog comes out of. With all of the data out there, uncovering the lesser-known can feel overwhelming to downright impossible.
Here are four nuanced tips to help you prepare your email and SMS marketing for the long, drawn-out holiday shopping season:
1. Don’t wait until November.
Holiday sales, as they have for years, start early. Target began its “Circle Week” on Oct. 1, and Amazon.com's Prime Big Deals Days start on Oct. 10. Consider this second date to be the unofficial official start of the holiday shopping season.
Marketing should start no later than mid-October, and by Nov. 1 brands should be significantly ramping up their marketing. Last year, according to Adobe, Friday, Nov. 11 was the last time daily online sales dropped below $3 billion until Dec. 16 ($2.8 billion). That corresponding day this year is Nov. 12. This is when the full-court press should go into effect.
Because holiday deals begin earlier, the reliance on standalone days like Black Friday take a back seat to extended periods like Black Friday Week. These sales should begin on Nov. 18 or 19.
Dec. 1-23 should encompass a sense of urgency to appeal to procrastinators, clear out excess inventory, and promote gift card sales. Dec. 25 through Jan. 1 should be your final holiday push as consumers resume their shopping. In fact, Dec. 26 recorded the second most email-related orders in all of December 2022.
Notable Email and SMS Marketing Trends From the First Half of 2023
A recently released email and SMS marketing report shed light on these performance trends and helped answer questions like “Do consumers find SMS intrusive?” and “Are consumers over email?” The report analyzed more than 10.5 billion e-commerce marketing emails and 62 million SMS messages, among other channels, sent by Omnisend customers in the first half of 2023.
Here are four notable takeaways for brands to pay attention to.
More Sends, More Engagement, More Orders
Brands sent 32.8 percent more scheduled emails, 99.2 percent more automated emails, and 47.9 percent more SMS messages year-over-year (YoY).
Increased consumer engagement allows brands to continue finding sales success with these channels. The click-to-conversion rate for email increased nearly 5 percent over the same period last year and orders are up 8.3 percent. Automated email orders increased by 132 percent, and SMS orders increased by nearly 17 percent year-over-year.
As the holiday season quickly approaches, having a pulse on the performance of various marketing channels is essential for brands to maximize their return on investment. This is especially true when it comes to heavily relied upon opt-in channels like email and SMS.
A recently released email and SMS marketing report shed light on these performance trends and helped answer questions like “Do consumers find SMS intrusive?” and “Are consumers over email?” The report analyzed more than 10.5 billion e-commerce marketing emails and 62 million SMS messages, among other channels, sent by Omnisend customers in the first half of 2023.
Here are four notable takeaways for brands to pay attention to.
More Sends, More Engagement, More Orders
Brands sent 32.8 percent more scheduled emails, 99.2 percent more automated emails, and 47.9 percent more SMS messages year-over-year (YoY).
Increased consumer engagement allows brands to continue finding sales success with these channels. The click-to-conversion rate for email increased nearly 5 percent over the same period last year and orders are up 8.3 percent. Automated email orders increased by 132 percent, and SMS orders increased by nearly 17 percent year-over-year.
This increase in sends tells us brands rely on the channels to generate sales. The increase in orders tells us consumers welcome them.
Don’t Ignore Email and SMS: Consumers Surely Haven’t
Looking for a marketing edge?
Of course you are, but little did you know that the elusive edge may be closer than you realize.
Omnisend’s recently released yearly email and SMS marketing benchmark report analyzed more than 17 billion marketing emails and 107 million SMS sent by brands in 2022. It showed how deeply consumers used email and SMS as part of their shopping and product discovery journey as well as provided clues as to what makes the messages appealing to consumers.
Here are the primary email and SMS marketing highlights from the report and ways brands can apply these consumer shopping trends to gain an edge in 2023.
Overall Email Marketing Trends
Email marketing continues to be a core component of e-commerce brands’ online marketing strategies. Continuing its year-over-year (YoY) trend, brands sent 42 percent more email messages in 2022 than the year before, resulting in a 12 percent increase in email-related orders.
Looking for a marketing edge?
Of course you are, but little did you know that the elusive edge may be closer than you realize.
Omnisend’s recently released yearly email and SMS marketing benchmark report analyzed more than 17 billion marketing emails and 107 million SMS sent by brands in 2022. It showed how deeply consumers used email and SMS as part of their shopping and product discovery journey as well as provided clues as to what makes the messages appealing to consumers.
Here are the primary email and SMS marketing highlights from the report and ways brands can apply these consumer shopping trends to gain an edge in 2023.
Overall Email Marketing Trends
Email marketing continues to be a core component of e-commerce brands’ online marketing strategies. Continuing its year-over-year (YoY) trend, brands sent 42 percent more email messages in 2022 than the year before, resulting in a 12 percent increase in email-related orders.
The reliance on email was also prevalent at a crucial time for retailers, Q4. YoY, email was responsible for a 13.8 percent increase in orders on Black Friday, a 34.4 percent increase during the Cyber 10, and an 18.7 percent increase in overall Q4 orders.
Holiday Email and SMS Performance Shed Light on Brands’ 2023 Marketing Strategies
E-commerce brands faced a holiday shopping season filled with uncertainty — uncertainty around when the shopping season would start in earnest, inflation’s impact on consumer spending, and the costs and performance of paid marketing channels. And with good reason.
Throughout the year, the cost and performance on channels such as paid social and paid search fluctuated, raising questions and concerns about holiday marketing spend on the channels. And if consumers just shopped less in general, how else might brands generate the sales they needed?
As it played out, Black Friday and Cyber Monday e-commerce sales were up slightly from the previous year's unusual dip. Accounting for inflation, however, indicates the increase in sales was due to the cost of goods rather than an increase in shopping. Cost effectively securing early holiday sales was important, and when it mattered most, brands seemed to shift back and rely more on established and consistently performing opt-in channels like email and SMS — and it worked.
E-commerce brands faced a holiday shopping season filled with uncertainty — uncertainty around when the shopping season would start in earnest, inflation’s impact on consumer spending, and the costs and performance of paid marketing channels. And with good reason.
Throughout the year, the cost and performance on channels such as paid social and paid search fluctuated, raising questions and concerns about holiday marketing spend on the channels. And if consumers just shopped less in general, how else might brands generate the sales they needed?
As it played out, Black Friday and Cyber Monday e-commerce sales were up slightly from the previous year's unusual dip. Accounting for inflation, however, indicates the increase in sales was due to the cost of goods rather than an increase in shopping. Cost effectively securing early holiday sales was important, and when it mattered most, brands seemed to shift back and rely more on established and consistently performing opt-in channels like email and SMS — and it worked.
Consumers Turned to Email Marketing When Shopping
According to a new holiday marketing report by Omnisend, year-over-year, email marketing was responsible for a 13.8 percent increase in orders on Black Friday, and a 34.4 percent increase during the Cyber 10, a 10-day span beginning on the Sunday before Black Friday through Giving Tuesday. The increase in sales was accompanied by a greater reliance on email marketing.