Bust out the cake, confetti, and streamers because it’s birthday time. One could argue that this is the most special day of the year because it is all about you, no one else. And while it’s a special day, statistics show that birthday email marketing campaigns are just as special. 

Campaign Monitor reports that birthday emails have a 179 percent higher click-through rate than promotional emails. This research continues to show that birthday email campaigns have a higher transaction rate than other email campaigns. 

Whether the industry is ecommerce or flooring products, it’s important to add this to your email marketing strategy to blow the candles out each year. 

Why are birthday emails important?

A birthday email is exactly what it sounds like- an email campaign that is sent on the subscriber's birthday. These campaigns can provide almost 100 percent personalization that companies are searching to implement and customers are asking for. 

A loyal customer of one or 15 purchases is easier to retain versus constant new customers, and while that might not be true in every industry, it is something to consider.  A birthday email marketing campaign shows appreciation for the customer. 

This provides the opportunity to renew a feeling of commitment towards your customer, especially those who you haven’t heard from in some time. 

How to collect birthdays 

Before a company can start the birthday email marketing campaigns, you will need to have subscribers share their birthdays. It is important to ask users to enter their birthday when signing up for newsletters and notifications. 

What are some options that will help to get more birthdays? 

• Keep all forms short and sweet
• Send out an email campaign with a discount to existing subscribers
• Reach out to older lists
• Add a strong CTA 
• Keep lists segmented (no one wants an email about something they already did). 

These are simple tasks that can be implemented into already existing email marketing campaigns while being effective. 

How to make birthday emails special?

1. Special offers and promotions

Whether it is a discount code for free shipping on any order or a 10 percent off deal, coupons are a great way to make subscribers feel special. There are four different types of commonly used coupons in email marketing:

• Discount codes
• Buy one, get one free (BOGO)
• Free gifts 
• Free shipping

An email coupon can go a long way based on research. Ready Cloud reports that emails pertaining to coupons offer a 48 percent increase in revenue per email. A coupon can help to bring back customers or remind old customers of your company. Either way, it helps to bring personalization and significance into an email campaign. 

2. What day is their birthday again?

With birthday marketing, it is important to send out campaigns on the actual birthday of the customer. While belated birthday content will be okay, it misses the mark on the exact day. If that isn’t an easy solution based on lists and etc., it is best to send out a “birthday month” email campaign. 

This would allow for those in the month of May to spend their birthday gift anytime during the month of their birthday. This way it doesn’t miss the mark on the day they are blowing out their candles. 

Also, something to consider is that every other brand that your subscribers have signed up for could be sending over emails as well. What would be a good option to not lose your spot in their inbox? Reminder emails! 

3. Give it your own style

The best birthday email marketing emails are ones that align with your company’s core values and overall brand! Email subscribers are one by one signing up for newsletters and campaigns for many different reasons, so keep them with your charm and personality. 

Birthday email marketing campaigns work because it is the only email that can provide 100 percent customization while keeping branding intact because of the nature of the content of a birthday email and the excellent offers. Make it the cornerstone of your email marketing campaigns.

Let us help you with birthday email marketing or a traditional email marketing plan!