
As the holiday season approaches, it's time to think about how your company will communicate with customers, partners, and employees. A well-crafted corporate holiday email can help you spread cheer, build relationships, and drive business.
Timing is everything, so send your holiday email before December 1st to avoid being lost in the chaos of last-minute shopping and holiday preparations. This allows recipients to enjoy the festive spirit and respond before the year ends.
A clear and concise subject line is essential, so choose one that's relevant to the content of your email. In fact, using a subject line that includes a holiday greeting or a seasonal keyword can increase open rates by up to 25%.
Writing Tips
Writing a corporate holiday email that resonates with your audience requires some thought and effort. Keep it sincere and brief, focusing on a heartfelt message of appreciation.
A short and sweet email will resonate more than a lengthy one, especially during the busy holiday season. A beautiful, clean design can make your message stand out in a crowded inbox, making it feel special like opening a card.
To make your email feel less like a broadcast and more like a personal note, reflect on the year together with your audience. Briefly touch on a shared experience or a general reflection from the past year.
Here are some phrases to avoid in your holiday email:
- Valued customer
- Exciting year
- As we approach
- Take this opportunity to
- Thank you for your support
Instead, try to inject some personality into your holiday emails with these swaps:
- Valued customer -> To, [First Name], our awesome customer
- Exciting year -> Amazing, fun-filled year
- As we approach -> As we head toward the festivities whistling our favorite carols
- Take this opportunity to -> Words can’t describe our…
- Thank you for your support -> You’ve brought the exact vibes we needed
Writing Tips for Happiness
Writing a happy and effective holiday email is a great way to connect with your audience. Keep it sincere and brief, as the holidays are a busy time and a short, heartfelt message will resonate more than a lengthy email.
A beautiful, clean design shows you put thought into it and makes your message stand out in a crowded inbox. Use phrases like "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" to be inclusive with your language and make your message feel warm and welcoming to your entire audience.
Avoid using overly formal language and phrases that are overused, such as "Valued customer" and "Thank you for your support." Instead, try to inject some personality into your holiday emails. Here are some swaps to consider:
Remember, the goal is to connect with your audience and build relationships, not to make a hard sell. By being sincere, inclusive, and authentic, you can make your holiday email stand out and strengthen your brand's relationships.
Keep It Conversational
Writing tips are all about making your message relatable and authentic. Drop the jargon and show the human behind the brand, as Example 4 suggests. This means ditching overly formal language and embracing a more conversational tone.
A great way to achieve this is by injecting some personality into your holiday emails. For instance, instead of using the phrase "Valued customer", try addressing your recipient by their first name, as suggested in Example 5. This simple swap makes the email feel more personal and less like a generic message.
To keep your holiday email from feeling like a sales pitch, focus on building relationships rather than making a sale. This is especially important during the holiday season, as Example 3 points out. By showing your audience that you care about them and appreciate their business, you can create a warm and human-to-human connection that will benefit your sales pipeline in the long run.
Related reading: Cold Emailing for Sales

Here are some examples of overused phrases to avoid in your holiday email:
By avoiding these overused phrases and injecting some personality into your holiday emails, you can create a more authentic and relatable message that will resonate with your audience.
Share Some Humor
Sharing your humor with your team can be a great way to break the ice and show your human side. Use a zany photo that captures the team's favorite hobby or activity, like an executive with a tennis racket in hand.
A photo of your team doing something fun can be a great way to showcase your team's personality. Think of an executive with baking supplies, or wires and tech gadgets.
Creating a video of your executive team reciting a clever rhyme can be a fun way to share gratitude for employees' collective work. They can recount the company's wins and share gratitude for employees' hard work.
A lighthearted video can be a great way to boost morale and show appreciation for your team's efforts.
On a similar theme: Does Cold Emailing Work
Subject Lines
Crafting a compelling subject line is crucial for corporate holiday emails. It should provide value, pique the reader's interest, and hint at the festive nature of the email.
A good subject line can make or break the success of your email. Consider using a subject line like "Already have an account? Log In" to encourage recipients to open your email.
To make your subject line stand out, consider using a festive term like "‘Tis the season for booking holiday services!" This will hint at the holiday theme and grab the reader's attention.
The subject line should entice the reader to open the email, but not necessarily include a call-to-action. Some holiday emails can get away without a call-to-action.
A well-crafted subject line can set the tone for the rest of the email. Make sure it's relevant and engaging to your audience.
Consider throwing a sale before or after the most common sale days to stand out in people's inboxes. This can be hinted at in the subject line, like "‘Tis the season for booking pre-holiday classes!"
The subject line's role is to encourage recipients to open your email. Keep it concise and to the point, just like "Hello [Name]!"
Design and Visuals
Design and Visuals are key to making your corporate holiday email stand out. Add festive visuals like reindeer, snowflakes, and seasonal colors to evoke the holiday spirit.
You don't have to be a design expert to edit these templates, thanks to some email builders that offer in-line image editing. This makes adding and editing images quick and simple, allowing you to crop, move, and resize images without uploading them to a third-party platform.
A team photo works well, especially if the team is wearing their holiday jumpers. You can also use stock images, videos, memes, or GIFs to add visual interest to the email.
Here are some ideas for making your email design special:
- Add animated festive visuals to grab attention and engage your readers.
- Use a beautiful, clean design that shows you put thought into it.
- Make the design part of the message, like opening a card.
Remember, the design should be part of the message, not the message itself. Keep it sincere and brief, and focus on building the relationship rather than making a hard sell.
Best Practices
Holiday emails are relatively short pieces of content, but they have a big impact when handled well. Follow these best practices to get the best results from the process.
Keep your holiday emails short and to the point, as they are relatively short pieces of content. This will help keep your readers engaged.
With email builders, you can send your designs from your favorite email service provider, such as Gmail, Outlook, Mailchimp, or elsewhere. This makes it easy to send your holiday email.
Best Practice Tips
Holiday emails should be sent at the right time to avoid being forgotten or dismissed.
Sending your holiday email too early can be just as bad as sending it too late, so aim for a sweet spot in the season.
Segmenting your audience helps you customize messages according to their interests and needs, making your holiday email more effective.
Follow up with a second email to improve the effectiveness of your initial message, especially if you need your readers to take action.
The holidays offer a unique opportunity to foster genuine connections with customers and employees, so make the most of it with thoughtful resourcing and powerful messaging.
Explore further: Why Is Email so Important to Modern Communication
Best Examples

Holiday emails are relatively short pieces of content, but they have a big impact when handled well.
To get the best results, follow these best practice tips. Holiday emails can be sent from your favorite email service provider, whether that's Gmail, Outlook, Mailchimp or elsewhere.
Beautiful holiday email templates are available in an email builder, designed to include all important components for maximum engagement. These templates can be used to speed up the design process.
Explore a selection of holiday email examples to help spark your creativity. Each example takes a very different approach, making it easier to find inspiration for your own holiday email.
You can send your designs from your favorite email service provider, and also share them on company channels like Teams and Slack. This is a fast, easy way to circulate those internal holiday emails.
A different take: Azure Communication Services Send Email
Marketing and Promotion
Corporate holiday emails are a great way to connect with your customers and show appreciation for their loyalty. A well-crafted email can make a big difference in keeping your customers engaged and excited about your brand.
To create a compelling holiday email, consider using a subject line that's clear and attention-grabbing, like "A holiday treat, just for you" from Example 1. This sets the tone for a special offer that's exclusive to your subscribers.
You can also use a limited-time promotion to create a sense of urgency, such as offering a discount on specific products or all items. For example, Example 1 mentions a "limited time" offer with a specific discount percentage.
If you're looking for inspiration, there are plenty of free holiday email marketing templates available, like the one mentioned in Example 2. These templates can help you get started with creating a holiday email that's both festive and effective.
To make your holiday email more engaging, consider adding a personal touch, such as sharing your holiday hours and plans, like in Example 3. This can help your customers feel more connected to your brand and make them more likely to engage with your email.
Here are some ideas for holiday email subject lines:
- Ho-Ho-Ho-liday Sale!
- This is a Holiday Party in Your Inbox
- The No-So-Black-Friday Sale!
- It's a Digital Holiday Open House!
- A Very Merry Holiday Sale
- The “Too Cool for Cyber Monday” Sale
- A Gift from [Your Business Name]
Remember, the key to a successful holiday email is to make it personal, engaging, and relevant to your customers' interests. By using these tips and ideas, you can create a holiday email that's sure to delight your subscribers and drive sales for your business.
Client and Employee Appreciation
Client and Employee Appreciation is a crucial part of any corporate holiday email. It's essential to express gratitude to your clients and employees for their hard work and dedication throughout the year.
A genuine "thank you" is the main goal of client appreciation. Give a heartfelt message, reminding them how important they are to the business. The best holiday email examples are short and direct, so aim to get the message across using minimal copy and a simple newsletter layout.
You can also show appreciation by mentioning a specific project or shared goal that you've accomplished together. This will make the message even more personal and meaningful. For example, you can say "We're proud of what we've accomplished together on [project name]."
Employee appreciation is also vital, especially during the holiday season. Express your gratitude for their hard work and dedication by mentioning a key company achievement or milestone. This will make them feel valued and appreciated.
A well-crafted email can go a long way in showing your appreciation. Keep it short and direct, and make sure to include a personal touch. You can also offer an exclusive gift, such as a voucher or a discount code, to make the message even more special.
Remember, appreciation is the key to building strong relationships with your clients and employees. By showing your gratitude, you'll not only make them feel valued but also encourage them to continue working with you in the new year.
Why and How to Send
Sending holiday emails is a way to build closer relationships with your subscriber base, which can benefit your sales pipeline down the line.
A simple holiday email creates a warm, human-to-human connection, taking time away from business speak and promotions to show individuals they're appreciated and wish them well.
Holiday emails help keep your business top of mind, making potential customers more open to doing business with you when the new year rolls around.
By sending a holiday email, you can make a potential customer smile during the mayhem of the holidays, creating a positive association with your brand.
Intriguing read: Why Is the Subject Line of a Business Email Important
Timing and Preferences
Timing is everything when it comes to sending holiday emails. You want to respect your subscribers' preferences and avoid overwhelming them with too many messages.
To achieve this, it's essential to consider the diverse backgrounds and preferences of your subscribers. Holidays are highly emotionally charged times of the year, and some simply aren't celebrated universally, so it's crucial to give your subscribers the power to opt in or opt out of holiday-themed emails.
To implement this, you can include an initial opt-in option when subscribers first sign up for your emails, allowing them to select the types of emails they wish to receive, including a specific checkbox for holiday messages.
Here are some good timings for holiday emails:
- Early November: Warm up to your upcoming holiday emails.
- Mid-November: Teaser for Black Friday deals.
- Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Send exclusive offers.
- Early December: Gift ideas.
- Mid-December: Product promotions.
- Late-December: A ‘Happy Holidays’ greeting.
- Post-holidays: Reflection and gratitude email.
Additionally, make sure to include a clear and easy way to opt out of future holiday messages without unsubscribing from other types of communication. This respects the recipient's preferences while maintaining their engagement with your brand.
Best Times

Timing is everything when it comes to sending holiday emails. You want to make sure you're reaching your audience at the right moment to maximize engagement.
Early November is a great time to start warming up to your holiday emails. This allows you to build anticipation and get your recipients in the holiday spirit.
Mid-November is perfect for sending teaser emails for Black Friday deals. This creates excitement and gets your audience eager for the big day.
To maximize impact, consider sending exclusive offers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This is a great way to drive sales and get a head start on the holiday shopping season.
In early December, focus on sending gift ideas to help your recipients find the perfect present. This is a great way to position your brand as a trusted resource for holiday shopping.
Mid-December is a good time for product promotions, as people are looking for last-minute deals and discounts. Make sure to highlight your best offers and promotions during this time.

A 'Happy Holidays' greeting sent in late December is a thoughtful way to end the holiday season. It's a chance to express your appreciation and gratitude to your recipients.
Here are the best times for holiday emails:
- Early November: Warm up to your upcoming holiday emails.
- Mid-November: Teaser for Black Friday deals.
- Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Send exclusive offers.
- Early December: Gift ideas.
- Mid-December: Product promotions.
- Late-December: A ‘Happy Holidays’ greeting.
- Post-holidays: Reflection and gratitude email.
Respecting Subscriber Preferences
Respecting Subscriber Preferences is crucial to avoid alienating or offending your subscribers. You can't assume everyone celebrates holidays in the same way.
Including an opt-in option when subscribers first sign up for your emails is a great way to show you value their preferences. This can be as simple as a checkbox for holiday messages.
You should also send a separate email asking subscribers if they'd like to receive holiday emails. This shows you care about their comfort and trust in your brand.
Make sure every holiday email includes an easy opt-out process, so subscribers can choose to stop receiving holiday messages without unsubscribing from other types of communication.
Related reading: How to Transfer Text Messages to Email
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