Emailvision, recently recognised in the Deloitte European Fast 500 Ranking for the fifth consecutive year, is encouraging marketers not to shut up shop on Christmas Eve. Instead it is calling for marketers to take full advantage of the 'dead zone' between Christmas and New Year. Retailers are ramping up their online marketing activity as we enter the last few weeks before Christmas in an attempt to capitalise on the most profitable period of the year.

Few companies concentrate on targeting customers after December 25th but if planned properly, campaigns can be very fruitful. Many people are off work, may not be as busy as usual and are using breaks to shop online. Or they are looking to spend gift vouchers or take advantage of promotional pricing and 'January' sales.

Emailvision has put together its top tips for effective targeting over the Christmas holidays based in its work with over 2,000 organisations worldwide.

• It's not all about the sale: an effective email marketing campaign is one that achieves high response rates and engages recipients. This can be more about selling a 'look' for New Years Eve or encouraging brand loyalty, rather than bombarding customers with money off lots of different products at once.

• Tactful targeting: this is applicable all year round but ensuring that your database is appropriately segmented is key to increasing sales. Send people content they want and not information they will discard quickly.

• Festive follow-ups: 93 per cent of UK consumers plan to buy at least one gift online this Christmas - this is the perfect time to follow up with up-sell and cross-sell content, build brand loyalty and list sign-up for future campaigns.

One company maximising this approach between Christmas and New Year is uSwitch.com, the independent price comparison and switching service. "We find that people have had enough of Christmas TV and have a little more time on their hands during this period," said Lisa Pettit, Email Marketing Specialist at uSwitch.com. "By identifying our customer's needs and providing them with relevant email content, this campaign often proves to be one of the most effective of the entire year."

"Being smart about your brand and not missing out on potential sales in this period is absolutely key," said Nick Gold, UK managing director at Emailvision. "Companies can easily put together campaigns before the holidays, ready to go once people emerge from Christmas Day activities, maximising sales and boosting customer loyalty."

Emailvision oferece ótimos conselhos para aproveitar ao máximo o período do Natal