Plan the whole year around the seasons

We often say an email strategy succeeds by sending the right information to the right person at the right time. Concretely, though — when should you send?

You need a sending plan, and that plan has to move toward the goal step by step. Start by recognising how relationships between people are built, because our relationships with customers follow the same rule. Someone has to know you first, then gradually like you, then try you — and if the experience is good, over time they come to trust you.

So how do you start, and get people to know you? You need a pretext, a reason to send. From the recipient’s point of view the question is: what has this email got to do with me? The simplest answer is to send around the seasons and the festivals.

Western New Year’s Eve and New Year — a greeting card, valuable information about the season, and an email with a gift or offer.

Lunar New Year’s Eve and New Year — a greeting card, valuable information about the season, and an email with a gift or offer.

Lantern Festival — a greeting card, an email of valuable seasonal information, and an email with a gift or offer.

Easter — a greeting card, an email of valuable seasonal information, and an email with a gift or offer.

Labour Day — a message of goodwill, an email of valuable seasonal information, and an invitation to an event.

Buddha’s Birthday — a message of goodwill, an email of seasonal information, and an invitation to an event.

Dragon Boat Festival — a greeting card, an email of valuable seasonal information, and an email with a gift or offer.

Hong Kong SAR Establishment Day — a greeting card, an email of valuable seasonal information, and an invitation to an event.

Mid-Autumn Festival — a greeting card, an email of valuable seasonal information, and an email with a gift or offer.

National Day — a greeting card, an email of valuable seasonal information, and an invitation to an event.

Christmas — a greeting card, an email of valuable seasonal information, an email with a gift or offer, and an invitation to an event.

Following the above already gives you forty emails. Add some regular promotional campaigns and a few responses to unexpected events, and you have plenty of valuable email that recipients will look forward to.