Yes Marketing Study Finds Brands Sent 25 Percent More Cyber Monday Emails Year-Over-Year

Cyber Monday emails sent in 2018 generated three times the conversion rate of standard emails, at 14 percent vs. 4.9 percent, solidifying the shopping event’s status as a powerhouse for driving purchases during the holiday season.

In its 2019 Holiday Marketing Guide, Yes Marketing analyzed more than 6 billion emails sent in Q4 2018. The report found that despite a 25% increase in adoption, Cyber Monday emails generated a 57% higher conversion rate in Q4 2018, a noteworthy year-over-year (YoY) increase that indicates Cyber Monday’s growing resonance with savings-driven holiday shoppers.

The study found that, despite generating higher conversions, open rates for Cyber Monday emails dropped by 10% YoY which suggests that as marketers increasingly use Cyber Monday themes in their Q4 campaigns, the competition for subscribers’ attention around these shopping events also intensifies.

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“Cyber Monday’s dominance has not abated, but the novelty of the event may be wearing off as more marketers are doubling down on their efforts to engage consumers with that theme during the holiday season,” said Jim Sturm, president of Yes Marketing. “To create messages that cut through the clutter, marketers must test the performance of different offers and personalized content to determine what resonates best with increasingly selective shoppers.”

The report found that select offer types drove significant boosts in conversions. Cyber Monday emails advertising “free shipping” generated a 32% conversion rate, making it the most effective offer type for driving purchases throughout the event. However, only 6.4% of brands used a free shipping incentive for their Cyber Monday campaigns, revealing an untapped opportunity for marketers.

While free shipping offers drove significant conversion rates, the report revealed Cyber Monday emails that did not feature a specific offer in their subject lines were effective in boosting open rates. Sixty-seven percent of Cyber Monday emails did not feature an explicit offer in their subject lines, and these messages boasted the highest open rate (12.2%) among Cyber Monday campaigns.

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“With more brands deploying holiday email campaigns, marketers must ensure they stand out through unique creative, impactful messaging or advanced personalization,” said Michael Iaccarino, CEO and chairman of Infogroup, parent company of Yes Marketing. “In order to achieve that, marketers must find a partner who offers the right balance of technology and services to reach consumers in new, unique and, above all, effective ways at the right time in their holiday shopping journey.”

Additional findings from the report include:

• Once opened, Cyber Monday emails without an explicit offer generated a conversion rate of 5.9%, suggesting a disconnect between the subject line, content, and consumer expectations.
• Despite being the biggest shopping day in December, Green Monday conversion rates decreased by 38% YoY and fell under the standard message average, due in part to advances in shipping options and online order fulfillment.
• Open rates for Green Monday emails fell by 17%, while click rates saw a slight uptick, and CTO rates increased by 48% YoY.

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