• by Jess Nelson , November 21, 2017

Email marketers can expect a competitive inbox this week, as email volume skyrockets during the Thanksgiving weekend. 

Brands deploying email marketing on Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2016 rose 55.4% and 42%, respectively, compared to the year before according to eDataSource. More than 1.5 billion emails were sent from MailChimp alone on Black Friday last year, with another 1.4 billion emails sent from the email platform on Cyber Monday. 

Consumers will be inundated with promotional offers over the next week, making it very difficult for brands to stand out from the crowd. One possible option for creative-minded marketers might be to leverage unconventional hooks during November and December to gain consumer attention. 

Green Monday, for example, was only utilized by 6% of brands in email marketing campaigns, according to a study by Yes Lifecycle Marketing, but it generated 50% higher conversion rates than standard emails. 

Smaller retailers may want to advertise Small Business Saturday on November 25, and the following day -- Shopping Reminder Day -- is another opportunity for marketers.

Those with a sweet tooth might be tempted by National Cookie Day on December 4, National Brownie Day on December 8, Gingerbread House Day on December 12, and/or Chocolate Covered Anything Day on December 16. The emphasis on sweets during this time of the year could also be an opportunity for health and fitness brands to share healthier options, or to encourage New Year’s Resolutions.

Those who are doubling down on a Christmas theme this year may want to advertise St. Nicholas Day on December 6 or Ugly Sweater Day on December 19.

To diversify, marketers could also advertise Hanukkah from December 13 to December 20. Kwanzaa this year will last from December 26 to January 1 and the Winter Solstice is on December 21.

Sporting goods stores and outdoor athletic retailers could leverage “International Mountain Day” on December 11 as a promotional hook in marketing campaigns, and any retailer could benefit from promoting Free Shipping Day on December 15. 

The spirit of giving isn’t represented by wrapped presents underneath a tree, and philanthropic organizations have a lot to work with in November and December. November 28 marks the National Day of Giving and December 10 is Human Rights Day.

There are also several historic milestones in December that charities could leverage to entice donations. 

The Bill of Rights was added to the United States’ Constitution on December 15, 1791. The 13th Amendment -- abolishing slavery in the United States -- went into effect on December 18, 1865. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was sparked on December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat. 

This Christmas also marks the anniversary of the 1914 cease-fire on the Western Front of World War I, when German and British soldiers stopped fighting to sing carols, exchange gifts, and play soccer.