Back to School: What To Put In Email Marketing Calendars [+ Inspiration & Examples]

Back to School is a prime season for retailers and eCommerce businesses (and the product categories vary from regular school supplies, all the way to electronics, apparel, footwear, and more). 

The Raging Back to School Market: Why Should You Care? 

In the year 2020, back to school spending per household in the United States was already increasing over the preceding two years and reached $790 dollars. 

Further, it’s critical to note that it’s not just adults who do the shopping. On an average, the average teenager in the United States spent $45.35 of their own money on back to school goods. 

According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, grew by 5.5%* in 2021 alone, compared to 2020. 

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What Products Are Part of Back to School?

The product categories are many, but some of the most popular ones are as follows: 

Now that we’ve established just how important the back-to-school category in retail eCommerce is, let’s look at some inspiration for email marketing campaigns, examples of back-to-school promotions, and more. 

Note: Even if your eCommerce business has nothing to do with any of the back-to-school products or product categories, the examples and email marketing campaign ideas are invaluable. 

First, Create an Email Calendar or Email Campaign Inspiration List. To make things easier for you as far as email marketing inspiration, Back-to-school campaign ideas go. 

Sign up with Panoramata, create a list (you’ll find the option in the left side panel), use the high-powered (and easy-to-use) search options available, and look out for gold. 

To kick your efforts into gear, we’ve already curated a Back-to-School Email Marketing Campaign list. 

Feel free to use, tweak, rearrange, redo the list. 

Outdoor Voices 

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Outdoor Voices does some really smart things with their email campaigns and ads. Take a look at one of their recent email campaigns. 

• The products are in full-display, with a well-made moving set of images (right inside the email -- no need to click “next”. 
• Aimed at a slightly older audience, the image that Outdoor voices uses gets right to the point. 
• The headline uses a language the target audience recognizes and uses -- a lot. 
• Even the subject line is intended to make it seem like it’s coming from a friend (and not a brand). 

‍Casper

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Take a look at this back-to-school campaign from Casper Mattresses. 

What we love about this campaign: 

• Showing an image of a real person using the actual product is always a smart idea. The next best thing to actually “feeling” the mattresses (as you’d in a physical store). 
• Short copy format is punchy, subtle, and has a direct offer. 
• The headline with “...still going” subconsciously tells the reader that it could “end” soon. Fear of missing out (FOMO), anyone? 

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The Sill 

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The back-to-school campaign for The Sill doesn’t waste any time nor does it make you guess. The instant you open the email campaign, you know what it’s for, what the offer is, and more. 

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What we love about this campaign: 

• The “no nonsense” direct offer (15% off) 
• Copy that helps add more context to the offer just made (above). 15% off your favorite plants and accessories. 

Get loads of inspiration and an almost unending list of creative ad campaigns and email campaigns on Panoramata. Further, create your own email marketing calendar for Back-to-school campaigns

Prep up for your own campaigns, watch what other eCommerce businesses do for marketing, deep dive into insights for each campaign, and more. 

Back to School campaigns are all the rage now, and there’s a good reason for it.