Many email marketers overlook simple ways to stay in touch with their subscribers such as Thank You and Birthday campaigns. As we get older, we like to pretend birthdays don't mean as much to us. But your birthday is the one special day each year when you get to celebrate YOU More

Many email marketers overlook simple ways to stay in touch with their subscribers such as Thank You and Birthday campaigns.
 
As we get older, we like to pretend birthdays don't mean as much to us. But your birthday is the one special day each year when you get to celebrate YOU.
 
As I approached my special day this year I received a steady flow of Birthday messages from some of my favorite brands. Take a look at some of these examples for inspiration:

My Coke Rewards
Eye catching emptying glass reveals bday message; Subject Line: Happy Birthday to You, Tanya

Warner Brothers
20% of my next purchase; Subject Line: "A Birthday Gift for You!"

Macy's
Free Shipping: Subject Line: "Happy Birthday! Celebrate with Free Shipping"

Papa Murphy's
Free cookie dough; Subject Line: "Your birthday is fresh on our minds"

Alaska Airlines
10% off my next ticket purchase; Subject Line: "Happy Birthday - Get 10% off Your Next Flight"

Old Navy
$10 off; Subject Line "It's Your Birthday! Take $10 Off"

There were a lot of nice messages here, but in hindsight, what surprised me the most is how many companies I actively purchase from who missed the opportunity to engage with me on my birthday. Don't overlook how good it makes your customers feel to be acknowledged on their special day. By capturing date of birth (or even just birthday month) as part of your opt-in process, you can deepen your relationship with your subscribers and even generate some incremental sales from birthday promotions. If you don't have date of birth on file, consider conducting a simple data append to enrich your targeting possibilities.
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