Inbox Insider: Start your holiday e-mail plans

With Labor Day over and the weather cooling down, summer is officially behind us. Kids are back to school and marketers are back to work. For e-mail marketers, now is the time to buckle down and get a holiday e-mail plan into effect, if you haven't already done so.  

The holiday season is crucial to retailers, who make most of their money during the third quarter of the year. And this year, on the heels of the recession, a good holiday season is even more critical. So it is important to plan early and have an online marketing plan in place. So start your planning now. 

Since more marketers are getting into the e-mail space, the competition is stiff. Still, with a good plan in place, you will be sure to connect to your customers. Consumers will shop on tighter budgets this year, so offers with percentages off and free shipping will be of value to the shopper.  

In addition, consumers will be overloaded with messaging around the holidays, so e-mail marketers should think about the content of the e-mails to connect with them, but not overwhelm them. For example, a simple text offer with a nice image of the product could be a good approach. Making an emotional connection to the item without overwhelming consumers with too much information is a good way to make the connection.  

Another idea is to send offers for related goods in transactional items. This can help upsell products that might make nice stocking stuffers. This kind of e-mail will be appreciated, as you help consumers navigate their gift shopping and help them check off their shopping lists. 

No matter what your approach this holiday season, now is the time to start planning.