TLDR: This blog outlines 12 email marketing strategies to help retailers make the most of the back-to-school season. These include:
- Offering discounts and bundle deals for school essentials like backpacks, lunch boxes, water bottles, and stationery.
- Giving value to customers through loyalty rewards, giveaways, and helpful tips in a back-to-school email newsletter.
- Following email marketing best practices like segmenting mailing lists, sending emails at the optimal time, re-engaging inactive subscribers, and monitoring campaign analytics.
Back-to-school season is upon us, and for retailers, it’s a golden opportunity. It’s that one time of the year when parents, students, and teachers are all out to shop. But with inboxes flooded with promotional emails, how can your back-to-school campaign stand out?
A smart retail email marketing strategy is the answer. In this blog, we’ll discuss 14 effective back-to-school email marketing strategies to help you grab attention and maximize conversions during the back-to-school rush:
Spotlight Back-to-School products
Create dedicated emails showcasing popular retail school supplies such as backpacks, lunchboxes, stationery, tech gadgets, water bottles, and school uniforms/clothing. Use high-quality visuals, and highlight key features or benefits, like ergonomic designs, eco-friendly materials, or trendy accessories, that make your offerings better than those of the competition. This gives customers a quick peek into what you have in store and might influence them to check out other things they didn’t know they needed.
Using PosterMyWall, designing eye-catching Back-to-school emails is fast and easy. Browse through the back to school email templates, select the ones that resonate with your brand, and customize them by adding your visuals and messaging.
Also, make sure to include multiple (but not too many) calls-to-action (CTAs), e.g., “shop now”, “learn more”, or “explore collection”, that direct readers to your website. With the right visuals, layout, and copy, product spotlight emails can directly boost conversions.
Segment your email list
Not all shoppers are the same. Segmenting your email list allows you to tailor content based on your audience’s preferences, demographics, or behavior. For example, parents shopping for young children will have different needs than those of college students or teachers.
Create segments by using data from past purchases, signup forms, or browsing history. Craft custom messages for each segment; e.g., you can spotlight dorm room essentials and electronics in emails to college students and classroom supplies for teachers. When subscribers see that your emails speak directly to their needs, they’re far more likely to engage.
Offer limited-time discounts
When shoppers know a deal won’t last long, they’re more likely to take immediate action. Here are some enticing discounts you can consider offering:
- Flash, 48-hour back-to-school sales
- Different discounts each day for a month
- Exclusive teacher discounts
Use striking and colorful email designs with urgent language like “Flash Sale Starts Now!” or “Surprise! 50% Off Backpacks: Today Only!” Let subscribers know these offers are rare and fleeting.
Send countdown emails
Whether you’re counting down to the start of a sale, the launch of a new product line, or the end of a discount period, countdown emails help keep your promotion top-of-mind.
You can space these emails out strategically. Start with a “3 Days to Go” message, followed by reminders at 24 hours, 12 hours, and 1 hour before your sale ends. Not only does this build excitement, but it also increases the chances of customers returning to your site before the offer expires.
Promote bundle deals
Bundle offers are a win-win for both retailers and customers. They allow you to sell multiple products in one go while simplifying the decision-making process for shoppers and giving them a sense of added value.
For back-to-school, you can create themed bundles like “Essentials for Middle Schoolers,” “Teen Study Survival Kit,” or “Teacher Toolkit.” Highlight how much customers save compared to buying items individually, and include reviews if available to give customers an extra nudge towards making purchases.
These not only simplify the decision-making process but also cater to specific customer needs.
Reward loyal customers first
Your existing customers are your most valuable audience; they already trust your brand. Subject lines like ‘You’re First in Line!’ or ‘VIP Early Access Starts Now’ can boost email open rates and drive immediate website traffic.
Use back to school email marketing to show your appreciation by offering them:
- Early access to your back-to-school sales, with a private link to shop ahead of the public.
- Exclusive discounts.
- Loyalty rewards, cashback, or points to encourage repeat purchases.
This not only makes them feel special but also gives them a reason to shop before others..
Send emails at the right time
Timing matters. Sending emails when your audience is most likely to engage can significantly increase open and click-through rates.
PosterMyWall Email Maker’s Send at Best Time feature looks at the average open rates for each mailing list based on the timestamp for each of your recipients, and uses these to calculate the best send time for each mailing list. Make use of this to ensure your back-to-school emails land in inboxes at just the right moment.
| Email Campaign Type | Recommended Send Date | Best Time to Send | Why It Works |
| Teaser / Sneak Peek | 4–6 weeks before school starts (early-mid July) | Tuesday or Wednesday, 10 AM | Builds anticipation and gives early planners a heads-up. |
| Early Bird Promotions | 3–4 weeks before (mid to late July) | Thursday, 9–10 AM | Attracts deal-seekers who want to shop ahead of the rush. |
| Main Sale Announcement | 2–3 weeks before (late July to early August) | Tuesday or Friday, 11 AM | Prime time for converting parents and students actively shopping. |
| Last-Minute Reminders | 1 week before (mid August) | Monday, 8 AM or 5 PM | Catches late buyers during work breaks or commutes. |
| Checklist / Essentials Highlight | 2 weeks before (early to mid August) | Wednesday, 10 AM | Helps shoppers ensure they haven’t missed anything crucial. |
| Weekend-Only Deals / Flash Sales | Every Friday or Saturday during August | Friday, 2–3 PM or Saturday, 11 AM | Capitalizes on weekend browsing and spontaneous purchases. |
| First Week of School Specials | First week of school (varies by region) | Thursday, 9 AM | Appeals to parents and teachers still needing last-minute items or extras. |
| Post-School Start Clearance | 1–2 weeks after school starts | Tuesday, 10 AM | Clears leftover inventory and attracts latecomers. |
Incorporate User-Generated Content
Adding user-generated content (UGC) to your back-to-school emails builds trust and authenticity. Featuring customers using your products is more likely to influence people to shop than polished product photos alone. Some examples of back-to-school UGC photos/videos include:
- ‘First day looks’, featuring your brand’s clothing, accessories, or school gear. Create a branded hashtag like #MyFirstDayFit or #BackToSchoolWith[Your Brand] to collect content.
- ‘What’s in my backpack?’.
- ‘Desk Setup contest’: Ask customers to showcase their at-home or dorm study setups featuring your decor, furniture, lighting, or tech accessories.
- ‘Back-to-school haul’ videos or unboxings, where customers share what they purchased from your store.
You can conduct a social media giveaway or contest to collect UGC. Ask customers to submit their photos with your products for a chance to get featured on your socials or reshare your giveaway post. Winners can get a gift card or bundle of products. Showcase the best submissions in your back-to-school email newsletter.
Include Back-to-School tips
Back-to-school emails don’t have to be all about selling. Adding helpful content, like school must-haves, style guides, or study hacks, shows you care about your customers beyond just making a sale.
Create an email series around weekly tips or include short advice blurbs within promotional emails. You could link to blog posts or add downloadable guides for added value. This positions your brand as a helpful resource, and keeps your emails from feeling too salesy.
Run a giveaway or contest
Everyone loves a chance to win something, especially when school shopping is draining budgets. Hosting a back-to-school giveaway or contest via email can skyrocket engagement, attract new subscribers, and boost brand awareness. Prizes could include:
- Full school supplies and stationery kits.
- Gift cards.
- Backpacks or accessories like water bottles, lunch boxes, notebooks, etc.
Promote the giveaway through a well-designed email campaign with a clear entry CTA. You can increase participation by encouraging sharing on social media or referrals to friends. Make sure to follow up with a “Thanks for Entering” email and eventually announce the winners. Even those who don’t win are more likely to stay subscribed and shop if they enjoyed the experience.
Re-engage inactive subscribers
Don’t neglect your dormant subscribers. The back-to-school season is a perfect opportunity to win them back with a targeted re-engagement campaign. Send a friendly ‘We Miss You’ or ‘Let’s Reconnect’ email with a special back-to-school offer just for them, like an extra 10% off or a free shipping code.
Using attention-grabbing subject lines is key, and you can easily generate some using the AI Writer in PosterMyWall’s Email Maker.
Also, personalize the email content as much as possible. You can insert the names, or any other information you collected from sign up forms, of the recipients in the PosterMyWall Back-to-school emails using merge tags.
Track and optimize your campaign
Monitor your email metrics (pen rates, click-through rates, conversions, and unsubscribes) to understand what’s working and what’s not. Use this data to make informed tweaks in real time.
A/B test subject lines, email layouts, CTA buttons, and sending times. Small changes, like changing the placement of a product image or rewriting a headline, can lead to big improvements in performance. Consistent monitoring allows you to maximize the effectiveness of each campaign and carry those insights forward to future seasonal promotions.
Win at Back to school email marketing
The back-to-school season is short, but with targeted, well-crafted email campaigns, you can make a big impact. With the 12 strategies shared above, you’re equipped to build a back to school email marketing campaign that helps you stand from the competition.
While highlighting trending products and offering attractive promotions are important, your emails should feel intentional and customer-focused. With the strategies discussed in this blog, you’ll be able to position your products as helpful aids or accessories for students and teachers. This way, your customers will keep coming back to you throughout the year.
Ready to level up your back to school email campaigns? Head over to PosterMyWall to start designing your emails today!
FAQs
1. What is the best time to start a back-to-school email marketing campaign?
Ideally, start your campaign in mid to late July and continue through early September. This gives shoppers enough time to plan, compare, and purchase before school starts. Utilize the PosterMyWall Content Planner to plan, organize and schedule your back to school emails.
2. Can I import my contact list from other platforms on PosterMyWall?
Yes! PosterMyWall allows you to import contact lists from other platforms via CSV files. This makes it easy to migrate your subscribers from tools like Excel and start sending back-to-school campaigns without rebuilding your list from scratch or manually adding contacts.
3. Can I make sign up forms on PosterMyWall?
Yes, PosterMyWall allows you to create sign up forms to build mailing lists. You can collect information such as names, emails, addresses, and phone numbers as well as any other information you’d like to know for your email campaigns.
4. Should I include videos or GIFs in my back-to-school emails?
Yes, adding short videos or GIFs can make your emails more dynamic and eye-catching. Just make sure they’re mobile-friendly and quick to load. You can find thousands of stock videos and GIFs in the PosterMyWall Email Maker’s stock library.
