During the holidays, consumers are surrounded by marketing and sales promotions making it extremely difficult to cut through noisy inboxes. Therefore, the early preparation for the holiday is the better.

The below findings reveal insights into the most effective tactics for retailers in preparing for the holiday season:

1. Plan ahead early: 33% of retailers who began preparing for the season in 2016 before September reported a very successful, compared to 22% who began preparing in September or later.
2. 2017 outlook is optimistic for email marketers: 59% of those who find email marketing to be the most effective channel are expecting a better holiday season in 2017.
3. Include a fun holiday coupon to be used at a later date: 59% of retailers will prioritize promotions and discounts this season.
4. Personalize emails to customers: 40% said that the most effective boost to email marketing efforts was personalization.
5. Social media is the gift that keeps giving: 72% of retailers say Facebook was the most effective social platform for the 2016 season.
6. Social media integrations will be a bigger focus this year: 42% of retailers are planning to focus more on social media integrations this year, making them the up-and-coming boost of the season.

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