Why Most Seasonal Emails Are a Waste of Space
I’ve seen it a thousand times with Brisbane businesses. December hits, and suddenly every plumber, landscaper, and boutique shop owner in South East Queensland decides to blast their entire database with a generic "Merry Christmas" email.
It’s usually a stock photo of a reindeer and a 10% discount code that expires in two days.
Here is the blunt truth: those emails are a waste of your time. They don’t get opened, they don’t get clicks, and they certainly don’t put more money in your bank account. In fact, if you’re just "blasting" people, you might be doing more harm than good by annoying your best customers.
Seasonal marketing isn’t about acknowledging a holiday on the calendar. It’s about timing your offer to when your customers are actually ready to spend money. Whether it’s the pre-Christmas rush, the EOFY tax scramble, or the quiet slump in February, your emails should be designed to solve a specific problem your customer has right now.
The Real Value of Your Email List
If you’ve been in business for more than a year, you’re sitting on a goldmine: your customer list. These are people who have already opened their wallets for you. They trust you.
Getting a new customer in Brisbane right now is expensive. Facebook ads are getting pricier, and Google is a battlefield. But sending an email to someone who already knows you? That’s almost free.
When we talk about seasonal campaigns, we aren't talking about being "festive." We are talking about using the time of year as an excuse to get back in front of people and remind them why they should book you again. If you do this right, a single email can fill your calendar for a month.
Timing Is Everything: The Three-Phase Approach
Most business owners send their seasonal emails too late. If you’re a tradie and you send a "get ready for summer" email in December, you’ve missed the boat. Everyone is already booked, or they’ve spent their money on presents.
You need to think in three phases:
1. The Early Bird (The "Beat the Rush" Phase)
This happens 4–6 weeks before the season hits. Goal: Fill your schedule before the chaos starts. The Message: "Avoid the December madness. Book your house wash/service/consultation now and we’ll give you a priority slot." Why it works: It appeals to people who like to be organised and helps you manage your cash flow before the holiday shutdown.2. The Peak (The "Last Minute" Phase)
This happens 1–2 weeks before the big date. Goal: Capture the procrastinators. The Message: "Last chance for guaranteed delivery before Christmas" or "Only 3 spots left for January bond cleans." Why it works: Scarcity drives action. When people see that time is running out, they stop thinking and start clicking.3. The Recovery (The "Quiet Month" Phase)
This happens in the slump—usually January or February for many Brisbane businesses. Goal: Keep the lights on when everyone else is quiet. The Message: "New Year, New Look" or "Post-holiday maintenance special." Why it works: You’re offering value when your competitors have gone dark.Don't Just "Blast" Your List
One of the biggest mistakes I see is sending the exact same email to every single person on your list. If I just bought a new air conditioner from you last month, I don't want an email telling me to buy one this month. It makes you look like you don't know who I am.
You should be optimising your messaging to suit different groups. Send one version to your "VIPs" (people who spend a lot), one to people who haven't booked in a year, and one to people who just signed up.
If you treat everyone the same, you’ll find that more of your messages start ending up in the junk folder because people stop engaging with them. If people aren't opening your emails, Google and Outlook start to think you're a spammer. To avoid this, you need to make sure you stop sending to junk by keeping your content relevant to the person reading it.
What Should You Actually Say?
Stop trying to be a poet. Small business owners often get stuck trying to write "clever" copy. You don't need to be clever; you need to be clear.
A good seasonal email follows a simple structure: 1. The Problem: "It's going to be 35 degrees next week and your AC hasn't been serviced in a year." 2. The Solution: "We’re doing a Summer Prep special for North Lakes residents." 3. The Deadline: "We only have 12 spots left before the heatwave hits." 4. The Action: "Click here to book your spot or call us on [Phone Number]."
That’s it. No fluff, no 2000-word essays. Just a clear reason for them to give you money.
The Cost of Doing This Wrong
I often hear business owners complain that "email doesn't work." Usually, when I look at what they're doing, they are using a "free" platform that is actually costing them thousands in lost sales.
If you use a cheap or free tool that doesn't actually deliver the emails to the inbox, you're wasting your time. We've written before about email platform costs and why "free" is often the most expensive option for a growing business. If your emails aren't being seen, they can't make you money.
Realistic Expectations: How Long Until You See Results?
Unlike SEO, which is a long-term play, email marketing is almost instant.
Day 1: You send the email. Day 1-3: You see the phone start ringing or the bookings come through your website. Day 7: The tail-end of the results comes in.If you send a seasonal campaign and nothing happens, it’s usually one of three things: your list is too small, your offer is boring, or your emails are going to spam.
For a typical Brisbane tradie or local shop with a list of 500–1,000 past customers, a well-timed seasonal email should comfortably generate enough work to pay for itself ten times over. If it’s not doing that, you’re doing it wrong.
What to Do First
Don't wait until the week before Christmas to figure this out. Here is your game plan:
1. Export your customer list. Get it out of your invoicing software (like Xero or ServiceM8) and into a proper email tool. 2. Pick one season. Start with the next big one. If it’s October, focus on Christmas. If it’s May, focus on EOFY. 3. Create a "VIP" offer. Reach out to your best customers first. People love feeling like they got a "head start" on a deal. 4. Keep it simple. One image, three paragraphs of text, and one big button that says "Book Now" or "Shop Now."
Need Help Making This Happen?
Most business owners we talk to in Brisbane are flat out. You’re busy on the tools, managing staff, or dealing with suppliers. You know you should be emailing your customers, but it’s always the last thing on the to-do list.
At Local Marketing Group, we don't care about "brand awareness" or "engagement metrics." We care about how many phone calls you get. We help local businesses set up these systems so they run on autopilot, bringing in bookings while you focus on the job.
If you want to stop leaving money on the table and start using your email list properly, reach out to us here. Let’s get your calendar full for the next season.