What Should TPTers Email in Summer (to actually get opens)
No one is reading your emails.
It’s June and your open rate is dropping like 2020 gas prices.
Should you stop emailing during the summer? If no one is reading, why should you put forth the effort to write the emails?
Because if no one is opening, you’re sending the wrong content. (Aaannnd you should ask your teacher audience to update their email address to a personal one around April so they still get your emails through summer.)
Teachers aren’t teaching.
Not only are teachers not teaching, but they don’t even want to think about teaching.
Most teachers fall into two categories. They either don't want to about teaching until they’ve absolutely, positively been forced into Target kicking and screaming to buy their entire back to school list.
Or they want to start planning the next year. Before the current one is even out.
Either way they aren’t looking for products, tips, or strategies. Which is what you normally send, right?
(BTW, you have a reason you are emailing besides selling products, right? If not, read this first.)
The solution to stay top of mind during the summer is to send a special summer series.
Teachers are just escaping the halls of t.e.d.i.o.u.s. frustration. The last thing you want to do is to destroy their happiness high by letting them know it’s all over in 8 weeks 56 days.
That’s a great way to tank your open rates, click rates, and massively increase your unsubscribes.
In fact, using the following special summer series technique I have nearly the open rate in the summer that I have during the rest of the year. (Maybe a 0.5-1% decrease).
Instead of focusing your email list on your products and your agenda, put yourself in your audience’s position. What would help you in summer as a teacher? And would also still be on topic for your niche?
Whatever you do, do not send teachers the same emails that are selling your products like the rest of the year. Make these emails relevant to them really enjoying summer life.
Help Teachers Relax
Teachers desperately want to relax. But, they are wound up tight, pressurized, and so anxiety-coated that they don’t know how to relax.
Help them spend the first few weeks with ideas that will help them relax.
But you don’t want to lose those who might teach outside the US or in year round school. So make it slightly related to your teaching niche.
Molecular gastronomy for chemistry teachers. Gardening for biology teachers. Learn to crochet for art teachers. An online book club for librarians. Greased pig catching for Kindergarten teachers. It doesn’t need to be earth shattering.
Help Teachers Learn a New Skill
Make sure the skill isn’t 100% school related.
Help teachers make better mocktails via flavor science. Help them junk journal if your audience is art teachers. Introduce them to bread making if your audience is biology teachers.
Many teachers say, “I’ve always wanted to _.” Help them achieve that through your summer emails.
Make it relatable to their career, but still bucketlistable.
Help Teachers Prepare for Back to School Going Back
Helping teachers prepare for back to school is tricky.
You need to time it just right. Teachers know back to school it’s coming, but don’t want to admit it.
But on the flip side, you can make back to school it SOOOO much easier.
The secret is to wait until it really is back to school season. (Which is not when Target thinks it’s back to school season.
Then be as clever and strategic as possible when talking about this. Do not put B2S in your headlines at all until it is B2S season.
Summer Email Strategy
So no you shouldn’t bury your head in the sand and keep emailing. (Even if your open rates drop like TPT store views in 2023). And don’t stop emailing either.
Instead look at what’s going on in the life of teachers. What do they want in the summer? How can you help them with their goals?
If you’re stuck, look at these summer templates that help teachers relax and go on local adventures.
