How to Prepare Your Email Marketing Program for the New Year
Originally published in 2021. Updated for 2026.
As the final days of 2025 approach, now is the perfect time to give your email marketing program the reset it needs. Your holiday campaigns are almost over, and soon you can catch your breath and take some time off. Before entering the new year, use this moment to reflect and reset on your marketing efforts.
January is prime time for setting goals, and your email strategy is no exception.
1. Analyze Your 2025 Holiday Campaigns
I know that diving back into analytics right after the holidays doesn’t sound fun. But this is the time to do it. Everything is still fresh, and your holiday performance can shape your 2026 strategy.
A couple of questions to guide your review:
Did you meet your campaign goals? (If not, now’s the time to set them for next year.)
Which messages drove the most engagement or conversions?
You also likely gained many new subscribers. Segment this group now and start tracking their behavior. Did they sign up for a one-time offer, or are they potential loyal customers?
And don’t forget your lapsed subscribers. If they didn’t re-engage during your busiest season, it may be time to either run a reactivation campaign or remove them to protect your deliverability.
💡 Pro Tip: Use your holiday learnings to prep for all seasonal campaigns—think Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and beyond. Holiday strategy isn’t just for Q4.
2. Reset and Refocus Your Goals
January is resolution season, and the same should hold for your email strategy. Setting clear, measurable goals ensures your program stays aligned with business priorities.
Here are a few smart goal areas for 2026:
• Revenue goals by quarter (based on last year’s numbers + realistic growth)
• Engagement metrics like click-through or conversion rates
• Redefine email’s role in your business—whether it’s retention, acquisition, or nurturing
• Consider adding SMS – The SMS channel is an excellent complement to your marketing strategy
3. Evaluate (and Clean) Your Data
“Data cleanse” might sound intimidating, but it’s one of the most impactful things you can do. If someone hasn’t engaged in months, they’re likely dragging down your deliverability. This is the perfect time to use third-party tools like ZeroBounce to identify which contacts might no longer be engaged with the email channel, or to try to win them back. Reminder, a clean list is a healthy list, and the list size isn’t all that important.
4. Check Your Automations
Your January reset should include a full review of your automated campaigns.
Ask yourself:
• Is the content still accurate and seasonal?
• Are these automations still aligned with your primary goals?
Start Fresh in January
Much like a good January cleanse, your email program might need a cleanse, too. Take advantage of this week to evaluate your email program so that come January, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running.
Here’s to a great 2026!