It’s officially the season when shoppers are making their lists and checking them twice. But for brands who are trying to really wow their customers this Q4, holiday planning can be a whirlwind. From planning promotions to ensuring your inventory is just right and creating those must-have gift guides, the to-do list seems never-ending. But fear not, for we've prepared a sleigh-full of tips and tricks to make this holiday season as smooth as frosting on a cake.
As you're likely aware, having a well-crafted email marketing strategy is non-negotiable for Q4 success. Email is your trusty companion for nurturing leads and enticing loyal patrons and those abandoned cart stragglers back to your holiday store with a touch of sweetness and a dash of spice. If you're as sharp as a gingerbread cookie (or a perfectly frosted cupcake), you've already put in the elbow grease to create your holiday email flows – but a little extra inspiration can make all the difference.
The key to crafting email campaigns that leave a lasting impression is a subject line that's as delightful as a bite of your favorite holiday treat. So, in the spirit of sharing, we've revisited some of our top-performing email subject lines from the holiday season’s past. Prepare for a recipe of irresistible holiday subject lines that will leave your subscribers craving more.
Our Recipe for Success
First things first, let’s take a quick look at the ingredients. To bake in a strategy that converts, your email subject lines will need to be:
- Concise. The last thing you want is for your message to get cut off – so be mindful of the character limit (four to six words and under 30 characters). Too much information can overcomplicate things. Keep the subject line short and sweet! Provide the necessary information customers need but don’t be afraid to add a little spice of secrecy to entice them to learn more. Something like, “Your super sweet discount code is inside!” This informs customers of the necessary information (a sale) and that the code is inside the email. If you need a little more wiggle room, the preview is a great spot to put secondary information.
- Key information goes first! Lead with the essential details. Don’t leave them to the end – they could get cut off if you go over the character limit.
- Create urgency and FOMO.It’s the holiday season, which means your customers’ inboxes are already flooded with emails. So, how do you stand out? FOMO! Make sure subscribers know that this deal is a limited-time offer and that they need to click the email to actually get their discount. The more urgency you create, the sweeter your success!
- Use actionable verbs. Now is not the time of year to be vague. Shoppers are hungry! Provide an action that you want your customers to take. Something like, “Get this deal while it’s HOT!”
- Include numbers. Numbers have power. Instead of “twenty percent off,” say, “20% OFF!” See how much more striking that is? It grabs the customer’s attention. Stats are another thing to bake into your subject lines. For example, say something like, “95% of customers LOVE this product!”
Spice Up Your Emails With the Sweetest Seasonal Subject Lines!
Halloween
While Halloween may be behind us, we’ve whipped up a few scream-worthy subject lines to save for 2024! After all, it’s never too early to start thinking about next year. Have a slice of these spooktacular subject lines:
- We’re Creepin’ It Real With Scary Good Deals! 🎃
- Don’t Get Ghosted – 👻 Last Chance To Save 15%!
- The Afterlife Of Our Sale Is Approaching…🪦🥀
- No Tricks, Just Treats! 🎃🍬
- Don’t Be Haunted By Bargains You Missed! 💀
- You’re The 🎃Of Our Eye!
- BOO! A Scream-Worthy Sale Is Coming…🧟♀️
- Happy Spooky Season From Us To “Boo!” 🎃👻
11/11: Single’s Day
- 11:11 Make A Wish. Save 11% Today Only! 💸✨
- Singles Day Specials: A Solo Shopping Spree! 💃
- Celebrate Being Single With Sweet Savings
- All The Singles Ladies! Save 11% 💍
- 11:11, Did You Wish For A Sale? 😉💸
Veteran’s Day
Salute our heroes and commemorate Veteran’s Day with honor and respect. As this significant day approaches, your business can show appreciation for our veterans and active-duty military personnel while offering them some sweet savings. To help you craft the perfect Veteran’s Day email campaigns, we've prepared a collection of subject lines to express your gratitude and attract shoppers looking to celebrate and support our veterans:
- Salute To Savings: Veteran’s Day Deals Inside! 🎆
- We’re Honoring Those Who Served With Savings 🎖️
- Remembering And Saving: Veteran’s Day Discounts Await 🇺🇸
Thanksgiving
Gather around for subject lines to be thankful for! Tapping into all the fall feels is key here. Play up gatherings with family and friends, celebrating all the things we’re thankful for, and of course, all the feast-worthy food to get shoppers hungry for sales. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, these subject lines are sure to work up an appetite:
- Autumn New Arrivals + Fall Favorites! 🍂
- Gobble Up These Thanksgiving Deals!🦃
- Gather ’Round For Sweet Savings! 🥧💸
- We’re Thankful For You. 🧡Enjoy 50% Off!
- Gobble Up An Additional 50% OFF! 🍽️🦃
- Your Fall-Nomenal Deal Is Inside!🍂
- Seasonal Styles Worth Falling For…🍂
Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the biggest shopping days of the year. With so many shoppers taking advantage of sweet savings to make their holiday purchases, this is a huge opportunity to make sales. But informing your customers about your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals is just half the battle. You’ll need to create a lot of hype, urgency, and FOMO to get customers from their inboxes to your site’s storefront. Here are a few subject line ideas for inspo:
- The Sale You’ve Been Waiting For All Year Is Here!
- The Countdown To Black Friday Is ON! ⏳
- BFCM Deals Like This Don’t Last Forever…⏳
- Your Black Friday Survival Guide 👀
- See What You Can Save Cyber Weekend 💸
- Blink…And You’ll Miss It 👁
- The BIGGEST Savings Of The Season
- TGI Black Friday! 💥
- Why Wait ‘Til Friday? Black Friday Deals Came EARLY!
- Friday Is Just The Beginning…💰
Small Business Saturday
As the holiday season unfolds, this special day is about championing local businesses and showing some extra love to the heart and soul of our communities. To help your small business shine, we've whipped up a batch of subject lines that will entice shoppers to support local and savor the savings. So, dust off your welcome mats, and let's dive into these Small Business Saturday email subject lines that will make your customers feel right at home:
- This Saturday: Shop Small, Save BIG!
- Shop Local, Support Locals 🏘️
- Shop Small: Discounts That Make A BIG Impact 💪
- Small Biz, BIG Deals: Shop Local And Save 🛍️💸
December Holidays
From wishlists to season’s greetings, the most wonderful time of year would not be complete without email subject lines that target the long-awaited December holidays! While Christmas usually dominates content this time of year, we believe in inclusive marketing to target a much larger target audience. From the more popularized holidays like Christmas and Hannukah to those less widely celebrated seasonal events like Winter Solstice, here are a few ideas to sweeten up your December promo emails:
- Season’s Greetings From Holiday Savings ☃️
- Be The World’s Best St. Nick With Just One Click! 🎅
- Rock The Christmas Clock With Time-Saving, Last-Minute Gifts! 🎄
- The Joys Of Holiday Savings Await…✨💸
- Wrap Up Super Savings That Keep Your Stockings Stuffed! 🎁
- ‘Tis The Season For Savings! 🎄
- It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of Year For A Sale! ❄️
- Sleigh Your Wishlist With These Last-Minute Gifts 🎁
- Challah For These Chanukkah Deals 🕎
- 8 Days of Savings! 💸
- We Like You a Latke! 🌟
- Gift Ideas For All 8 Nights Inside…🎁🕎
- Light Up Your Holiday With Hannukah Savings! 🕎
- Eight Days, Eight Deals 🕎
- Shine Bright With Hannukah Savings: 8 Nights of Deals 🌟
- Embrace the Solstice With Winter Savings ❄️
- The Longest Night, The Biggest Discounts 🌙
- Celebrate the Solstice With Cozy Savings! ☕❄️
- Welcome Winter With Warm Deals: Solstice Savings Await 🧣
New Year’s and End-of-the-Year Deals
Whether you’re clearing out your inventory with a flash sale or dropping a new collection for the new year, now’s the time to keep shoppers consistent following the holidays with top-tier subject lines! With 2023 on the horizon, customers are in the mindset of becoming the best version of themselves. New Year’s resolutions are top-of-mind (like eating healthy, working out, checking off bucket-list items, and meeting career goals), so take advantage of this. Play up how your products can help customers kick off the new year and meet their goals. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- The Last Sale Of The Year
- Send Off 2023 With A SALE!
- New Year, New YOU!
- Inside: Your First Look For 2024
- Glow Up Your Wardrobe This Year 🛍️✨
- Your Closet Is So Last Year…
- The 🗝️ To Becoming The Best You
- Unlock The Best Version Of YOU 🔓
- Cheers To NEW Products 🥂
- Celebrate The New Year With A Deal! 🍾
- Get THE Looks Of The Year…
- The 🗝️ To Meeting Your 2024 Goals
- CRUSH Your New Year’s Resolutions!
- New Year, New Arrivals
Crush Your Email Marketing Goals with CakeCommerce!
The secret to making this year the sweetest one yet: CAKE. To learn more about how we can elevate your email marketing strategy, contact our team.
