Black Friday and Cyber Monday: 50+ Email Subject Lines That Convert

Black Friday and Cyber Monday. An important weekend for your small business for the total yr.

Consumers anticipate large offers—and so they’re prepared to purchase. 2023 generated a record $9.8 billion in online sales, up 7.5% from 2022.

However all the pieces you *assume* you recognize about your viewers is totally different throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday, partially as a result of your subscribers are actively trying to store and aren’t essentially searching for themselves.

“Shopping for habits and shopping habits are so totally different throughout Black Friday,” says Jaina Mistry, Director of E-mail and Content material Advertising right here at Litmus. “The large focus in your subscribers is on offers. It’s positively not a time you need to be working any A/B assessments. You need to have your advertising and marketing technique locked in.”

We’ve been watching Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BF/CM for short) trends for years, so we all know a factor or two about what is going to allow you to stand out within the inbox. Constructing your Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns begins together with your e mail topic line. At present, we’re speaking about why optimizing for the complete inbox expertise is necessary, highlighting just a few of our favourite e mail topic line methods, and providing up oodles of topic line concepts so you will get impressed.

Desk of contents:

The psychology behind nice Black Friday and Cyber Monday e mail topic strains

Your subscribers get tons of, if not 1000’s of emails throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday season. In response to e mail service supplier (ESP) Omnisend, e mail entrepreneurs despatched 183 million emails on Black Friday in 2023. The typical open price? A measly 5%. 

Your topic line is additional necessary if you need your subscribers to open these emails, so let’s get inside your subscriber’s head for a minute:

Take note of the complete inbox expertise, not simply topic strains

Whereas your topic line is the primary occasion, don’t sleep on the remainder of your inbox envelope: Preview textual content and your from identify. Every component is necessary with an inbox as crowded as it’s throughout this season.

The topic line is simply as efficient as the remainder of the inbox expertise. Be sure it matches with the remainder of your envelope—and contemplate experimenting by including your model identify into your topic line or preview textual content to reap the benefits of the goodwill your model has been constructing all yr lengthy.

“When your subscribers are scanning their inboxes for Black Friday, they’re taking a look at sender names first, so ensure it’s clear and recognizable,” says Mistry. “That is one time the place it’s necessary to make use of your model identify and never so-and-so at your model, or tack on different key phrases simply because you’ll be able to.”

If you happen to haven’t already verified your e mail program with BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification), undergo the method earlier than Black Friday season hits. Not solely is it a useful deliverability software, it additionally provides you the good thing about including a verified sender brand picture subsequent to your sender identify and topic line within the inbox, making you stand out extra.

Worry vs. enjoyable

FOMO is a really actual emotion you’ll be able to (and may) harness in your e mail campaigns. However for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, eeeeverrrybody makes use of “LAST CHANCE” or “This deal ends quickly!” Your subscribers know that there’s going to be one other deal subsequent week, and one other main as much as the top of the vacations. Cease mendacity to them that you simply’re bought out or that you simply received’t be working any extra offers in your bestselling objects.

As an alternative of invoking worry of lacking a deal, have a bit of enjoyable with it.

“A giant purple X or the ‘final likelihood’ wording shouldn’t be making me really feel linked with a model,” says Product Advertising Supervisor Angie Weyman. “Subscribers are sensible, and so they perceive that manufacturers have an amazing deal to supply throughout this time of yr. It’s not essential to scream. Let’s lean into the whimsy of the season to provide subscribers a optimistic emotional connection.”

Lead with story, not simply gross sales

Sure, it’s all about offers. However it doesn’t must be the one factor you discuss in your Black Friday e mail promotions.

Lead with story.

Bear in mind why somebody is likely to be eager about your eCommerce or retail model within the first place—and why they need to purchase now. Perhaps it’s the deal you’re providing, or possibly they’ve been excited about treating themselves with one thing new for months and ready for it to go on sale. Perhaps they’ve lastly give you the proper present concept for somebody particular. Perhaps they actually need to have a good time this yr with one thing additional festive.

Put yourselves within the footwear of your subscriber and craft an e mail marketing campaign that’s going to resonate with them by including worth that goes past the deal of the day.

We’d argue there’s a method to do each.

Prime performing e mail topic line methods

Crafting excessive performing e mail topic strains in your Black Friday campaigns isn’t straightforward. Whereas each model goes to have a distinct strategy, preserve the following pointers in thoughts:

Be constant throughout each channel, not simply e mail

Black Friday and Cyber Monday function the end result of all of that arduous brand-building work you’ve completed as an e mail marketer this yr. The truth is, 60% of Cyber Weekend gross sales are pushed by customers who engaged with a model’s prior advertising and marketing e mail, according to Klavyio’s data.

Each e mail you ship must be a part of a cohesive, multi-channel marketing campaign that features social media, internet advertising, and your web site copy. That’s why you’ll need to create a campaign brief in a collaboratively saved place so you’ll be able to preserve everybody on the identical web page in your plans:

• What number of Black Friday emails you intend to ship all through the month, and while you’ll ship them
• What reductions and affords you’ll make, and whether or not or not they are going to escalate or keep the identical
• Your segmentation and personalization plans, akin to particular campaigns for subscribers who’ve bought from you earlier than
• How you’ll interpret your model in your designs (colours, fonts, animations, illustrations, photos) and what your general design theme will probably be
• Whether or not or not you’ll design BF/CM-specific triggered emails, like deserted carts

“If somebody subscribes to your emails, they could even be conserving in contact with you in different methods,” says Mistry. “Tee up your viewers earlier than Black Friday utilizing the identical language and imagery so when folks see that within the inbox, they’re excited for what’s inside.”

Put together your subscribers for offers

Subscribers know that offers are coming for Black Friday…and the complete month of November. (The primary “Black Friday” campaigns hit our inboxes as early as November 1st final yr 😱) 

Give your subscribers time to arrange by teasing your offers forward of time.

“I really like when manufacturers reap the benefits of making ready their subscribers,” says Weyman. “Signing up for early entry or just teasing with a ‘one-of-a-kind provide is on the best way’ messaging works nicely. I really remembered throughout the chaos of Black Friday to take a look at sure affords as a result of I used to be curious from earlier campaigns.”

If you happen to’re going to incorporate Black Friday affords in your topic line, ensure you comply with via with the remainder of your e mail physique and call-to-action (CTA), too. Don’t tease a deal after which go away your subscriber hanging. Meaning offering a direct hyperlink to your sale and utilizing imagery that matches your offers, too. 

Overlook about personalization simply this one time

We’re large followers of personalization right here at Litmus, so don’t get us incorrect once we say: Perhaps, simply this one time, you’ll be able to overlook about it. E-mail advertising and marketing legend Chad S. White put it finest in a recent article for CMSwire:

This technique helped us enhance new subscriber numbers throughout our numerous vary of newsletters.

“Throughout the vacation season, subscribers are (principally) searching for others, so the zero- and first-party knowledge you’ve been amassing all yr isn’t more likely to be very helpful for tailoring messages.”

—Chad S. White

What this implies for topic strains: Don’t fear about making them tremendous customized.

is nice in case you’ve acquired it. (And sure, we all know we actually at all times say that first identify isn’t actually benefiting from the sorts of e mail personalization you are able to do. Black Friday and Cyber Monday simply hit totally different!) And in case you don’t, it’s okay to say “only for you” as an alternative of constructing it extra particular.

As an alternative, take note of the present givers in your e mail listing, in addition to new subscribers who’re in search of particular offers for his or her family and friends. Making this intention clear in your topic line can go an extended method to serving to out of us in search of simply the correct one thing.

It is a excessive stakes time, so it’s one much less factor to fret about in your (very lengthy) e mail advertising and marketing guidelines.

What about emojis? 🤷

Find it irresistible or hate it, emojis are a good way to face out in an inbox.

Until… all people else is utilizing the identical ones.

“There’s an inclination for manufacturers to make use of the identical ones again and again—I’m taking a look at you, purple siren and purple alarm clock. The manufacturers that use emojis in artistic methods are those that stand out to me,” says Weyman. “The largest factor to recollect is to not change phrases together with your emojis, as that’s dangerous accessibility observe.”

Deal with emojis that talk to your model probably the most. If you happen to would by no means use an emoji the remainder of the yr, then don’t do it now. (The dolphin emoji is an extended standing joke right here at Litmus—we by no means, ever use it in emails or in any other case. We received’t even kind it right here…IYKYK.)

Be artistic!

Sure, Black Friday is excessive stakes. However that’s precisely why it’s best to do one thing additional artistic in your e mail advertising and marketing campaigns as an alternative of what (ahem) everybody else is doing 👇

No matter campaigns you run, ensure it seems to be and feels prefer it’s from your model and nobody else’s. “Entrance load your topic line with probably the most pertinent data and get proper to the purpose, as a result of your subscribers are scanning your inbox otherwise than a typical day,” says Mistry. “And this isn’t the time to repeat and paste AI ideas for topic strains into your campaigns. Be artistic and do one thing totally different.”

Let’s check out a few of our favourite e mail topic line examples from Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns in previous years:

50+ of the most effective e mail topic line examples in your Black Friday/Cyber Monday campaigns

And now, what you’ve all been ready for! Yearly our group receives 1000’s of emails throughout the BF/CM season—listed here are just a few favorites that can allow you to get extra opens and conversions:

E-mail topic line examples by promotion kind

As you intend out your season, map out which coupon goes out when, in case you’re doing unique offers by section, and whether or not or not you’ll provide deeper reductions at any level.

If you happen to’re providing a sure share off, inform subscribers that proper up entrance. This instance from Onsen provides pleasure whereas main with a deal:

Supply: Really Good Emails

Why it wins:

• It states precisely what sort of deal you’ll be able to anticipate (no trickery to get the open)
• The exclamation level provides pleasure—Black Friday purchasing is enjoyable, in any case
• The parentheses make it cute

Listed here are just a few extra deal-forward examples:

Supply: Really Good Emails

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You may also provide other forms of offers to make subscribers prepared to purchase, like free transport or a free present. You may also use language like, “at some point solely,” “flash sale,” or “save large” in your topic line. What issues is you’re clear in regards to the deal proper within the topic line, like this one from Everlane:

Supply: Really Good Emails

Why it wins:

• The deal is first within the phrase order of the topic line
• It calls out who the deal is for (you, vs. presents)

Listed here are just a few different examples of sales-driven topic strains:

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E-mail topic line examples by viewers kind

Your customers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday could behave otherwise than regular, shopping throughout classes they usually wouldn’t contact. That’s as a result of a lot of them are on the hunt for presents (along with a deal with or two for themselves).

Take a break from offers and return to the “why” behind shopper conduct this season with topic strains that concentrate on present giving. This BarkBox topic line is so on-brand:

Supply: Really Good Emails

Why it wins:

• It creates an in-group for his or her viewers (canine folks) 
• It’s clear that it’s about gift-giving

And some different gift-y examples for you:

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Reward-giving is all in regards to the vacation season, and that features Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. You don’t must avoid vacation messaging, however in case you do go large on Santa and reindeer, ensure you’re not neglecting the opposite holidays that occur this season, too.

Starbucks at all times has pun-tastic, attention-grabbing topic strains, however the extra delicate vacation theming for this one makes it an amazing instance:

Supply: Really Good Emails

Why it wins:

• It doesn’t scream Christmas, nevertheless it’s apparent what it’s about
• It performs on a nostalgic, fan-favorite Christmas music
• It evokes emotion/feeling

A number of extra holiday-specific e mail topic strains we favored:

Supply: Really Good Emails

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One pattern over latest years is working “anti” Black Friday campaigns. This doesn’t imply they must make a press release in opposition to consumerism, a la REI’s #OptOutside marketing campaign. Taking a break from the deal-centric messaging will help you generate extra gross sales in the long run. We favored this one from Article:

Supply: Really Good Emails

Why it wins:

• Opposite topic line makes it’s a must to open it
• Refreshing honesty builds belief
• Reaffirms model’s distinctive perspective to make sure they’ll be remembered after Black Friday

Listed here are just a few extra topic line examples that give customers a break from offers:

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E-mail topic line examples by timing

“Black Friday” encompasses greater than a single day, so that you’ll probably have emails at numerous levels throughout the month of November and December that go together with this theme.

Begin by prepping your subscribers to prepare for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers they’re going to obtain with “early fowl” or “teaser e mail” Black Friday e mail campaigns. Not solely does this create a way of pleasure, it could actually additionally assist your subscribers keep in mind which emails they’re most wanting ahead to when their inboxes refill. Considered one of our favourite pre-Black Friday topic strains did an amazing job of enjoying into this type of curiosity:

Why it wins:

• Emojis add to the sense of caprice and don’t change phrases
• Questions make subscribers need to come again for extra
• The entire thing is a play on their largest deal

A number of extra examples of “early” Black Friday e mail topic strains:

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Then, while you’re able to launch your largest deal of the yr, ensure you’re loud and proud about it. This e mail instance from Fossil is a brief and candy topic line that also manages to drag off a pun.

Supply: Really Good Emails

Why it wins:

• It’s quick and to the purpose
• Since Fossil is a watch model, it’s a good way to make a pun
• It conveys a way of urgency

Get extra artistic than “Black Friday sale begins now.” A number of extra examples of day-of Black Friday sale campaigns:

Supply: Really Good Emails

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Lastly, you’ll need to let your subscribers know when Black Friday ends. That’s why we beloved this topic line from Gravity Blankets:

Why it wins:

• Nice use of brand-specific emoji 
• With out shouting, it will get the purpose throughout shortly
• We’re at all times right here for an excellent pun!

Language like, “final minute,” “final day,” and “don’t overlook,” all work as nicely. Bear in mind, in case you’re going to go together with “final likelihood” messaging, don’t run one other deal per week later. Be sure it truly is the final likelihood. Listed here are just a few extra methods to say “final likelihood” with out, y’know, saying it.

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Just a few nice Black Friday e mail topic line examples

A few of our favourite topic strains we discovered don’t match neatly into one field. Listed here are just a few extra of our favorites:

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Have the most effective Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BF/CM) with Litmus

Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns could make or break your quarterly earnings. Litmus’ e mail design and testing instruments makes certain your emails will probably be good come the massive day. Try how Litmus will help you nail your Black Friday campaigns!

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