November Newsletter Ideas Your Subscribers Will Love

November has a lot of notable days — and we mean a lot. Some of them celebrate historical events and religious traditions. Others unite people around important social causes or remind them of pleasant things in life, like family, art, and favorite food. During November, your newsletter can bring the holiday spirit into the hearts of your readers, call for a positive change in the world, or simply remind customers of your hot deals and best products. 

Here are some November newsletter ideas to add to your email marketing schedule before the Christmas season.

First week of November

Day of the Dead

Halloween is traditionally considered the grand finale of October’s spooky season. But you can keep the spirit going with the Day of the Dead, or Día de Los Muertos. This holiday holds a special place in the Mexican Catholic tradition. During the two-day festivities, people celebrate their late relatives and connect with their families through gatherings and feasts. Have you ever seen creepy, but colorful sugar skulls? It’s one of the symbols of the Día de Los Muertos. Other rituals include town-wide parades and ofrendas — home altars with food and drinks, dedicated to late relatives.

Day of the Dead is an important occasion if you have a large Mexican audience. You can offer discounts on anything from food to makeup, or interact with your readers by asking them to share their costume ideas and family-related stories.

National Author’s Day

November 1 is the day to celebrate outstanding authors and their work. People share their favorite books, support their favorite authors, and talk about literature in general. If you are in the book business, this is your time to shine! 

Unwrap your hot book deals and bring in those Top 10 must-reads that customers can buy from you. Even if it’s not your niche, you can join in on the fun by dedicating your newsletter to books that inspire your work or might go well with your products, as Zuzu did here.

Second week of November

Election Day

A big day for the whole nation, Election Day in 2024 comes on November 5. Politics is a polarizing subject, so instead try to focus on what this day means for the American way of life. Election brings the whole nation together so that everyone can have their say in really important things. 

For example, look at Everlane’s Beyond the Vote campaign from the 2020 voting campaign. It addressed the issue of voter suppression and successfully raised donations for the ACLU.

National Sandwich Day

One of the many food-related celebrations in November, National Sandwich Day (November 3), is all about that simple but delicious dish. This is a must-have marketing occasion for any food-related business. 

Dive into sandwich history, share recipes with mouthwatering photos, and don’t forget about a strategically placed discount for your hungry readers.

National Stress Awareness Day

Stress is a big part of our life, so here is a special day to acknowledge it. On November 6, center your marketing content around overcoming stress and becoming happier and healthier. Maybe your brand has some stress relief products? Or do you have some tried and true practices that help to unwind? 

In this example, Cannaray markets products to de-stress as well as some self-care content in their blog.

Third week of November

Veterans Day

November 11 marks the day that the Armistice was signed at the end of World War I. The date spawned several national holidays like Remembrance Day in the UK and Veterans Day in the USA. Recognized as a legal holiday in 1938, Veterans Day celebrates world peace and commemorates military veterans of the Armed Forces.

Singles Day

Originating in Nanjing University, Singles Day started as a way for single people to find company at specially organized parties. The date, November 11, features four 1s in a row, which perfectly reflects the idea of the celebration. What began as a student initiative then turned into a nationwide shopping and entertainment event. You can use Singles Day as an opportunity to address young and single audiences, as opposed to the more family-oriented Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales.

World Kindness Day

On November 13, let’s show a little bit of kindness to each other. This day highlights positive change, community work, and respectful coexistence. Make every little thing count — you can donate a percentage from each sale to local NGOs, or partner with a project that needs funding to make the world a bit better, telling all about it in your newsletters.

To many, World Kindness Day is an opportunity to promote their brand while doing some good. Here is a collaboration by two brands helmed by Lady Gaga: $2 from each purchase at Haus Labs goes to the Born This Way Foundation, aimed to support youth mental health. 

Fast Food Day

One of the nation’s most favorite guilty pleasures, fast food has its own day on November 16. Just think about all of the cheeseburgers and french fries and try not to drool too much. It is a field day for restaurant owners, so don’t hold back on special offers and bonus programs. Or you can put a twist on it and use this occasion to talk about slightly healthier diets and ways to keep yourself in shape.

Fourth week of November

World Children’s Day

Started by the UN in 1956, World Children’s Day aims to protect kids and improve their lives all over the world. On this day, events and celebrations are held to raise funds for children-oriented social programs, help those in need, or make someone’s dream come true. On Children’s Day, companies can lower their prices to make their products more accessible to younger audiences and their families.

Brands can also invite kids to parties and masterclasses to have some fun the way Bvlgari did in partnership with Gigi Datome. The Italian champion gave children a basketball lesson and gave them a motivational speech, which was highlighted in the brand’s marketing newsletter.

World Hello Day

Hello Day is another November world peace-related event. It aims at bringing people together and encouraging communication instead of fighting. On November 21, one is expected to greet at least ten people they know or don’t know.

Originating in the 1970s as a response to the Yom Kippur War, World Hello Day became a worldwide call for diplomacy and peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Newsletters offer a great opportunity to reach out to a lot of different people at once, so this day is very easy to participate in by just saying hello to your audience. If you want to address the original theme of the day though, read our guide on inclusive marketing before you include any sensitive topics. 

Fifth week of November

Thanksgiving

One of the oldest US traditions is all about unity, family, and history. On Thanksgiving, we gather at a family table for an amazing dinner, share stories, and connect through generations. This is the main family occasion during the fall, which kicks off the holiday season and runs until Christmas and New Year. 

On Thanksgiving, it is customary to not just market your products but also share the spirit of the festivities, like we are all one big family. For inspiration, take a look at this Disruptive Advertising newsletter which goes full meta on how to create perfect Thanksgiving emails.

Black Friday

The next day after Thanksgiving is the most hyped-up sale of the year. Companies boast their biggest discounts while customers rush to spend the money they saved for the whole year. Based on your worldview, you have two choices. You can participate in the big day head-on like most businesses, or use a more careful and ethical approach while taking a jab at consumerism. Depending on the audience you cater to, both ways may have their benefits, so it’s really up to you.

There’s the middle ground too. In this announcement, Fred Perry claims that Black Friday doesn’t align with the brand but opts to participate in it anyway, sending 10% of every purchase to donations.

November newsletter ideas for week-long events

There are several week-long celebrations in November that mainly focus on the world around us and the way we communicate with it and each other.

World Communication Week (November 1-7)

This week-long observance is all about communication, both in our everyday lives and in the workspace. Started in 1988, World Communication Week exists to share best practices in personal and business-related conversations.

This, of course, includes digital communication, so your newsletter is the easiest way to participate. You can take things even further and announce a webinar or a conference, where your audience can give their feedback and ask questions about your business.

Geography Awareness Week (November 13-17)

Held by the National Geographic Society, Geography Awareness Week is a way to deepen our understanding of the world around us. The week celebrates the nature and culture of different regions of Earth, calling for us to think about our impact on the planet.

It is a great opportunity to tell more about yourself in your newsletter — where you are located, where your products come from, and what it means for your company and your customers. Things like these widen your brand image and help to establish a deeper connection with your audience.

November newsletter ideas for month-long events

Let’s take a look at some month-long celebrations you can use in your November newsletter to bring attention to some societal and historical points of interest.

Movember

Also known as No Shave November, this month-long event sheds light on male health issues. Participants of Movember put off shaving razors for the whole month, growing a mustache or a full beard. The intended purpose of the act is to focus on the other side of masculinity — exclusively male problems like prostate cancer and other diseases. 

During this month, health- and hair-related content is welcome. You can run a campaign to crowdfund a local medical center, call for donations to patients, or simply offer discounts for health and beauty products for subscribers who participate in Movember.

Native American Heritage Month

Established in 1990, Native American Heritage Month appreciates the tribal history of the land. This annual observance grew from the National Native American Heritage Day, which is held after every Thanksgiving. The Native American legacy is a particularly great theme to explore in educational newsletters. It’s also a good choice for all things tourism, non-profit organizations dealing with social justice and decolonization, or small local businesses

Nature and history are among the most popular topics, as highlighted in this email by Vero. It emphasizes the connection between the elements, and touches on the continuity between Native Americans and current workers of the land.

Subject lines to use in your November campaigns

Having a strong and inviting subject line is a key to success — making a good first impression is important! So, if you want your customers to open and click through your newsletter, begin with a good subject.

Here are some examples that you can use in November:

• [Holiday name] discounts are finally here!
• Get ready for some family time with our [holiday name] sale
• Let’s celebrate [holiday] together. 50% off selected items
• LAST CHANCE for [holiday]
• Exclusive [holiday] offer
• Get [holiday] deals before they’re gone
• The [holiday] sale is HERE

Tips to make your November newsletter even more effective

To stand out during such a busy holiday season as November, your emails should be powerful and flawless. Here are some things to look out for to improve your chances of success. Stick to these practices to make your newsletters even more effective any time of the year.

Use clear and simple CTAs

A CTA, or call to action tells your readers what to do next. In most cases, it’s a button with an external link and a copy that tells your customers what will happen if they click it. You can encourage your audience to check out new and amazing products, use their discount or learn something new. 

Words like “discover”, “shop now”, “learn about”, and so on, are some of the simplest and clearest CTAs that customers can follow. However, you can get more creative, depending on your brand’s ToV — for example, make the interactions with your email feel like a dialog with CTAs like “Take me to the store” or “I want to claim my offer”.

Create striking designs

In email marketing, the visuals are just as important as the email content. Images must be appealing, and the elements should flow one into another flawlessly. In this article, you’ve seen enough examples to use for inspiration. To make things easier, check out our other articles on email design.

Email builders like Selzy offer an effortless way to create striking designs, often providing eye-catching templates for any occasion.

Personalize your newsletter

Personalization is especially important in email marketing. Unique subject lines and merge tags are a must-have but you can take things one step further and put together personalized gift guides and recommendations. Use every piece of information about your customers, so you can really meet their needs and leave a strong impression.

A/B test your newsletter

Testing is an important step in any campaign. It helps you learn more about how emails perform, what can be improved, and what ideas work best. A/B testing is a common practice that involves sending several versions of the same email with subtle tweaks in subject lines, content, or design to a fraction of your subscribers. The improved click and open rates will tell you which variant works better and deserves to be sent to the whole subscriber base.

Final thoughts

Using holidays in marketing is an old tradition that is still just as relevant in our times. Focusing your newsletters around important observations is one way of always keeping in touch with your customers and reminding them of yourself as often as you want.

To make the most of it, follow these steps:

• Each month, check out the nearest holidays and pick ones that are relevant for your audience and business.
• Pick attention-grabbing subject lines.
• Personalize the newsletters and pick the right templates.
• A/B test your emails and choose the ones that perform better.

Use this article to check on the upcoming holidays and other important occasions in November. We hope that our calendar will help you always get new ideas and bring in more clients each month.