An Ultimate Guide to Summer Email Marketing: Subject Lines and Ideas for Your Campaign

Summer email marketing holiday calendar

Before diving into the specifics, get to know the upcoming holidays and events. That’s where a holiday email marketing calendar comes in. It’s a great starting point if you want to send relevant and interesting emails in the summer.

Pride Month (June 1st — June 30th)

Pride Month is an annual celebration and commemoration of the LGBTQIA+ community that takes place throughout June. With that in mind, Pride Month marketing presents an opportunity to show support for the LGBTQIA+ community and promote inclusivity. It’s a time for advocacy, recognition, and acceptance of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.

The Pride Month email from Starbucks ticks all the boxes. First, it features an eye-catching banner that’s relevant to the topic of the email. Second, it shows support for the LGBTQIA+ community by highlighting a relevant nonprofit organization. There’s also a CTA button that takes subscribers directly to that nonprofit’s website. 

Last but not least, the CTA button at the bottom of the message encourages readers to learn about other ways to support the LGBTQIA+ community. It makes the entire email much more effective by underlining that its purpose is both supportive and educational. 

Flag Day (June 14th)

Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the United States flag. It’s an opportunity to celebrate national pride and patriotism. You can incorporate patriotic themes into email newsletters. For instance, put the United States flag at the top of the newsletter message or come up with compelling subject lines that center around pride and celebration. Doing so creates a sense of unity and helps you connect with your subscribers.

If you need some inspiration, here’s a Flag Day email from a dinnerware company:

The heading of the Williams Sonoma campaign encourages the newsletter recipient to celebrate red, white, and blue. It makes for a nice and unique way to express patriotism. It’s not over the top. Instead, it plays into the theme of the holiday with class and elegance. To celebrate Flag Day, the company gave its customers 20% off an American flag dinnerware collection. The sale announcement is right below a photo of the collection.

Father’s Day (the third Sunday of June)

In 2023, Father’s Day is celebrated on June 19th. It’s a time to honor and celebrate fathers, stepfathers, and father figures. You can leverage Father’s Day email marketing newsletter to promote exclusive sales. Doing so is bound to resonate with subscribers who are searching for the perfect gift.

The newsletter email from quip is centered around a water flosser. It starts by creating a sense of urgency, as the special sale is going to last just one day. Then, the email outlines the benefits of the water flosser. 

The newsletter further emphasizes that the flosser is worth purchasing by mentioning that it won awards. A customer review is also used to highlight the quality of the product. Finally, the email ends with several call-to-action buttons, directing the reader to make a purchase.

Juneteenth (June 19th)

Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. Juneteenth email campaigns on this day can focus on promoting equality, Black history, diversity, and inclusivity.

Barnes & Noble did just that by promoting books about African American history and culture:

For starters, a colorful banner encourages newsletter readers to celebrate Juneteenth. Next, email recipients get a selection of books by African American authors. They are divided into sections, from cookbooks to novels, kids’ books, and, finally, history books. With this campaign, Barnes & Noble amplifies Black voices and educates its subscribers.

Independence Day (July 4th)

Independence Day marks the birth of the United States. With that in mind, focus on incorporating patriotic themes. Since Independence Day is traditionally celebrated with fireworks, barbecues, and gatherings, you could also promote products related to these traditions.

To give an example of an Independence Day email campaign, Spreadshirt showcases its wide selection of patriotic clothing:

The newsletter message above is written in a very positive tone. It begins with a photo of two people wearing Spreadshirt’s patriotic t-shirts. Underneath it is a coupon code for $5 off Spreadshirt’s products, which is meant to encourage readers to make a purchase. It’s accompanied by a CTA button leading to the company’s online store, as well as two patriotic headers (“Land of the free” and “More freedom-loving products”). 

In case the reader isn’t convinced, the email presents them with a few other products. This product selection includes aprons, pins, baseball caps, and other t-shirts. 

Labor Day (September 4th)

Labor Day is a public holiday that honors the contributions of workers. Although it isn’t a summer holiday, you can start Labor Day email marketing in August with exclusive sales. Make sure to highlight products or services that will help your newsletter subscribers make the most of their long weekend or end-of-summer plans.

Winc settled for offering a limited-time deal on wine bottles:

Unlike many Labor Day emails, this newsletter message is fairly simple and minimalistic. It features the company’s signature black, which brings out the email’s contents. It starts off with a header that draws the reader’s attention to a low product price. This, in turn, encourages them to make a purchase.

Under the header, there’s a CTA button and a picture of a bottle of wine in an ice bucket, as well as a discount code. Below is a fun and relatable paragraph connecting wine with Labor Day and yet another call-to-action button. It links to the company store, which makes it easier for the recipient to make a purchase.

Other email purposes to consider

Consider writing about other events that typically happen in the summer. In case you need help, read on! We created a short list of such events you can use as a handy point of reference.

• Backyard barbecues. With warmer weather, people often gather for outdoor barbecues and picnics. Share grilling tips, recipe ideas, or recommend products that enhance the outdoor dining experience.
• Beach and pool parties. Emphasize summer fashion trends, swimwear, beach accessories, and skincare products suitable for fun days spent by the water.
• Summer travel. Encourage your audience to explore new destinations or provide tips for planning a summer vacation. Share travel-related content, such as packing lists, itineraries, or destination guides.
• Outdoor sports and activities. Highlight outdoor activities popular during the summer, such as hiking, biking, camping, or water sports. Promote related gear, equipment, or adventure travel packages.
• Music festivals. If your target audience includes music enthusiasts, promote upcoming music festivals, share lineup announcements, or give away tickets.
• Summer reading. Recommend books for leisurely summer reading or create book club promotions. Consider partnering with authors for book signings or virtual author events.
• Gardening and outdoor decor. Provide gardening tips, showcase outdoor furniture, planters, or tools for those interested in sprucing up their outdoor spaces.
• Family fun. Mention family-friendly activities, such as visiting amusement parks, zoos, or local events suitable for kids during the summer break.

Using these summer events, you can add a sense of seasonal relevance to your campaigns. It should also help you create engaging and relatable content for your subscribers. Just remember to tailor the content of each email to the industry you work in. For instance, if you specialize in selling travel insurance, promoting local music festivals would probably be a bit odd.

Effective summer email marketing ideas for your campaign

Summer presents a fantastic opportunity to launch sales, promote offers available for a limited time only, and provide summer-related tips, among other things. Below, you will find a few effective ideas to infuse summer vibes into your email marketing campaigns.

Send out summer greetings

Extend warm summer wishes to your subscribers through newsletters. Celebrate the season by sending well-crafted, vibrant emails conveying the joy and energy of summer vacation. This way, you can build a positive connection with your audience.

This newsletter includes a message filled with summer vibes. It’s reminiscent of summertime vacation, which really adds to the message. The email even encourages newsletter subscribers to visit the winery in person. Below that is a call-to-action button prompting the recipient to discover the winery’s online store.

Promote summer-themed products or services

Harness the spirit of summer by featuring products or services designed for the season. Showcase your offerings with an email newsletter design resonating with the desire for adventure, relaxation, and fun.

Greats released a special summer-themed shoe collection all about blue hues. The reason for that is simple. As the message above states, the color blue is reminiscent of the summer’s color palette. The photo of one of their shoe models is followed by a call-to-action button. It creates a sense of urgency by encouraging the newsletter subscriber to shop now. 

Offer exclusive summer discounts and promotions

Newsletter readers don’t want to open their inboxes and read countless marketing emails in the summer. To make them interested and engaged, marketers can use exclusive newsletter discounts and sales. Create a sense of urgency by emphasizing limited-time offers. Also, consider using catchy summer-themed coupon codes to encourage swift action.

The Lane Bryant email above is dedicated to a huge summer sale. The discount amounts are the focal point of the entire message. The background is a photo of blue skies, which is reminiscent of sunny summer weather. Below the percentage numbers are three call-to-action buttons. Each one contains a link to a different section of Lane Bryant’s online store. All in all, the email here is the perfect summer email, as it’s focused on both grabbing the subscribers’ attention and making them think of the summer. 

Host summer contests, giveaways, and collaborative campaigns

Engage your audience with interactive summer contests, giveaways, and collaborative campaigns, such as influencer marketing campaigns. To encourage participation, offer enticing prizes that align with the season. These could range from beach accessories and outdoor gadgets to cash prizes.

Cover FX decided to combine a summer giveaway with a collaborative marketing campaign. Subscribers just have to follow both its and the other company’s accounts. After that, they have to complete one of the actions listed under the photo featured in the message. The photo is very aesthetically pleasing, which reflects the brand’s image and messaging. It also features the company’s top products used in the summertime. To add to the message and make it more engaging, the company added a discount code and a CTA button leading to the online store. 

Provide summer-related tips and advice

Establish your brand as a trusted source of information by offering summer-related tips, advice, and hacks. From skincare tips to travel itineraries, offer content that keeps your subscribers engaged.

EyeBuyDirect educates its customers on prescription sunglasses. The message begins with a photo of a woman looking into the sun. She’s wearing sunglasses. Under the photo is a paragraph of text and a call-to-action button. Both encourage the newsletter recipient to check out the company’s guide to UV light and prescription sunglasses. It’s an important topic that many people might want to learn more about. There’s also a discount code and yet another call-to-action button close to the bottom of the message.

Examples of summer email subject lines

Crafting compelling subject lines is crucial to getting people to open newsletters. If you don’t know how to do it just yet, don’t worry! In the following section, you will find examples of subject lines tailored for the summer.

Flag Day email subject lines

Celebrate Flag Day with these captivating email subject lines. They capture the patriotic spirit and the significance of the American flag.

Father’s Day email subject lines

Make Father’s Day extra special with these heartwarming and thoughtful newsletter email subject lines. Focus on the love, appreciation, and memories shared with dads, stepdads, and father figures.

Juneteenth email subject lines

Commemorate Juneteenth, a momentous day in African American history, with these empowering and informative email subject lines. They promote unity, education, and celebration.

Independence Day email subject lines

Ignite your Independence Day marketing campaigns with these spirited email subject lines. Each one is packed with excitement, fireworks, and unbeatable deals to celebrate America’s birthday.

Labor Day email subject lines

Gear up for the long weekend and make the most of Labor Day promotions with these enticing email subject lines. They emphasize rest, appreciation for workers, and family-friendly activities.

General summer email subject lines

Gear up for a summer of success with these hot and enticing email subject lines. Whether it’s relaxation, adventure, or simply enjoying the warmth, these subject lines will ensure your messages sizzle and stand out in the inbox.

Tips and best practices for summer email marketing

To ensure your summer email marketing campaigns reach new heights, follow a few essential tips and best practices. These guidelines will help you create engaging email experiences for your subscribers.

Keep your emails mobile-friendly

In 2021, 42.4% of email opens were via mobile. What’s more, in the summertime, many of your subscribers might be checking email on the go. For that reason, optimize your summer email newsletters with mobile viewing in mind. Ensure responsive email template design and clear CTAs to deliver a seamless user experience across all devices.

Analyze and measure your campaign’s success

Keep a close eye on key metrics, such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. Dive deep into your analytics to gain an understanding of your customers’ behaviors and engagement patterns. This way, you’ll make data-driven decisions and fine-tune your future campaigns for maximum impact.

A/B test your emails

Take advantage of A/B testing to experiment with different subject lines, content variations, and design elements. By collecting and analyzing this data, you’ll gain insights into what resonates best with your audience. This, in turn, will allow you to fine-tune your strategy and achieve optimal results.

Continuously improve your email marketing strategy

Keep the momentum going by continuously improving and evolving your approach. Stay up to date with industry trends, customer preferences, and feedback. Seek out new strategies, techniques, email template designs, and tools that can elevate your campaigns. By staying proactive and embracing change, you’ll ensure your email marketing efforts pay off.

Final thoughts

As you embark on a summer email marketing journey, here are the three key takeaways to keep in mind:

• Craft attention-grabbing subject lines that resonate with the summer season. Use creativity, urgency, and relevance. By doing so, you make your brand more memorable.
• Take advantage of the summer spirit by aligning your products or services with the season. Promote summer-themed offerings and provide exclusive discounts and sales. You could also offer valuable tips and advice related to summer activities.
• Follow best practices for success. Test and measure your campaign’s performance and conduct A/B testing. Better yet, do so using the best email marketing service possible. Then, keep on refining your overall email marketing strategy for maximum impact.

Using these recommendations, you can create engaging and impactful summer email campaigns with ease. Now, get ready to dive into the world of summer email marketing success!