4th of July Emails: Best-Kept Design Secrets [+5 Ideas]

There’s much more to Independence Day than just fireworks and BBQ parties. 

By sending perfectly timed 4th of July emails, you might just complete your annual sales target. One research states that Independence Day emails drive 32% more sales than standard marketing emails. Another study by NRF states that 4th of July is the eighth biggest holiday in terms of holiday spending. 

In this article, we disclose the industry’s best-kept secrets for designing impactful 4th of July emails. Make sure to take inspiration (read: steal) some Independence Day email ideas for your next campaign. 

Design Secrets for Impactful 4th of July Emails 

You’re not the only one sending festive emails to your target audience. Stand out from the crowd by following these fool-proof email design secrets. 

Make Your Subject Lines Festive 

Why can’t subject lines join the fun? 

The subject lines for your 4th of July emails must give reference to the holiday in question. Now we don’t mean you opt for spammy language and go overboard with festive emojis. The subject lines should quickly give an idea that the email revolves around 4th of July. 

According to a study conducted by Omnisend, including ‘Independence Day Special’ in the subject line will give you an open rate of 30.3%. Some other high-performing words for 4th of July emails are holiday, don’t miss, soon, and free.  

The purpose of your email should correlate with the subject line. If you want to wish your customers, your subject line should be like ‘Hey Roy, Wishing you a day of Hot Dogs, Fireworks and Baseball.’ 

On the other hand, if you want to promote a sale, you’re better off using ‘30% off for Independence Day Celebrations 🎉 Shop Now!’ 

Don’t Make Them Boring

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear fourth of July? 

Fireworks, BBQ get-togethers, or red and white cookies? Irrespective of what your answer is, one thing is constant - 4th July is a fun time for everyone!

When the holiday is anything but boring, why should your emails be? Play around with different fonts, make the US flag from your products, or show how you’re celebrating Independence Day. 

In 4th of July emails, use animations and GIFs to your advantage. Animation attracts more than static images do. Thus, you might show fireworks launching or smoke coming out from a grill. In short, your email should get your customers excited and ready to join the festivities. 

There are many online tools that help you create engaging emails. If designing emails isn’t your strongest skill, we’ve got you covered. Explore Unlayer’s 4th of July email templates to design emails within a matter of minutes. No coding skills are needed, and hey, it’s free. 

Get these templates here.

Create Urgency With Countdown Timers

This point is for those who see 4th of July as a marketing opportunity. Well, rightly so! What do holidays bring? Gifts and they cost money. It creates the perfect opportunity for you to boost your short-term sales. 

To make the most of your promotional 4th of July emails, add countdown timers in them. The latter creates a sense of urgency and initiates one’s FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). A series of emails can be sent; once when the promotion starts, once when half of the time has passed, and once a few hours before it ends. 

Don’t Forget Your Branding 

Your brand is your brand - no matter the holiday. Your celebration shouldn’t necessarily be loud. Society will still accept you if you don’t bedazzle your email with stars, fireworks, and the festive color palette. 

Be festive but keep your brand style intact. For example, use flag colors but merge them with your brand ones. Similarly, the email copy should include holiday-specific words, but your overall tone should be consistent with your previous email campaigns. 

Take the example of Aurate, a supplier of fine jewelry. Their branding is minimalistic and timeless. It revolves around their jewelry and features fuss-free backgrounds. Their independence day email was festive but still featured their iconic branding. 

Keep It Short 

No matter the holiday - it’s a busy day for everyone. Your customers have plans and places to visit. They don’t have time to read long, wordy email newsletters. 

If you want your emails read, keep them short and to the point. We suggest adding only one email body banner that explains the gist of your message. Keep words to the minimum for the maximum impact. Replace paragraphs with short phrases and use no longer than 3 images. 

One additional reason to keep your emails short is that no one is opening their laptops on holiday. Most of your customers will view emails on their mobile devices. If the email is too long, chances are your audience will click on the back button before they do on the call-to-action one. 

5 Festive Email Campaign Ideas 

Okay, you now know the best-kept 4th of July email design secrets, but which emails should you be sending? Take inspiration from the ideas below; 

1. Start a Flash Sale 

Offer a limited-time sale to boost your revenue. You don’t necessarily have to sell 4th of July related products; the promotion can be site-wide. 

Tommy Hilfiger promotes their Independence Day sale through a fun GIF-centric email. 

2. Host a Contest or Giveaway

If customer engagement is your main goal, there’s no better opportunity than 4th of July. Invite customers to share Independence Day celebration pictures or answer trivia questions. Make sure to offer a worthy prize to really get your audience excited. 

If you’re feeling extra generous, why not host a giveaway? Giggles Galore did something similar on Independence Day. 

3. Show Your Patriotism 

You are a proud American; why not show it? 

If you don’t want to offer a sale or host a giveaway, the least you can do is wish your audience. Get creative with your wish, just like Tattly did. 

4. Give Back to the Society

Ah America: The Land of Dreams. America and Americans have been great to you; why not return the favor? Any corporate social responsibility activity that you engage in should be highlighted via the 4th of July email you send. A benefit to the society and a good PR move: a win-win situation if you ask us. 

Learn from our friends at Khan Academy. 

5. Show How Far You’ve Come 

Get in the true spirit of holiday and share how your company has evolved over the years. Independence symbolizes birth - in this case, the birth of your brand. So why not celebrate that as well? 

Nobody does this better than Vineyard Vines. 

Wrapping It Up 

4th of July emails are a sweet opportunity to boost revenue and strengthen customer relationships. However, most marketers greatly miss the mark when designing Independence Day emails. Not anymore, though. 

Our email design secrets, along with creative campaign ideas, will surely make you the topic of discussion in the festive BBQ parties ahead.