70+ Best Performing Black Friday Email Subject Lines
Try Publicate For Free Today
Start Now
Black Friday is approaching and marketing teams everywhere are making plans for their most successful Black Friday yet.
But what if we told you that getting the basics right is one of the best ways to get results during this season?
Solid Black Friday email subject lines can make your emails irresistible, which has a positive impact on conversion rate (and, therefore, sales!). Here are 70+ Black Friday subject line examples and best practice tips to put you ahead of the curve.
When 64% of users choose to open emails based on the subject line, spending time to get it right pays off.
Here are some reasons why subject lines crafted to promote Black Friday deals are so effective when done well.
Present a limited-time offer to compel subscribers to act quickly. You can use your subject line to create FOMO (fear of missing out) by outlining low stock levels or deadlines.
You can use customer data to personalize subject lines. For example, use your subscriber’s first name or mention a recent purchase or item they browsed.
This personal touch increases relevance and feels like a one-on-one conversation with the subscriber, so they’re more likely to open the email. (Your recipients are 26% more likely to open emails with personalized subject lines!)
Subject lines that clearly communicate your offer grab attention, engage your audience, and make the process smoother for your recipients. Shoppers know exactly what they’re getting and why they should open your email.
Insider Tip: To maximize engagement and ensure the email itself continues to offer value, use an email builder to design emails. Email builders come with hundreds of professional, highly engaging templates for Black Friday and beyond.
With a drag-and-drop editor, they save lots of time on the design process (and take away the need to hire a coder or designer!) Email builders are packed with other great features like performance analytics, a multimedia library and real-time collaboration. Plus, you can export your designs to any email service provider, including Outlook and Gmail.
Bringing a little curiosity to your subject line can make the email irresistible. Aim for something your subscribers just can’t ignore and watch how open rates soar.
Black Friday has evolved from a one-day event to a period of time signalling the start of the holiday shopping season. There’s no other time when competition with other brands is so fierce, but your Black Friday email subject lines could give your campaign that extra edge.
Get a headstart on your Black Friday email marketing strategy, with some of the best subject lines for every phase of your promotion.
Most of these examples are from real emails from real brands, but we’ve topped up the list with some new ideas, too. Avoid the urge to simply copy the real-life examples; see them as inspiration instead.
Build anticipation with some “early-access” Black Friday subject lines. This lets your subscribers feel like a VIP, by giving the impression that they’re getting exclusive deals or information.
Black Friday is one of the most important times of the year for eCommerce brands. Beat your competitors with these attention-grabbing subject lines.
Top tip: If you’re looking for the perfect eCommerce email, an email builder is a great place to start. Packed with hundreds of highly engaging templates, you can create the perfect email in minutes.
We think this email template would work well with these eCommerce subject lines! Click the button below and start using the template for free.
Designing emails for mobile just makes sense, especially during busy periods like Black Friday.
When your recipients are on the go, they don’t want to waste any time. Tell them how much they can save so they know exactly what to expect. (As a bonus, numerical figures stand out in crowded inboxes!)
Top tip: We think this email template would work well with these promotional subject lines! Click the button below and start using the template for free.
Whether you’re going for a limited time or limited stock approach, create a sense of urgency to encourage recipients to open the email – and make a purchase – quickly.
Stand out in inboxes with a funny or creative subject line. If they’re on-brand, quirky subject lines work perfectly with fun newsletters.
Smart shoppers use Black Friday to get ahead and save money on their holiday gift buying. Write a subject line that tells them you have something for all the people on their list.
Top tip: We think this email template would work well with these subject lines for gift buyers! Click the button below and start using the template for free.
Reach out directly to each recipient to boost open rates and build a closer connection.
Top tip: Email builders work with almost 60 email service providers (ESPs), and even have direct Outlook and Gmail integrations. That means you can export your designs to your preferred ESP, where you can personalize and send emails to your audiences, knowing every design will render perfectly.
We think this email template would work well with these personalized subject lines! Click the button below and start using the template for free.
We’ve provided links to the real-life emails in this category, in case the subject lines pique your curiosity a little too much!
Here are the brands keeping it simple. If you’re looking for more generic subject lines to celebrate this shopping season, this list is for you.
Top tip: We think this email template would work well with these personalized subject lines! Click the button below and start using the template for free.
There’s a science and an art to crafting great Black Friday email subject lines. Here are some of our best practice tips, complete with some extra examples to get your creativity flowing.
Short subject lines can work like magic, as they break the pattern in inboxes full of longer subject lines to catch the eye.
Use simple language and minimal words, for maximum impact.
e.g. Subject: ✨It’s time for the real deals
Emojis trigger debates among email marketers, but when used properly, they’re a great way to stand out in the inbox.
Use emojis that relate to your brand and your emails will be more recognizable. Just don’t overdo it and don’t replace words with emojis, as that’s bad for accessibility.
e.g Subject: ⌛LAST CALL: Shop Black Friday Early
Emails with exact discounts in the subject line have an average conversion rate of 18.1%, compared to a 3.8% conversion rate in emails that don’t include a specific offer.
e.g. Subject: ⚫BLACK FRIDAY = 25% OFF SITEWIDE ⚫
Brighten up your recipients’ day with a pun or wordplay.
Just be sure to consider your brand voice and get feedback from colleagues to make sure the joke isn’t insensitive or in bad taste.
e.g. Subject: Every Friday is Black Friday when your eyes are closed. Because you’re napping.
Implement urgency and scarcity tactics to appeal to psychological triggers. Always be honest about any limited time or stock claims, as false scarcity isn’t a good strategy.
e.g. Subject: Black Friday, 12 Hours Left
An email builder is a great tool to streamline your marketing emails. It’s a design tool that comes pre-loaded with hundreds of highly engaging fully customizable templates, including Black Friday email templates. You can customize the templates in minutes using a drag-and-drop editor and numerous other time-saving features. You then export your designs to your favorite email service provider.
So, with the best email builder in your stack, you can spend less time designing emails and more time crafting engaging content and compelling subject lines that boost your holiday campaigns.
Some email builders let you analyze and improve reader engagement through powerful analytics. They track metrics including open rate and clickthrough rate, and this works wherever you send emails from (Gmail and Outlook included!)
Over the Black Friday period, you’re competing with not just your industry, but with hundreds of emails from businesses from other industries, too.
Your subject line makes all the difference to your campaign’s success. So let’s take a look at how psychology impacts how your message is received.
Your presence in the inbox goes beyond the subject line. It’s also about the pre-header text (the copy below the subject line, which can be used to expand or add value) and the ‘From’ section (who are you as the sender?)
Your subscribers are looking at sender names when they scan their inboxes on Black Friday, so choose a clear, recognizable name, such as your brand name. People trust names they know, so your email will instantly be more appealing.
The pre-header text should complement your subject line for one cohesive inbox experience.
It’s good to use the FOMO emotion to drive sales, but avoid lumping in false limited-time deals, especially if your subscribers know there will be another, very similar deal next week.
Avoid the pushy tactics when you play on FOMO. That means staying away from ALL CAPS and the same urgent emojis used by many other brands, such as clocks and alarms. They just make your subject line blend into all the others.
Be honest, present the deal clearly, and let your subscribers make the best choice for themselves.
Black Friday is all about deals, but the constant promotion can get tiresome for your subscribers.
Add a little backstory to your Black Friday emails, to connect with readers on a more emotional level. You could tell them about the inspiration behind the product on offer, or which family member it makes the perfect gift for, for example.
There’s no doubt that Black Friday is one of the most competitive periods of the year for all kinds of brands. Black Friday email subject lines do a lot of the heavy lifting in your campaign, so make yours as strong as possible, using the examples and best practice tips covered here.
Bring an email builder into the mix to uplift the whole inbox experience. You take care of writing great subject lines, knowing the design element will be quick and simple, even if your design skills are limited!
Find out more: Discover the great features of an email builder to see how it can boost your email campaigns.
