With summer approaching, it’s important to use high-converting and eye-catching summer email subject lines to stand out in your customers’ inboxes.
This time of year is especially great for companies selling clothing, outdoor gear, sports equipment, event tickets, home and garden products, and more. But no matter what product you’re selling, you can find a summer angle.
Let’s look at some top-performing summer email subject lines to inspire your campaigns and boost your sales.
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According to our research of more than 25,000 email campaigns sent by brands using Omnisend’s marketing automation platform, the following summer email subject lines were the best performing.
When summer arrives, it’s the perfect time to grab your customers’ attention with fun and engaging subject lines. Here are 10 subject lines, complete with emojis, that are sure to make your messages stand out in your subscribers’ inboxes.
The first noticeable thing here is the fact that the open rates are quite low compared to the other summer email subject lines.
This is probably because the end of summer in and of itself isn’t a particularly strong “event,” and also because it’s quite a downer.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t bother sending out campaigns. Subject line #4 had a 7% click rate, which is quite good at any time of the year.
Bonus: 40 extra summer email subject lines
To make sure that you have a great range of summer email subject lines for your next summer email campaign, we’ve scoured the internet to look for some other top-performing summer subject lines.
Here are some of our favorites:
Hey, Sunshine ☀️ Check Out the New Summer Arrivals
☀️ Summer Essentials ☀️ $15 or Less
Don’t Miss These Summer Steals & Deals ☀️
Summer picks for everyone (a.k.a. you)
The Cutest New Arrivals are here for Summer
Your Summer Checklist ☀?✔
Get Ready for Summer! Swimwear Sale ☼ Up to 30% Off
Summa Summa Time! ☀️ Shop Dresses!
Found! THE dress for your busy summer schedule.
Dive into Summer with these new Looks!
HUGE summer clearance starts now — up to 60% off
Surf’s Up! ?
Hot promos for cool summer fun!
Be ready for Summer (with free shipping)
These summer savings are too hot to handle!
Get your top-to-toe summer glow!
Summer Treats Start Today
Summer arrivals keep on coming
Summer Deals | BOGO 50% Off
Can you feel it? It’s getting warmer.
Summer Fri-Yay! BOGO 50% off!
Oh, hey summer! 20% off graphic tees & sandals!
10 Dresses to Get Summer Started Right
New styles just in time for Summer
Summer is almost here…SALE starts today!
Baby, it’s hot outside
Summer New arrivals we know you’ll love ? + 15% Off
This is it – 50% Off Summer favs
Here’s BOGO to help you get ready for summer!
Shop Our Summer Beauty Event
Up to 40% OFF Spring Summer hits: make them yours
Here Comes the Sun ☀ Save Now!
Summer alert! 25% off every style for you, your family & friends
? $10 off our summer beauty scents
Summer Weekend Style up to 30% off!
Our ☀ Summer Sale Event ☀ starts NOW! Save up to 75%
Get a head start on summer – shop NEW styles on sale
These Summer Styles are ? ? ?
? Summer style is ON! Get Free Shipping
If you can’t stand the ?, get ready with these SUMMER deals
Father’s Day subject lines
Father’s Day tends to be more summer-focused (whereas Mother’s Day is more springy).
These are usually related to the idea of giving Dad some great power tools or gadgets he can use to build (or destroy) something.
That’s why home & garden and electronic products traditionally did well.
But it’s also becoming common that a wide variety of products are very applicable for Father’s Day, such as clothing, grooming, pet-related things (for man’s best friend), and many other products.
Let’s look at the 5 best-performing Father’s Day email subject lines:
#1 Father’s Day email subject line: “Father’s Day Gift Ideas”
Open rate: 32.6% | Click rate: 3.7%
#2 Father’s Day email subject line: “Get Father’s Day sorted!”
Open rate: 32% | Click rate: 6.4%
#3 Father’s Day email subject line: “This Father’s Day, he deserves something special!”
Open rate: 31.3% | Click rate: 2.9%
#4 Father’s Day email subject line: “Fathers Day Sale, Tons of Movies Restocked”
Open rate: 30.3% | Click rate: 11%
#5 Father’s Day email subject line: “Gemini Jets For Fathers Day!”
Open rate: 27.9% | Click rate: 3.8%
You can quickly see the trend here: highlight the fact that you’re helping people find great gifts for the fathers in their lives.
It’s interesting to note here that 3/5 Father’s Day email subject lines have an exclamation mark included.
The Father’s Day subject line #4 was especially successful: with an 11% click rate, the order number was particularly high.
If we imagine a 10,000 subscriber list, that would be 3,003 opens and 1,100 clicks. If even 10% ended up buying something, that would be 110 orders.
Imagining a $50 average order value, that’s $5,500 from just one email sent.
Now that’s what we call a great return on investment.
Let’s look at the other top-performing Father’s Day email subject lines:
FATHER’S DAY IT’S HERE
Who’s your daddy!? – Father’s Day Sale
New Arrivals! + 30% Off Father’s Day Gift
Happy Father’s Day with the Zen Set
Father’s Day Special from [Brand Name] (for privacy, we don’t publicize brand names)
From these ones, we see the exclamation marks and all caps making appearances again.
As always, whatever works for your customers is the best for your brand.
Independence Day subject lines
Perhaps because it falls right near the middle of summer, Independence Day is a great patriotic celebration. Compared to other countries, where it can be a more somber affair, the US Independence Day is a time for fun, sun, barbecues and cocktails.
People plan to spend a good amount of time (and money) on having fun–whether that’s a simple barbecue with friends or a longer period of time near the beach.
Beware, therefore, that it isn’t necessary to use patriotic themes (US flag, historical figures, etc.).
Instead, focus on the fun aspect and make sure the products you’re selling are aimed at helping people have a fun time for their Independence Day celebrations.
The top 5 Independence Day email subject lines are:
#1 Independence Day email subject line: “Independence Day Special”
Open rate: 30.3% | Click rate: 11.6%
#2 Independence Day email subject line: “Independence Day Weekend Special: Free Shipping Over $75, Coupon, and New Africa Twin Items!”
Open rate: 27.3% | Click rate: 3.5%
#3 Independence Day email subject line: “LAST DAY Independence Day Sale| up to 70% Off”
Open rate: 23% | Click rate: 10.3%
#4 Independence Day email subject line: “Independence Day Bead Deals, up to 70% Off!”
Open rate: 22.9% | Click rate: 12.3%
#5 Independence Day email subject line: “INDEPENDENCE DAY SALE!”
Open rate: 21.4% | Click rate: 4.2%
The first thing you notice immediately is that, compared to the other summer email subject lines, the Independence day email subject lines have some pretty great open rates.
Three out of the top 5 have click rates above 10%. You’ll also notice that the #2 subject line is quite long.
Let’s look at the other top-performing subject lines:
Independence Day Special from [Brand Name] – Make Segway MiniPro American Again! ??
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
[Brand Name] Independence Day 55% Off SALE!!!!!
Short and simple, as the top 5 – but you’ll also notice caps lock and exclamation mark in the last one.
Back-to-school subject lines
This pretty much falls in line with what we said previously on ending summer on a more serious (read: responsible) note.
Students anywhere from ages 6 to 22 are going back to school (or starting school).
While the exact back-to-school data differs by state and country, it’s usually around the middle of August through the beginning of September.
This is a great time to make sure students (or their parents) are prepared for this occasion. You can highlight your more serious, high-ticket products, such as laptops, phones, furniture, even more expensive clothing.
Let’s look at the 5 best-performing back-to-school email subject lines:
#1 Back-to-school subject line: “BACK TO SCHOOL! Come join the FUN! ?”
Open rate: 28.6% | Click rate: 5%
#2 Back-to-school subject line: “OH DEER POP UP SUPER SALE! Back to school Shopping!”
Open rate: 22.5% | Click rate: 6.5%
#3 Back-to-school subject line: “$5 Back to School Deal ✏️”
Open rate: 21.6% | Click rate: 1.9%
#4 Back-to-school subject line: “Back to School never looked so good! Specials all week!”
Open rate: 20.3% | Click rate: 3.5%
#5 Back-to-school subject line: “30% OFF BACK TO SCHOOL SALE ?”
Open rate: 18.3% | Click rate: 1.8%
Here we can immediately see a good amount of emojis here compared to the other summer email subject lines.
That makes sense, given what kind of occasion it is.
3 of the top 5 also have all caps in whole or in part of the back-to-school subject line, meaning that this type of subject line is consistently successful.
The other top-performing back-to-school email subject lines are:
Back To School Savings At [Brand Name]
BACK TO SCHOOL SALE
Our picks for top back to school products
[Brand Name] Back to School Promo
Back To School 2017!
As you can see, short and sweet always wins the race.
The subject line uses “BOGO,” an abbreviation for “Buy One, Get One,” which is widely recognized and understood by consumers. The “50%” indicates a half-off deal, making it clear that customers will get a great discount. The subject line is short and to the point, which is crucial for grabbing attention in crowded inboxes.
The email design complements the subject line with bright, summer-themed imagery, enhancing the seasonal appeal. The visual elements, such as summer-themed backgrounds and bright colors, evoke a sense of fun and excitement, which aligns well with the subject line.
The subject line aligns with the summer season, promoting “must-have sparklers” that fit with outdoor gatherings, celebrations, and general summer fun. It’s both topical and timely, which increases the likelihood that recipients will find it interesting and relevant. The phrase “Try Now” creates a clear call to action, encouraging recipients to take immediate action.
The email itself showcases vibrant and festive imagery, with sparkler graphics and summer-themed visuals. This supports the theme of the subject line and makes the email visually appealing, drawing in the recipient’s attention.
Image via ReallyGoodEmails
Kindred
Subject line: New Preset – Kindred Summer!
Why this email and subject line are effective:
The subject line clearly states what the email is about—a new preset called “Kindred Summer.” This gives the reader immediate context and helps them understand the purpose of the email.
The email itself features an engaging visual, which complements the subject line by showcasing the product. The design aligns with the summer theme, reinforcing the subject line and making the email more compelling.
Image via ReallyGoodEmails
What are your most successful summer email subject lines? What works best with your brand and customers? Let us know in the comments below!
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Bernard is the Sr. Director of Communications & Creative at Omnisend, with a passion for good research, helping ecommerce businesses with their marketing automation needs, and beating absolutely everyone in Mario Kart 64.
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