The holiday is also a major date on marketers’ calendars.

And it’s no wonder that savvy email marketers know to prepare for the long weekend. Transaction rates for Memorial Day campaigns are higher than for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday emails. 

Over a third of Americans also plan to use the long weekend to do some shopping, with the portion of these sales being done online increasing every year. 

Whether or not you’ve got an email ready to go (if not, check out our list of email examples for some inspiration), you’ll need a great subject line to go with it. 

While subject lines might be an annoying afterthought for some marketers, they are incredibly important. 

A well crafted subject line will grab your customers’ attention increasing the chances they’ll open your email and click through to your sale. 

Come up with a poor one however, and your open rate will drop and fewer people will see your campaign and offer.

So to help give your campaign the best chance of success, we’ve curated this list of over 100 examples that have been used by actual senders in the past.

Subject lines for Memorial Day

General

• Patriotic Gear for Memorial Day – PUMA GOLF
• Honor Memorial Day – Buy Now, Pay Later – The Swiss Colony
• Biggest Memorial Day Sale Everrrrrrrrrrrr!!! – VidaXL
• We’ll bring Memorial Day flavor to you – Marley Spoon
• Huge Memorial Day Savings on Organic Mattresses & Accessories – MyGreenMattress
• The Essentials You Need with Memorial Day Savings – Conn’s HomePlus
• Enjoy Some Retail Therapy This Memorial Day – Miskelly Furniture
• Memorial Day ★ Super Sale – Furniture Row
• Let’s brighten up your Memorial Day – Boden USA
• Join our Memorial Day Weekend Virtual Tasting! – Ethel M Chocolates
• Celebrate Memorial Day with Fatboy! – Fatboy
• In Honor of Our Heroes | New Memorial Day Headbands – JUNK Brands
• Are you ready for Memorial Day sales? – Modsy
• Red White & Blue Styles inside – Memorial Day Weekend dreamin’. – Reef
• Get ready for Memorial Day Sales with our fresh lineup of Americana Caps. – Outdoor Cap Company
• Honoring Our Heroes This Long Weekend – Jangaroo
• Stars, stripes & SAVINGS! – BBQ Guys
• Happy Memorial Day from our family to yours – Patricia Nash Designs
• These Memorial Day Desserts Are Better Than Fireworks – Bon Appetit
• In Honor of Memorial Day – Munchkin
• Celebrate Memorial Day With Us! – Royal Apparel

Memorial Day emojis

Including an emoji or two is a great way to make your email stand out in people’s inboxes and grab their attention. Just like in the examples below.

• ? Memorial Day Deals Start Now! ? – Curacao
• You snooze ? you save this Memorial Day – Star Furniture
• Relax & Have a Little Fun! Ideas for Memorial Day Weekend ?? – Groupon
• Memorial Day Sales Event ?? – Top Mobility
• re: Your Memorial Day Outfit ? – Impressions Online Boutique
• It’s the Memorial Day Blowout! Don’t Miss Our BIGGEST Sale of the Season! ? – Overstock
• Let’s Celebrate! ? Candy for Grad Parties | Parades | Memorial Day – Groovy Candies
• Get Ready for Memorial Day ? – E-Z UP Instant Shelters
• ? Save up to $200 on Organic Mattresses? Our Memorial Day Sale Has Begun – MyGreenMattress
• We have all your Memorial Day gear right here…?? – Roxy
• ?? GET MEMORIAL DAY READY ?? – Clark Street Sports
• ? Exclusive Memorial Day Sale Sneak Peak! – Goedeker’s 
• Memorial Day Sale STARTS NOW – Sleep Number
• ? Memorial Day Sale STARTS NOW! – BBQ Guys
• ? Our Pre-Memorial Day sale is here! – US-Mattress.com
• ??Memorial Day Sale – up to 40% OFF ?? – Sun & Ski Sports
• Last 2 days! ? – ELEMIS
• ? Keep it Simple. – Hatland
• Memorial Day Sale Starts at Midnight! ? – Windy City Novelties
• ? Our Memorial Day event continues ? – JANE
• ? Zero strings attached! You’re getting access to our Memorial Day Sale – Raise

For more tips, check out our guide on including emojis in subject lines here.

Early bird announcements

It’s always good not to leave things to the last minute.

For your Memorial Day campaign, this means not waiting until the holiday itself to send your first email or even the start of the long weekend. 

By getting your Memorial Day campaign out early, you’ll have a better chance of getting people’s attention before their inboxes become flooded with all your competitors’ emails. You also build anticipation as you countdown to Memorial Day.

• INSIDER PERKS EXCLUSIVE: Memorial Day Sale! – At Home
• Memorial Day Surprise ? – Beauty By Earth
• You’ve got EARLY ACCESS to the Memorial Day Sale! – Leesa
• Pre-Memorial Day Sale is Here + Buy 2, Get a 3rd 25% Off! ? – VENUS Fashion
• Early Access: Memorial Day Sale ?? – Molecule
• Memorial Day Is Coming | Get Your Bike Prepped – MotoSport.com
• Psst! Our Memorial Day Preview Sale just started. – Mattress Firm
• Memorial Day Super Sale is coming! A whole world of savings awaits! – Vida XL
• No need to wait two weeks – Paravel

Announcing your sale

If you’re going to have a Memorial Day sale, you’ll want to announce it to your subscribers. Which means you’ll want to include it in your subject line like in these examples. 

• ?? Let the Sale Begin: Shop Our Mega Memorial Day Event – Apt2B
• Tandy’s Memorial Day Sale is ON! – Tandy Leather Factory
• Memorial Day Sale STARTS TODAY! – Wisteria
• Memorial Day Deals Start Now! – Backcountry Edge Inc
• ? SAVE NOW during our Memorial Day Sale ? Save on Gaggia, Hario, Bravo, ROK, and more! – Whole Latte Love
• Our Memorial Day Sale Starts Now – Woodland Direct
• Memorial Day Savings Start TOMORROW! May 11th – Virginia Furniture Market
• EVERYTHING IS ON SALE! Memorial Day Savings are Here! – Unclaimed Freight
• PSST! Helix Memorial Day Sale is live! – Helix Sleep
• Your Exclusive VIP Access to Memorial Day Sale is Here ? This is The Black Friday of Mattresses! – Essentia
• Memorial Day Sale Preview + Leather On Sale Now! – Tandy Leather Factory
• Memorial Day Starts NOW! – Marpac
• Super Memorial Day Event Starts Now! – American Furniture Warehouse
• Get Ready! This Sale Starts Thursday – Bassett
• Up to 70% off! Our Memorial Day Sale starts NOW – Bauble Bar
• The Annual Memorial Day Sale is HERE! ?? – Capillus
• ✎Your Memorial Day shopping list starts at $❶❹.❾❾ – BC Outlet

Explicitly mentioning the offer

Instead of just announcing that you’re holding a sale, you might want to include your offer in your subject line. If your offer is enticing enough, doing so will help increase your open rate.

• Memorial Day Sale Going On Now! Save 20% On Every Item. – The RoomPlace
• Our Stores are NOW OPEN! ? Come visit us & SAVE up to 50% Off during our Memorial Day Sale! ?? – Morris Home
• Up to 80% Off! Memorial Day & Summer Kickoff Deals – UntilGone
• Memorial Day Sale! Save up to 40% on Dinnerware & Table Top Accessories Perfect for your Outdoor Living – Paul’s Home Fashions
• Celebrate Memorial Day with a FREE Gift – Professional Bull Riders
• Celebrate Memorial Day with a FREE Apron on Purchases $40+ ?? – King’s Hawaiian
• Extra 15% off Memorial Day picks | Email exclusive – Missguided
• Want To Save An Extra 25%? It’s Time For A Pre-Memorial Day Sale! ? – France and Son
• Get set for the BEST. MEMORIAL DAY. EVER! Plus, you’re saving extra with this 20% coupon. – Bed Bath & Beyond
• Save 20% on Nemo Equipment during the OMCgear Memorial Day Sale! – Oregon Mountain Community Gear
• SALES Up to 25% off until Memorial Day – Beauty Bridge
• Memorial Day Savings Start Now | Up to 83% OFF Our Most Popular Products! – Monoprice
• Prep for Memorial Day with steaks & 200 Bonus Points! – Omaha Steaks
• Lost Sock Memorial Day! 24 HOURS! 50% off ALL SOCKS ? – Tommie Copper
• Memorial Day Specials! Save Up to 50% – Rocky Mountain ATV
• 6 must-haves for Memorial Day + 25% off SALE – Terrain
• 50-80% OFF Kenmore – Memorial Day Pricing Now – Appliance Factory & Mattress Kingdom
• Up to 20% off? Yes way, it’s our Memorial Day Sale ? – Value City Furniture
• 30% Off Pre-Memorial Day Sale Ends Soon! ★ – Build A Sign
• Memorial Day Sale: Up to 50% OFF Sitewide – Layla Sleep
• Extra 25% off b/c summer is near – Macy’s
• EXTRA 20% OFF IS BACK! – Zuri
• 30% off MEMORIAL DAY SALE CONTINUES – Siwy Denim

Last minute

As the long weekend and your Memorial Day sale come to a close, it’s worthwhile sending a final, last chance email. This creates a sense of urgency as shoppers don’t want to miss out on a deal. 

• Last Day for Memorial Day Delivery – Tender Filet
• Reminder: Don’t forget to remember to shop for Memorial Day. – Bonobos
• MEMORIAL DAY SALE ENDS TODAY! LAST CHANCE – Nialaya
• LAST 12 HOURS: 15% Off Memorial Day Sale – Straight Razor Designs
• The Memorial Day Sale Ends at Midnight! – Country Club Prep
• Ends Tonight! ?Save 40% Off Sitewide this Memorial Day – Baxter Boo
• Last day for the Biggest Memorial Day Sale – Hurry! – Goggles 4U
• HOURS LEFT: Memorial Day Mattress Event – Leesa
• ✧ Ends Tonight! ✧ Your Memorial Day Savings – Up to 30% Off + FREE SHIPPING! – Pottery Barn

The rest of your campaign

Having gone through over 100 examples, you should now have plenty of ideas in mind.

For more help when it comes to writing your own, we’ve also got a detailed guide that includes email marketing tips on using call-to-actions, length, and more.

If you’re looking for more inspiration for the rest of your email campaign, we’ve also got a collection of 10 examples of great Memorial Day emails. In it we not only look at why they’re great from a design perspective, but also in terms of the strategy behind the emails as well. 

Hopefully these are all the resources you need to succeed with your email marketing this Memorial Day long weekend!

The post 101 of the Best Memorial Day Email Subject Lines appeared first on SmartrMail Email Marketing Blog.

It might surprise you, but transaction rates for Memorial Day campaigns are higher than for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday emails. And with a third of Americans planning to use the long weekend to do some shopping, it’s no wonder that more and more retailers take advantage of the holiday to grow sales.

As you’re reading this article, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’re planning on running your own promotion.

It’s also likely that you’re planning on running your own email campaign to advertize your promotion.

So to help you with standing out in people’s inboxes, we’ve curated this list of the 10 best email examples we’ve seen.

We’ll also take you through what makes the emails so good from both a design and strategy perspective. 

Examples of Memorial Day emails

1) Your typical Memorial Day sale email

Sender: Candle Delirium

Subject line: ? Huge $15 Off Memorial Day Sale + Free shipping! 

This email from Candle Delirium embodies everything a typical Memorial Day email has: red, white and blue colors, American flags, and mentioning of savings.

What makes this email stand out in the inbox however is its design. The gold background compliments the stars well and gives a luxury feel to the email that reinforces the brand’s image.

If you have no idea what your own emails are going to look like yet, this is a good example to start getting inspired by.

2) Sale announcement

Sender: Angara

Subject line: Don’t Miss the Memorial Day Sale

As we’ll see later on, you don’t have to limit yourself to just one email in your campaign. But however many emails you decide to include, chances are your first email is going to be announcing your sale.

To create a sense of urgency, which helps to get your subscribers to your store and not simply put it off for later, Angara has decided to include a countdown timer. 

This is something to consider in your own email as it also doubles up as a way of letting people know how long your sale lasts for.

Services like Sendtric let you easily create your own HTML timers that you can then insert into your email template.  

3) Use of coupon codes

Sender: Goggles4U

Subject Line: Last day for the Biggest Memorial Day Sale – Hurry!

Instead of directly discounting items in their store, Goggles4U has instead opted to require customers to enter a code to access their savings.

While this might seem like this just creates extra work for your customers, harming conversions in the process, there is a benefit to this approach. 

By sending your subscribers coupon codes, you make them feel like they’re getting exclusive access to the savings. This feeling alone can be enough to give them that extra little push they need to click through to your store and start adding items to their cart. 

Even if you’re offering the same sale to everyone, by the time your subscribers realize they’ll already be on your site and half your job is done. 

To make your offer feel even more exclusive, you can take things a step further and use seemingly randomized codes like “MEMDAY-3w1A” instead of “MEMORIAL” to make subscribers feel like the code is unique for them. 

4)  Heartwarming Memorial Day message

Sender: Vineyard Vines

Subject line: Enjoy your long weekend…

Not every Memorial Day email you send has to be a sales email. 

Vineyard Vines instead opted to send a Memorial Day message to their subscribers reminding them of the true nature of the holiday. 

While these types of brand building emails might not generate as many sales in the short term, they strengthen your brand image and how favorable customers view you over the longer term. 

This makes this type of email a good option if you aren’t going to hold a sale, meaning that you still have a chance to connect with your audience.

Even if you are going ahead with a sale, adding an email like this into your broader campaign won’t hurt.

5) Capitalizing on the start of summer

Sender: BONOBOS

Subject line: How do you Memorial Day:? ?? ??

For many, Memorial Day represents the start of summer. 

This means that many will use the long weekend to get outdoors, fire up the barbecue, go to the beach, or even just buy new clothes for their summer wardrobe.

Smart email marketers pick up on these habits by tailoring their email campaigns along these lines.

This is something that’s particularly easy if you sell items like apparel, barbecues, sporting goods, beach towels, luggage, etc. 

6) Free shipping offer

Sender: WorldSoccerShop.com

Subject line: Memorial Day! New US Soccer Gear + Free Shipping!

In addition to this email being well designed with a stylized American flag, it highlights free shipping as the offer.

Seeing as shipping costs are a leading cause of online shopping cart abandonment, free shipping is a particularly powerful offer. 

If you’re unsure of what to offer in your Memorial Day sale, free shipping is a good place to start. 

7) Reminder email

Sender: BONOBOS

Subject line: Reminder: Don’t forget to remember to shop for Memorial Day.

Another email from BONOBOS, this time they’re following up on their original sale announcement with this reminder email.

As previously mentioned, you shouldn’t limit your campaign to a single email. Chances are that a significant part of your email list will simply miss your first email and of those who do open it, many will forget about your sale.

Sending a simple reminder email or two over the long weekend will ensure that more people know about your sale and make a purchase. 

8) Extending your sale

Sender: Dunkin’ Donuts

Subject line: Memorial Day Sale EXTENDED!

Another way to flesh out your Memorial Day campaign and ensure more people have an opportunity to take advantage of your offer is simply to extend your sale.

That’s what Dunkin’s Donuts has done by sending an extra email out on the Tuesday after Memorial Day. 

Chances are that they were always planning on having their sale last until the end of Tuesday, but you can hold off on making that decision for your sale based on how well you go over the weekend. 

9) Taking full advantage of the email subject line

Sender: Chubbies

Subject line: I sincerely regret not opening this email.

Send with the subject line “I sincerely regret not opening this email” and followed up with the preview text “Signed, Future You”, Chubbies has taken full advantage of this important part of email marketing. 

Your subject line is often all that stands between your email being ignored and your email being read. And when a third of your email list base their decision on whether or not to open your email solely on its subject line, you’ll want to come up with an attention-grabbing one. 

Chubbie’s Memorial Day subject line does a great job at not only standing out but also being clickable. 

Adding an emoji is another tactic you can easily and quickly employ to even your subject lines a better chance at being noticed in people’s crowded inboxes.

For more tips check out our guide on writing subject lines here.

10) Tapping into the essence of the holiday

Sender: JANE

Subject line: ? Our Memorial Day event continues ?

While many emails use a red, white and blue color scheme and incorporate an American flag has gone a step further and included good old American hotdogs.

Memorial Day is at its heart a patriotic holiday so including other Americana is something you might want to consider to tie your email into the holiday. 

Hotdogs also help reinforce the beginning of the summer aspect of the holiday too.

Whether it’s hotdogs, beach towels, or baseball, reinforcing the holiday spirit in your campaign is something worth considering. 

Your own Memorial Day marketing

Now that you have plenty of ideas and inspiration, it’s time to go about creating your own Memorial Day campaign. 

Just remember not to limit your campaign to just one email, consider offering free shipping to reduce cart abandonment, keep your emails holiday focused and ensure you utilize every part of your email including its subject line and preview text. 

The post The 10 Best Memorial Day Email Examples to Inspire Your Own appeared first on SmartrMail Email Marketing Blog.