Winter is the perfect time to cozy up and get creative with email campaigns.
After working with many brands, we’ve noticed that this season brings a unique charm to newsletters, and a thoughtful winter email can make a real impact.
We’ve rounded up email marketing ideas inspired by real winter newsletters in this blog post to inspire you for the winter season.
Winter Newsletter Ideas by Month
Winter brings countless opportunities to connect with your audience—from Black Friday all the way to Single’s Awareness Day.
Due to downtime and holidays, we’ve always found this to be the perfect season to create a winter email campaign.
Let’s look at important dates and festive season ideas categorized as per monthly themes:
- December Newsletter Ideas
- January Newsletter Ideas
- February Newsletter Themes
December Newsletter Ideas
December is officially the first month of winter. This month, you have the biggest celebrations of the year – Christmas and New Year.
While it’s only natural to put all your energy into creating winter-themed content for these two celebrations, there are also two other occasions you cannot miss.
Here are four December newsletter ideas to inspire your winter email marketing strategy:
BFCM Weekend
Black Friday is officially at the end of fall, but that’s when most people start thinking seriously about winter shopping and start to spend money.
60% of US consumers begin their Christmas shopping during the BFCM weekend. Here’s what Veil’s winter sale newsletter announcing BFCM looked like:
Why we love it:
- The photograph used is original and grabs attention;
- The use of simple text also adds to the email’s uniqueness;
- Calling it ‘Final reminder’ adds a sense of urgency.
Here are 18 more Black Friday email examples to increase sales, boost customer engagement, and stand out from other brands.
St. Nick’s Day
Falling on December 6th, St. Nicholas Day starts the winter holidays traditionally.
As it’s not celebrated nationally across the US, you’ll dodge the usual inbox noise if you send a newsletter.
Here’s how Citizenry sent a Christmas shopping reminder email on St. Nick’s Day:
Why we love it:
- Reminding users that it’s the last opportunity to buy gifts creates urgency;
- The lighthearted humor works well in creating a festive mood;
- The CTA is super straightforward and actionable.
Christmas Day
Christmas is the most magical day of the year and the perfect opportunity to celebrate the holiday spirit.
Here’s what Rifle Paper Co. sent on Christmas to bring a smile to their subscribers’ faces.
Why we love it:
- Minimal yet festive visual appeal;
- GIF adds intrigue and increase engagement;
- Thoughtful, value-based and helpful content.
Want stunning winter newsletters without the hassle? Try Sender’s free responsive templates and easy drag-and-drop builder!
For ultimate Christmas mood and holiday inspiration, grab these 20+ Christmas newsletter ideas & examples.
New Year
New Year is always a great time to reach out with winter newsletters and share something exciting.
Ride on the feeling of starting something new with a motivating email during this time. We loved what Duolingo did with their New Year newsletter.
Why we love it:
- The greeting is hearty and positive, perfect for a New Year’s note;
- Clean layout with cozy product pictures in action;
- Even though the email is not promotional, the button makes it easy for readers to engage.
Want to nurture your leads effectively? Check out these New Year newsletter ideas to amaze your leads.
January Newsletter Theme
January comes with many expectations and high hopes. Consumers appreciate positive wishes, thoughtful promises (& exclusive deals), and extra efforts to nurture relationships.
Here are some January ideas for your newsletter:
New Year’s Day Newsletter
While your customers have “Happy New Year!” ringing in their ears from everywhere, it’s still a good idea to wish them and become a part of their fresh, new start.
A simple greeting or personalized discounts and deals aligned with New Year concepts like resolutions work. Here’s what Headspace did:
Why we love it:
- Contextual copy with a positive tone;
- Focus on the reader’s goals and wishes;
- Step-by-step layout to increase the chance of clicks.
It’s best to learn from the best. That’s why we’ve gathered 17 marketing campaign examples from top brands.
Capitalize on New Year’s Resolutions
Every year, people swear by their teeth that they will bring a positive change in their lives and commit to a new resolution.
Create an email newsletter showing how you can help them achieve their goals like Open did:
Why we love it:
- Starts with a social proof for increased credibility;
- A free challenge offer for additional motivation;
- Actionable bullet points with an unmissable CTA.
Post-Holiday Sales Newsletter
Everyone gets tired of seeing cheery holiday sales emails after Christmas and New Year. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reach out with post-holiday deals and discounts.
Here’s a simple yet engaging example from Kidly to grab attention towards your post-holiday sales:
Why we love it:
- GIF of bouncy penguins grabs instant attention;
- On-point email copy passing on the message without overwhelming;
- Invoke FOMO and urgency by mentioning a limited number of sale days.
If the big holiday season has left you motivated for more, try some of the 19 holiday marketing ideas & examples of promotion. Don’t stop the party!
Send a Year-in-Review Report
People often reflect on the previous year’s progress during this time — how far they’ve come and look ahead to a positive future. So, sending a year-in-review email aligns with their thought process.
Spotify sends the perfect year-in-review emails which you can take inspiration from:
Why we love it:
- Simple and clean design without extra elements;
- Instant hook — number of hours listened;
- Clever copywriting — asking a question to make the reader curious and click the CTA.
February Newsletter Theme
February is seen as the month of love globally. But there’s so much more to it. Here are other occasions and events beyond Valentine’s Day to send a newsletter in February:
Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual observance in the US that celebrates African Americans’ achievements and contributions in shaping the nation’.
You shouldn’t ignore this opportunity to engage one of the biggest and fastest-growing communities in the US.
Here’s what Epic for Kids sent celebrating African-American history for inspiration:
Why we love it:
- Eye-catchy illustrative design;
- Clear CTA above the fold to bring targeted traffic to the website;
- Beautiful posters highlighting the most important events in history.
National Groundhog Day
On February 2nd, Americans and Canadians traditionally spend the day glued to their TVs, watching a rodent come out of its den (or not).
National Groundhog Day is as weird as it sounds – and a perfect opportunity to have fun with your audience.
Here’s the email we received from Cracker Barrel sharing the Groundhog’s decision:
Why we love it:
- Great headline to grab instant attention;
- Tempting product image with compelling shopping promotions;
- Interactive quiz to increase engagement.
Valentine’s Day
We can’t write about February newsletters without the mention of the Valentine’s Day content ideas.
Send a lovely email to your subscribers celebrating the day of love, like you’re sending it to a loved one. Here’s what Fable sent us, and we loved it completely:
Why we love it:
- Perfect brand placement suitable for the context;
- Clever header design to remind readers to buy flowers;
- Mention of free shipping + timely delivery promise, right above the CTA.
It doesn’t have to be all hearts and cupids every year. Look at these 15 popular Valentine’s Day email marketing ideas and transform your Love Day marketing campaigns.
Check these Valentine’s Day templates that Sender offers for free. Just add your text and images and you’re good to go!
Singles Awareness Day
Right after Valentine’s, on the 15th of February, Singles Awareness Day is a shoutout to all the happy-to-be-independent baddies or arduous romance searchers!
Karl Lagerfeld sent sales announcements via a themed email newsletter on this day. Have a look:
Why we love it:
- Empowering “Treat Yourself” messaging and tone;
- Classic black and white design to stand out;
- Countdown clock to create a sense of urgency.
If Singles Awareness Month isn’t your cup of tea, there are plenty of other days to celebrate. Let alone these 9 interesting February newsletter ideas.
Creative Winter Newsletter Examples
If you haven’t thought of a winter theme for your campaign yet, here are a few more winter newsletters:
- a-dam — Winter Collection Announcement Email
- KFC — Holiday Gifting Recommendation Email
- Tracksmith — Winter Motivation Email
- Hunting for George — Personalized Winter Finds
- RXBAR — Winter Products Email
a-dam — Winter Collection Announcement Email
If you’re planning to launch a new winter collection, we found you the perfect email example to guide your announcement newsletter.
Here’s what a-dam sent to its audience right at the onset of winter:
Why we love it:
- Eye-catchy header image;
- Simple yet effective copywriting;
- Clever product placement throughout the email.
KFC — Holiday Gifting Recommendation
When everyone’s busy searching for holiday gifts, the best way to engage your audience is to send a gifting guide or recommendation.
KFC knows how famous its limited edition holiday merch is, and that’s the hook it used in this holiday email:
Why we love it:
- Contextual and exclusive recommendation;
- Cozy design around a popular holiday activity;
- Curiosity-based CTA compelling readers to click.
Tracksmith — Winter Motivation Email
Winter can make even the most driven individuals slow down — be it the winters or holidays.
For Tracksmith, this became the perfect opportunity to motivate its customers to keep going, no matter what may happen.
Here’s an email they sent with winter wisdom from real people:
Why we love it:
- Engaging content idea based on a common pain point during winters;
- Use of storytelling and real advice from team members;
- Perfect plug for a limited-edition product for clicks and conversions.
Hunting for George — Personalized Winter Finds
When it’s getting snowy outside, people do a lot of shopping to stay warm, cozy, and comfortable indoors. Plus, it’s the holiday gifting season.
Getting a winter recommendation email with a personalized subject line, like the one below, might make their lives easier during this time.
Subject line: [First name], Your winter wishlist awaits!
Why we love it:
- No salesy pitch; rather honest suggestions, as if from a friend;
- A simple yet thoughtful layout that highlights each product;
- Personalized subject line mentioning the name of the recipient.
RXBAR — Winter Product Email
Send a product email if you want to float the idea of trying something new during winter. Here’s how RXBAR introduced its winter flavors to its subscribers:
Why we love it:
- Beautiful and colorful winter imagery;
- Great product recommendations aligning with winter cravings;
- Simple yet persuasive copywriting with a valuable offer.
But winter does not end here! Check out these 10 January newsletter ideas that work.
