It’s that time of year again! Kids are returning to their normal routines, school is back in session, and the email marketing world is putting their summer subject lines away until next year. With school and other fall activities quickly approaching, we have compiled a list of our favorite back to school subject lines.
According to the National Retail Federation, more than 80 percent of back-to-school and college shoppers will take advantage of free shipping, and more than half will buy online and pick up in-store. Using the right subject line lets your audience know you’re thinking of them, and are offering them something cool for the season to boot! And now for our favorite tips and back to school subject lines to get your email campaigns flowing.
Back to school email subject lines with incentives to buy:
20% off Back to School Gifts! (The Popcorn Factory)
Your First Assignment: $ave Money! (Beauty Store Salon and Spa)
A sale so big you’ll wish you had homework. (The Land of Nod)
Hurry, before the bell rings! New gear ships free + save 20% on select backpacks (Pottery Barn Kids)
40% OFF Everything! Stock up on back to school basics! (May Designs)
Get them set for school! Kid’s lenses only $25– so smart (Target Optical)
Back To School savings up to 40% Off*. Better hurry. (Finish Line)
Back-to-School Essentials, $39 & Under → (Urban Outfitters)
Back-to-School Sale begins NOW! Double Deals: Up to 80% OFF + EXTRA 10% (Yesstyle)
Stock Up for School: 40% to 75% Off The Entire Store and Earn $15 PLACE Cash! (The Children’s Place)
Free Shipping + 20% Off Back-To-School Must-Haves! (Lakeshore Learning)
Earn Up to 2X Miles on Back-To-School Tech (SkyMiles Shopping)
Gearing up for school subject lines:
Go Back To School with the New Issue of Beauty Curator! (Beauty Collection)
Educators prepare for back to school | The Gazette: Daily News (The Gazette)
Raise your hand if you still need school supplies (Walgreens)
Get Psyched for School with the Coolest Tools! (ToysRUs)
It’s time to get serious about back-to-school season (Milk + Honey)
New! Personalized notebooks for back-to-school. (Minted)
Back to School Styles for Him and for Her (Swimoutlet.com)
Ready for Back to School? Deals inside. (Walgreen’s)
These Off Your Back To School List… (HSN)
Check the Box on Back to School Readiness! (Lenovo)
Hold the door! Check out this back to school sale. (HP)
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Back to School Email Campaign CliffsNotes
- Use emoji! What’s new to email marketing this year? Everyone is riding the emoji train, with a valid reason, of course! Four out of every 10 millennials would rather communicate with imagery than read. Check out which systems and devices support emoji here to increase engagement with your back to school subject lines.
- Offer discounts and incentives. After a summer of relaxation, consumers could use a bit of motivation to get back into their email reading habits.
- Take advantage of this data-palooza opportunity! According to Target Marketing, back-to-school is the second largest consumer spending event after the winter holidays. With everyone ready to make an end of summer purchase, think about how you’ll begin storing your customer data for your next big email campaign. The data collection and reporting tools you use today will help you build your best holiday email program ever.
- P.S. Everyone isn’t going back to school. Use your current customer data to create subject lines geared towards different subscriber segments. The best thing you can do is offer valuable information or tips your audience can use for their fall activities. Here are some campaign ideas:
- Educate football fans on what they’ll need for the upcoming season and include links to those products
- Give college students checklists on frequently forgotten items
- Create a fall playlist for those with longer commutes and strolls across campus
Now that you’ve got some great ideas for your own Back to School marketing campaigns, it’s time to put them to use! That doesn’t mean you can’t keep a little summer in your email program though. Relax on the beaches of email marketing paradise by downloading our Email Automation Solution Guide. In it, you’ll find ways to send automated email campaigns, target your subscribers, and kick back while your email campaign takes care of itself. Happy Back-to-School Sending!