Here’s a fun fact for you. Up to 50% of consumers will purchase at least monthly from a marketing email they receive. Could it be yours? If you use the right promotional email templates, then absolutely!
Promotional emails are an excellent way to drive more sales. You can help your business get over a financial slump or close the month or quarter strong. Further, these emails are an excellent form of customer engagement, improving retention and brand loyalty.
Yet what goes into a winning promotional email? How do you ensure consistent clicks and opens that translate to conversions and sales? I’ve got all the information to help you compile five-star promo emails.
In this blog post, we’ll look at the best promotional email templates and review important elements like email layout, subject line, and testing.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Promotional email templates are an excellent way to advertise a new product or service, introduce a seasonal sale, or promote a discount.
- Build creative, efficient promotional emails with EngageBay’s email templates.
- Make your emails mobile-optimized, and test them to ensure they’re ready to perform well.
Key Elements of an Effective Promotional Email
First, let’s look at the meat and bones of a good promotional email. Understanding what constitutes these emails will help you strengthen yours.
Read more: Promotional Email – How to Write Emails That Convert
Engaging subject line
I’d say the most critical element of promotional email templates is the subject line.
You can’t get people to shop your sale if they don’t know it exists. That’s why you need a compelling opener. It must grab people and hold their attention for a few seconds, long enough for them to decide whether to open your email.
The average person receives more than 100 emails a day, and that’s on a normal day. The volume increases substantially around holidays and other major shopping periods (back to school, the start of summer, etc.).
You have a ton of competition anytime you hit the send button. Your subject lines will set you apart.
And how do you achieve subject line success? You need the following:
- A character count between 50 and 60 characters. Anything longer and your email will be cut off mid-word, which is awkward and will hurt open rates.
- An emotional element. Telling people this is their last chance to get 60% off will motivate them to buy now.
- An emoji or two. Yes, I said it. Emojis can be rather polarizing among some, but they also bring eyes to your subject lines. That’s what you need.
- Word emphasis via capitalization, but only for one or two words max. For instance, your subject line might read, “Sale Ends TONIGHT! Shop Now!”
- Mentions of your deal right in the subject line. People find it hard to resist a good sale, so provide them with the info they need before they open your email.
Here are a few sample subject lines perfect for your promotional email campaign:
- The Lowest Prices of the Season! You Can’t Miss This Sale!
- Summer Savings Start NOW! 50% Off Our Most Popular Items
- Are You Ready for Back to School? Shop the Sale
- Our Black Friday Deals End Tomorrow! Don’t Miss Out
- Extended! We Can Only Keep This Sale Going for 24 Hours More…
- Gear Up for the Start of Spring with Savings ONLY This Weekend
- Start the New Year Right with Savings of 60% Off
Compelling preheader text
What’s the first thing your subscribers see when they open your email? That’s right, it’s the preheader text.
If your subject line is a headline, you can consider the preheader a subhead. It’s your chance to provide more information about your promotion that didn’t fit in the 60 characters of the opener.
Users can see the preheader text as an email preview when browsing their inbox, whether on mobile or desktop. They don’t even have to open your email to do so.
That makes preheader text a great second chance to drive opens if your subject line didn’t finish the job. If your subject line is compelling, the preheader text is like the cherry on top.
How do you write preheader text that drives more opens? Don’t miss these pointers:
- Introduce urgent-sounding language so the customer knows they shouldn’t miss out.
- Ask a thought-provoking question, but only if you didn’t include one in the subject line.
- If you did ask a question in the subject line, use your preheader text to provide a hint.
- Add personalization, recommending products or services a customer would be interested in.
- Mention more details about your sale, such as how long it is or what’s on sale.
Clear and strong call to action (CTA)
Last but certainly not least, you need the kinds of calls to action that get people to shop. I’ll only focus on the CTA copy right now and the visual elements later.
Your CTA needs to be persuasive and clear. Thanks to your awesomely written subject line and preheader text, you’ve already gotten the customer to open the email. The CTA is what seals the deal.
Take a look at some CTA examples so you understand what I mean:
- Don’t Miss These Deals
- Shop Our Sale Now
- Redeem Your Code Here
- Check Out Our New Collection
- Shop the Limited-Time Product Now
Enhance Your Email Marketing
Boost your sales and engagement with our beautifully crafted, easy-to-customize promotional email templates! Simply update your brand’s images, headings, and CTAs, and send attention-grabbing, high-converting promotional emails in minutes!
Types of Promotional Email Templates
Next, let’s dive deep into the various promotional email templates you can send your audience.
Discount and sales emails
This template is one you’ll undoubtedly use often. Discounts and sales keep customers coming back for more. You can do a general storewide sale, reward your VIPs with exclusive discounts, or introduce offers to new customers.
How do you get customers to take advantage of your deals? Well, for one, make the deals worth taking advantage of. You don’t have to offer steep discounts every time, but a sale of five percent off doesn’t move the needle.
Another way to increase sales is to inject excitement and urgency into your copy. You should be genuinely jazzed about this deal. Your enthusiasm is infectious and will soon get the customer excited, too.
Urgent language drives home that your sale won’t last forever. By using phrases and terms like “only,” “limited time,” “won’t last long,” and “before they’re gone,” you underscore the importance of your sale. Customers understand they won’t get another chance later if they don’t buy now.
Here’s a template that exemplifies how to write one of these emails:
Subject: 30% Off Everything! Hurry, Only 2 Days Left!
Hi [Recipient’s Name],
We’re thrilled to announce a special flash sale—30% off everything in our store for the next two days! Just use promo code FLASH30 at checkout to enjoy your discount.
Hurry! The clock is ticking, and this offer ends soon.
Need help? Contact us at [Support Email/Phone Number] or reply to this email, and we’ll gladly assist you.
Happy Shopping!
Sincerely,
[Your Company Name]
P.S. This deal is too good to keep to yourself—share it with your friends and family!
New product launch emails
Product launches are exciting times. You’ve worked hard for months in ideation, R&D, and testing to get your product to the point where it’s finally ready to go live. You’ve probably teased it for weeks, and excitement levels are high.
Now, it’s finally time for the big product debut. A lot is riding on this email. You need to get it right the first time to impact sales positively.
How do you do that? Well, first, you need audience research. I recommend creating customer avatars to make visualizing an audience segment’s pain points easier. Then, you can write your product copy in a benefits-focused way as you introduce the features.
Keep this email short and sweet. This isn’t a landing page but a product launch email. You can provide an overview of some benefits and features, but not everything. That’s what the landing page will do.
Include rich, high-res product imagery, and consider an explainer video so your email can be brief.
This promotional email template sums it up nicely:
Subject: Our New [Product Name] Is Here—Get Yours Today!
Hi [Recipient’s Name],
The wait is over—our much-anticipated [Product Name] has officially launched, and we’re excited to introduce it to you!
Why [Product Name] Stands Out:
- [Highlight Feature 1]: [Description]
- [Highlight Feature 2]: [Description]
- [Highlight Feature 3]: [Description]
Exclusive Launch Promotion: To celebrate, we’re offering a special discount! Use promo code NEWLAUNCH at checkout to save [X%] on your purchase.
We’ve designed [Product Name] with you in mind, and we’re confident it will make a difference in your life. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be one of the first to own it!
Thank you for being a valued customer. We’re excited to share this journey with you!
Best wishes,
[Your Company Name]
Seasonal and holiday promotion emails
So many holidays are on the calendar, especially after looking past the major ones. Almost every day can be a celebration.
You will want to focus first on the big holidays everyone else celebrates. Then, you can acknowledge the smaller ones if you need more sales opportunities.
Aligning your promotions to seasonal themes means planning your email campaigns well in advance. For example, if you’re launching a Halloween campaign, your emails should be written, designed, and tested by September at the latest.
EngageBay is a treasure trove of holiday emails. You can find examples and templates for every occasion you seek, from Black Friday to Easter.
Here’s one more holiday email template for everyone’s favorite occasion, Christmas.
Subject: 🎅 Exclusive Holiday Sale: Save Up to 40% Today! 🎄
Hi [Recipient’s Name],
Season’s greetings! To celebrate the holiday season, we’re excited to offer you an exclusive discount during our holiday sale. Enjoy up to 40% off on all your favorite items from [Start Date] to [End Date].
Apply promo code HOLIDAY2024 at checkout to enjoy your discount.
This offer is valid only until [End Date], so take advantage of these incredible savings before it’s too late!
Wishing you a joyous holiday season!
Warm regards,
[Your Company Name]
Limited-time offers
From flash sales to deals only available over a holiday weekend, your business will send many limited-time offers. They’re a great way to incentivize reticent customers to purchase now, especially when you present a great deal.
Urgent language is key here. It would be best to convey that these deals disappear in a day or two. It’s now or never.
You might send a few emails related to your limited-time sale. The first message will announce the sale, and a second or third follow-up will remind people to shop now while they still can.
Check out this handy promotional email template to construct your next limited-time offer.
Subject: ⏰ Hurry! Limited-Time Offer Ends Soon!
Hi [Recipient’s Name],
We’re offering you a special limited-time discount that you won’t want to miss! You can save big on our premium products for the next [number of days]. This exclusive offer is our way of saying thank you for being a valued customer.
Use promo code TIMESAVE at checkout to receive your discount.
This incredible offer is valid until [End Date], so act fast to make the most of these savings!
Thank you for being part of our community. Happy shopping!
Sincerely,
[Your Company Name]
Abandoned cart emails
Listen, abandoned carts happen. They happen at an alarmingly high rate of 70.1%, although that’s a general figure. The numbers range between 64 and 83%, depending on the industry.
People change their minds for many reasons, most of which you will never know. Maybe they’re tight on money and want to buy your product later. Perhaps they thought they wanted it but realized they didn’t need it.
An abandoned cart email is your last chance to win their business and make the sale. Mention what the customer left in their cart and why it’s worth buying. Make sure you sweeten the deal by offering an exclusive discount.
Here’s an abandoned cart email template from EngageBay:
Here’s an email template to inspire you.
Subject: We Saved Your Items for You!
Hi [Recipient’s Name],
We noticed you left some items in your cart, and we don’t want you to miss out on them! Here’s a quick look at what you left behind.
Click here to return to your cart and complete your purchase: [Link to Cart]
Still not sure? How does 25% off your purchase sound? Just enter [code] at checkout.
Thank you for shopping with us!
Best regards,
[Your Company Name]
Read also: Password Reset Email Templates Examples to Inspire Your Own
Crafting Your Promotional Email
Now, it’s time to get your promotional emails off the ground by focusing on design and tone. You’ll take your email templates further and achieve greater success and sales.
Design and layout
Promotional email templates come to life with the right layout and design. Your emails should balance being visually appealing and optimized for mobile. Most people who find your sale will be on mobile devices!
Here are my pointers to that end.
Use images to sell your products
You need images since your promotional emails are about selling goods and services. People want to see the product you’re describing so fervently and passionately. That could be what inspires them to buy.
A few notes on images. First of all, you don’t want too many in your email. Remember, this isn’t a product page. Save the dozens of product photos from all different sides and angles for that page.
One or two photos suffice. They should be high-quality but compressed so they don’t affect loading time. Compressing the images makes them more mobile-friendly, which your subscribers will appreciate.
Add a video
To reiterate my previous point, embedding a video is an excellent way to keep your email short. You can let the video do most of the talking. You can easily embed videos from YouTube or Vimeo without being a coding guru, which is awesome.
Pick the right fonts
Fonts are cool, right? I think so, and I know lots of other people who would agree with me. However, when it comes to emails, you need to choose your fonts with less of an eye for flowery and fun. Instead, it’s time to be practical.
Use standard fonts that come preloaded into most machines and devices. That will ensure your mobile customers can read your emails just the same as someone can on a desktop device. Downloaded fonts don’t show up correctly when the other user doesn’t have them.
The color of the font is another consideration. Black on white is the standard, but many people prefer dark modes (like yours truly). That’s white on black. It’s a bit easier on the eye, but so is the inverse.
Of course, you can use color variations within the same vein, such as beige or light shades of pink or blue instead of white. Darker shades of gray or brown also work instead of black, but the text should still be lighter.
Finally, you have to consider your font size. If it’s too small, no one can read your email, especially on a mobile device. Choosing text that is too big will impact readability just as much negatively.
Keep your text between 10 and 16 points for best readability.
Read also: Engaging eCommerce Email Templates to Boost Sales
Choose the right colors
Another huge consideration when designing your emails is color. It would be best to always defer to your brand colors when building promotional email templates. This is how you develop consistency across channels and improve brand retention.
You may explore other colors for your emails, such as around certain holidays.
Always use the color wheel as your guide when experimenting with various hues. The key is selecting complementary colors that are the most pleasing to the eye and, thus, the easiest to read.
The three complementary color pairs are orange and blue, purple and yellow, and green and red. You can take it deeper, such as red-violet with yellow-green or blue-violet with yellow-orange.
Consider your CTA carefully
I shared some examples of how to write CTA copy, but what about everything else? Most promotional emails use CTA buttons, as they’re more attention-grabbing and are proven to perform better.
Again, I refer you to complementary color pairs. You can achieve the contrast you’re looking for, so your CTAs are attention-grabbing but won’t look garish.
The shape, size, and placement of your CTAs will come down to the split testing results, but you can’t go wrong with standard shapes such as ovals, circles, rectangles, and squares. These shapes are easier to perceive cognitively.
Content and messaging
Your brand tone will be your north star when writing promotional email templates. Whether that’s friendly, formal, or funny, you must use your tone to produce a compellingly contagious copy.
You might adjust your tone somewhat for newer customers versus those with whom you’re more familiar and have an established relationship.
For instance, you can greet a longer-term customer with “Hey there!” or “Howdy,” depending on your brand tone, but you wouldn’t use those openers with a lead. You would keep it simpler and informal, like “hello, [name].”
Once you get past the opening line, check out these tips for writing great email copy that converts:
- Keep your sentences and paragraphs short. The easier it is for your audience to read your emails, the greater the chances are of them doing so.
- Don’t bury the lede. Put all the information the reader needs to know at the top. Everything else comes secondary.
- Use bullet points and subheadings to break up information into readable chunks.
- Proofread your email for spelling and grammar mistakes (hey, it happens to the best of us).
Read also: Reminder Email Templates to Keep Your Audience On Track
Best Practices for Promotional Emails
Making promotional email templates successful isn’t all about design and copy. It’s also about elements like these.
Timing
Nailing your email timing will help you earn more opens. The best time to send emails to get a good reception is in the morning, between 9 and 11 a.m. People take their first breaks of the day and are eager to check their inboxes and see what’s happening.
The second-best time to send promotional emails is after the lunch rush from 1 to 3 p.m. People haven’t yet gotten into the late-afternoon slump, so you can still engage with them.
What about holiday promotional emails? Those are a whole different ball of wax. You want to announce your sale before the holiday, giving people enough advance notice to take advantage of the sale. Then, you can drop your deals the week of the holiday or a few days before. You can even wait until the holiday itself, depending on what it is.
Email frequency
Determining the right email frequency for promotional messages is tough. You don’t want to inundate your audience, but you don’t want them to miss the sale.
You shouldn’t email your customers more than thrice in one week. That means using your email slots wisely. The first email should announce the sale. The second email can be when the sale goes live, or you can use the second email as a follow-up.
Then, the third email will be a last-chance reminder to take advantage of the savings while they’re still there.
Read also: Engaging Sales Email Templates to Attract Your Audience
A/B testing
Testing the variables of your promotional email templates is critical to ensure your email is ready to perform in front of your audience. You need to test every element of your email, including:
- Headers
- Footers
- Subject lines
- Body content
- Images
- Videos
- CTAs
- Layouts
- Colors
- Email timing
It’s a lot and can be daunting, especially if you have a time-sensitive promotion coming up, like for a holiday. Give yourself a grace period, setting up your emails early and testing them so you have enough time to tweak them as needed.
Read also: Notification Email Templates to Get More Responses (2024)
Analyzing email performance
How did your promotional emails stack up? You can use tools like Google Analytics or your email marketing software of choice (such as EngageBay) to collect real-time data.
KPIs like the open rate, click-through rate, bounce rate, conversions, sales, spam complaints, engagement rate, list growth rate, unsubscribe rate, and ROI will help you determine your campaign’s direction.
I recommend tracking these numbers as they come in. Your email marketing is not static; you can change tactics if your campaign is underperforming.
Read also: 30 Easter Email Templates for an Egg-Celent Campaign
EngageBay’s Promotional Email Templates
Building promotional email templates couldn’t be easier when using an all-in-one email marketing tool and CRM like EngageBay. You’ll create promotional content that achieves more of the goals your brand seeks.
EngageBay is a service, sales, and marketing tool for businesses of all sizes.
Using EngageBay for your email design means trusting a well-established name in digital marketing and sales. You can build various email templates; getting started is simple and fast.
You have three ways to build promotional email templates. You can explore EngageBay’s huge selection of templates (more on those in a moment), build a custom template using your coding skills, or import a third-party template into EngageBay.
Adding and modifying elements of your templates is so simple, and you can save and resume progress anytime.
EngageBay’s extensive selection of prebuilt email templates has various use cases. You can explore our seasonal assortment of templates for promoting holiday sales. You can also use our free HTML templates to announce new products or discounts.
Read also: How To Craft Irresistible eCommerce Promotional Emails
Conclusion
Well-crafted promotional email templates can engage your audience, inspire more email opens, and help your business accumulate more sales. They’re great for any time of the year, but especially holidays.
EngageBay’s got all the email strategies you need to find new ways to grow and improve your campaigns!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What should be included in a promotional email?
Your promotional email must have a strong subject line and header text, graphical elements like images or videos, well-written copy, a CTA, and personalization. You should also use A/B testing.
2. How often should I send promotional emails?
Plan to send promotional emails at least once a week or every other week, depending on the promotion.
3. What are some common mistakes to avoid in promotional emails?
All sorts of mistakes could occur, from weak subject lines to emailing everyone without any segmentation. Scheduling your emails at the wrong times and not bothering to test them are also errors to avoid.
4. How can I measure the success of my promotional email campaigns?
You need analytics software to review the opens and click-through rates your email marketing campaign achieved. You can also measure conversions, sales, and ROI.
5. Can I automate my promotional emails? If so, how?
Sure, you can! In fact, with EngageBay, you can schedule your promotional emails so they go out at the precise time, whether that’s for a holiday or another specific date.
