This post has been updated as of January 2019.
The average American spent ~$143 on Valentine’s Day in 2018. And if that doesn’t surprise you, consider the annual spending amount: over 19 billion. With so much money trading hands this Valentine’s Day, there’s no reason your customers shouldn’t receive Valentine’s Day emails from you.
Don’t let the florists and jewelers reap all the rewards: Your business can cash in on this holiday too. By sending the right Valentine’s Day emails, with the right subject lines, you too can sweeten your bottom line this February.
We’ve put together a list of 45 Valentine’s email subject lines your subscribers will love. Plus, you’ll find subject line tips and some examples of great Valentine’s Day emails that got our hearts beating a little faster.
B2C Valentine’s email subject lines
- Society6: Valen-time’s Almost Up to Get 30% Off Everything
- Edible Arrangements: Red roses are so last year ?
- Redbubble: 20% off. Order now to get widdle schmoopy-approved gifts by Valentine’s Day.
- Paper Source: Will you be our Galentine?
- Gordon Ramsay Restaurants: Make Valentine’s Day one to Remember
- Guess: The secret to your sexiest Valentine’s Day yet
- Shutterfly: Personalize your Valentine’s Day gift
- Moovly: Create a Valentine’s Day video in a snap
- Sephora: Looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for him?
- Birchbox: Valentine’s Day treats for you and yours
- Guess: Join us for a sexy special event
- Ink Cards: 6 HOURS LEFT to send cards in time for Valentine’s Day delivery
- La Mer: Happy Valentine’s Day: enjoy a free sample
- Birchbox: Last chance to gift Birchbox this Valentine’s Day
- Nordstrom: Valentine’s Day gifts for her and him
- Steve Madden: It’s love ?
- Birchbox: This Valentine’s Day, think inside the box
- Target: Sweet deal on Valentine’s Day gifts + in store pickup
- Nordstrom: Valentine’s Day gifts for the loves in your life
- La Mer: A last-minute miracle for Valentine’s Day
- Guess: Let us set you up this Valentine’s Day
- La Mer: Seal it with a kiss: The lip balm for Valentine’s Day
- Orbitz: Deliver your Valentine’s Day gift in person
- Southwest: We’re in ? with these hot February fares
- Anthropologie: Show your love with these great gifts
- J. Crew: Ditch the chocolates and check out these gift ideas
- Nordstrom: Gifts your Valentine will love – for less
- Orbitz: See the ones you love, hot fares for Vday
- De Beers: Find the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day
- Bass Pro Shop: Unique gifts for a unique Valentine
- LuLu: Be mine! Our Valentine’s shop is open!
- Touch of Modern: A Valentine’s Day gift guide you want to open
- Williams-Sonoma: XOXO Valentine’s Day favorites are here
- Jelly Belly: Sweets for your sweet
- FabKids: What will you wear this Valentine’s Day?
- Stoneberry: Heat up this Valentine’s Day with a sale on heaters
- Costco: Valentine ?. Gift ?. Now get everything you need for dinner
- Uncommon designs: Bright designs for your bright love
- The Watchery: Time for love. Get these deals before time runs out
- One Kings Lane: Silky sheets and sweet dreams for Valentine’s Day
B2B Valentine’s email subject lines
- Movable Ink: Roses are red, violets are blue, this floral retailer lifted conversions – and so can you!
- WordPress: Aren’t in love with your website? Make a change
- Leo’s Tax Service: Get your taxes filed by Valentine’s Day
- Commercial Cleaners: Book before Valentine’s Day and Get $50 off
- Buffalo Web Creators: Nothing says romance like website design
- Marketing4You: Why we love our customers
Nonprofit Valentine’s email subject lines
- Petco Foundation: Join The World’s Largest #ShelterValentine ??❤
- Plan International Australia: Spread the love this Valentine’s Day
- SOS Children’s Villages: Share your love this Valentine’s Day
- The Trust for Public Land: 7 Places to steal a kiss this Valentine’s Day
- Austin Humane Society: Your furry Valentine
- Ronald McDonald Charities: Share the love this season
- United Way: Send a Valentine that sends a message
Tips to create the perfect Valentine’s email subject lines
Optimize your subject line for your subscribers
A subject line should compel a subscriber to open the email. You have to choose your words wisely, especially since space is limited.
Most subject lines are about 50 characters, so your word selection is crucial. Get familiar with the email clients and devices your subscribers are using so you can optimize your subject line length for them. You can see this information in Campaign Monitor in the Campaign Reports section under Email Client Usage.
Here’s an example from our own Newsletter subscribers:
Since many of our subscribers view newsletters in Gmail and on iPhones, we should optimize our subject line length. An ideal length is between 41 characters (portrait view on an iPhone) and 70 characters for Gmail.
Read more about how to determine the best length for your subject line in this post.
Show the love in your Valentine’s email
It might seem obvious, but you should mention the holiday in your subject line or use words that are associated with it. You’ll notice most of the subject lines above use the phrase ‘Valentine’s Day’ or words that coincide with the holiday like “love,” “sweet,” “romance,” or “kiss.”
Add an incentive to your Valentine subject line
If you can work an incentive into the subject line, do so. For example, if you’re offering free shipping, closeout prices or a free sample, you should include that in the subject line. La Mer mentions an incentive in this subject line: Happy Valentine’s Day: enjoy a free sample.
Use an emoji to increase the ❤
Do you want to set your email apart from others? Consider adding an emoji. Brands using emojis in their subject lines saw a 45% increase in their unique open rates.
The ❤️ is the one of the most popular emojis and can generate 6% more opens. And what better occasion to break it out than Valentine’s Day? Several of the subject lines listed above contain a variation of the heart emoji, which means this symbol can be used for a number of email types.
Other brands use an emoji at the beginning and end of a subject line to make it stand out. This is attention-grabbing and more interesting for your eye.
If you’re planning to use emojis, be sure it makes sense for your brand. It should fit with your brand’s overall tone. As always, it’s a great idea to test subject lines to see if symbols resonate with your audience.
To learn more about emojis and how to use them in your emails, check out our post, The Real Scoop on Email Emoji in Subject Lines.
Tips to make your Valentine’s emails stand out
Celebrate the holiday, even if you don’t sell flowers
Florists make a killing on Valentine’s Day, but that doesn’t mean the sales opportunities are limited to these businesses.
Nearly every business, no matter what product or service you offer, can celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Jaybird, a Campaign Monitor customer that specializes in wireless earbuds for athletes, offered a deal on one of its popular products for Valentine’s Day. It’s proof you don’t have to sell roses or chocolate to make the most of this holiday.
Consider offering a deal on one of your products or services. Make it as appealing as possible. Jaybird, for example, offers a great deal and fast shipping. Mention these appealing items in your subject line.
Invite subscribers to an event
Businesses hold sales around the holidays and advertise those sales via email. But rather than sticking to the status quo and creating a “We’re having a sale” email, why not turn that sale into an event?
Guess decided to take an ordinary Valentine’s Day sale and spice it up by holding an event with a live DJ. The company invited subscribers to come out and enjoy live music while finding the perfect date-night look.
Take a look:
The subject line should be an invitation, not just an announcement of a sale. Guess used this subject line, “Join us tomorrow for a super sexy special event.” This kind of subject line is different than others, which will grab attention and intrigue your subscribers. Guess also strategically holds their event a week prior to Valentine’s Day so shoppers can score the perfect date-night look.
Learn more about how to create an awesome event invite email in this post.
Valentine’s Day email examples
To go with Valentine’s Day subject lines, you’ll need a beautiful Valentine’s Day email design. Here are some of our top examples:
B2C Valentine’s Day email examples
B2C is perfect for Valentine’s emails, because people love excuses to buy friends and family (and themselves) something special.
Modcloth
Notice how Modcloth focuses on the aesthetic of Valentine’s Day, rather than romance. The red background is bold and exciting.
Society6
Society6 uses artistic design to match their brand and style, and they even feature artist-made work in the email.
B2B Valentine’s Day email examples
Even if you run a B2B business, you can still get in on the Valentine’s Day fun.
Prezi
Prezi uses a clean, subtle Valentine’s Day design in their email, which encourages users to send a valentine with their service.
Stocksy
Similar to Society6, Stocksy uses content from their site to create a beautiful, festive design.
Nonprofit Valentine’s Day email examples
Similar to Christmas, Valentine’s Day is a holiday that focuses on love and kindness, making it an ideal holiday for nonprofits to embrace.
American Red Cross
Notice how American Red Cross uses the holiday and authenticity to show their mission. The sweet story they share in the email above is bound to attract readers.
Plan International
Plan International uses images and Valentine’s Day colors to tug at readers’ heartstrings.
Wrap up
Are you prepared to embrace Valentine’s Day? With the tips and email subject lines in this post, you’ll be ready to create and send the sweetest, revenue-making Valentine’s emails, and that’s something everyone will love.
Use Campaign Monitor to make your own Valentine’s Day emails.
***This post was originally published on 01/25/2016***
