9 May newsletter ideas and email examples

May is your rebound if you struggled to assemble an April newsletter lineup.

This month is bursting with ideas for launching a promotional campaign. Numerous holidays and cultural events create various inroads to engage with your subscribers. 

Pick a few of our May newsletter ideas and have fun with them. Whichever you choose, focus on resonating with your email subscribers and differentiating your brand from a sea of sameness. 
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#1 Offer solutions for Mother’s Day and pay homage

In last month’s roundup of newsletter ideas, we advised starting promotions early since Mother’s Day is a top consumer-spending event. It deserves the multi-email campaign treatment. 

Don’t worry if you haven’t begun. There’s still time to send an email or two by May 12. You could: 

• Piece together a simple gift guide for last-minute shoppers
• Send a shipping deadline reminder
• Craft a heartfelt “Happy Mother’s Day” message for the day of

We found an interesting research tidbit: among Americans, 80% of mothers purchase one or more gifts for Mother’s Day. Keep that demographic fact in mind when crafting your messages. You could tailor your content or, if you have the appropriate data, send a targeted email to a customer segment.    

Take a look at the email example from Bev. 

What we like about this design: 

1. Simplicity. From a concise headline and copy to a direct call to action (CTA), Bev shows that simplicity can have an impact. 
2. Animated image. The twinkling GIF isn’t complex. But it’s certainly eye-catching.   

Mother’s Day email subject lines

• The Mom Edit
• 💗 For the one you call “mom”
• Last-minute gifts for the mother figure in your life
• Last day to order in time for Mother’s Day 📦
• Raising a glass to mom 
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#2 Recognize AAPI Heritage Month

May is Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in the United States, a monthlong celebration of contributions, cultural traditions and histories. It’s an opening to support and raise awareness of minority communities, much like Black History Month.  

AAPI-focused emails don’t suit every company; consider sending one if: 

• The month has meaning; for example, your brand’s founder is of AAPI descent 
• You sell products by AAPI-owned businesses 
• You support AAPI-aligned inclusiveness initiatives or charities

Examine Holden’s approach. 

Why we like this: 

1. It’s a brand-building opportunity. As an AAPI-owned business, Holden shows that giving back to the community is important. 
2. The brand shares the spotlight. Shout-outs to fellow AAPI-owned wedding businesses demonstrate the company’s goodwill. 

AAPI Heritage Month email subject lines

• 3 AAPI-owned businesses to check out
• How we’re celebrating our AAPI heritage
• __% off for Asian American & Pacific Islander Month
• 🎉 Happy AAPI Month! 
• AAPI proud: The story of us

#3 Celebrate graduates

It’s the beginning of graduation season, starting with college and rolling into June with high school commencements. 

So, a graduation-themed message is a great May newsletter idea. Queue the pomp and circumstance vibes.

There are parties to throw, outfits to buy, and gifts to give. In 2023, 36% of survey respondents planned to buy a gift for a college or high school grad.  

Minted appropriately touts its announcement cards. 

Why this converts: 

1. Multiple CTAs. Two prominent buttons transport you to the brand’s full lineup of available announcements, while clicking on the “Learn more” CTA brings up more verbiage suggestions.  
2. Step-by-step guide. Minted deconstructs graduation announcements “to help you customize yours.” 

Graduation email subject lines

• Gift ideas for your graduate 🎁
• This year’s valedictorian and salutatorian are …   
• 🎓Celebrate their achievements with __% off 
• Wise buys for the wise grad
• Our top ___ picks for grads
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#4 Join the Cinco de Mayo party 

If you like an excuse to party, then May 5 is your ticket. 

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican Army’s 1862 victory over the French. It’s evolved into a celebration of Mexican-American culture and a day for indulging. Many brands jump on the bandwagon, regardless of whether they have Mexican roots or sell culturally relevant products.  

Some May newsletter ideas around Cinco de Mayo include: 

• Food, beverages and recipes
• Attire and other party gear (we came across a PJ-focused email “for the siesta after the fiesta”)
• Educational toys or activities that celebrate the Mexican heritage

See how Driscoll’s enters the bash. 

Why this works: 

1. Non-traditional tie-in. We’re quite sure that no one affiliates berries with Cinco de Mayo. Driscoll’s makes them relevant. 
2. Educational angle. We love it when brands give away tips, suggestions, how-tos — and in this case, Mexican-inspired recipes — with no strings attached. 

Cinco de Mayo email subject lines

• 🌮 Taco ‘bout savings
• Cinco flash sale happening NOW
• 🪇 3 maraca-shakin’ recipes 
• It’s almost fiesta time! Are you ready?
• Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style
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#5 Promote a Memorial Day sale  

We always urge Shopify merchants to approach holidays with respect. Memorial Day honors U.S. military personnel who died while serving. If you know the day is significant to your audience — or your brand — then acknowledgment is crucial.

We also recognize that the weekend doubles as the unofficial kickoff to summer. There’s no denying that the Memorial Day sale is a popular newsletter idea for May. Many consumers expect heavy discounts.  

Choose a manageable promotional pricing strategy and use unique discount codes to avoid coupon abuse.  

Take a look at ECCO’s sales newsletter.

Why this converts: 

1. The header. Including a standard menu featuring popular categories is always a good idea. The fact there’s a “sale” category is even better.
2. Multiple CTAs. Not only are there a few buttons, but each leads the clicker to a distinct page.

Memorial Day sale email subject lines

• 🇺🇸 Our Memorial Day savings salute
• Stock up on the red, white & blue 
• Last chance to shop the Memorial Day sale 🛍️ 
• Memorial Day Weekend steals: ___% off
• Bring on summer with the deals
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#6 Channel the Force on Star Wars Day

The Star Wars universe and its iconic franchise inspire many product lines. If this is true for your brand, May 4 is your day to shine. Embrace the fandom and speak to your sci-fi enthusiasts. They’re a passionate bunch.  

Try lacing your emails with: 

• Puns, even if they fall into the cliche camp (i.e., “May the 4th be with you”) 
• Jedi/Sith wordplay
• Yoda’s speech patterns 

You might think Star Wars Day is off-limits if your brand doesn’t cater to the galactic-loving crowd. Not so, per 4Moms’ twist. 

Why we like this Star Wars take: 

1. 4Moms is all in. We’ve seen brands leverage a Star Wars-inspired headline, add illustrative touches, and stop there. We love that 4Moms carries the theme into the copy. 
2. Product suggestions. The brand features just the right amount of extra options without the email becoming a cumbersome scroll. Price inclusion is a nice touch, too. 

Star Wars Day email subject lines

• Celebrate Star Wars Day with ___% off
• The top 5 chosen ones, according to you
• The force is strong in this collection 
• Take a peek at the dark side …
• The best ___ in the galaxy
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#7 Saddle up for the Triple Crown 

Here’s another opportunity for flexing your email marketing creativity: the Kentucky Derby (May 4), Preakness Stakes (May 18), and Belmont Stakes (June 8). 

The Triple Crown is often a communal experience, whether it’s the select few attending races in person or the rest of us throwing or joining watch parties. 

This May newsletter idea is similar to the Cinco de Mayo playbook, except there’s a competition in the mix. Swap out the sombreros and margaritas for fancy hats and mint juleps. And if you’re into the puns, horse racing has you covered. 

You could send an email that: 

• Promotes Derby-worthy fashion
• Highlights your brand’s “winner’s circle” products 
• Includes recipes fit for a Triple Crown bash

See how American Hat Makers takes advantage of the event.  

What we like about this sales pitch: 

1. The hero image. Lifestyle images in a realistic environment are inviting. 
2. Hat categories. American Hat Makers curates by gender and helps subscribers find the right style, too. 

Triple Crown email subject lines

• 🏇 Our new ___ collection is off to the races!
• Kentucky Derby fashion winners 
• Are you race-day ready? 👒
• Take a bet on our limited-time offers
• Triple Crown deals just for you
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#8 Start Father’s Day promotions 

Father’s Day isn’t until June 16, but now is the time to plan an email campaign and even begin sending newsletters. 

Last year’s spending broke records. American consumers spent an average of $196.23. They bought gifts for fathers, step-fathers, husbands, sons, brothers, friends and grandfathers.   

Identify the last day for shipping and work backward to carve an email schedule. A campaign could look something like the following: 

• Email #1: Opt-out email. Let subscribers remove themselves from receiving Father’s Day email marketing if it’s a sensitive issue. 
• Email #2: Gift recommendations. Organize products into different categories for easier browsing. 
• Email #3: Father’s Day sale. Offer a Shopify discount on select products. 
• Email #4: Gift card recommendation. It’s tough to buy for Dad. Give shoppers an easy option. 

Here’s Executive Shaving’s spin on a Father’s Day email campaign: an opt-out, two sales promotions and a video message. 

Why this email series is impactful: 

1. It demonstrates Executive Shaving has a heart. The brand recognizes that Father’s Day can be a negative trigger and wants to respect its subscribers’ preferences. 
2. The newsletters are engaging. Two emails revolve around playful text exchanges — one from Dad and the other from ‘Bro’ — and another documents a father-son bonding experience through a collaboration with a professional UK football team. 

Early Father’s Day email subject lines

• Level up the gift game for Dad 🎁
• 5 Dad-approved gifts he’ll love
• Father's Day gifts to make you the favorite 😉
• Beat the rush with early Father's Day deals
• Save ___% for the #1 Dad 
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#9 Get customers ready for wedding season 

Wedding season is just around the corner now that we’re deep into spring. 

You can bet some of your subscribers are on the hunt for new head-to-toe attire, accessories, and gift ideas. Another subset is in the midst of last-minute planning details, from nailing down favors to assembling bridal emergency kits. 

Think of these two audiences. What solutions can you provide to one or both?

Brightland’s email example targets the wedding guest.

What grabs attention: 

1. The gift guide angle. Consumers want ideas. Brightland suggests non-traditional options. 
2. A handful of recommendations. Email gift guides come in various forms. One way is to ditch categories and go straight to product suggestions. Here, Brightland bolsters each product image with a playful description and CTA.

Wedding season email subject lines

• 🥂 The Wedding Season Edit
• Is your wardrobe ready for when they say, “I do?”
• 5 of this season’s bridal trends
• Last-minute wedding prep must-haves
• Say “yes” to these wedding gifts 🎁
  
  

Ramp up your May newsletters with Seguno templates 

How’s that for inspiration? There’s a May newsletter idea for every brand to latch onto and run with. 

Seguno has numerous templates to help this month: 

• Mother’s Day email templates 
• Cinco de Mayo email templates 
• Star Wars Day email template
• Father’s Day email templates

Choose May newsletter topics that fit your brand and audience. Remember, the point of every newsletter is to make connections that will motivate subscribers back to your site.