Friday, September 24, 2021

278 Social Media Holidays for Your 2021 Content Calendar [+Template]

Do you celebrate International Cat Day, Pizza Day, or Talk Like a Pirate Day?

There are a plethora of observance days worldwide during which marketers can share content relevant to their industries, get involved in a movement, or simply generate more awareness. But odds are, you probably don't acknowledge these days until you see your favorite brand posting about it.

→ Free Download: Social Media Calendar Template [Access Now]

These social media "holidays" are a fun way to connect with new and existing followers who share an affinity for a specific food, fictional character, or pet.

While we don't suggest sharing content on social media and then adding an irrelevant holiday hashtag to it, these holidays can be a chance to promote your brand in a relevant way. Not doing so could cause you to miss valuable opportunities where your brand can join the conversations taking place among members of your target audience.

To help you plan for trending holidays, we created a list that you can bookmark, as well as a downloadable calendar so you can receive automatic reminders.

Downloadable Holiday Calendar

To help you keep track of all these unique holidays, here's a Social Media Holiday Google Calendar.

Aside from 2021 holidays, we've also set dates on the calendar to repeat annually — either on the exact date they occur or the weekday they occur within the month.

Want to finish out your 2021 calendar with some upcoming holiday posts? Tap the + symbol in the lower right-hand corner of the calendar below to add it to your own Google calendar.

social media holiday calendar templateUse the Above Template to Plan Out Your Social Media Holiday Posts

National & Global Holiday Calendar: 2021

The list isn't exhaustive (there are a lot of food-specific holidays out there), and these dates and hashtags may still be subject to change. But this is a great starting point for social media marketers who want to learn more about what's trending and how they can plan their content in a way that will be fun and engaging on social platforms.


January 2021 Social Media Holidays

iowa state athletics national sticker day social media holiday tweet

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February 2021 Social Media Holidays

zach covey national weather persons day social media holiday tweet

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March 2021 Social Media Holidays

national park service national day of unplugging social media holiday tweet

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April 2021 Social Media Holidays

christina alexandria national siblings day social media holiday tweet

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May 2021 Social Media Holidays

violet the Newfy world password day social media holiday tweet

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June 2021 Social Media Holidays

Alex bowman National Donut Day social media holiday tweet

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July 2021 Social Media Holidays

Stadium Give Something Away Day Social Media Holiday Tweet

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August 2021 Social Media Holidays

Wienerschnitzel National Lemonade Day Social Media Holiday Tweet

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September 2021 Social Media Holidays

Gaeilge @ Colaiste Naomh Caoimhin EDL 2021 Social Media Holiday Tweet

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October 2021 Social Media Holidays

The Beatles 4ever World vegetarian Day Social Media Holiday Tweet

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November 2021 Social Media Holidays

Nickelodeon STEM day Social Media Holiday Tweet

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December 2021 Social Media Holidays

Nobel Prize Day Globalnews.ca Social Media HolidayTweet

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Sources: National Day Calendar, Sprout Social, TrackMaven, Holiday Insights, Brownielocks, National Peace Corps Association, Sparkflow, There's a Day for That

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in January 2017 but is updated annually for comprehensiveness. The most recent update of this post was March 2021.

social media content calendar


278 Social Media Holidays for Your 2021 Content Calendar [+Template] was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

The Best Free Business Budget Templates

Whether you’re a solopreneur or running a massive corporation, you need a business budget to understand where your money is coming from and going. A business budget template can help keep the numbers organized, making it easy for you to track revenue, plan for expenses, and save for future growth.

Click here to download 8 free marketing budget templates.

You don’t have to be an accountant to organize your business budget. There are thousands of business budget templates out there to make the process easy. Once you understand what a business budget is and how it can work for you, you can use one of the following free templates to start organizing your finances.

The business budget follows a set template, which you can fill in with estimated revenues, plus any recurring or expected business expenses.

For example, if you run a digital marketing business, you might know that you typically make about $10,000 for your work creating campaigns, plus an extra $5,000 for your digital courses. You’d list the estimated revenue from all of your business’ revenue streams as incoming money for the business.

Then, you have your recurring expenses, which you would list as outgoing money. This could include employee salaries, office expenses, and software and technology costs.

How to Create a Business Budget

Creating a business budget is a straightforward process, but it can be more complex for larger companies. Here are the basic steps to creating a business budget.

1. Find a Template or Make a Spreadsheet

There are many free or paid budget templates online these days, so you can either use one of those to start, or make a simple spreadsheet with custom rows and columns based on your business. We list a few helpful templates below.

2. Fill in Revenues

Once you have your template, you’ll start by listing all the sources of your business’ income. With a budget, you’re planning for the future, so you’ll need to estimate this based on previous months’ or years’ revenues. For a new small business budget, you’ll rely on your market research to estimate the first revenues for your company.

3. Subtract Fixed Costs for the Time Period

Fixed costs are the recurring costs you have during each month, quarter, or year. Examples include insurance, rent for office space, website hosting, and internet.

4. Consider Variable Costs

Variable costs will change from time to time. Examples include utility bills, advertising costs, office supplies, and new software or technology. While you may always need to pay some variable costs, like utility bills, you can also shift how much you spend toward things like advertising expenses when you have lower-than-average estimated income.

5. Business Budget Planning

Unexpected expenses might come up, or you might want to save to expand your business. Either way, you need to review your budget after including all expenses, fixed costs, and variable costs to find out how much money you can save. It’s wise to create multiple savings accounts for emergencies and for money meant to go back into the business to drive growth.

How to Manage a Business Budget

There are a few key components to managing your business budget to keep it healthy.

Budget Preparation

The process all starts with properly preparing and planning the budget at the start of each month, quarter, or year. You can also create multiple budgets, some short-term and some long-term. During this stage, you will also set spending limits and create a system to regularly monitor the budget.

Budget Monitoring

For larger businesses, you might delegate budget tracking to multiple supervisors, but even if you are a one-person show, you need to regularly monitor the budget. That means setting a time in your schedule each day or week to review the budget and track actual income and expenses, then compare the actual numbers to the estimates.

Budget Forecasting

With regular budget tracking, you can always know how your business is doing. Check-in regularly to determine how you are doing in terms of revenue, where you have losses, where you can minimize expenses, and how you can move more money into savings. You can use well-tracked budgets to create more accurate budgets for future time periods.

Why is a Budget Important for a Business?

A budget is crucial for businesses. Without one, you could easily be drowning in expenses or unexpected costs compared to incoming money.

The business budget helps with several operations. You can use a business budget to keep track of your finances, save money to help you grow the business or pay bonuses in the future, and prepare for unexpected expenses or emergencies.

You can also review the business budget to determine when to take the next leap for your business. For example, you might be dreaming of a larger office building or the latest software, but you want to make sure you have a healthy net revenue before you make the purchase.

Best Free Business Budget Templates

1. Marketing Budget Template

HubSpot Marketing Budget Template

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Knowing how to manage a marketing budget can be a challenge, but with helpful free templates like this marketing budget template bundle, you can track everything from advertising expenses to events and more.

This free bundle includes eight different templates, so you can create multiple budgets to help you determine how much money to put toward marketing plus the return on your investment.

2. Small Business Budget Template

Small business budget template

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For small businesses, it can be hard to find the time to draw up a budget, but it’s crucial to help keep the business in good health.

Capterra offers a budget template specifically for small businesses. It works with Excel, and you input projections for the year. Then, the spreadsheet will project the month-to-month budget, and you can input your actual revenue and expenses to compare and easily see profits and losses.

3. Startup Budget Template

Startup budget template

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What if you don’t have any previous numbers to rely on to create profit and expense estimates? If you are a startup, this Gusto budget template will help you draw up a budget before your business is officially in the market. This will help you track all the expenses you need to get your business up and running, estimate your first revenues, and determine where to pinch pennies.

4. Free Business Budget Template

Business budget template

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You might be familiar with Intuit, as many companies big and small rely on Intuit’s services like Quickbooks and TurboTax. Even if you don’t use the company’s paid financial services, you can take advantage of Intuit’s free budget template, which works in Google Sheets or Excel.

It features multiple spreadsheet tabs and simple instructions. You enter your revenue in one specific tab and expenses in another. You can also add additional tabs as needed. Then, like magic, the spreadsheet uses the data in the income and expense tabs to summarize the information and even determine net savings and the ending balance.

5. Department Budget Sheet

Department Budget TemplateImage Source

A mid-to large-size company will have multiple departments, all with different budgetary needs. These budgets will all be considered into a massive, company-wide budget sheet, but having a specific template for each department can help teams keep track of spending and plan for growth.

This free template from Template.net works in either document or spreadsheet formats and can help different departments keep track of their income and spending.

Create a Business Budget to Help Your Company Grow

Making your first business budget can be daunting, especially if you have several revenue streams and expenses. But once you get it set up, it’s easy to replicate regularly, and it’s even easier to get started if you have a business budget template to follow.

With a helpful business budget template, a little planning, and regular monitoring, you can plan for the future of your business, including bonuses, new product or service offerings, and expansions.

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The Best Free Business Budget Templates was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

Thursday, September 23, 2021

20 Tips to Write Catchy Email Subject Lines [+ Examples]

No matter what they say, people do judge emails by their subject lines.

In fact, 47% of marketers say they test different email subject lines to optimize their emails' performance. That's why it's so important to craft subject lines that are compelling enough to get people to click through.

While they may seem like a small part of your message, they're one of the very first impressions you have on your email recipients. And, they're a marketer's ticket for standing out in a crowded inbox.

Do you want your email content opened, read, and clicked? It all starts with the subject line. Read on for some tried-and-true tips to help jazz up your subject lines and boost your email engagement.

Download Now: 100 Email Subject Line Examples

What makes a good email subject line?

Before we get to our tips, let's go over some fundamentals of what makes a great subject line. Regardless of your goals, these are the essential elements that your subject line should possess:

1. Urgency

Creating a sense of urgency is an efficient way to get people to take action. You can create a similar effect in your subject lines strategically.

By communicating a known start and end date to a special sale or promotion, viewers scrolling through their inbox will click to see what they can get in that window of time. This is also a good practice when done in a small series of emails counting down the window of opportunity — as long as you’re not flooding their inbox and coming off spammy.

2. Curiosity

Sometimes, subject lines work because of their ability to send the message, "You will benefit from opening this email." But other times, it's good to maintain some sense of mystery — especially if it pique's the recipient's natural curiosity and interest. Because they require opening the email to get more information, they can result in, well, a higher open rate. But make sure the subject line, while enigmatic, still aligns with your brand. Too obscure, and it could end up being seen as spam.

3. Offers

Here's where that benefit of opening a given email comes in. At the end of the day, people love new things and experiences — especially when they’re free, or at least discounted. Open with that by including it in your subject line. Personally, I'm much more inclined to open my daily newsletters when there's an offer or allusion for "free stuff" directly mentioned in my inbox.

4. Personalization

No two email subscribers are the same — and, sometimes, that means the emails you send to them shouldn't be, either. At this point, marketers have never had more ways to learn about their subscribers' preferences, jobs, or general (dis)likes. So when you send them content, on occasion, make it catered toward the individual.

5. Relevance and Timeliness

When we subscribe to an email list, it's usually because we want to be kept informed, or at least learn more about a given topic (more on that later). Similar to piquing your audience's curiosity, crafting email subject lines that incorporate trending topics or timely headlines can help you establish your brand as an authority within your industry — and can compel people to click to read.

6. Name Recognition

Let's face it: We all have famous people who, at some point, we presently or previously have admired. And when you understand your audience's preferences and interests, you can pique their interest by including the names of these admired, recognizable individuals by including them in your content — and mentioning them in your email subject lines. But take heed: This tactic really only works when it aligns with your brand, product, or service. So keep it relevant, rather than just throwing out a name for the sake of recognition.

7. Cool Stories

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, here's another place where curiosity comes into play. By front-loading your email subject line with a compelling allusion to a story — but can only be read if opened or clicked — your audience is likely to become intrigued, and want to learn more. Again, make sure the story is relevant to your brand. Otherwise, it might just confuse your readers and prevent them from opening the email.

Now that you know the fundamentals, let’s dive into email subject line best practices.

Email Subject Line Best Practices

1. Learn from successful email subject line examples.

Whenever we're scratching our heads wondering what to make our subject line, we often look to examples for inspiration. Seeing clever use of wordplay or emojis on one of our favorite newsletters can help us think of new ways to approach our subject line.

To help you do the same, we've compiled a list of 100 email subject lines from real businesses. We hope you'll be just as inspired.

email subject lines examples

Download the Free Email Subject Lines Examples Guide

2. Keep it short and sweet.

Email subject lines will get cut off if they're too long, particularly on mobile devices. And with up to 46% of email opens taking place on mobile, we recommend using subject lines with fewer than 50 characters to make sure the people scanning your emails read the entire message.

If you're struggling to keep your subject lines short, think about which words matter less and where you can remove a frivolous detail. For example, if you're sending an order confirmation, doesn't “Your order is being processed” look better than “Order #9435893458358 is being processed"?

The same goes for your regular emails: Don't waste your time including the word "update" or "newsletter" in the subject line. Some studies even suggest these words can decrease the message's open rate since it tells readers the email is associated with a series, and therefore they can catch the next one.

3. Use a familiar sender name.

That name recognition we mentioned earlier doesn't just apply to the famous — it applies to the familiar. When setting your sender name, be as human as you can. Olivia@yourcompany.com is both inviting and unintimidating to people when they open their inboxes.

If you've already met your recipients from a previous conversation, use your own name as the sender's address — even if the email is technically coming from the company as a whole. The best impression you can make on your customers is that they're working with you, the individual — not the entire business.

"If the 'from' name doesn't sound like it's from someone you want to hear from, it doesn't matter what the subject line is," explains Copy Hacker's Joanna Wiebe. Ultimately, people are busy, and they simply don't bother with you if you don't sound like someone who would make for an easy (or at least friendly) conversation.

4. Avoid the 'no-reply' sender name.

Thanks to the amount of spam people get these days, most people hesitate to open emails from unfamiliar senders. And, even fewer people like talking to a robot. Think about when you call a company and can't get a hold of an actual person. It's frustrating, right? This goes for email, as well.

Never use "noreply@company.com." I repeat: Never use this email address. Not only does it make it look less personable, but it also stops people from adding your email to their address book.

Instead, avoid using a generic email address and send the email from a real person. For instance, we once found that emails sent from "Maggie Georgieva, HubSpot" performed better in terms of opens and click-through rate than emails sent from just "HubSpot." (HubSpot customers: Learn how to personalize the "From" name and email address here.)

5. Use personalization tokens.

Remember the personalization we mentioned earlier? Using personalization tokens — like name or location — in the subject line adds a feeling of rapport, especially when it's a name. Everyone loves the sound of their own name. Plus, it increases clickthrough rate: In fact, research has shown that emails that included the first name of the recipient in their subject line had higher click-through rates than emails that did not.

One example of how brands affix this information to subject lines is the dog-walking company, Wag! who does this with dog names. Here's one such email that a HubSpot writer received:

Email newsletter by Wag dog-walking service with pet name in the subject line

That's great personalization and great timing.

Another personalization tactic that works is to tailor subject lines to the recipient's location — things like lists of their respective cities' best outdoor bars and restaurants.

Just don't go overboard with the personalization here. That can be a little creepy. But little personalized touches show that you know more about your recipients than just their email address. However, if you can't (or don't want to) use personalization tokens in the subject line, use "you" or "your" so it still sounds like you're addressing them directly.

6. Segment your lists.

While email blasts that go out to your entire list might be relevant and helpful to some people, it won't be to others — and could cause confusion or frustration. Why is this restaurant sending me a list of the best local steakhouses when I'm a vegetarian? Why is this company sending me case studies when I just signed up for its email list yesterday?

Personalize the experience using information from the actions your customers have already taken — from which forms they've filled out, to which industries they're in, to what their personal preferences are. In email marketing, you can personalize your recipients' experience using a little thing called list segmentation.

7. Don't make false promises.

Your email subject line is making a promise to your reader about what you will deliver in your message. Make sure that you make good on that commitment — and do not try to get your email opened by making false promises. This will irk your audience, and they'll learn not to trust your subject lines, resulting in a lower open rate and a higher unsubscribe rate.

8. Do tell them what's inside.

Speaking of making promises, if your visitor has downloaded an offer and you're delivering it via email, it's a great idea to use a subject line that says something like, “Your new ebook inside!” or, “Your guide awaits!” This works better than a simple “thank you” in the subject line because it makes it clear that something is waiting inside the email.

9. Time it right.

Sending an email at the right time with the right subject line can make a huge difference in open and click-through rate. A prime example? When food publication Eater sends at 6:45 P.M. on a Wednesday evening that said, "Where to Drink Beer Right Now" — just in time for happy hour. Nailed it.

Another favorite example is a classic email from Warby Parker with the subject line, "Uh-oh, your prescription is expiring." It was sent two weeks before the recipient needed to renew his prescription. By sending an email at the right time, Warby Parker increased the chances of their email getting opened — and included a relevant call-to-action about getting a glasses upgrade, too.

10. Use concise language.

Keep in mind that people scan their inboxes very quickly — so the more clear and concise your subject line is, the better. It's usually a lot better to be concise than it is to use complex and flowery language — unless you're going for an elusive subject tone to entice your recipients.

When you're going for a concise subject line, think about how your email will benefit your recipients. You'll want to make that benefit very clear. For example, "Increase your open rates by 50% today” is more appealing than "How to increase open rates."

11. Start with action-oriented verbs.

Subject lines are similar to calls-to-action, in that you want the language to inspire people to click. Subject lines that begin with action verbs tend to be a lot more enticing, and your emails could be drastically more clickable by adding a vibrant verb at the beginning.

Actionable subject lines will inspire people to click on your email by instilling urgency and excitement. For example, in an email inviting people to a hockey legend dinner, the email subject line might read, “Dine with Bruins legend Bobby Orr,” rather than a more generic (and less actionable) “Local Boston Sports Legend Meal." The former email uses “Dine” to help the reader envision themselves at a dinner table.

12. Make people feel special.

The psychology of exclusivity is a powerful thing. When people feel like they're on the inside, it gives them a sense of belonging which builds loyalty and compels them to convert on your emails.

The right phrasing can make your recipients feel special — and the effect can be magical. A few ideas for phrasing include:

  • "For our beloved customers only"
  • "An exclusive offer for you"
  • "My gift to you"
  • "You're invited!"
  • "Private invite"

13. Create a sense of importance.

There's a phrase that, for many of us, is reminiscent of classic infomercials: "Act now!"

And while we wouldn't encourage using that exact language in your content, we do agree that communicating urgency and scarcity in an email subject line can help compel readers to click (or act) — when phrased creatively and strategically.

But because you don't want to be known as "the brand that cried wolf," use these subject lines sparingly, and try to limit them to when the occasion genuinely calls for immediate action.

14. Use numbers.

A lot of businesses send emails with vague statements in their subject lines — which is why using data and numbers is a great way to get your emails noticed, demonstrate a clear and straightforward message about your offer, and set the right expectations.

Just like with blog titles, using numbers in your subject line is an effective email marketing best practice. You might use numbers to refer to the title of your listicle, the page length of an offer, a specific discount, or the numerical benefit of a particular resource you're providing — like "Join more than 750 others at this event!"

15. Pose a compelling question.

Asking a question in your subject line can also draw readers in — especially if you're asking a question you know is relevant to your recipients' buyer persona. This is just one way to pique that curiosity we mentioned earlier. For example, you might try the following: “Are you making these SEO mistakes?” or “Do you know what your website is doing wrong?"

Zillow once sent an email with the subject line, "What Can You Afford?" that linked to a website showing apartments for rent. A subject line like this is both encouraging and a touch competitive: While it gives hope that there are apartments out there that'll fit within your budget, it also pits your cash against what the market offers.

Another example comes from DocuSign. It sent an email late in the lead nurturing process, with the subject line, "What are your customers saying?" The body of the email contained a bunch of case studies that were meant to help the recipient move closer to actually purchasing DocuSign. This was a smart move: Folks who are further down the funnel are likely more receptive to hearing customer testimonials.

16. Don't be afraid to get punny.

Most people love a good pun. It's a great way to delight your recipients and spice up your emails. Some of the best punny email subject lines come from JetBlue, with subject lines like "Land wander-ful low fares now!"

Quirky — a community-led invention platform — worded one of its email subject lines like this: "Abra-cord-abra! Yeah, we said it." That second part is conversational and self-referential — and exactly what most people would say after making a really cheesy joke in real life.

If you're the least bit punny, think about small ways you can slip them into your emails when it's appropriate. Just don't overdo it. And remember the rule: When in doubt, ask a coworker.

17. DON'T USE ALL CAPS or overuse exclamation points!!!

A subject line that says, “OPEN NOW AND RECEIVE A FREE TRIAL” or, "50% off coupon today only!!!!!!!!" isn't going to get your email opened. If anything, it'll probably get your email ignored.

Why? People don't like to be yelled at, and using all caps and/or a lot of exclamation points can rub people the wrong way.

Not only are these tactics disruptive, but they look spammy. So instead of using disruptive tactics like these to stand out in people's inboxes, try personalizing your emails, establishing relevance, and using catchy and delightful language.

18. Don't include a question and exclamation in the same subject line.

Here's a subject line that can automatically wind up in a recipient's spam folder: "Want a solution fast? Act now!"

The fast solution isn't the problem in the example above. It's also not “act now” — although those are known email marketing spam words. It's both phrases together. This is a classic email saboteur, and it comes in many forms. All you need is to ask and yell at the same time.

Oftentimes webservers flag emails as spam if they contain both a question mark and an exclamation mark in the subject line. The example above is a common one. A good solution? Don't do that!

Not only is this format overdone, but it's alienating to your audience. Open-ended questions are a show of ignorance; any good marketer knows their leads better than that.

19. Use engaging preview text.

While preview text isn't technically part of your subject line, it does appear right near the subject line — and it certainly deserves your attention.

Preview text provides recipients with a peek at the content inside your email, which email clients like the iPhone Mail app, Gmail, and Outlook will display alongside the subject line. (The exact amount of text shown depends on the email client and user settings.)

email preview text in inbox

When you don't set the preview text yourself, the email client will automatically pull from the body of your email. That can look messy depending on your email content, and it's also a wasted opportunity to engage your audience. (HubSpot customers: Click here to learn how to set the preview text of your emails.)

20. A/B test your subject lines.

Although these tips and best practices are a great place to start, what works best for some companies may not work as well for others. It's all about figuring out what works best for your specific audience. That's where A/B testing comes in.

While it can be tempting to use your intuition to predict what subject line language will make people click on your emails, you should always A/B test your highest-stakes subject lines, and tweak the wording according to your results. What works best for your audience: Long or short subject lines? Including numbers or not including numbers? Questions or statements? (HubSpot customers: Learn how to A/B test emails in HubSpot here.)

Now that we’ve gone through our best practices, let’s review the steps to creating good email subject lines.

How to Write Good Email Subject Lines

Step 1: Identify the purpose of the email.

Why is the email being sent and how does that inform the subject line? Identify the true purpose or intention of the email and use that as the foundation to build upon when brainstorming your subject line idea.

Step 2: Determine the call to action.

What will make the user click on the email? A discount? Something free? Important information? What is enticing enough to make them want to see or learn more about your offer? Having a call to action with an incentive yet to be seen is tempting.

Step 3: Draft multiple subject lines.

Write similar subject lines that use varying words and tones. You want to have a few ideas to choose from, so you’re not stuck stewing over the same sentence for long.

Step 4: Get feedback.

Have colleagues review the subject lines to give their feedback on which they preferred. Having a second opinion can help you see it from a different perspective.

Step 5: Test your subject line.

As mentioned earlier, perform an A/B test to see which subject line performs best. After you’ve conducted the test, take the most effective email subject line and use it in your upcoming email marketing campaign.

Now that we’ve gone through the steps to create a good subject line, let’s examine some effective examples.

Examples of Catchy Email Subject Lines

To give you some added inspiration, here's a quick list of the most intriguing subject lines we've seen recently.

EF Tours: “👻 Trip or Treat!”

examples of catchy email subject lines: EF Tours

This subject line from EF Tours has tasteful use of a quirky emoji, coupled with a sense of urgency from a time-bound sale. These two tricks create an email subject line that would stand out from the rest of your inbox.

Chanel: “Smoldering Red Lipstick”

examples of catchy email subject lines: Chanel

This example from Chanel is simple but effective. Viewers can visualize a beautiful red lip, and feel enticed to click to see if the product really achieves a “smoldering” look.

Wish: “Electrify your night out.”

examples of catchy email subject lines: Wish

Wish helps the reader to see how much more fun their night could be in one of its dresses. With this imagery, they’ll want to see how fun their selection of dresses could be — especially if it’s discounted.

Drizly: “...here’s $5 to stay in.”

examples of catchy email subject lines: Drizly

This subject line is more unique than others — it makes you question what Drizly means by the first half and explicitly gives you an incentive to open the email.

Shutterfly: “Claim your UNLIMITED free photo book”

examples of catchy email subject lines: Shutterfly

While we mentioned earlier to be careful with CAPS lettering, it doesn’t overwhelm this Shutterfly subject line and makes an interesting offer.

Mediabistro: “Generous PTO and Summer Fridays”

examples of catchy email subject lines: Mediabistro

The viewer can envision themselves taking advantage of work perks like these from Mediabistro, and will feel inclined to read more on the subjects presented.

Catch more Clicks with Catchy Subject Lines

At the end of the day, if your emails aren't getting opened, they're not getting seen. By using some of our tips, we hope you can come up with creative and engaging subject lines of your own. You already have great content to share — now, prove it in your subject line.

Editor's Note: This blog post was originally published in July 2018 but has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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20 Tips to Write Catchy Email Subject Lines [+ Examples] was originally posted by Local Sign Company Irvine, Ca. https://goo.gl/4NmUQV https://goo.gl/bQ1zHR http://www.pearltrees.com/anaheimsigns

12 Gantt Chart Examples You'll Want to Copy

Gantt charts. Love ‘em, hate ‘em, or can’t live without ‘em, they’re a reality of a marketer’s life. But how do you make yours stand out from the rest?

I’ve gathered some of the best examples around, along with some free templates to get you started. Dive in below and find your favorite. But first ...

→ Download Now: Free Gantt Chart Template

The elements within a Gantt chart can be grouped into four categories: resources, milestones, tasks, and dependencies.

  • Resources: Project managers must have insight into what resources are needed for tasks outlined in a Gantt chart, in order for each to be completed on time.
  • Milestones: Along your timeline, there will likely be milestones, both small and large, that must be hit in order to keep your project on track. A milestone for a blog launch might be, “Blog post draft due on 5/30.
  • Tasks: There are specific things that need to be completed along the way of your project. In our blog post example, a task might be, “Edit blog post.
  • Dependencies: Tasks on your Gantt chart will be related to each other, for example, the editor won’t be able to complete her task of editing the blog post until the writer has met their milestone and submitted their draft on 5/30. These are dependencies and should be noted in your chart.

Benefits of Using a Gantt Chart

The main goal of a Gantt chart is to track the timeline and completion of a project. It’s beneficial for project managers who need to keep team momentum on campaigns with many moving parts, like product launches or marketing events. Here are some additional benefits of using Gantt charts: 

  • Visual tracking gives an overarching view of projects and their timelines, helping DRIs understand progress and assign responsibility accordingly. 
  • Clear project timelines aid with resource planning, as you'll know which tasks require which tools and exactly when DRIs will need those tools.  
  • Visual understanding of which project elements rely on each other for completion so PMs can inform responsible individuals of high-priority tasks. 
  • Increased transparency, as all involved parties are aware of expectations and how individual progress impacts team progress.

You can create Gantt charts in Excel, PowerPoint, Google Sheets, and more, and this tracking method can be used in a variety of industries, from marketing to construction, and even design.

So, what does that look like? Let’s dive in with some beautiful Gantt chart examples, below. Prepare to geek out.

Gantt Chart Examples

1. Gantt Chart in Excel

Creating Gantt charts in Excel is a common practice and one you’ll likely come across in your work. Excel doesn’t have a predefined Gantt chart, but the “Stacked Bar” feature is your friend, once more, allowing you to show project progression. Here’s an example of an Excel Gantt chart. Download it free, here. gantt chart excel template

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And here’s a helpful “how-to” video for the excel-challenged among us <raises hand>.

 

2. Gantt Chart in PowerPoint

Want to include a Gantt chart in your next PowerPoint Presentation? Use this PowerPoint example as your guide. PowerPoint doesn’t have a built-in Gantt feature, but you can build and edit a chart inside of the platform using their “Stacked Bar” feature.

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How to Make a Gantt Chart in PowerPoint

When using the above template to make a Gantt chart in PowerPoint, consider these pro tips: 

  • Leverage the task bars to your advantage and adjust their length in accordance with your plan. This template is also flexible, so you can shorten or increase the length of tasks if things come up during your project execution process. 
  • Make unique color-codes for each specific task so you can place a corresponding milestone image when completed so you can monitor your progress and immediately understand what color means what. 

3. Gantt Chart in Word

What’s that? You’re not familiar with Microsoft’s “Stacked Bar” feature yet? Well, if you’re getting friendly with Gantt charts, you’ll be using this go-to feature quite a bit.

If you’re creating a Gantt chart in Microsoft Word, you’ll stack bars once more. But if you’ll be updating and tweaking your Gantt chart regularly, Excel or PowerPoint may give you better flexibility. gantt chart microsoft word template

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How to Make a Gantt Chart in Word

When using the template above, leverage the stackable bars feature to create an interactive Gantt chart to clearly demonstrate task progress and monitor your accomplishments. 

In addition, create a daily check-ins schedule on your chart so you can move the “Today” line forward as each day goes on, helping you stay on track and understand what’s to come.

4. Gantt Chart in Google Sheets

If Google Sheets is where you spend most of your time, this is the Gantt chart for you. G-Sheets makes it easy to build customizable Gantt charts you can edit as needed -- all using a few simple formulas.

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How to Make a Gantt Chart in Google Sheets

If you’re creating a Gantt chart in Google Sheets, use the above template and circulation table for automated chart creation. Simply input the information specific to your business, and the chart will be created automatically. 

You have less creative freedom with this chart, but it is great for those hesitant to create a chart from scratch.

5. Gantt Chart in Google Docs

Want a Gantt Chart you can share and collaborate on with colleagues? Consider creating your chart in a Google Document. Save it to your Google Drive and share as normal. Google offers “Stacked chart” options in their “Chart Editor,” so getting started is a breeze.

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How to Make a Gantt Chart in Google Docs

In Google Docs, use the timeline template documents to your advantage and give yourself an overview of your project progress. It’ll help with visualization, staying on track, and allowing you to see how you’re progressing over time so you can share information with relevant stakeholders, internal and external.

6. Gantt Chart for Editorial Calendar

Take your editorial calendar up a notch with a Gantt chart. Include publication dates as your milestones, add subgroups for each phase of content creation, and add tasks to your chart.

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7. Gantt Chart for Project Management

Project management is one of the most common verticals relying on Gantt charts. These charts help project managers identify the tasks involved in each project, create a timeline for each task, and assign dates, tools, and progress updates for each of the tasks within the project.
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8. Gantt Chart for Marketing Campaign

There are many tools available that help marketers create Gantt charts especially for marketing campaigns. This example, from GanttPro offers ready-made campaign templates with predefined tasks, subtasks, and milestones. gantt chart example: marketing campaign gantt chartImage Source

9. Gantt Chart for Design Projects

Designers, you can use Gantt charts, too. Plan design launches, track brainstorming, and share draft progress with a carefully organized chart, like the example below. gantt chart example: design projects

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10. Gantt Chart for Product Launch

Product launches have many moving parts. Keep track of research, budgets, team roles, and even risk assessment in a customizable Gantt chart like this one. You can even set dependencies and assign tasks to certain people.

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11. Gantt Chart for Social Media Campaign

When you’re mapping a social media marketing campaign using a Gantt chart, make sure to include the tools you’ll need, the content you’ll be sharing, and the assets used on each channel. We loved this example, from Fabrik. gantt chart example: social media campaign

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12. Gantt Chart for Event Marketing

From outreach prior to the event to “Thank you” emails once it’s over, planning an event requires high levels of organization. Use a Gantt chart like this one to keep track of your strategy, team progress, and key actions before, during, and after your event.
gantt chart example: event marketing

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When you're ready to begin creating your own Gantt chart, refer to the high-quality examples on this list and download our free Excel template to get started. 

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