Winter Newsletter Guide: Ideas, Examples & Templates [2025]

The Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing buzz has come to an end, wrapping up the fall season with success. But is it time to rest yet? Just for a few days, because winter is coming.

This season is full of opportunities to engage your audience and drive even more sales. Christmas and Valentine’s Day are your ultimate holiday heroes, but you can also take advantage of other dates and celebrations that align with your niche.

Learn how to keep the momentum going with beautiful, engaging winter newsletters that make subscribers feel they’re in a “Winter Wonderland.”

Why You Should Invest in Winter Email Marketing

According to a recent report, email engagement rose by 77%, with nearly one out of two consumers making a purchase directly from an email campaign. This reinforces email’s position as a powerful marketing channel to leverage during the winter season.

Also, Adobe reported that December spending was slightly higher than November, peaking on December 12. This indicates that consumers remain highly active at the start of winter, a trend worth including in your seasonal strategy.

While January can feel slow due to post-holiday fatigue, it’s a great time to re-engage your audience with educational content, storytelling emails, or new product announcements. This way, you’ll keep your brand top of mind as you head into February.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, sales begin to climb again. In 2024 alone, shoppers spent $25.8 billion on the holiday, so it’s definitely one to include in your winter email marketing calendar.

Key Winter Dates & Holidays to Celebrate

Let’s explore which dates and celebrations offer plenty of opportunities to connect with your subscribers during winter. Find the ones that suit your target market and discover ways to inspire your audience.

December newsletters

While Christmas emails are the protagonists of this month, there are still plenty of ways to delight your subscribers:

• Human Rights Month – throughout December: Raise awareness around this significant cause and highlight your brand’s social values.
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities – December 3: Show the proactive measures your brand takes towards accessibility and set expectations for upcoming initiatives.
• National Free Shipping Day – December 14: Seize this day to engage your audience, especially in the US, with a free shipping incentive to boost your holiday sales.
• Hanukkah – changes every year: Honor the eight-day Jewish traditional celebration by sending festive promotions or warm holiday wishes.
• Christmas Day – December 25: Promote shopping ideas and gift guides leading to Christmas, and share a “Merry Christmas” email to strengthen customer bonds.
• Boxing Day – December 26: Use this day to promote last-minute deals or “treat-yourself” items after shopping for loved ones during the holiday season.
• Kwanzaa – December 26 to January 1: Join this African heritage celebration and promote inclusivity, adhering to this holiday’s theme.
• New Year’s Eve – December 31: Send New Year wishes or resolution-themed emails to inspire your audience and strengthen your brand story.

For instance, OLIPOP shared a yearly review of the brand’s biggest achievements:

Subject line: Our LAST Email EVER*

Further reading: Check out our dedicated December email planner to discover more unique celebrations, like Ninja Day.

January newsletters

January newsletters require more creativity and energy, as inspiration usually drops after BFCM and Christmas campaigns. The same applies to your audience, but you can revive it with well-timed emails around these key dates:

• Veganuary – throughout January: Invite people to adopt a vegan lifestyle for health and ethical reasons.
• Dry January – throughout January: Support wellness goals by highlighting alcohol-free products or mindful living content.
• New Year’s Day – January 1: Share New Year’s resolutions and inspire your audience.
• World Braille Day – January 4: Raise awareness and highlight the importance of including Braille in communications.
• Blue Monday – third Monday of January: Tackle the winter blues with promotional or nurturing campaigns.
• Data Protection Day – January 28: Educate your audience on the latest compliance rules or remind them of your data policies, especially if you’re a SaaS business.
• Lunar New Year – changes every year: Celebrate the beginning of the new year based on lunar calendars. This is a major holiday in many Asian cultures.

Here’s an amazing Lunar New Year campaign by Ashley & Co:

Subject line: A Lunar New Year with Free Shipping!

Further reading: Explore more ideas in our January email planner, including premade templates to save time.

February newsletters

Let’s move to the month of love and see if there are extra opportunities to connect with your subscribers:

• Black History Month – throughout February: This month honors the legacy and history of the Black community.
• World Cancer Day – February 4: Raise awareness and promote prevention and support for cancer patients, their families, and caregivers.
• Super Bowl Sunday – changes every year: A massive celebration in the US to share game-inspired email campaigns and promotions.
• Valentine’s Day: Schedule email sequences ahead of time to showcase your products and deals. Follow up with a heartfelt message on the same day.
• Random Acts of Kindness Day – February 17: Spread kindness and positivity to connect with subscribers on a deeper level.
• International Day of Social Justice – February 20: Highlight important social matters, such as injustice, poverty, and inequality.

Check out this Super Bowl promotional campaign by Bobo’s:

Subject line: Fuel Your Game Day with Bobo’s! 🏈

Further reading: Have a look at our February email planner, the last one in this guide series.

How to Craft Compelling Winter Newsletters

Many winter newsletter ideas have probably popped into your head. Discover how to effectively put them into action.

Create a dedicated winter email marketing strategy

As winter approaches, set clear goals for your email channel and identify which holidays and celebrations align best with them. For example, if your goal is to boost short-term revenue, plan campaigns around Christmas and Valentine’s Day. If you’re aiming to increase brand awareness, consider New Year’s campaigns or highlight your social impact on days like World Cancer Day or during Black History Month.

You can set multiple goals and achieve them through different types of campaigns. Just make sure to review your messaging and email frequency to avoid overwhelming your audience or, worse, triggering unsubscribes or spam complaints.

Also, determine which tools will help you achieve the best possible results. For instance, use email segmentation to deliver personalized content to subscribers with shared traits and interests, or use dynamic content to provide tailored product recommendations.

Finally, set up email sequences to nudge your customers with time-sensitive emails that drive conversions. Tools like Moosend offer pre-made automation workflows that make it easy to build these sequences using simple if/then logic.

Start for free

Choose winter-themed design elements

Email newsletter design plays a key role in driving click-throughs and conversions. A winter newsletter should feel crisp, cozy, and calm to truly stand out. Use elements that resonate with the season, such as snowflakes, frosted windows, warm clothing, and mugs of hot cocoa. These can be sprinkled throughout the email or placed near CTAs to make them pop.

Also, opt for soft, darker colors, like grey and blue, to reflect the season’s mood. For holiday-specific newsletters, stick to the traditional color palettes of each celebration and blend them with your own style:

• Midnight blue & silver: Blue is perfect for background or headers, and silver for accents or text to create a wintry look.
• Dark green & crimson red: This classic Christmas combo is ideal for festive promotions and warm designs.
• Black & gold: Great for New Year’s Eve emails. Black keeps it elegant while gold makes your CTAs shine.
• Rose pink & deep red: Rose pink softens the tone while deep red brings the passion and energy of V-day.

Finally, use a clean layout with plenty of white space and clear, legible fonts to ensure your message is easy to read. Make sure your CTA buttons stand out from the rest of the content to help boost conversions.

Write winter-themed subject lines

To succeed with your winter email marketing, you first need to convince your subscribers to open your campaigns. Your subject line will play a key role in that.

Here are some winter email subject line suggestions from top brands to boost open rates:

Generic winter email subject lines

• Our favorite winter skin hack ❄️💧
• Winter chills are so last year.
• Save 30% for our winter drop
• ☕️The return of winter Bloom❄️
• Winter faves for you
• Our new winter collection is here
• Shrug off the cold with ease.

Winter holiday email subject lines

• Make your Christmas wish come true! 🎄✨
• 20% off holiday gift sets
• Your 2025 New Year resolution
• Fall in love with 50% off ❤️
• Gifts for your special someone

Don’t hesitate to add seasonal emojis, such as snowmen, Christmas trees, and hearts, for a touch of creativity. If you’re unsure about your subject line, consider using an AI writer or conducting A/B testing to find the version that resonates best with your audience.

Winterify your email copywriting

To align your design with your messaging, infuse winter elements into your email copy as well. Words like snow-kissed, cold, crisp, serene, warm, and chill can help set the tone, if they naturally fit the content. Match these words with your color palette to create a cohesive, sensory experience.

Use storytelling techniques to set a scene and make your brand feel more human and relatable. Step into your subscribers’ shoes and craft a narrative that resonates with their winter experiences.

To improve readability, break your copy into short paragraphs and use a clean, legible font. Scannable content is essential during the holiday season, when inboxes are flooded with emails.

Finally, don’t be afraid to get creative with your CTAs. Move beyond generic phrases like “Learn more” or “Buy now.” Instead, try seasonal variations like “Explore Winter Essentials” or “Snuggle in Now” to make your calls to action more engaging and memorable.

Inspiring Winter Newsletters that Stand Out

Want to draw inspiration from other notable brands for your own winter newsletters? Have a look.

1. TOMS winter flash sale

Subject line: A Winter Warm Up—Save 35% on Boots

TOMs announced a winter limited-time sale to help subscribers save on warm boots and other shoes.

Why it works:

• The subject line informs readers what the email is about, including the discount.
• The copy creates a sense of urgency with phrases like “limited time” and “get them before they’re gone.”
• The tailored recommendations at the end add a personal touch.

2. Marks & Spencer pre-Christmas campaign

Subject line: The perfect presents, for everyone

Marks & Spencer shared a holiday newsletter in early December featuring various gift recommendations, perfectly timed for Christmas shopping.

Why it works:

• They offered product suggestions for all needs, followed by celebratory, festive copy.
• The golden “Shop now” buttons stand out, inviting recipients to click through.
• High-quality images add a festive tone, showcasing clothing ideal for Christmassy cold weather.

Further reading: Check out additional Christmas email marketing examples to drive more inspiration.

3. Tease Boxing Day newsletter

Subject line: Save 20% Off this Boxing Day 🤩

Share your last-minute annual deals on Boxing Day to give your ROI a final boost like Tease.

Why it works:

• The subject line focuses on the goal of the campaign, adding a splash of color with an emoji.
• Each product is paired with a wellness goal, helping to highlight its benefits.
• The “2 DAYS ONLY” banner at the top creates a strong sense of urgency for readers.

4. eBay New Year’s campaign

Subject line: 2025’s yours for the taking

New Year’s is the perfect time to set fresh goals. eBay joined this trend by promoting valuable products for new beginnings.

Why it works:

• They opened the email with an inspirational message to put readers in the right mindset.
• They added different product categories aligned with two popular resolutions–wellness and fitness.
• A brief survey at the end of the email helped collect insights from customers.

Further reading: Discover more New Year’s email examples and ideas to delight your subscribers.

5. Navy Hair Care unique Dry January email

Subject line: Dry January? Your Hair Missed the Memo 📋

Navy Haircare made the most of the Dry January theme to promote their dry hair products:

Why it works:

• They built a clever campaign by twisting a familiar narrative to grab readers’ attention.
• The creative subject line sparks curiosity, encouraging subscribers to open the email and boosting open rates.
• They clearly displayed the benefits of each product, helping readers choose based on their specific needs.

6. Cheekbone Veganuary email

Subject line: Are you embracing Veganuary!?💜

Cheekbone joined the Veganuary movement, combining education with sales.

Why it works:

• They added a sustainability note that reflects the brand’s values, helping attract like-minded consumers.
• They linked to resources for those interested in learning more about the brand’s commitment to environmentally friendly practices.
• A promotional section featuring vegan products was followed by “Shop Now” buttons to encourage purchases and boost sales.

7. Moosend’s Valentine’s flash sale email

Subject line: 💘 Flash Sale Ending Soon

Valentine’s Day marketing isn’t just for retail and online stores. SaaS businesses like Moosend can benefit, too.

Why it works:

• The most important information about the discount was placed above-the-fold, making it immediately visible.
• The CTA button and coupon code followed the Valentine’s Day theme, reinforcing the seasonal message.
• A simple layout was used for maximum readability, paired with a Valentine’s-inspired color palette.

8. SERUMIZE’s Black History Month email

Subject line: Celebrating Black History Month✊🏽

SERUMIZE built an awareness email to honor Black History Month.

Why it works:

• This is a nurturing email that highlights the company’s Black-led culture and ongoing support for the community.
• They acknowledged and celebrated the contributions of Black individuals who played a role in the brand’s growth.
• Just above the footer, they included key brand information such as free shipping and loyalty programs, reinforcing value while maintaining the email’s purpose.

Premade Winter Newsletter Templates to Save Time

Ready to start creating your winter email campaigns? Save time with these premade Moosend templates. To get them, sign up for an account or request a free trial. You can fully customize each one using the drag-and-drop editor.

Generic promotional template

Use this template to promote your products throughout the winter season. You can tweak the colors, copy, and product images to match your brand.

Use this!

Christmas newsletter template

Promote your gift recommendations to your subscribers with the festive Christmas template. Display your products using high-quality images and add more details as needed using the editor.

Customize this!

Happy New Year’s template

Wish your customers a Happy New Year with this simple yet festive design. Fireworks add a creative and celebratory touch. Tweak the messaging and share inspiring New Year’s resolutions.

Tailor this!

Valentine’s Day email template

Share the love for your customers using this blooming V-Day template. Easily tweak content blocks and copy in the editor. Use Moosend’s built-in AI writer to craft copy that truly connects.

Use this!

Make Winter Warmer with Thoughtful Emails

When building your winter marketing strategy, ask yourselves: What types of emails do subscribers expect from us, and how can we surprise them?

While maintaining a consistent experience across channels is essential, don’t be afraid to experiment with new initiatives and styles that align with your brand’s tone.

It’s one of the best ways to learn more about your customers and grow as a business.