Happy New Year emails: 8 examples and why they work
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The beginning of the New Year marks a time when consumers are focused on starting new projects, implementing change and planning out the year ahead.
Take advantage of this fresh start by sending out targeted Happy New Year emails that tap into your audience’s needs and aspirations.
In this article, we’ll share eight Happy New Year email template ideas and examples to help you re-engage with your target audience, boost sales and start the new year off right.
1. Round up your users’ yearly activity
Personalized emails add a human touch to your messaging that helps you connect with your readers and build trust. A personalized email greeting to usher in the new year is a powerful opportunity to check in with your customers about how the past twelve months played out.
One way to do this is by sending a “year in review” email to give users a look at their unique activity with your business over the last year. Put your data to good use and help users see how they’ve interacted with your product.
Digital music service Spotify does this well with their “Wrapped” email campaign that shows users their most-played songs and podcasts over the past year.
Why it’s effective
This clever concept reminds users how much they’ve engaged with the service while prompting them to re-engage with the platform.
Spotify’s Wrapped campaign ensures their information is easily shareable, so users act as brand advocates when they post their results on social media and send to contacts.
Health tech company Withings also provides a collection of intriguing stats in their email message, which show users how loyal they’ve been to their goals.
Why it’s effective
Personalized New Year emails with seemingly mundane statistics, such as a user’s average number of steps in a day, give readers fun insights that at best inspire them to break their own records in the coming year or share their stats with friends.
2. Reflect on your own business’s top achievements
If you’re an e-commerce or media company (or simply publish content regularly), you could create a round-up email of the most popular products or posts from the previous year. This is an easy way to introduce existing customers to new products or posts they might have missed but are probably interested in.
Take this New Year email campaign snapshot from digital agency Humbleteam, showcasing the company’s milestones:
Why it’s effective
When customers can meaningfully align with your brand’s values and mission, they’re more likely to continue engaging with you.
In addition to sharing the previous year’s achievements, it’s also the perfect time to share your vision for the next year with your audience. Sharing your goals and inside knowledge with your readers can help them feel included in the journey and increase the likelihood of their investment in your success.
3. Ask for feedback
The new year is usually a period of reflection. Therefore, it makes sense to send customers a prompt for feedback at this time. This information can help you determine if you achieved the past year’s goals, identify areas of improvement and set new goals for the upcoming year.
This Happy New Year email sample from automated branding platform Tailor Brands asks customers to take three minutes out of their day to provide some input and in return rewards them with a 50% discount on any purchase.
When customers agree to comment on your business’s current offering, they’re actively investing time and energy, so if your budget allows, make sure to offer a reward to those who do.
Why it’s effective
Customers love to feel appreciated by the brands they spend time and money with. Similarly, customer retention is incredibly important for a business. Making sure your customers feel seen and heard is a cost-effective way to keep them coming back. Regular customers can also provide high-quality feedback that’s vital for improving your business.
4. Show your appreciation
Many people review their budget at the end of the year. A big part of this process includes evaluating which products and subscriptions they can (or can’t) do without in order to cut down on spending.
A simple “thank you” to your customers for being a part of the journey with you (similar to a welcome email) as part of a Happy New Year message or holiday email sequence can help avoid unnecessary churn. A little appreciation goes a long way with customers, especially if you’re a larger company.
A thank you is best done when it’s authentic and personalized, so make sure to include the customer’s first name and personal details when shaping your messaging.
In their new year email greeting, clothing brand J.Crew’s CEO sends a genuine thank you note paired with a request for honest feedback.
Why it‘s effective
A personal message from your brand’s CEO makes customers feel valued and special, especially if you’re a larger company.
5. Encourage customers to stock up on products for the year ahead
The end of the year is a great time to encourage customers to purchase their favorite products to stock up for the year ahead.
If you run an ecommerce subscription service like BirchboxMan, your customers are probably used to trying different products each month and may remember a few stand-out options.
Why it’s effective
Some people like to begin the year with a full stock of their favorite products. Nudging your readers with a gentle reminder to prepare for the year ahead is an effective way of closing the loop.
6. Provide an irresistible offer
The holiday season can be an expensive time for consumers. Given all of the Black Friday, Cyber Monday and other holiday shopping sprees, it’s possible that your readers may want a break from shopping.
This is where you may need to entice them with an irresistible New Years’ sale.
Take this example from clothing store Madewell: they’re not afraid of starting the new year with a bang by offering their readers a full 40% off.
A large discount like this one may seem like a lot, but it’s sometimes necessary to convince consumers to keep shopping after the holiday period is over. It also might be necessary to cut through the noise of dozens of promotional emails they’re received over the holidays. If you sell physical products, it can be helpful to shift end-of-season inventory as well.
Developing scarcity through words like “last chance” in the subject line can help increase open rates, but be sure to use them sparingly or you can risk eroding trust with your customers.
Why it’s effective
Big discounts help you stand out from the crowd and encourage shopped-out readers to engage with your brand.
This eye-catching email design from custom photo gift company Artifact Uprising also prompts readers to make a purchase before it‘s too late – in this case, the end of the year.
Why it’s effective
Using New Year’s Eve as a deadline reminds readers of limited availability and encourages them to make a quick decision.
Paying extra attention to small details like this can be what pushes your reader towards making the decision to engage. Notice how they cleverly word the discount code as “RSVP”, which makes it feel like an exclusive and somewhat mysterious event.
They also make sure to use an eye-catching animated GIF in their email to grab their readers’ attention and stand out in their inboxes.
7. Get subscribers excited about the upcoming year
Most people make New Year’s resolutions in order to break habits or establish new ones in the upcoming year.
Clothing company Net-a-Porter tapped into this tradition by giving readers a list of beauty resolutions to follow in the New Year.
Why it’s effective
New Year’s resolutions can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore. To add some fun and increase click-through rate and conversions, they cleverly sprinkled call-to-action (CTA) buttons throughout their email to align readers’ goals for the new year with their existing shopping habits.
8. Send your best wishes
Following a busy holiday period, sometimes you may want to simply send out a short New Year‘s Eve email newsletter that wishes your subscribers well in the new year.
While quick and to the point, Happy New Year wishes still get your business in front of your audience and help keep you top of mind. This poetic email from Patchwork is a great example of this:
Why it’s effective
Fun, simple and on-brand email messages that double as a greeting card are sometimes all you need to bring your readers a slice of joy that keeps them engaged.
2 Happy New Year email templates
Now, using what we learned from the samples above, here are two Happy New Year email templates you can personalize for your business needs.
The celebratory Happy New Year email template
Subject: Wow... What a year!
Dear [Customer’s Name],
As the year comes to a close, we take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and trust in [Your Company]. It has been a year marked by remarkable achievements and we couldn’t have done it without you.
[Mention a few key highlights or milestones achieved during the year.]
Our customers are the cornerstone of our success and we’re immensely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to your journey.
Looking ahead, we’re excited about the possibilities that the new year holds and committed to delivering excellence as your partner of choice. Here are just a few things we have planned.
[List a few of the exciting company and product updates on your calendar]
May the coming year bring you joy, prosperity and countless moments of success. Thank you for being an integral part of the [Your Company] family.
Warm wishes for a Happy New Year!
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company]
[Contact Information]
This email combines a celebration of the year you’ve had with an appreciative message to the customer and a hint of what’s to come in the New Year.
The appreciative Happy New Year email template
Subject: Just a little something to say thanks for a great year!
Dear [Customer’s Name],
As we start the new year, we want to take a moment to express our appreciation for an amazing year. Here are just some of the ways you've supported us:
[Include some personalized customer statistics around product use, potentially putting them into percentiles]
To show our gratitude and kick off the new year in style, we have a special gift exclusively for you. We’re delighted to offer you [insert offer details based on their product/solution use and purchases – discount, freebie, special access, etc.].
Here’s to a new year filled with exciting opportunities and shared successes!
Claim your special offer [insert details on how to redeem or claim the offer].
Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous and prosperous New Year!
Warm regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Company]
[Contact Information]
With this email template, you can show your appreciation to your customers, or a special segment of them, with a personalized offer.
Final thoughts
The new year is a unique opportunity to connect with your target audience through email marketing campaigns.
As you try these Happy New Year email templates, remember to look at analytics and user engagement and track how your subscribers respond. By using these templates you can make more meaningful connections with your readers so everyone can have the best new year.
