Getting your email into someone’s inbox can be as easy as pressing send. Getting them to open it is another story all together. To do so you need a punchy subject line. Without one, your email gets lost in the noise. A high quality subject line is even more important during the festive season when you have plenty of competition.

At the same time, the holiday season experiences a higher open rate. This is especially the case when you send emails way in advance. In fact, Marketing Profs published a survey in 2014 that showed that holiday open rates begin to spike during October and peak in the middle of December.

Regardless of peak open rate season, your email is still reliant on a good subject line. To give you some creative ideas of what to consider, here are 20 of the best holiday subject lines.

10 of our favourite subject lines

  1. Gap – Want Stress-FREE gifting?
  2. Food & Wine – 27 Recipes for a Holiday Cocktail Bash
  3. Airbnb – Share the Air – News, travel ideas, tips from Airbnb
  4. De Beers – There’s still time…
  5. Groupon – Groupon’s Most Wanted This Holiday Season
  6. Rape Crisis – 16 Days of Activism – can we count on you?
  7. JetBlue Airways – A sale to escape the winter weather!
  8. Uncommon Goods – The Time Has Come
  9. Just Give – Gifts that do good… and feel good
  10. Retrofit – What NOT to Eat this Thanksgiving

10 subject line ideas to get you started

  1. Working late? So are we! Stop by for some holiday cheer
  2. See what other people are buying this year
  3. Hot gift ideas for 2015
  4. Come celebrate [Small Business Saturday or other event] at [your business]
  5. Holiday shopping stressing you out? Get it DONE. Here is how
  6. First twenty people to show up Saturday morning earn 25% Discount – On Everything
  7. Learn how to stay sane this holiday season
  8. Pssst! Get the scoop on Christmas
  9. Don’t wait. Save %[discount] this week at [business name]
  10. 10 holiday time-saving tips to help you