Daylight saving time ends and you're gonna need that extra hour of sleep to conquer November!
Most email marketers send newsletters around Thanksgiving and Black Friday—but those aren't your only options!
There are a bunch of other fun and interesting November newsletter ideas that can help you to stand out during a busy month (93, to be precise)! From Talk Money Week to World Vegan Day, there are tons of things taking place in November to inspire your next newsletter.
Remember that relevance is key. Pick events that relate to your business in some way—even if it is as simple as adding a P.S. to remind your readers of the special day. Bear in mind that some of these days hold special cultural and/or religious significance, so if you choose to refer to them in your newsletters, remember to be sensitive and considerate. Use this as a guide to help plan your email calendar for November. We encourage you to experiment and to keep it Lite!
Originating from Mexico, ‘Día de Muertos’ is a festival that celebrates life and death, where people gather to honor the memory of their loved ones.
Newsletter idea: Decorate your newsletter design with Day of the Dead graphics, and explore the meaning behind these traditions and symbols
The design used in this example from Mail Designer 365 is unmistakably Day of the Dead themed with its lantern colors and sugar skulls.
This is a federal holiday in the United States to honor people who have served in the armed forces. In the UK and Commonwealth member states, Remembrance Day is celebrated on the same date to commemorate those who lost their lives in the military.
Newsletter idea: List Veterans Day events in your local area and encourage subscribers to donate to charities for people who have served in the military
With a clever twist of wording, Chipotle tells veterans to “let us serve you”, offering a special discount for anyone with a military ID card during Veterans Day.
A US national holiday to give thanks for the blessings of the past year, with a special Thanksgiving dinner. It’s also celebrated on different dates in Canada, Grenada, Liberia and Saint Lucia.
Newsletter idea: Wish your subscribers a happy Thanksgiving and have a special discount in your email marketing campaigns to celebrate the occasion
Casper reminds subscribers that they’re going to want a comfy place to curl up and nurse that Thanksgiving food coma.
This is a day when many businesses offer big discounts and promotions. Black Friday is a great day to drive sales and motivate your customers with special deals.
Newsletter idea: Set up a Black Friday holiday marketing strategy with a set of email promotions in the run-up to the big day (check out the article below for inspiration)
Tarla keeps the FOMO real by offering huge discounts over the weekend and then specifying the sales expiry date.
Hosted by the Movember Foundation, this is an annual event where people grow mustaches to raise awareness of men’s health issues, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and suicide.
Newsletter idea: Share some fun facts about mustaches and even incorporate them into your email design.
Pecha Kucha went all out for their Movember newsletter by sharing historical images of famous mustaches, a little bit about the history of Movember, and the importance of awareness around prostate cancer.
Your November email subject line should be just as exciting as your email content. Use these examples as inspiration to pumpkin-spice up your subject lines.
Make Thanksgiving more than a meal 🦃 (Meetup)
On Veterans Day, we say thank you 🇺🇸 (Chipotle)
Let us cater your Friendsgiving 🍁🍂 (Chipotle)
Come join us, you're invited to Womp’s Thanksgiving dinner (Womp)
Your Thanksgiving toast is ready 🥂 (8AM Creative)
Make Thanksgiving more than a meal 🦃 (Meetup)
Fixing Up a Feast? Here's Your Final Checklist. (Land O’Lakes)
Give Thanks With These Beautiful Fall Graphics (PicMonkey)
The Black Friday countdown has begun (Google)
THE BLACK FRIDAY SALE — up to 70% off in the shop (Boiler Room)
Psst — You're invited to shop our Black Sale early (Zoom)
Black Friday on Designmodo, 30% discount for a limited time. (Designmodo)
Cyber Monday. One last chance to get your offer! (Oura)
A Monday worth waiting for (Google)
Best. (Cyber) Monday. Ever. (Lululemon)
Cyber Monday starts now! Check inside for savings ✨ (Teachable)
Cyber Monday Sale | 20% Off Everything ⚡️ (P & Co)
We’re giving November to Movember (Headspace)
Beautiful new email templates are continually added to our in-app newsletter template collection. Take a peek at the professionally designed November newsletter templates you can use to level up your email campaigns.
This month-long event celebrates the diverse traditions, history, cultures and contributions of Native American people.
Newsletter idea: Include a list of Native American-owned businesses online or in your area that your subscribers can support
NaNoWriMo is a month where hundreds of thousands of writers aim to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. It’s fast, intense and it gets those words on the page!
Newsletter idea: Share an “author survival pack” in your email, with links to daily writers’ affirmations, printable workbooks and motivational guides
This month recognizes the history of all things flying and the people who made it happen—from Wilbur and Orville Wright to Amelia Earhart.
Newsletter idea: Run an email survey asking your subscribers to share their funniest, wildest and cringiest flight experiences
(Granted—some of these events run slightly longer or shorter than a week, but you get the idea!)
This is a volunteer-run initiative to reconnect people through different types of games. Libraries can host special gaming events and bring social, educational and recreational value to their local communities.
Newsletter idea: Embed a crossword puzzle or word search in your email and offer a prize to the first subscriber who replies with all the correct answers
A lot of us find it really hard to talk about... hushed whisper... money. This week is all about encouraging people to open up about money and take steps to get their finances in order.
Newsletter idea: Share your favorite financial tools (budgeting apps, etc.) that have helped you
World Vegan Day: Email a link to a downloadable PDF e-book with vegan recipes to try
National Author’s Day: Authors can prep for this day by learning how to use email to grow your reader group
National Cook For Your Pets Day: Challenge your subscribers to cook a meal for their pets and to share the results with a hashtag on social media
All Saint’s Day: Include a prayer, verse or meditation for people to reflect on as they honor the memory of their loved ones
Love Your Lawyer Day: If you work in the law industry, host a live Q&A webinar (and use a newsletter RSVP button to build the guest list)
Dynamic Harmlessness Day: Explain the meaning of “ahimsa” (non-harming), and share ways in which your subscribers can practice this, such as through veganism and helping others
National Look For Circles Day: Embed a graphic in your email, and ask your subscribers to spot as many circles as they can
National Homemaker Day: Offer an email coupon, like “HOMEMAKER2024”, to recognize those in charge of all the cooking, repairs and grocery-buying
Cliché Day: Outline some of the classic clichés you’ve seen in your industry (you can make this as humorous as you like)
Zero Tasking Day: Tell your subscribers to give up multitasking and take it easy for the day
Use Your Common Sense Day: Share a funny anecdote and encourage your subscribers to pause and consider each decision before taking action
Job Action Day: Write the top 10 best pieces of career advice you ever heard, and motivate your subscribers to chase the job they’re dreaming of
Bonfire Night/Guy Fawkes Day: Link to a live stream fireworks display, so that your subscribers can tune in from around the world
American Football Day: Post a roundup of the game schedule or, if there isn’t a game, link to an online American Football quiz so that your subscribers can test their knowledge
National Nachos Day: Share your favorite Nachos recipe and post a selfie with a plate of them in your newsletter
National Team Manager Day: Tell a story of how a team manager positively impacted you
Stress Awareness Day: List some self-care practices and encourage your subscribers to try one of them
Hug A Bear Day: Promote family-friendly activities such as hosting a teddy bear party, baking teddy bear rice krispie treats or going to a Build-A-Bear workshop
National Men Make Dinner Day: Link to your favorite unique recipes in your newsletter to give your audience inspiration
Project Management Day: Give a shoutout to all the project managers in your email list and post a list of popular project management blogs, podcasts and forums
Cook Something Bold Day: Email a list of the most outrageous, interesting recipes you can find and challenge them to try one and share the results
STEM/STEAM Day: Explain why these education programs are so important and post a list of science, technology, engineering, art and math activities to try
National Cappuccino Day: Share a list of your favorite cafes in your local area
Go To An Art Museum Day: Describe your favorite piece of art and share printable coloring sheets for your audience and their families to try
World Freedom Day: This event marks the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communism in Eastern and Central Europe
International Accounting Day: Share printable accounting templates for people who want to take charge of their finances
Forget-Me-Not Day: Explain how these tiny blue flowers are associated with the memory of loved ones as well as people such as disabled veterans who should never be forgotten
National Vanilla Cupcake Day: Email your top recipe for baking and decorating the perfect vanilla cupcake
Tongue Twister Day: List the 10 most difficult tongue twisters and embed a video of yourself trying to cover all of them
National Metal Day: Pull on your leather jacket and share your favorite metal music and artists
World Origami Day: Email printable origami sheets for your subscribers and their families to try
Fancy Rat & Mouse Day: Celebrate domesticated brown rats and house mice by sharing videos of the competitions they take part in, and showing them winning medals and trophies 🐭🏆
National Happy Hour Day: Offer an email discount available only during Happy Hour—between 5-7 PM
Young Readers Day: Add a list of tips to encourage children to try reading along with links to books that can help them to catch the reading bug
World Kindness Day: Tell a story of how one act of kindness impacted you and encourage your subscribers to do one kind thing
Indian Pudding Day: Share this slow cooker Indian Pudding recipe, a cold-weather classic
National Hug A Musician Day: Use your newsletter to send out virtual hugs to your favorite artists
World Diabetes Day: Organize an online ‘Learn about Diabetes’ event or promote a local diabetes awareness walk
Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day: Encourage people to spend the day relaxing with their families, and email a list of fun, family-friendly activities to pass the time
World Quality Day: Share how your business is working to offer amazing quality products and services
I Love To Write Day: Share a series of writing prompts to get your audience’s creative juices flowing
National Recycling Day: Share how recycling has had a positive impact on your local area
Philanthropy Day: Encourage your subscribers to donate to an organization that’s close to their heart
Clean Out Your Fridge Day: Cook something from your fridge leftovers and share the results in your email newsletter—you might invent something totally new
International Day of Tolerance: Paint an artwork that promotes peace between different people, groups and cultures, and share it in your newsletter
National Fast Food Day: Tuck into your favorite fast food dish and share the experience, and/or list some healthier alternatives
National Unfriend Day: Tell the story of how Jimmy Kimmel started this event in 2010, encouraging people to unfriend ‘anyone who does not add joy to your online, social networking experience’
Homemade Bread Day: Bake your favorite loaf and share the recipe in your newsletter
National Hiking Day: Create a map graphic showing your favorite local hikes and share it in your newsletter
Mickey Mouse Day: Share the story of how Mickey Mouse almost didn’t exist—he was initially a replacement for Walt Disney’s first creation, Oswald the Rabbit
National Princess Day: Bring out the red carpet and share some fun family princess games and activities
Have A Bad Day Day: Instead of telling subscribers to “have a nice day”, say “have a bad day” with a smiley emoji, to save you from enduring a bad day alone 😂
World Toilet Day: Tell a toilet joke, promote an ‘Urgent Run’, do a ‘Big squat’ where people gather and squat in a public place, with the hashtags #bigsquat and #worldtoiletday
International Men’s Day: Promote causes associated with men’s health, invite subscribers to a men’s virtual game or quiz night, or list influential male figures throughout history
National Entrepreneurs’ Day: Get into an entrepreneurial mindset and launch a new referral program to expand your network and boost sales
Universal Children’s Day: Share a list of charities that are working to improve child welfare and some classroom activities to celebrate
Transgender Day Of Remembrance: List the vigils taking place across your country to remember those who lost their lives due to anti-transgender violence
Absurdity Day: Do something wild in your business and then base your newsletter on it
Name Your PC Day: Run a poll to find out how many people on your email list have named their computer or PC, and ask for name suggestions for your own device
World Television Day: Share your favorite TV shows or use one of them to set the theme for your weekly/monthly newsletter
False Confession Day: This is your chance to tell a huge joke or lie as if it were the truth—you could run a “two truths and a lie” game in your newsletter and see if your subscribers can spot which is which
Go For A Ride Day: Share some basic bicycle maintenance tips and then encourage your audience to get on their bikes 🚴
Housing Day: Recommend that your subscribers donate to homelessness charities, be thankful for their own homes, and reflect on what home means to them
Espresso Day: Ask your subscribers how they prefer their daily fix of caffeine
Fibonacci Day: Tell the story of the Fibonacci sequence and embed some photos in your newsletter showing how it can be seen everywhere in nature
Adoption Day: Encourage your email list to promote adoption with the hashtag #nationaladoptionday, and share a list of charities where they can volunteer and/or donate
International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day: Share a list of community events that are taking place to support people who have lost loved ones
Evolution Day: Commemorate the anniversary of the Origin of the Species’ publication by promoting a discussion webinar or sharing a YouTube documentary
Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day: Make your subscribers smile by embedding a video of yourself performing your unique talent
Blasé Day: Share a list of things your target audience shouldn’t be blasé about and link it to your business
National Cake Day: Host an email giveaway for your subscribers to win a bakery cookbook
Shopping Reminder Day: Ready for Black Friday? Get a head start on your shopping list this year. Not sure how to make your deals stand out? Check out these 16 Black Friday emails to inspire your best shopping season yet!
Aura Awareness Day: Explore how auras can play into our health and wellbeing
French Toast Day: Also known as omelet bread or eggy bread, share your tried-and-tested French toast recipe with your subscribers
Thanksgiving: See key events
Day of Mourning: Take the opportunity to commemorate Native American history, culture and traditions
Electronic Greetings Day: Encourage your subscribers to send out electronic greetings—you could even send them email templates that they can forward to their contacts
Buy Nothing Day: Encourage your subscribers to swim against the commercial tide and practice not spending anything on this day—and list gift ideas that don’t cost a penny
Stay Home Because You’re Well Day: Let your subscribers know they’re allowed to disconnect from their daily routines and practice self-care from time to time
Small Business Saturday (US): Promote local small business owners in your newsletter
And breathe… We made it! This is your official list of November content ideas. When picking which events to promote, just remember to link it with your industry, so it’s relevant to your target audience. Then, once your November email content calendar is all mapped out, you can put your feet up and relax by a cozy log fire.
P.S. Are you prepping your December newsletter content, yet? Check out these special events for inspiration!
Did any of these events inspire you? Share the preview link to your November campaign for a chance to be featured in next year's edition!
Editor's note: This article was originally published in November 2021 but has been updated with fresh examples and up-to-date event information.