As the warmth of summer gently yields to the anticipation of the back-to-school season, August offers many opportunities to connect with your readers.
Beyond the usual summer send-offs, the month has a calendar packed with national holidays and thematic observances.
Let’s explore some inspiring August newsletter ideas that will keep your subscribers eagerly waiting for your next update. We’re also going to share some best practices to help you create an August newsletter campaign that’ll leave a lasting impression on your audience.
Popular month-long newsletter themes in August
Let’s quickly discuss themes for August newsletter ideas. There are many August holidays, so you need to decide which ones connect best with your audience.
1. Family Fun Month
The Family Fun Month, celebrated throughout August, encourages families to bond and create lasting memories together.
If your brand aligns with family activities, this is a prime opportunity to showcase relevant products and announce summer sales. Highlight toys, games, and home décor items that create a welcoming ambiance or suggest comfortable furniture perfect for family movie nights.
See how Crate and Barrel, a homeware retailer, uses Family Fun Month to send an August newsletter with multiple family-friendly activities to celebrate the month.
2. Back-To-School Month
When August comes around, the lazy days of summer start to fade, replaced with a gentle nudge towards routine and, of course, school.
A back-to-school season newsletter theme offers much more than just a supplies checklist. It’s an opportunity to connect with parents, students, and educators alike.
You can plan your newsletter around getting ready for a new routine, setting academic goals, and adjusting to the demands of school life. It is also an excellent time to offer special promotions on school-related products and back-to-school essentials.
French Toast Uniforms capitalizes on the back-to-school theme by offering a 20% sitewide discount on uniforms. The email layout is user-friendly, with clear calls to action that direct customers to shop the back-to-school sale.
3. Black Business Month
August is designated as National Black Business Month, a time to acknowledge and celebrate the significant contributions of Black entrepreneurs to the American economy.
This theme offers a powerful opportunity for your newsletter to champion your favorite Black-owned businesses and educate your audience about their unique value proposition.
Here are some August newsletter ideas around this theme:
- Feature interviews with Black business owners to highlight their products, services, and inspiring stories.
- Provide historical context about Black businesses in America.
- Collaborate with Black-owned businesses for giveaways, special promotions, or co-created content.
- Promote events, workshops, and webinars on business development, networking, and community support.
Check this out:
Reel took the Black Business Month theme to highlight seven black-owned businesses making waves in sustainability.
4. National Dog Month
August is also the time to acknowledge the unconditional love and joy our furry friends bring to our lives. Use your newsletter to connect with dog owners and celebrate the special bond between humans and canines.
National Dog Month goes beyond sharing adorable puppy pictures (although those are welcome, too). Your newsletter should promote responsible pet ownership and advocate for dog well-being.
Look at this example from Sundays, a pet food brand founded by two passionate dog owners that offers science-backed information about dog health and nutrition in one of their emails.
The email starts with an engaging subject line, “We get dog people because we are dog people,” which speaks directly to dog owners. It addresses the concerns of pet owners along the way and ends with a clear call to action, inviting readers to join Sundays on Instagram and TikTok.
5. National Golf Month
National Golf Month celebrates the sport of golf and encourages enthusiasts to hit the greens. In your August newsletter, you can feature a selection of golf equipment, apparel, and accessories like the email below:
If it aligns with your brand, you can also share expert advice on improving golf skills, such as swing techniques and putting tips.
You may also engage your audience with golf-themed contests or challenges. Encourage submissions of golf stories, photos, or videos for a chance to win prizes related to the sport.
6. National Sandwich Month
August is also the month to celebrate the king of lunchboxes, the undisputed champion of picnics, the endlessly customizable comfort food—the sandwich.
Use your newsletter to feature unique recipe ideas for gourmet grilled cheese variations or vegetarian wraps bursting with fresh summer flavors.
You can also partner with a local bakery or deli to offer subscribers exclusive discounts on gourmet breads or pre-made sandwiches—a delicious way to celebrate the month and support local businesses.
In the above example, Better Perks cleverly announced the release of their new sandwich along with a discount.
7. National Peach Month
If your brand is about health and wellness, use National Peach Month to highlight the nutritional benefits of peaches.
Retailers can bring up delectable peach-inspired products, like jams, jellies, or even peach-scented candles. You can also provide easy-to-follow instructions for peach recipes such as peach cobbler, pies, salads, and smoothies, as shown in Gold Belly’s email newsletter example above.
Popular day-themed August newsletter ideas
Besides month-long themes, some day-long celebrations in August can inspire an amazing issue in your August newsletter. Here are five of them:
1. National Dog Day
When planning a newsletter for National Dog Day (August 26), consider highlighting various aspects of dog care and well-being. Share tips on proper nutrition, exercise, and grooming to help your readers keep their pets healthy and happy.
You can also feature a few inspiring stories of rescue dogs and their journeys to finding a forever home.
Promotions and discounts on pet-related products or services can also drive engagement and sales. Offer special deals on dog food, toys, and grooming products.
Rowan’s email for National Dog Day promotes their Dog Care Bundle, which includes essentials like fur wash, hair wash, and a unique dry shampoo for easy grooming. It also includes customer testimonials praising the dry shampoo’s convenience and effectiveness.
2. Friendship Day newsletter
Friendship Day celebrated on the first Sunday of August, is a wonderful occasion to acknowledge and cherish the bonds of friendship. Incorporating this theme into your newsletter can create a warm and engaging connection with your readers.
Consider sharing heartwarming stories or quotes about friendship to set a positive tone. Highlight gift ideas that readers can consider for their friends and offer suggestions for activities that friends can enjoy together, like virtual hangouts, movie nights, or outdoor adventures.
Encourage reader participation by inviting them to share their friendship stories or photos, and consider featuring some of these submissions in your next newsletter.
3. World Photography Day
World Photography Day is celebrated on August 19 every year and honors the art, craft, science, and history of photography.
For your newsletter, you can showcase stunning images, offer photography tips, and share stories behind remarkable photographs. Highlight the importance of capturing moments and how photography preserves memories.
Sharing behind-the-scenes insights from photographers or interviews with professionals can also add an insightful touch to your newsletter and inspire your readers.
4. International Women’s Equality Day
International Women’s Equality Day is celebrated on August 26. It commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote in the United States.
Use your brand’s voice to raise awareness about the achievements of women-owned businesses or highlight female team members like Everlane has done in its email:
Also, consider highlighting current issues and challenges women face and providing resources for supporting gender equality initiatives.
5. National Relaxation Day
August can be a whirlwind for many as summer winds down and back-to-school prep ramps up. National Relaxation Day on August 15 reminds everyone to take a deep breath and unwind.
Use your newsletter to suggest activities like meditation, reading, or taking a leisurely walk. Highlight the importance of mental health and the benefits of taking time to unwind.
As seen in the example above, you can highlight products or services promoting relaxation, such as essential oil diffusers, calming sound machines, meditation apps, or comforting quilts.
Sample August newsletter subject lines
The key to killer subject lines is to keep them concise (under 50 characters) and use strong verbs and clear calls to action.
Here are some ideas for August newsletter subject lines:
- Beat the Heat With August’s Top Tips!
- ️Last Hurrah of Summer: Fun Ideas for August
- Summer Sales You Don’t Want to Miss!
- End-Of-Season Savings: Stock up Before They’re Gone!
- Last-Minute Deals on August Getaways!
- Back-To-School Shopping Made Easy
- Is Your Back-To-School Planning a Mess? We Can Help!
- Back-To-School Countdown: Stock up & Save Now!
- Happy August, [Name]! Here’s What’s New This Month
- Looking for Some Fun? We’ve Got August Activities for You!
- Are You Ready for a Sweet Surprise?
- Grill up Some Fun This August: Recipe Inspiration
Use GetResponse’s user-friendly AI tool to generate even more compelling and attention-grabbing subject lines for your campaign.
General tips to create a high-impact newsletter
Building a high-impact newsletter requires an understanding of best practices. Let’s examine four of them.
1. Set a clear (SMART) goal
Before you send out your first newsletter email, take a moment to establish a clear objective. A clearly defined goal acts as a roadmap to guide your content creation and ensure your newsletter delivers impactful results.
Your objective should follow the SMART criteria, which stands for:
- Specific: Pinpoint exactly what you want to achieve, such as increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or boosting website traffic.
- Measurable: Use email metrics like open rates, click-through rates, or website visits generated from the newsletter to determine the success of your newsletter.
- Achievable: Be realistic with your goals. Consider your resources and audience when setting targets. While ambition is admirable, setting an overly lofty objective will be discouraging in the long run.
- Relevant: Ensure your goal aligns with your overall email marketing strategy. The desired outcome should contribute to your brand’s broader objectives.
- Time-bound: Set a deadline for achieving your goal to create urgency and help you stay
Focused.
Here’s another best practice you cannot ignore.
2. Study your target audience
If you’re in a room with people of different interests and preferences, would you try to strike up the same conversation with everyone? Of course not. Newsletters are similar. For example, an August preschool newsletter will not be a topic of interest to senior citizens.
To truly connect with your audience, you must understand who they are. Analyze their demographics, like age, gender, location, and occupation, to understand who they are and where they come from.
Also, pay attention to your audience’s behavior. Look at how they interact with your previous newsletters. Which topics generate the most engagement? Which type of content do they prefer?
You could also conduct surveys or gather feedback directly from your subscribers. Ask them about their preferences and what they would like to see in future newsletters.
3. Ideate for content
Next, you need ideas for your newsletter. Every month has unique national days, such as “International Beer Day,” “World Lion Day,” “National Eat What You Want Day,” and “National Tell a Joke Day.” These quirky holidays are opportunities to weave relevant and interesting content into your newsletter.
But not every national day will be a fit for your brand. However, with a bit of creativity, you can find ways to connect most themes to your product.
Keep in mind not to bombard your subscribers with promotional content. Strive to deliver genuine value in every email. Offer insightful tips or educational resources that enrich their lives or professional endeavors.
4. Choose appropriate templates for presentation
The visual presentation of your newsletter significantly impacts its effectiveness. Your design should integrate with your brand identity—ensure the template’s colors, fonts, and imagery align with your brand guidelines.
Also, consider the preferences of your target audience when selecting a template. A younger demographic might respond well to a modern, minimalist design, while a more traditional audience might prefer a classic and elegant layout.
Plus, newsletters are often consumed quickly. Choose an August newsletter template that prioritizes readability with clear fonts and ample white space. GetResponse allows you to select from more than 100 pre-designed templates for newsletters that are customizable and optimized for mobile devices.
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In closing
August is just around the corner. The newsletter concepts we’ve discussed for August will help you captivate your email subscribers and boost sales for your business.
Ready to turn those August ideas into high-performing email campaigns? GetResponse offers a powerful email marketing solution packed with features like a drag-and-drop editor and an extensive template library to help you execute your campaigns.
Plus, our AI Email Generator helps you create compelling email copy 85% faster. Sign up for free today!