Design

9 Tips for Mother’s Day Email Subject Lines for Your eComm Store [Plus 100 Great Examples]

April 20, 2021

Kenzi Hart

Email marketing is a great way to boost your sales figures around certain holidays. With Mother’s Day coming up, you may be looking for ways to get your ecommerce store in front of people who are buying special gifts for the moms in their lives. Or, perhaps mom herself is your target audience, and you want to offer a sweet discount on your goods to honor her and make Mother’s Day special.

Either way, without the right Mother’s Day email subject lines, your messages might be passed over or even relegated to the spam folder.

Discover nine tips for writing email subject lines that boost open rates for Mother’s Day email campaigns.

1. Short Is Sweet for Email Subject Lines

Shorter subject lines tend to drive more open rates, but there’s a limit. A single word or two usually doesn’t convey enough information to entice the consumer to read more.

One study looked at millions of emails to find trends in open rates related to subject line length. It found that the sweet spot was between six and 10 words; those subject lines drove a 21% open rate. Here’s how the numbers broke down:

Up to five words in the subject line drove around a 16% open rate
Six to 10 words drove a 21% open rate
11 to 15 words drove a 14% open rate
16 to 20 words drove a 12% open rate
21 to 25 words drove around a 9% open rate

Having trouble crafting your message without writing too many words? Here are some tips for creating short Mother’s Day email subject lines:

Address a single topic or idea. Email marketing works best when you’re conveying one message anyway, so this helps you align the focus of your entire email. For example, perhaps you’re having a Mother’s Day sale but you also have a new product to talk about. Pick one and make your subject line (and possibly your entire email design) about that.
Segment your list. When you send tailored messages to different audience segments, it’s easier to communicate with fewer words. You know how they think and communicate, so you can quickly cut to the heart of the matter.
Remove unnecessary words. You could say, “We have a very great deal for you this Mother’s Day. Open to find out more!” Or, you could say, “Open for a sweet deal this Mother’s Day.” Front-load your CTA for maximum impact.

2. Make it Obvious How You Can Help

Email inboxes are typically busy places, and that only increases around holidays and other seasons with a commercial tie-in. You can bet you’re not the only one sending Mother’s Day gift ideas to consumers, so you’re competing with all that extra content in people’s inboxes.

Ensure your subject line sets you apart from the crowd by making it obvious what you’re there for and how that can positively help the consumer celebrate mom this Mother’s Day.

3. Avoid Anything That Looks Like Spam

Modern email users are a little cagey and for good reasons. They’re usually well-educated on spam and phishing schemes, and an email that looks suspicious can get booted in a better-safe-than-sorry effort. So, you want to do everything you can to ensure your subject lines don’t ring the same bells that spam messages are ringing.

Here are a few things to avoid if you don’t want to fall in with the spambots and scammers:

Terrible grammar or writing. Sure, you’re not crafting a complete sentence or trying to win the Pulitzer with your email subject lines. But take time to ensure words are spelled right and that punctuation such as commas and apostrophes are in the right place.
All caps. Don’t “scream” your subject lines at people or throw a bunch of random capitalization in to stand out. That makes your subject line look like spam. Instead, concentrate on crafting language that stands on its own.
Random or excessive punctuation. This is a trademark spam move. !!!!Don’t $$$ fill your mess@ges or subject lines with ????? punctuation like this.
Excessive emojis. One or two emojis lets you convey the context and emotion of your subject line within a few characters, and that can be powerful. But limit yourself to a few per subject line at most and only use them when they add value. Mother’s Day emoticons might include ones that denote celebration, love, or specific products such as candy, flowers, or personal care items.
Text speak. It’s tempting 2 rite UR MSG like this 2 save space. But while you can get away with the occasional abbreviation, this type of text speak can look unprofessional and cause people to assume your email is spam or not valuable enough to open.

4. Add Personalization

People, in general, are more likely to open emails that are personalized for them. Most people do understand how this works and that computers are the ones slapping their names into subject lines, but it still works.

First, when you’re scanning subject lines in your inbox, your name catches your attention. As humans, we’re hardwired to respond when we hear or see our name, so including just a first name in an email helps draw someone’s attention to it.

Second, even if you only did a little automation work to achieve that personalization, that’s more effort than others might have put in. People may be subconsciously aware of that extra step, which can help them perceive your message as more valuable because you seemed to treat it as more valuable.

5. Write Subject Lines That Work on Mobile Devices

Most people who have mobile devices do use them to check and read email. In fact, more people connect with personal inboxes on mobile devices than do on desktop devices, so it’s important to ensure your Mother’s Day email subject lines are mobile-friendly.

Mobile devices are smaller, which means less of your subject line is going to show up. On average, people might see 30 to 40 characters on their mobile screens. That’s around four to six words, perhaps less if your words are lengthy.

That doesn’t mean you can’t write longer subject lines. It does mean you should consider the structure of your subject lines and ensure the most important words are in the first 40 characters.

6. Convey a Sense of Urgency

Have you ever scrolled through your email and read a subject line that interested you a little, but you didn’t have the time or inclination to open it immediately? You might leave it in the inbox unread with intentions of coming back to it later.

Except you rarely do. Those unread emails pile up until they get purged in a rush of deletions when you’re trying to clean out the inbox. Or, you do get around to reading the message, but it’s too late because the offer it includes has expired.

Guess what? Other people do the exact same thing, and your emails could be the victims of these late readers or deleters.

Try including some language that conveys urgency. You’re sending Mother’s Day messages, so you do want to walk the line and not cause stress with your message. But words and phrases such as shop now, today, ending soon, not too late, this week, limited time, or even hurry can let people know they need to open the message now if they’re interested. Otherwise, it might be too late.

7. Know Which Words Push Open Rates

Some words just perform better than others. This is typically dependent on your target audience, so knowing your customers well is important. If you know your audience well, you know the types of things that interest or concern them, and that helps you pick the phrases they’re most likely to respond to.

For example, if your ecommerce store specializes in fashion, your audience is likely interested in looking good or keeping up with seasonal trends. The words that capture your audience’s attention are not the same words that would perform well for retailers specializing in car accessories or gardening tools.

That being said, some words tend to work well for all audiences. Here’s a run-down on a few:

You. This is the most powerful pronoun you can use in an email subject line — much better than we or I. It lets people know the message is customer-centric. You’re showing up in the inbox to let them know what you can do for them. If you wield it right, the word “you” also helps the email subject line feel like the beginning of a conversation that opening the email can continue.
Because. People are conditioned to “because” leading into a reason. “May I cut in line?” is less powerful than “May I cut in line because I only have one item and someone’s waiting outside with my children.” Adding a little because action into your subject line can help convince people to open the email. “Save on the perfect Mother’s Day gift for mom because you love her.”
Simple. This one’s straightforward. You’re letting people know whatever’s inside the email will be easy to implement or respond to. “This simple gift guide can help you find exactly what mom wants.”
Thanks. Showing appreciation for your customers out of the box is never a bad way to go. It also turns your subject line into a polite request, which can entice some people to open it when they otherwise wouldn’t.
If. If works a bit like because. It sets up a scenario people might be enticed to follow through on by opening the email. “If you want Mom to feel special this Mother’s Day, discover these awesome gifts.”

8. Enhance Mother’s Day Email Subject Lines With Emotion

Words and phrases that evoke emotion are also strong contenders for Mother’s Day email subject lines. As humans, we respond more consistently and quickly to things we feel emotional about.

Some email marketers use fear-based emotions to drive opens, and that can be a powerful option. For example, someone marketing personal finance products could send messages that touch on common fears and worries about money.

But if you’re designing a Mother’s Day email marketing strategy for your ecommerce store, fear is probably not the emotion you want to trigger. Instead, think about ways you can connect with the love and respect people might have for their moms or the moms in their lives and the desire people might have to honor that love this season. Reminders like “don’t forget mom” may also be appreciated by busy consumers.

9. Do Not Overpromise in Your Subject Line

Finally, make sure your subject line doesn’t overpromise. You could write a subject line that drives crazy open rates, such as “Free digital device for your mom for Mother’s Day,” but if you’re not actually handing out tablets, that’s just clickbait.

Clickbait may be good for temporary open rates, but it’s terrible for future business. It just causes people to be annoyed and resentful of your email, which wasted their time. They’re unlikely to make a purchase in that moment, and they’re unlikely to open your messages in the future. They might even tell their mom (and others) about your subject line trick, turning your overpromise into bad press.

Is writing powerful email subject lines easy? The answer is no in any season, and writing Mother’s Day email subject lines that compete with everything else in the inbox can be difficult. But not writing one at all is worse, so get to work putting these tips into practice and do the best you can with your subject lines this year. Happy Mother’s Day!

100 Mother’s Day Email Subject Line Examples

Now that you have a grasp on how to craft the perfect subject lines, here are some examples to inspire your own email marketing campaign.

40 Simple Mother’s Day Subject Line Examples

Mother’s Day Sale
Happy Mother’s Day Weekend!
Celebrate Mother’s Day with us!
Don’t Forget! Mother’s Day is May 9th
Mom deserves the best.
All for Mom
Tell Your Mom You Love Her
Moms Run the World
Show How Much You Care This Mother’s Day
Because she deserves it. Get the perfect gift this mother’s day.
Make her day. Shop Mother’s Day gifts
Handpicked Gifts for Moms
Give her something she’ll love
Mother’s Day Gifts Under $50
Pre-Order Your Mother’s Day Gift
Personalized Gifts for Mother’s Day
DIY Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
Give Mom a gift like no other
Give mom the gift of love (and chocolate)
Special gifts for special moms
Fashionable Gift Ideas for Mom
Make This the Best Mother’s Day Ever
Great Gifts for a Great Mother’s Day
The Complete Mother’s Day Gift Guide
Mother’s Day Gifting Made Easy
Get Mom Something Special
Give the Gift of L-O-V-E This Mother’s Day
Great Gifts for New Moms
Give Mom What She Really Wants
Mix it up this Mother’s Day
Top Picks for Mother’s Day
I Love You, Mom
Tell Your Mom, “I Love You”
Mother’s Day Gifts That Are Better Than Brunch
She Raised Your Kids, Tell Her Thank You This Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Expecting Moms
Don’t Forget The Single Moms This Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day Gifts for Grandma
Flowers are Boring, Shop New Mother’s Day Gifts
Hot Momma! Mother’s Day is Here

10 “Celebrate Yourself” Subject Lines

Celebrate All Mothers
Treat Yourself This Mother’s Day
A Gift For Mom And A Gift For You
What We’re Giving to Mom (And Ourselves) This Mother’s Day
You deserve it, shop Mother’s Day gifts.
Celebrate Every MOMent
Mommy knows best
Dog Mom’s Deserve Love Too
Don’t Forget Yourself This Mother’s Day
You deserve something nice this Mother’s Day

10 Free Shipping Subject Lines for Mother’s Day

Free Shipping Through Mother’s Day
Free shipping on select Mother’s Day gifts
Mother’s Day Shopping? Shipping’s On Us!
Final Day for free shipping on select Mother’s Day gifts
Love Your Mom? Free shipping on gifts for her!
Last day for free shipping on select Mother’s Day gifts!
Shop now and get FREE SHIPPING in time for Mother’s Day
Save on shipping this Mother’s Day
Free shipping, just for you this Mother’s Day
A Mother’s Day Gift For You: Free Shipping Until May 15

20 Rewards & Discounts Subject Lines

A Gift for Mom & A Gift for You!
$10 OFF & FREE SHIPPING for Mother’s Day
Give Thanks – 20$ Off This Mother’s Day
Save On Mother’s Day Gifts!
Celebrate Mom + Save $20!
Save Up to 20% on Our Exclusive Mother’s Day Gifts!
Mother’s Day Special: Take 20% Off
20% Off Sitewide for Mother’s Day!
Mother’s Day Starts Now with This 20% off Coupon!
Don’t miss out on 20% off Mother’s Day gifts
20% Off Your Mother’s Day Purchase!
Extra 20% Off Gifts for Mom!
Mother’s Day Sale Starts Now
Site-Wide Savings for Mother’s Day
She doesn’t have to know it was on sale
Mother’s Day Savings on All Items
What’s Better Than a Mother’s Day Sale?
Save Time & Money With Our Mother’s Day Gift Guide
Last-Minute Savings on All Gifts for Moms
Exclusive Discounts on Mother’s Day Gifts

10 Mother’s Day Subject Lines With Emojis

I ❤️ You, Mom
The Perfect 🎁 for Mom
Give Your Mom the 🌎
I Love You To The 🌙 and Back, Mom
Gifts For Wild Mommas💃🏻
Gifts That Are Better Than Flowers 💐
🌼 Mother’s Day is May 9th 🌼
💖 Tell Your Mom You Love Her 💖
Make This Mother’s Day Special 🎁
🎁 10 Great Mother’s Day Gift Ideas 🎁

10 Time Sensitive Mother’s Day Email Subject Lines

Order now and get it delivered by Mother’s Day
There’s still time to shop for Mother’s Day
Did you forget Mother’s Day?
Last chance for Mother’s Day savings.
Last chance for delivery in time for Mother’s Day.
Calling all procrastinators. Free 2-day shipping on Mother’s Day gifts.
Last-minute gift ideas for Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is next week! Shop last-minute gifts.
Mother’s Day is fast approaching, shop now
Fast shipping for Mother’s Day