Small Business Saturday email examples you can copy
Small Business Saturday is November 28 this year. Shoppers go into the day wanting to support a shop like yours, so your email doesn’t have to be loud, it has to be warm, specific and easy to act on. Here are four complete examples. Change the brackets and send.
What a good Small Business Saturday email does
- Says who you are in one or two true sentences (a person, a place, a way of making things).
- Names the day: shoppers like knowing they’re doing something on purpose.
- Shows a few best sellers rather than the entire catalog.
- Has one button and one deadline.
Example 1: the story email
Story email
Subject lines to try: Small Business Saturday at [Shop Name] · Thank you for shopping small, [First Name] · Saturday, from the people behind [Shop Name]
Hi [First Name], Tomorrow is Small Business Saturday, and we wanted to say thank you for being one of the people who makes a shop like ours possible. [Shop Name] is [two sentences: who you are, where you are, what you make or choose]. When you buy from us, [one specific thing: the money goes to a packing table in a garage / we can keep the studio open / we pay our makers directly]. For Saturday only, [offer: 20% off everything / free gift wrap on every order / a free [item] with any order over $50]. Here are the three things people are asking for most: [Product 1: one line] [Product 2: one line] [Product 3: one line] [Shop the Saturday sale -> link] Thank you for shopping small. [Your name], [Shop Name]
Example 2: the in-store event email
For shops with a storefront: give people a reason to walk in.
In-store event
Subject lines to try: Saturday at [Shop Name]: treats, a gift and 15% off · Come by on Saturday, we’ll have the kettle on · Small Business Saturday hours at [Shop Name]
Hi [First Name], This Saturday, November 28, we’re open [hours] for Small Business Saturday. What’s happening: - 15% off everything in the shop - A free [small gift] with every purchase, while they last - [Treat / sample / maker table] from [time] to [time] We’re at [address], and there’s [parking note]. If you can’t make it in, the same offer is on our website all day: [link] See you Saturday, [Your name], [Shop Name]
Example 3: the online-only shop
Online shop
Subject lines to try: Small Business Saturday: free shipping on everything · Saturday only: free shipping at [Shop Name] · [First Name], free shipping today (and why we’re doing it)
Hi [First Name], Small Business Saturday is tomorrow, and we’d like to say thanks with free shipping on every order, all day, no minimum. If you’re shopping for gifts, our most-gifted items are: [Product 1] [price] [Product 2] [price] [Product 3] [price] [Shop with free shipping -> link] Orders placed by [cutoff] ship [day] and should arrive before [date, check your carrier’s published dates]. Thank you for choosing a small shop, [Your name], [Shop Name]
Example 4: the short reminder (send in the afternoon)
Afternoon reminder
Subject lines to try: Still time: Small Business Saturday ends at midnight · Last few hours: [offer]
Hi [First Name], A quick reminder: [offer] ends at midnight tonight. If you haven’t looked yet, start here: [link to your best-selling collection]. Thank you for shopping small, [Shop Name]
Timing. Send the story email Saturday morning (or Friday evening for an early look) and the short reminder in the afternoon to people who didn’t click. If your list is small, one email and one reminder is plenty.
More templates, including a gift guide and a last-day-to-ship email, are in our free email kit. For the full send order, see Black Friday email ideas for small shops.
Want to see this built from your own products?
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