November Holidays and Newsletter Ideas - 2024

[Nick_S]

This article was originally written by River Cartier for the Constant Contact Blog.

November. Wow. Such an odd month, really.

It’s like all things point to Thanksgiving this month, and yet, Thanksgiving (Nov. 28th) doesn’t even seem to get its proper dues anymore because we immediately rush into the Christmas season with Black Friday (Nov. 29th) and Small Business Saturday (Nov. 30th).

And while we may have a moment of “thanks,” while gathered together to share a meal and join in conversation, it seems like that’s all the “thanks” there is.

With that said, I’m actually not going to tell you that you should “thank” your customers in your November newsletter. Everybody does it, so it’s become a bit cliché. This is fine if you’re celebrating Cliché Day (Nov. 3rd), but otherwise, I like to try to be original and stand out from the crowd as much as possible — and you should too.

That’s why, this month, I suggest you embrace World Communications Week (Nov. 1st-7th) and focus your marketing efforts on genuine communication with your readers.

You can begin by implementing some storytelling marketing into your newsletter. 

Pick a November holiday or two and create a blog post telling your readers how that holiday links to you, your company, your employees, or even your community. Open the door to communication by sharing the story in your newsletter, and then continue the conversation on social media.

To get started, take a look at these great lists of November holidays, newsletter ideas, and subject line suggestions. Then start thinking about the holidays that strike a chord with you and jot down some thoughts on what stories you’d like to share with your readers this month.

November holidays — 2024

• November — Adopt a Turkey Month. For vegetarians who would rather save a turkey than eat one, this is a great holiday to share.
• November 1st – 2nd — Day of the Dead. A traditional Mexican holiday, Dia De Los Muertos spans two days and ends at noon on November 2nd.
• November 3rd — Cliché day. This day was made for Social Media. Get the conversation going by starting a list of worst, or best, clichés and ask your followers to add to it.
• November 3rd — Daylight Savings Ends, U.S.A. It never hurts to have a reminder.
• November 10th – 16th — Dear Santa Letter Week. Perfect for inviting parents to bring their kids into your shop for a Santa letter-writing session.
• November 5th — Election Day, U.S.A.
• November 8th — STEM/STEAM Day. If you’re in the STEM or STEAM worlds or work with children or education, this day is an opportunity you can’t afford to miss.
• November 11th — Veteran’s Day. Be thankful for those who served.
• November 15th — National Recycling Day aka America Recycles Day. No matter how you say it, it’s all about taking care of our planet by reducing waste. What holiday recycling tips can you share with your readers?
• November 21st — Great American Smokeout. Has lung cancer or smoking affected your life or business? That might be a story worth sharing.
• November 21st — Use Less Stuff Day. Do you have some tips on how to use less stuff? Or how to keep from buying stuff you don’t need? I could sure use them!
• November 23rd — Family Volunteer Day. When you have a small business, your employees are family. See what you can do as a team.
• December 1st — Artists Sunday. Support your local artists.
• December 2nd — Cyber Monday. You are online, right?
• December 3rd — Giving Tuesday. You don’t have to be a nonprofit to take part. Partner with a local charity to help them get more today, so they can do more for your community tomorrow.

 

November newsletter ideas

No matter what, Thanksgiving is always going to dominate this month. But being thankful, and giving thanks, is not a bad thing. And there is a plethora of ways to celebrate and incorporate other November holidays into your newsletter.

 

November newsletters ideas that are all about the food

It’s impossible to talk about the month of November without talking about food. 

After all, November has food-related holidays throughout the month, from World Vegan Day (Nov. 1st) to National Mousse Day (Nov. 30th) [not to be confused with National Mouse Day (Nov. 12th)].

So,  embrace the “yum!” and celebrate one of the many November food and beverage-related holidays with one of these November newsletter ideas:

• Be a resource. Share tried and true recipes, quick table decorating tricks, or how to include your Vegan or Gluten-free guests in the festivities.
• Provide entertainment. Whether the story is one of your own or you curate content from a reputable source, share a Thanksgiving Day memory, the background of a special recipe, or even tell a turkey tale about the one that didn’t get eaten.
• Feed your community. While many food banks partner with grocery store chains or other local charities to provide Thanksgiving Day meals to those who can’t afford them, go beyond Thanksgiving Day by hosting a food drive. Contact your local food bank to see what items they need most throughout the year. Then, share the list with your readers and ask them to donate items from the list. If you can, incentivize donations with a discount for bringing certain items or a specific quantity.

Tip: If you can’t host the food drive yourself, send out a list of the most needed items and ask your readers to donate to the food bank directly. 

 

November newsletter ideas for giving thanks

It’s not enough to just say “thanks.” To be meaningful, your “thank you” has to be genuine and thoughtful.

Let your customers know that when you say “thank you,” you mean it.

• Be genuine. If you had a great year, tell them how they helped make it great. And, if you’ve had a tough year, tell them what hurdles or struggles you had to overcome and thank them for sticking with you through it all.
• Give thanks and give back. Sure, giving your loyal customers a discount is great, but take it a step further by partnering with a local charity to set up a “giving day” where loyal customers can come in and get a discount or give their “discount” to the charity.
• Get to know your readers. To reach your target market, you have to know who they are and what they’re looking for. To find out, incentivize your readers to complete a survey. In it, ask them not just about how you’re doing but also how they’re doing, how they’re using your service or your products, or even how they’re getting ready for the holiday season. Feedback from existing customers is priceless.

 

November newsletter subject lines

• “You’re going to want this” — Preheader: “by Dec. 1st” — No Shave November. I can’t think of a better way to sell shaving items in the “off” season.
• “Just say no” — Preheader: “to shaving, that is” — No Shave November. Great for rallying support and growing cancer awareness.
• “Pâté cake, pâté cake” — Pâté Day (Nov. 1st). Great for a special offer on pâté or to share a pâté recipe.
• “Don’t run in circles” — Look for Circles Day (Nov. 2nd)
• “Not just another cliché” — Cliche Day (Nov. 3rd). Perfect for announcing or introducing something new or different.
• “Lost your way?” — Marooned Without a Compass Day (Nov. 6th). Great for business or personal advisors, for mental health counselors, or for offering a discount on compasses.
• “There’s nothing temperate” — Preheader: “about this Tempranillo” — Tempranillo Day (Nov. 14th). Perfect for putting a spotlight on your best Tempranillo wine.
• “You’re the apple of my c-eye-der” — Apple Cider Day (Nov. 18th). Great for anyone in the “eye care” business.
• “Go for ‘ride?” — Go For a Ride Day combined with Humane Society Anniversary Day (both Nov. 22nd). Perfect for raising awareness for dog rescue and adoption.
• “You’ll want to gobble this up” — Thanksgiving (Nov. 28th). Perfect for offering a discount, sharing a recipe, or sharing a good story.
• “All gobble, no wobble” — Thanksgiving (Nov. 28th). Great for sharing healthy recipes or after-dinner health tips.
• “We hear you” — Day of Listening (Nov. 24th). Use in response to questions or requests from your customers.
• “What do you think?” — Day of Listening (Nov. 24th). For sending out a customer survey.
• “We’re on pins and needles” — Pins and Needles Day (Nov. 27th). Use this when asking for customer feedback via reviews or surveys.

For more November holidays and ideas on what you can do to share them with your customers, download the graphic below.

Click on the image to view or download a PDF copy.

[user258116]

Hey! Great post, and totally agree about November feeling like a transition month between Thanksgiving and the rush into Christmas. I love the idea of focusing on World Communications Week and using storytelling to connect with customers. It’s such a refreshing way to keep the communication genuine rather than just doing the usual 'thank you' message. Definitely going to try implementing some storytelling in my newsletters this month!