Creating topics for your company's email newsletter can be a chore and a half. What's more, getting people to open your newsletter can be just as tricky.
There's nothing more frustrating than pouring your heart and soul into a newsletter layout only to find an abysmal open rate.
But you can solve both problems by including fun, informative content that goes in depth on some thought-provoking topics. And January holds a slew of opportunities to do just that.
By highlighting special national days throughout the month, you can give your readers something different outside of your normal corporate messaging.
But which national days happen in January? How can you work them into your newsletter? We'll explore that in Mailmunch's detailed guide on January newsletter ideas for special events.
Let's start by going as broadly as possible, looking at month-long events that you can put in your January newsletters.
Showcase them weekly in each edition. Remember that if you want people to keep reading, you'll need to catch their eye with stunning visuals.
Personalization and timing are crucial aspects of email marketing, but images may also significantly improve your efforts.
Vector images, in particular, can be a great method for attracting your audience's attention and graphically expressing information.
You can use them to showcase your products or services. This can help your brand stand out and make your emails more memorable. Vector images can also create visually appealing visuals that promote sales or special offers.
You'll also need a well-written clean copy that pulls the reader down the page. Go for short, punchy sentences. Consider highlighting a few fascinating pull quotes that can work alongside your images to draw in the reader's eye.
Every month has themed days, whether you're creating newsletters for winter months like January or summer months like July or June. So there are plenty of opportunities all through the year.
Now, let's get down to it! Here are the top month-long events you can include in your January newsletter.
Dry January is an initiative that challenges participants to go the entire month of January without having any alcohol.
To incorporate Dry January, share some mocktail recipes that can replace alcohol. Weight loss is a common New Year's resolution. Write a series on how cutting alcohol removes empty calories from your diet.
As part of National Hobby Month, highlight some uncommon hobbies among your staff and customers.
If you know of a customer who builds puppets or designs model trains, highlight them in the newsletter. Conduct an interview series around fascinating hobbies.
By including International Creativity Month, you can showcase the creativity of your audience. Ask for submissions of art, poetry, crafts, or any other creative venture.
It's an amazing way to bring in user-generated content. It also allows you to dive into human interest stories that showcase how much you value subscribers.
Since January is Thyroid Awareness Month, you can look out for the health and safety of your audience by drawing attention to common thyroid issues.
This includes causes, symptoms, treatments, and early warning signs to watch out for.
January is a month to spread awareness about the early signs of glaucoma, which can be devastating to a person's eyesight if left untreated.
Create articles educating people about the early signs of glaucoma and the positives and negatives of options like laser surgery or drainage tubes for treatment.
Since January is national blood donor month, get your audience talking about the benefits of donating blood.
Print articles talking about what types of blood are needed the most, and let people know where they can go to donate. You could even partner with a blood bank and offer a special product or service promotion to any customer who gives blood during January.
Braille is a writing and reading system for people who are blind or visually impaired.
You can spread awareness about Braille literacy by discussing its origins, including its founder Louis Braille, and how he came to develop the system. Talk about how your company incorporates Braille in both written materials and your office.
January also has the distinction of being It's OK To Be Different Month, which celebrates both our differences as human beings, like race, and gender identity.
It also champions those who delve into their creative side and walk a different path than the rest of normative society.
You can easily tie this in with International Creativity Month and National Hobby Month. Highlight customers and employees with interests that lie outside what others consider normal. That could be something like rug tufting or building model cities.
National Get Organized Month is excellent for B2B newsletters.
Run articles about different organizational strategies, interview experts, and explore how organizing has changed over the years.
Discuss powerful tools that can help you stay on top of your daily and monthly schedule, like the Notion daily planner. There are also project management platforms like Trello. These allow you to organize intangible concepts like projects and associated tasks. Give tips on using Gmail to keep your emails organized.
Stalking is a serious issue that could lead to injury or even death. That's why January is National Stalking Awareness Month. It focuses on educating people about stalking and what someone can do before it grows out of control.
Speak with law enforcement officers who can give you solid information on detecting stalking behavior. Walk your readers through what they should do if they believe they're being stalked. This newsletter will communicate valuable information that could ultimately save lives.
Human potential is practically limitless. Still, many place unnecessary limitations on themselves. During Reach Your Potential Month, you can encourage your audience to reach for the stars.
Write articles about the things that hold people back from reaching their potential. Talk about perseverance and never giving up. You can also talk to successful entrepreneurs who have chased their potential and taken themselves to new heights.
Your weekly newsletter can highlight human interest stories on special week-long events, showcasing everything from New Year's Resolutions to writing letters. This section will walk you through eight amazing week-long events in January that can bring your newsletter to life.
One of the most straightforward topics to write about in your January newsletter is New Year's Resolutions.
Financial resolutions are common. Help your readers clarify and jump-start their resolutions by explaining how the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) provides guidelines for credit reporting agencies and creditors to ensure the accuracy and privacy of credit reports.
By knowing their rights under the FCRA, consumers can take steps to protect their credit information and dispute any errors that may negatively affect their credit score.
During Diet Resolutions Week, help readers accomplish a vital aspect of any weight loss resolution — taking charge of their nutrition.
Interview nutrition experts and personal trainers to create informed articles on what your audience should eat. You can also go into how to calculate maintenance calories, what macronutrients to track, and the dangers of crash diets.
National Letter Writing Week encourages us to create handwritten letters and send them in the mail.
Try running a National Letter Writing Week contest encouraging readers to send handwritten letters to your office. It should be something about how they use your products or services. Then, randomly choose one letter as the winner and announce it in the following week's newsletter.
Folic acid is a B vitamin that can help create new healthy cells within the human body. For Folic Acid Awareness Week, talk to your readers about the importance of having enough folic acid, and detail various folic acid supplementation strategies.
For example, folic acid supplements taken before and during pregnancy can help prevent congenital disabilities.
Who doesn't love pizza? For National Pizza Week, celebrate this versatile food by polling your employees and audience on their favorite pizza toppings.
Write an Op-Ed answering the age-old question of whether pineapple is a viable pizza topping (it is, by the way). For those trying to watch their diet, provide links to healthy pizza recipes. You can create healthy pizza dough from self-raising flour and non-fat Greek yogurt.
Acknowledge the dangers of consuming too much sugar. This topic can tie in with the theme of trying to regulate diet and watch weight in the new year.
During Sugar Awareness Week, provide expert advice on how to cut down on sugar. Go into the health impact that sugar has on our bodies. A truly eye-opening article could examine the surprising foods you'll find sugar in (just about everything).
National Mocktail Week can be an excellent opportunity for those participating in Dry January to try fantastic drinks without returning to alcohol.
Share some of your favorite mocktail recipes, even going so far as to pair them with different foods.
Healthy Weight Week can be a time for your newsletter to examine the health risks of being drastically over or underweight.
Teach readers how to calculate the best weight for their height and body type, including how to measure their Body Mass Index (BMI) accurately.
Each day in January also has a specific special event attached to it. You can highlight these days in your newsletter to bring awareness to important issues, celebrate personal triumphs, and provide helpful advice.
Below, we've outlined over fifty ideas for day-long events to celebrate in your newsletter!
Of course, the most prominent and recognizable day in January is New Year's Day, the first day of the year.
For a New Year's Day newsletter, talk about the strides your company made during the previous year and outline your goals for the coming year. Encourage your subscribers to reach out via email to let you know what they'd like to see from you going forward.
People like to party a little too hard on New Year's Eve. That's why January 1 is also National Hangover Day.
Use this opportunity to poll your audience or staff on their best hangover remedies. From drinking lots of water to eating greasy foods, you'll likely come up with several fascinating home remedies.
Science Fiction Day celebrates movies, television shows, and literature exploring science fiction's wonders.
Talk about the history of science fiction. Ask your staff to give sci-fi recommendations. That could be classics like Star Wars and Star Trek, or smaller shows like Andromeda, Babylon 5, and The Orville.
Moving from the world of sci-fi to the father of modern fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien is the renowned author of The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit.
If you have any Tolkien fans on staff (you probably do, just ask. We're everywhere), then have them share a quote about what the world of Middle Earth has meant to them throughout their lives.
We all need sleep. During the holiday season, we're likely not getting enough of it. Festival of Sleep Day is meant to help us recharge ourselves and catch up on our lost Z's.
Write content about the importance of sleep. For example, discuss the optimal amount of sleep per night. Talk about the dangers of exhaustion and provide tips for a quality night of rest.
Humiliation Day isn't a day to humiliate someone or expose yourself to potential humiliation. Rather, it's a day to let go of your pride and embrace the concept of humility.
Create content centered around humility and how we can all become more humble. Ask your staff and your customers what humility means to them. Come up with ways to apply those lessons to our lives.
Trivia day can be a fun time to explore random trivia facts and learn some obscure details that go over great during conversations at parties.
Share some trivia facts related to your industry. That can help educate your customers while entertaining them. It also makes them consider their purchase needs.
On National Spaghetti Day, talk about the origins of this food and how it first began to spread worldwide. Share some of your favorite spaghetti recipes.
Invite your readers to send in photos if they create these recipes. Feature those photos in your next newsletter.
National Bird Day celebrates our feathered friends, so don't miss this opportunity to wish your readers a "Happy Bird Day."
If your business serves a general geographic area, run an article about the various types of birds one might encounter there. Make sure to include images to go along with the descriptions. Your readers can then create their own local bird-watching guides.
Celebrate the birthday of Sherlock Holmes by discussing the fictional detective in one of your January newsletters. Since Holmes is a character in the public domain, there have been many iterations of him throughout history.
List your favorites and how they differ from one another, tying all of them back to the classic novels.
There's a reason January 6th is Cuddle Up Day. Statistically, it's one of the coldest days of the year, so it's a perfect time to curl up with your special someone.
While we're not recommending you go into detail with people on how to cuddle, you can explore the psychological side of the action. You could even include pictures of animals that cuddle, like otters.
These protein-packed legumes are a cultural favorite worldwide, from string beans to black beans to pinto and lima beans.
On top of sharing bean-centric recipes, you can also detail some fun trivia about beans. For example, beans are seeds. Peanuts are also technically beans because they're legumes.
Old Rock Day celebrates the old rocks found on and in the Earth, including fossils.
Discuss how fossils form and give statistics about especially large or old fossils discovered worldwide.
On Bubble Bath Day, have some fun with the concept of bubble baths. Talk about their origins and when they started to rise in popularity.
Then advise on adding essential oils and aromatherapy to the bubble bath experience. Include some health benefits you can enjoy by doing so.
We think of static electricity as something that makes our hair stand on end or lets us shock someone. But lighting is also static electricity, and that's some interesting trivia your audience might want to know.
Talk about what causes static electricity, whether it's dangerous, and the different forms that static electricity can take.
On National Word Nerd Day, poll your staff about their favorite obscure words. This event is a day to enjoy the many vocabulary variations in our lives. You can also examine the role that language plays in different cultures.
Create an article that takes common words and provides a few alternatives that your readers can inject into their daily lives.
On Peculiar People Day, we celebrate those who go against the grain and defy cultural norms.
Write an article for your newsletter where you ask staff members the most peculiar thing about them. Then, ask your readers to send in any interesting factoids about themselves.
Plant hobbyists are everywhere nowadays, so on Houseplant Appreciation Day, you can celebrate all the "crazy plant people" in your office and your audience.
Share photos of plants that thrive indoors. Include those that won't need a lot of water as a fun alternative for anyone born without green thumbs.
Bittersweet Chocolate is a type of chocolate containing no milk. In ancient times it was considered medicine.
Appeal to the choc-a-holics in your audience. Celebrate the existence of bittersweet chocolate and offer up a few factoids and dessert recipes that make good use of it.
On Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day, write a feature about the history of this communication system, including where it began and how people use it today.
Create a chart in your newsletter about how to create each letter in Morse Code. Your readers can then do as the day suggests and learn to write their names.
Your local pharmacists are people who deserve praise. They go through a lot of schooling and specialized training to be able to deliver your prescription medications.
Interview a local pharmacist for your newsletter. Ask about their path to gaining pharmacy certification and advice for aspiring pharmacy students.
Hot tea can be just what the doctor ordered after a long day. Additionally, it's a drink that can serve an aching or tired throat well when you're feeling under the weather.
Create an article about how someone first decided, "If we dry out these leaves and dunk them in water, maybe it'll be delicious." Talk about the various teas and their effects on your day.
As you've likely heard in almost every Disney movie, we all have a dream. Sadly, many gave up on them. On Make Your Dream Come True Day, talk about the dreams of your staff and what they're doing to make them come true.
If your dream has come true, discuss how important that was to you and the steps you took to make it happen.
Rubber duckies have become a favorite bathtime toy over the years. Sesame Street popularized them with an incredibly catchy song performed by Jim Henson himself.
For National Rubber Ducky Day, explore the origins of these adorable squeaky aquatic toys. Write about how they came to become synonymous with making "bath time so much fun."
Okay, we've all pretty much done this, right? We've taken our dog (or cat, if you're fearless) and dressed them up in clothes. Well, this day celebrates it.
Share photos of the pets of staff members dressed in different outfits. These images can be another opportunity to feature user-generated content. Just ask readers to send in photos of their pets all dressed up.
A hat is something people take for granted, but it's an incredibly versatile piece of outerwear.
Talk about how hats and hat fashion have evolved over the years. Include photos of hats currently in style and detail how headwear evolved to get there.
There's a lot of debate about bagels and where the best ones might be. People from New York believe they have better bagels than everyone else (they do). Why not do an article exploring what makes a New York bagel so different?
Hint: It's the water!
For Appreciate a Dragon Day, we're encouraged to choose our favorite dragons and discuss what makes them unique and special.
Dragons rock, whether you're a fan of terrifying fire breathers like Drogon from Game of Thrones or something cutesy like Figment the Imaginary Dragon. Post some of the best dragon characters in your newsletter and let the audience vote on who they like best.
National Nothing Day celebrates nothing. It also encourages you to do nothing. That admittedly makes it difficult to work into a newsletter.
Try creating a list of the top places to do absolutely nothing. It could be a couch, a bed, or a hammock, among others. Get creative and lean into the whole "nothingness" of the concept.
Though he was never president or served in an elected office, Ben Franklin was a brilliant US Founding Father credited with discovering electricity and inventing the bifocal glasses.
Most people's favorite Ben Franklin appearance is on the $100 bill. For Benjamin Franklin Day, list Franklin's most significant global contributions.
For Ditch New Year's Resolutions Day, don't encourage your readers to give up on their resolutions entirely. Instead, promote the idea of a "cheat day," which can allow your readers to experience some relief. That's especially great for resolutions like dieting.
Encourage them to have a decadent meal or talk about the benefits of treating yourself to one wild purchase if their resolution is financial.
We all need a thesaurus in our lives. These special books can help us improve our vocabulary, thus expanding our verbal horizons.
For Thesaurus Day, publish an article about the history of this helpful guide, including who created the first thesaurus and when they published it.
Winnie the Pooh is a beloved storybook character from the series of books by AA Milne, who became a classic Disney character later on.
For Winnie the Pooh Day, bring a stuffed Pooh Bear into your office and take photos of him at different desks. He could be miming tasks like answering the phone. Give a little history on everyone’s favorite silly old bear while detailing his busy (but not entirely blustery) day.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day honors the life and contributions of African American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Most famous for his "I Have a Dream" speech, King was one of the most influential figures in African American history. For MLK Day, discuss your diversity initiatives and the importance of equality in the workplace. It might also be a nice idea to share a video or transcript of Dr. King's famous speech from the National Mall.
Popcorn is a treasured snack enjoyed in movie theaters worldwide. It can also be a great healthy snack option for dieters when not slathered in butter.
Write an article for National Popcorn Day about the history of popcorn, including how it was invented. List various hacks that can change your next popcorn bag's flavor or nutritional content.
For National Tin Can Day, we can shine a light on an everyday, often overlooked object — the tin can.
Explore how tin cans can keep some of our favorite foods fresh for years on end. Then talk about why they've been such an important part of emergency preparedness kits and bomb shelters for decades.
There are so many different varieties of cheeses. Most people don't understand how to make cheese, aside from it having something to do with milk.
For national cheese lovers day, talk about some of the most common cheeses, giving background information on how different countries prepare it.
Celebrate everyone's favorite diving bird, the penguin. Draw attention to some of its most fascinating characteristics.
For example, Emperor penguin fathers incubate the eggs for over two months while penguin mothers go fishing at sea.
If you want to learn more, just watch March of the Penguins. But avoid animated films as a source. While penguins do sing (in their own way), they don't actually surf.
Sometimes, everyone needs a hug. On National Hugging Day, explore why!
Dive into the psychology behind hugs and why they're so comforting. Talk about different animals who hug and include pictures of them doing it. Encourage your readers to go out and embrace someone they care about to celebrate the day.
For Squirrel Appreciation Day, come out swinging with some obscure squirrel facts.
You can talk about how they store nuts for the winter or how different colored squirrels pop up based on location. It could be fun to talk about the flying squirrel and explain whether it can really fly.
Blonde Brownie Day celebrates a type of brownie that uses brown sugar instead of cocoa.
Write about how blonde brownies first came into being. Then discuss how they differ from traditional brownies, and provide a few recipes that your readers can try out.
Far too few people write things out by hand anymore, and on National Handwriting Day, you can shine a light on that.
Write about how penmanship and cursive writing have disappeared from modern school curriculums. You could also discuss how some people can analyze handwriting to describe someone's personality.
National Pie Day can be an excellent opportunity to share some of your best pie recipes.
There are so many different variations of pies, from apple to cherry, blueberry, peach, and even savory options like chicken pot pies.
For those with dietary restrictions or trying to lose weight, include some healthy ingredient substitutions like keto-friendly fruit, sugar-free filling, or gluten-free crusts.
On compliment day, ask staff members what the best compliment they've ever received is and list them in an article.
You could also create a list of the most common compliments. End by encouraging people to go out and compliment one person in recognition of the day.
A good belly laugh is always appreciated. Spread the gift of laughter on Belly Laugh Day by serving up your favorite jokes.
You could also write an article about the science behind laughter. That includes what triggers it and which animals can laugh. Hint: ever heard of a kookaburra?
Other animals with a sense of humor include elephants, chimpanzees, and dolphins.
On Opposite Day, we're encouraged to do the opposite of what we'd typically do.
Give your readers some suggestions, like if you usually drive to work, try taking your bike instead. If you typically get a donut in the morning, switch to a piece of fruit.
On Spouses Day, we appreciate our chosen partner in life and acknowledge them in some way.
Give a few great ideas for acknowledging a spouse. Include recipes to cook them a romantic meal, chores you can do around the house, or gifts that celebrate your love and commitment.
With those gift ideas, let your readers know where they can find them. Brands like StudioSuits or Clean Origin offer custom clothing and jewellery products. Something like that can be an excellent choice for customers looking for unique and thoughtful spousal gifts.
While we might think of chocolate cake as one specific type, this classic has so many variations. From fudge cake to devil's food, there's a chocolate cake for everyone.
On National Chocolate Cake Day, include some of your favorite chocolate cake recipes, including some that aren't commonly seen in the area.
Punch the Clock Day pays homage to the days when employees would have to punch a time card before and after work.
While the practice isn't common today, you should explore the origins of workplace time clocks and discuss how they changed wage determination forever.
The kazoo is one of those instruments anyone can pick up and pretend to play. That's why it's celebrated on National Kazoo Day.
Talk about the origins of this instrument and where it's most used. You can even point out popular artists who used kazoos in their music, like Queen and Eric Clapton.
Data privacy is paramount today. That's why on Data Privacy Day, we spread awareness of this issue and advise on how businesses can protect customers' privacy. It's also good to discuss how customers can keep their data safe, depending on your audience.
Talking about a website's cookie policy in the January newsletter can be great. Cookies are an essential aspect of online privacy and data protection.
You can also discuss data privacy legislation like the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Finally, walk readers through popular security measures like using a VPN to protect the web browsing experience.
On National Puzzle Day, explore how we use puzzles to tease our brains, showcasing puzzles that are popular today.
Go through everything from jigsaw and crossword puzzles to Sudoku and word puzzles. Talk about their origins and how they've evolved. For example, one of the most popular word puzzles in the world today is Wordle, which was purchased by the New York Times.
National Corn Chip Day recognizes the humble corn chip. This simple salted snack comes in many different forms.
While you won't offer corn chip recipes (seriously, how boring?), you can showcase recipes for dips that pair well with them.
On Draw a Dinosaur Day, people are encouraged to….You know….Draw a dinosaur!
Choose a famous dino like the T-Rex. Then embed an instructional video into your newsletter on how to draw it.
On Backward Day, we learn that sometimes you must go back to go forward. Encourage your audience to look back and remember what got them to where they are.
Provide several silly ways to celebrate the day. Recommend wearing a shirt backwards or writing out your name backwards to see what it looks like.
January ends with Inspire Your Heart with Art Day. That's when we stop to appreciate some truly moving artwork and apply its inspiration to our daily lives.
Show some classic artwork like Van Gogh's Starry Night or Davinci's Last Supper. Provide background information on the creation of these pieces and why they've stood the test of time.
The key to a successful newsletter is engaging content that makes a person think. You'll also need stunning visuals and a killer layout.
We've helped you with the first part. Now we're going to make the rest even more effortless. Mailmunch's email template library and drag-and-drop builder allow you to create tremendous newsletter designs in minutes on a platform that's easy to use.
Click here to get started with Mailmunch today!
Say hello to Hamna, a tiny wordsmith who loves combining humor and creativity with masterful precision during the day, and a caped Batman that saves the world during the night. She ensures that every piece not only ranks high but also resonates with the audience.
Tags:
Hamna Abid
August 23, 2023
Hamna Abid
August 9, 2023
Hamna Abid
July 11, 2023
