Email design & more

The arrival of fall not only brings a change in the weather but also opens a window of opportunity for email marketers to tap into the sales season.

Did you know that according to OptinMonster, a striking “47% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line alone?” This makes your email subject lines a key player in your autumn marketing strategy. 

Let’s dive into a world where creativity meets strategy, exploring a variety of fall email subject lines designed to captivate your audience and boost your autumn sales.

Fall email subject line tips

Let’s explore some pivotal tips that will elevate your fall email subject lines and ensure they capture the essence of your message and the season.

1. Personalize with a touch of seasonal warmth

Utilizing data like past purchases, location, or browsing history allows you to craft subject lines that speak directly to the individual, enveloping them in a personalized experience that feels inviting.

2. Avoid the spam trap with thoughtful wording

Crafting a subject line that avoids the dreaded spam folder is akin to carefully stepping through a patch of crunchy fall leaves – it requires thoughtfulness and precision. Steer clear of using all caps, excessive exclamation points, and words that are commonly associated with spam, such as “free” or “buy now.” Instead, focus on creating a natural, conversational tone that gently guides your subscribers into your content.

3. Incorporate timeliness and urgency

Infusing your subject lines with a sense of timeliness and urgency, such as highlighting a limited-time offer or a flash sale, can encourage subscribers to open your email promptly. Ensure that the urgency is genuine and the offers are valuable to maintain trust and engagement with your audience.

4. Highlight your brand’s personality

Fall is a season that comes with its own array of playful language and puns. Whether it’s playing with phrases related to leaves, pumpkins, or cozy sweaters, a clever pun can add personality to your communication.

5. Embrace A/B testing for your subject lines

By testing two variations of your subject lines you can gain insights into which phrases, keywords, or emojis resonate best, enabling you to send the more effective subject line to your list. 

60 Best Fall Email Subject Lines 

From the allure of sales and the unveiling of new collections to the playful charm of puns and the festive joy of holidays, each of these subject lines is a pathway into the heart of your subscribers. 

Fall sale or discount subject lines

Incorporating the seasonal charm of fall into your sale subject lines not only enhances their appeal but also creates a timely and relevant context that can resonate with your subscribers, inviting them to explore your offerings and, ultimately, make a purchase.

Subject line examples:

• "🍂 Fall Into Savings: Up to 50% Off Starts Now!"
• "Harvest the Savings: Exclusive Fall Discount Inside!"
• "Sweater Weather, Sweeter Deals: 30% Off Fall Fashion!"
• "Unbe-leaf-able Deals: Your Exclusive Fall Sale is Here!"
• "Autumn Exclusives: Enjoy an Extra 20% Off Sale Items!"
• "Fall in Love with Our Autumn Sale: Up to 40% Off!"
• "🎃 Spooktacular Savings: Frighteningly Good Deals Inside!"
• "Cozy Up to Exclusive Fall Discounts – Limited Time Only!"
• "A Cornucopia of Savings: Shop Our Fall Sale Now!"
• "Rake in the Deals: Your Fall Discount Awaits Inside!"

Real-life example:‍‍

• ‍Brand Name: Hay‍
• Subject line: "Crisp, cozy, colorful (and 15% off)"‍
• Purpose of the email: Announce their “Autumn Sale.” 

Fall subject lines to introduce new collections or products

Introducing new collections with fall-centric subject lines seamlessly blends the anticipation of the new with the comforting familiarity of the season, crafting a delightful and enticing invitation to explore, discover, and shop.

Subject line examples:

• "🍁 Fresh Picks for Fall: Explore Our New Arrivals!"
• "New Season, New Styles: Shop the Fall Collection Now!"
• "Autumn Elegance: Discover Our New Fall Jewelry Line!"
• "Wrap Up in Style with Our New Fall Outerwear!"
• "Fall Flavors Have Arrived: New Seasonal Menu Inside!"
• "Step into Fall: New Boot Collection Just Dropped!"
• "Cozy Up with Our New Fall Home Decor!"
• "Sip into Autumn: New Fall Beverage Line Launched!"
• "Fall Beauty Unveiled: Explore Our New Makeup Line!"
• "Fresh Fall Reads: Discover Our New Book Releases!"

Real-life example:

• Brand Name: Juvee
• Subject Line: “Bringing You a Taste of Autumn” 
• Purpose of the email: Promote the launch of their Caramel Apple drink.

Subject lines with fall puns

Fall provides a fertile ground for playful wordplay that can bring a smile to your subscribers and create a lighthearted, engaging entry point to your email content.

Subject line examples:

• "Orange You Glad It’s Pumpkin Season? 🎃"
• "Nuts About Our New Fall Collection!"
• "Oh My Gourd, These Fall Deals Are Unbe-leaf-able!"
• "Squash Your FOMO: Fall Sale Now On!"
• "Leaf Your Worries Behind: Fall into Relaxation!"
• "Yam-tastic! Sweet Deals on Our New Fall Menu!"
• "Apple-y Ever After: Fall in Love with Our New Arrivals!"
• "A-maize-ing Deals Just for You This Fall!"
• "Harvest the Fun with Our Fall Festival Lineup!"
• "Spice Up Your Wardrobe with Our Fall Collection!"

Real-Life Example:

• Brand Name: FitVine Wines
• Subject Line: "No tricks, just treats 🎃🍷🦇”
• Purpose of the email: Promote their FitVine.

Holiday-specific fall subject lines

Crafting holiday-specific subject lines allows your brand to resonate with the festive spirit and sentiments that naturally permeate through the season. By aligning your messages with the holidays and celebrations that your audience holds dear, you create a bridge of relevance and shared joy, enhancing the connectivity and appeal of your emails during this festive fall period.

Halloween

• "No Tricks, Just Treats: Spooktacular Deals Inside!"
• "Unmask Frighteningly Good Offers This Halloween!"
• "Boo-tiful New Arrivals to Spook and Delight!"
• "Witching You a Happy Halloween: Special Treat Inside!"

Thanksgiving

• "Gobble Up the Savings: Thanksgiving Deals Inside!"
• "Grateful for You: A Thanksgiving Treat Inside 🦃"
• "Feast Your Eyes on Our Thanksgiving Specials!"
• "A Cornucopia of Thanks: Exclusive Offer Inside!"

Veterans Day

• "Honoring Heroes: Special Veterans Day Sale!"
• "A Salute to Savings: Veterans Day Exclusive!"
• "Celebrating Courage: Special Offer for Veterans Day!"
• "Thank You for Your Service: Exclusive Veterans Day Deal!"

Black Friday

• "Black Friday Bounty: Unbeatable Deals Inside!"
• "Sneak Peek: Black Friday Deals Unveiled!"
• "The Black Friday Sale You’ve Been Waiting For!"
• "Unlock Black Friday Savings Early: VIP Access Inside!"

Real-Life Example:

• Brand Name: Carhartt 
• Subject Line: "Black Friday: Early Access"
• Purpose of the email: Promote their Black Friday early access sale. 

Fall subject lines that reference fall weather

Subject lines that reference the weather crafts a narrative that is immediately recognizable and engaging to your subscribers, inviting them to explore your offerings with the comforting, familiar backdrop of the fall season.

Subject line examples:

• "Fall Breeze, Autumn Ease: Wind Down with Our Cozy Picks!"
• "Rainy Day Rescue: Stay Dry with Our Stylish Raincoats!"
• "Sweater Weather is Better Weather: New Arrivals Inside!"
• "Crisp Air, Don’t Care: Explore Our Fall Essentials!"
• "Stay Cozy in Our Must-Have Fall Layers!"
• "Chilly Days, Stylish Ways: Warm Up with Our Collection!"
• "Embrace the Chill: Hot Deals on Cool Styles Inside!"
• "Leaf the Cold Behind: Warm Up with Our Hot Picks!"
• "Autumn Showers, Stylish Hours: Waterproof Favorites Inside!"
• "Warm Hues, Cozy Shoes: Step into Fall Comfort!"

Real-life example:

• Brand Name: Hotel June
• Subject Line: "Feels Like Fall"
• Purpose of the email: Encourage travelers to book a stay at Hotel June by promoting new fall specials. 

Fall subject lines about autumn activities and events

From apple picking and leaf-peeping to festive gatherings and holiday preparations, these subject lines evoke anticipatation of these cherished moments. By aligning your messages with the activities that define the fall experience, your emails become a celebration of the season, intertwining your brand with the warmth and nostalgia.

Subject line examples:

• "Harvest Happiness with Our Fall Collection!"
• "Leaf-Peeping Essentials: Gear Up for Autumn Adventures!"
• "Apple-Picking Season is Here: Grab Your Fall Favorites!"
• "Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice: Fall Flavors Have Arrived!"
• "Get Festive: Everything You Need for Fall Gatherings!"
• "Fall Crafting: Create Your Cozy with Our DIY Kits!"
• "Bake Up a Storm: Autumn-Inspired Baking Essentials Inside!"
• "Cozy Campfires Await: S’mores, Stories, and Styles Inside!"
• "Haunted Happenings: Spooky Styles and Decor Inside!"
• "Thanksgiving Prep Starts Now: Get Ready to Feast!"

Real-Life Example:

• Brand Name: HomeAway
• Subject Line: "Get in the fall spirit with a cabin stay”
• Purpose of the email: Encourage customers to book a cabin stay. 

‍

Elevate your fall email campaigns to new heights

The harmony between a captivating subject line and a visually engaging email design is where the true magic happens.

With Beefree’s fall email templates, you gain access to a curated selection of designs that encapsulate the warmth and vibrancy of fall and perfectly compliment your captivating subject lines.

We’ve teamed up with Really Good Email’s Matt Helbig and a group of email experts for a roundup of the hottest email design trends.

How can you incorporate email design trends into your brand? 

“You have to know what's right for your audience, your brand, and your company. Don't just adopt a trend because it's the cool thing to do. 

Focus on the foundations, what makes a really good email is this email is customer-centric and solves a problem that someone might have. 

A lot of the time, company emails are very self-serving, but keep in mind that the person at the other end is not just a dollar sign; they are people as well. Use human language and not corporate gobbledy. 

Be clear about what you are making, why, and who it's for. Its really important to communicate your message clearly and tell people, you know, come to our site, come visit us. Send emails with a purpose and think about, “How can I make this person's day better?”

Accessibility is always a big thing. At Really Good Emails, we see a lot of all-image emails and that’s rarely ever accessible. You want to meet your readers where they are, whether it's on a mobile device or they have a disability and can't access your email. 

Beyond just including something like alt text, it's making sure your email is available on all devices that they might be reading on.

Lastly, just treat the inbox as a sacred, personal, and safe place. It is a safe place and you have some responsibility behind what you're sending to your audience. Your email should be a delight and a nice surprise in an inbox filled with annoyance and filtered spam emails. People should look forward to receiving your email in their inboxes.”

_{Matt Helbig, Integrated Manager at Beefree & Really Good Emails}

Email design trends for 2024 & beyond 

#1: Raw & unfiltered 

“As an amateur photographer myself,  I'm always excited to see that this trend continues to gain momentum. It's all about capturing images in their most natural state with minimal to no editing or retouching.

Unlike traditional stock photos or marketing images, which are often very produced, very stylized, very polished – raw and unfiltered embrace imperfection. This style, this trend, shows real people, real environments, and it captures genuine moments.

It's often characterized by natural lighting, minimal post-production editing, and authentic expressions and scenarios, which makes it feel very spontaneous and very candid. 

This trend is becoming popular largely due to social media. We're very used to seeing what at least appears to be authentic situations and with consumers demanding more transparency from brands we are kind of skeptical of overly polished images or images that we may feel are too photoshopped. 

Another plus of “raw and unfiltered” is that it can evoke a sense of nostalgia and help to strengthen the connection with your audience. 

Finally, and one of the most important, I think, is that it can be very cost-effective. You don't have to pay for the big production, the expensive photographer, or all the editing.”

_{Kristy McCarley, Founder & Managing Director of Pure Firefly.} 

#2: Chunky text

“This trend of oversized text is really dominating the visual space. If you're a design geek, this can be super fun to experiment with to add a sense of playfulness and grab a reader’s attention as soon as the email is open.

This trend is really popular because of the rise in appreciation for minimalism and the need to create quick digestible content. It allows you to convey that message in a really concise way. 

If you're trying to decide whether to experiment with this or if it's right for your brand, just keep in mind that you don't want it to be overwhelming. There should be a balance between the size of the text and its chunkiness so that it doesn't affect readability.” 

_{Kristy McCarley, Founder & Managing Director of Pure Firefly.} 

#3: Deep & dark

‘’This trend was sparked or spurred by the prevalence of dark mode, but think we've moved way beyond that now. 

I just love the spectrum of dark colors that I see brands bringing into the inbox to create this kind of mood instantly within their email. 

‍

My cautionary tale is to test the heck out of it beforehand. For a few email clients with some partial color inversion, darker tones turn into a salmon pink, which can strain the eyes. You obviously don't want to accidentally serve the audience that wants dark mode, something that's way outside of your brand guidelines.’’

_{Laura Sullivan, Head of Brand & Marketing at Inbox Monster}

#4: Color blocking

"These big, bold areas of color usually help you differentiate visual hierarchy in emails or make a section in an email stand out.

If you do a little bit of Googling on the history of color blocking, apparently this is a big fashion trend coming back from the 1960’s which is what gives color blocking a little bit of a retro feel."

_{Justin Jordan, Head of Strategy & Community at Beefree}

#5: Longing for Dial-up

"This trend combines old-school nostalgia with some of the new fun trends we’ve mentioned previously. This is all about the nineties being cool again. 

This summer, I have gone to so many concerts with 90s bands coming out and playing. For example, I saw a Green Day show, and they played the entirety of Dookie because it was Dookie's, I think, 25th or 30th anniversary of being released. That night, I felt like I was 18 again. The next morning, maybe not so much. But I was totally willing to relive 18 for an evening. 

If you've got that demographic, then take advantage of it. This is not for every brand; you really have to know your audience, know your style, and see if it works."

_{Justin Jordan, Head of Strategy & Community at Beefree}

#6: Ticker GIFs 

"Ticker GIF also known as the repeating text, usually at the top of the email, really grabs attention and makes the email feel lively and energetic. It can add playfulness similar to the chunky text, and it's eye-catching.

I’m kind of on the fence about ticker text because I'm affected by movement in email. So sometimes, if it's a little too fast or if it just feels like too much, I will look away, but I know there are other subscribers, the audience that loves it and really get into it.

I say be very thoughtful about the use of it. Make sure you have enough contrast. If you're using it to highlight a key message, it can be great. Or a sense of urgency for like a promotion or limited time offer. Just be aware that it can overwhelm some subscribers and it may be distracting and sometimes it's just not the right fit for the campaign."

_{Kristy McCarley, Founder & Managing Director of Pure Firefly.} 

#7: Styled letter 

"This trend is leading in popularity because it approaches email with a human voice instead of a product or brand. With the rise of AI, people’s spidey sense is up for things that aren't authentic and real and this approach helps tackle that. 

Style letter is a good balance between using plain text and brand elements like fonts and colors to make it feel a little bit more personalized.

In the example below, which is written by Justine, is all written in her voice, like when I read it, I could hear her reading it.

This trends is relatively low effort. You don't always need a designer to do something like this. You can make things stand out by using bullet points or adding a GIF. 

I like to think of email almost like as a tool belt, you know, you can use a plain text email or you can use a well-designed email. It doesn't have to be one or the other. 

You just know that your reader has this problem that they’re trying to solve, and you can use different types of content to make your email get the job to be done"

_{Laura Sullivan, Head of Brand & Marketing at Inbox Monster}

#8: Hover effects

We are seeing brands do some really cool, fun hover effects in email. It's a good way to tell people that something's clickable.

I think it's catching on because it's interactive. I think it catches your eye when you're scrolling, especially on like a desktop environment where it's supported. And some of these, especially hover effects, are little things you can add at the end of the email that may not change the whole design, but they show that you are spending the time and attention on your email designs and your marketing.

_{Matt Helbig, Integrated Manager at Beefree & Really Good Emails}

Honorable email design trend mentions: 

Typography: Weird fonts

Typography: 3D Text

Shapes: Waves

Imagery: Hand models

Interactivity: Choose your own adventure

Movement: 360 rotate

Messaging: Sustainability

Final hot take: 

"It’s important for me to share the disclaimer that trends are not going to save your business; however, they can help you better communicate your message. 

I've mostly been on the B2B side of things for my entire career. And so every time I look at what all the cool things that retail and e-commerce brands are doing, I'm reminded that B2B doesn't have to be boring.

While all of these trends may not not be totally a “hot” for your brand,it cool to at least be informed about what other brands are doing in the space and maybe one of them will work for you.

This is not an endorsement for any trend in particular. Choose your trends responsibility. Don't use it if it might not be for your brand. 

And finally make sure that whatever you do, you continue to be really good and make some really good looking emails."

_{Matt Helbig, Integrated Manager at Beefree & Really Good Emails}

‍You can watch the entire live event with Q&A here. 

‍

2024 was a banner year for email markers everywhere. From sleek newsletters to interactive promos, you flexed your creative muscle to new heights and did it with a level of speed and efficiency that made crafting award-worthy emails look easy. 

At Beefree, we’ve had a front-row seat to all the incredible ways you scaled your email production. With templates that sped up creation and workflows that brought your team closer, you’ve redefined what it means to create emails that inspire and deliver.

Let’s dive into the numbers, trends, and stories that made this year unforgettable for email makers like you. 

Total number of emails created: 1,648,180

That’s right—over 1.6 million emails were crafted using Beefree this year, each one a testament to your creativity and efficiency. Everyone from small startups to large enterprises, and teams across the globe harnessed the power of Beefree.

The templates that powered your success

Out of the 1.6 million emails created this year, 178,199 started with a little help from our template catalog.

Our most loved categories included:

• ‍‍‍Templates for Gmail & Mailchimp: Whether you were crafting a campaign or a one-off blast, these platform agnostic templates made it easy to integrate design and delivery effortlessly.‍
• Password-reset emails: You proved that even the most utilitarian messages deserve to be noticed.
• ‍Notification email templates: From order confirmations to system alerts, these templates kept your communications clear, concise, and on-brand.

These favorites highlight a vital truth: even the simplest communications can leave a lasting impression. Templates have become your secret weapon, allowing you to hit the ground running, save time, and focus on the creative flair that makes your emails stand out.

Total time saved per week: 2 hours

Time is money, and in 2024, Beefree users saved big. On average, 59% of users shaved off at least 2 hours per week on email creation, giving them more time to focus on strategy, creativity, and all the other things that make their emails shine. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

An impressive 81% of users reported being able to design emails at least 3x faster since implementing Beefree. What used to take hours now takes mere minutes with pre-designed templates and built-in collaboration tools. 

More time saved = more time to design

By cutting down on the nitty-gritty of email production, like formatting, coding, and repetitive edits, Beefree gave you the freedom to focus on what truly matters: design. 

With more time on your hands, you experimented with bold new layouts, fine-tuned your visual storytelling, and perfected those interactive elements that kept your audience engaged.

84% of Beefree users saw an increase in design quality after implementing our tool and 84% have increased on-brand email creation by 50% or more. 

Think about it: The less time on production meant more time to think creatively and innovate.

New height reached 

With more time on your hands and even more accessible design solutions, 2024 became the year you pushed boundaries and achieved more than ever before. And as your email production scaled, so did your ambitions. 

This surge in productivity and creativity signaled that you were ready for the next step—a plan that could grow alongside you and offer even more tailored support for your evolving needs. Recognizing this, we launched our Business Plan in May, designed specifically to meet you where you’re at. 

This plan was crafted to offer the advanced features and scalability that busy teams need, like enhanced collaboration tools and more customization options. 

Is the Beefree HTML Email Builder Right for You? >

After upgrading to a paid plan, 41% of Beefree users saw an ROI in just under a month! 58% report that Beefree has been a KEY part of scaling their email programs. 

Beautiful design matters 

A well-crafted email design does more than look good; it communicates your brand’s personality, values, and message in a way that’s instantly recognizable and engaging. It draws the reader in, guides their eyes through the content seamlessly, and encourages action, whether it’s clicking through to a website, signing up for an event, or making a purchase.

In 2024, you embraced the power of beautiful design like never before, and you were rewarded for it. Beefree users increased their CTR by an average of 25%.

The marketing ROI on the one email alone was immeasurable. Open rates increased by over 20%, engagement rates by 31%, and best of all, the subscribers fell under a healthy .1%. All are driven by the creative firepower of Beefree. 

Aimee Meester, Founder and CEO, Madison Taylor Marketing 
Read the case study

In a digital landscape where first impressions are everything, beautiful design isn’t just nice to have—it’s a necessity. And with Beefree, creating visually appealing emails has never been easier, empowering you to continue delivering designs that captivate and convert.

We can’t wait to see what you create next.

Universities are like small cities. They are made up of dozens (sometimes hundreds) of departments, schools, and initiatives. Each of them has their own goals, audiences, and communication needs. While this decentralized structure is great for creativity and independence, it often leads universities to struggle to balance the creation of on-brand newsletters with data security. One always has to give, and it’s not the latter. 

So, how do you give all these teams the freedom to create without compromising brand integrity and data safekeeping? Well, the right tools and a little strategy can make all the difference.

In a recent conversation with Rice University’s Owl Business Analyst, Sonja Fulbright, we revealed all the challenges that led the university to lean on Beefree—not only to bring their decentralized teams together in one platform but also to increase the speed and quality of the university’s emails. 

What are the challenges universities face in email creation? 

As mentioned above, universities thrive on independence. Each department has unique needs, whether it’s rallying support for the latest research initiative or getting fans hyped about SEC football rankings. While this setup fuels creativity, it also brings some serious challenges:

• Off-brand emails: A well-meaning department might throw together something that doesn’t quite hit the mark.
• Inefficiency: Teams spend hours wrangling email tools that just don’t cut it.
• Data risks: Sensitive info gets passed around in ways that make everyone nervous.

In an effort to tackle some of these challenges and unify teams, Rice University chose to integrate the Blackbaud CRM. However, for Sonja Fulbright and her team, this meant folks felt less empowered to design on their own. The accompanying Blackbaud Internet Solutions (BBIS) platform, used for managing emails and landing pages, was so complex that different schools and departments became heavily reliant on Sonja’s team for design support and sending. Sonja shares:

"Building emails in BBIS was like coding an entire website from scratch—it was a nightmare. 

Although we could create decent emails in BBIS, they were all built-in tables, which required someone skilled in HTML. When something went wrong, we had to dig through code to fix random formatting issues.”

It’s no wonder Universities sometimes feel stuck trying to stay on brand. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Overcoming the challenges with Beefree

Decentralized teams doesn’t have to mean off-brand communications and bringing everyone in one place, and finding new solutions that don’t impact data security doesn’t have to be complex. For Rice University:

“Adopting Beefree was incredibly easy… We were able to get started right away.”

With Beefree, every department gets the tools they need to create standout emails without compromising the university’s brand or security – here’s how:  

#1: On-brand communication becomes a non-negotiable 

Your university’s brand is more than just colors and logos. It’s your identity. It’s how people recognize you, trust you, and connect with your mission.

When branding is inconsistent, it can cause confusion—or worse, make your school seem less credible. In many universities, the people creating and sending emails are not marketers or designers, just regular folks who have a message to get across.

Sonja states, “We're not the public affairs department. We're not the keepers of our University's brand, but we are trying to be good campus partners and encourage the use of Branding standards.

The best part about Beefree is being able to lock down assets like logos, colors, and fonts and say, ‘Here’s everything you need to follow the university’s brand guidelines—go forth and build emails.’”

#2: Designing is faster than ever 

Sonja Fulbright from Rice University shared she “spent six hours trying to create one email template, and it still wasn’t finished.” 

This is a relatable challenge for many Higher Education teams juggling tight schedules. Time spent trying to figure out complex solutions is time taken away from what really matters, like connecting with their alumni, donors, and engaging their student body.

Sonja adds, “Even though it was not technically my job description, I got sucked up into building templates for people in that platform, and I was like, there has got to be an easier way to do this.”

Luckily, there was. In six hours, Sonja created 8 newsletter templates in Beefree, and designing an email went from a 48-hour affair to only 45 minutes. 

A standout time-saving feature for Sonja and other universities is the ability to save and sync reusable content blocks.

“The ability to save rows made a huge difference for us. We used building blocks like standard footers and headers to quickly assemble emails in various ways. It’s definitely made everyone’s job a lot easier.”

Additionally, our integrations have made designing for all sending platforms a breeze. Sonja shares, “Outlook is the ruiner of all things visual; it is at the absolute worst, so the fact that I can paste code from Beefree and it renders like 99% correctly in Outlook is huge.”

‍

#3: Empowering everyone to create 

Many professionals in the Higher Education space struggle to bring their creative visions to life, often tied down to complex or limiting tools. For Rice University, this was no different. Remember the template referenced above that took Sonja six hours to make? Sonja shares the full story: Our Architecture School came on board and wanted us to build out templates in our old platform. I thought it was no big deal.

They had a designer share with me the most detailed markup I have ever seen in my entire life, with pixel dimensions and all of that. I knew that it'd be like coding a whole website from scratch kind of thing.” 

Whether you’re creating templates for your student body or engaging donors, your designs should make an impact. Beefree’s solutions are loved by universities because they empower anyone – regardless of skill level to design with ease. 

With a template catalog of over 1,700+ email and landing page templates and dozens of free guided courses and tutorials in our Beefree Academy, we have everything you need to get started. Sonja shares:

"Beefree has been a key tool in making it easier to get people on board. The [enterprise plan] lets us extend access to people using our database for email campaigns. At the same time, departments can set up their own [workspaces], and we can collaborate easily.”

#4 Data security is top of mind

If there’s one thing universities juggle as much as emails, it’s sensitive data—donor lists, alumni records, student info. The last thing you want is for that data to get mishandled in the shuffle of creating and sharing emails. That’s why many universities opt for Beefree. Beefree integrates seamlessly with your CRM, keeping all that valuable info exactly where it belongs.

As Sonja Fulbright from Rice University puts it:

“The fact that Beefree doesn’t store any of our data made adoption easy. Everything stays within our CRM.” 

The big picture: Empowered teams, consistent branding, zero hassle

Successful university communication comes down to balance. Departments need space to create and connect with their audiences. But that creativity doesn’t have to come at the cost of branding, security, or efficiency.

Beefree can bring it all together by providing a centralized university email tool that can help universities go from overwhelmed to organized and from inconsistent to cohesive.

The Senior Web Content Specialist at Rice University shares:

‍“Beefree is the best email designer I've ever used. It gives me the ability to take a design from a print piece and customize it for the best viewer experience in an email format." 

Ready to simplify your email marketing efforts? Join hundreds of university teams like Rice University in transforming their email workflows with Beefree. Sign up now -- it's free!

2024 was a banner year for email markers everywhere. From sleek newsletters to interactive promos, you flexed your creative muscle to new heights and did it with a level of speed and efficiency that made crafting award-worthy emails look easy. 

At Beefree, we’ve had a front-row seat to all the incredible ways you scaled your email production. With templates that sped up creation and workflows that brought your team closer, you’ve redefined what it means to create emails that inspire and deliver.

Let’s dive into the numbers, trends, and stories that made this year unforgettable for email makers like you. 

Total number of emails created: 1,648,180

That’s right—over 1.6 million emails were crafted using Beefree this year, each one a testament to your creativity and efficiency. Everyone from small startups to large enterprises, and teams across the globe harnessed the power of Beefree.

The templates that powered your success

Out of the 1.6 million emails created this year, 178,199 started with a little help from our template catalog.

Our most loved categories included:

• ‍‍‍Templates for Gmail & Mailchimp: Whether you were crafting a campaign or a one-off blast, these platform agnostic templates made it easy to integrate design and delivery effortlessly.‍
• Password-reset emails: You proved that even the most utilitarian messages deserve to be noticed.
• ‍Notification email templates: From order confirmations to system alerts, these templates kept your communications clear, concise, and on-brand.

These favorites highlight a vital truth: even the simplest communications can leave a lasting impression. Templates have become your secret weapon, allowing you to hit the ground running, save time, and focus on the creative flair that makes your emails stand out.

Total time saved per week: 2 hours

Time is money, and in 2024, Beefree users saved big. On average, 59% of users shaved off at least 2 hours per week on email creation, giving them more time to focus on strategy, creativity, and all the other things that make their emails shine. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

An impressive 81% of users reported being able to design emails at least 3x faster since implementing Beefree. What used to take hours now takes mere minutes with pre-designed templates and built-in collaboration tools. 

More time saved = more time to design

By cutting down on the nitty-gritty of email production, like formatting, coding, and repetitive edits, Beefree gave you the freedom to focus on what truly matters: design. 

With more time on your hands, you experimented with bold new layouts, fine-tuned your visual storytelling, and perfected those interactive elements that kept your audience engaged.

84% of Beefree users saw an increase in design quality after implementing our tool and 84% have increased on-brand email creation by 50% or more. 

Think about it: The less time on production meant more time to think creatively and innovate.

New height reached 

With more time on your hands and even more accessible design solutions, 2024 became the year you pushed boundaries and achieved more than ever before. And as your email production scaled, so did your ambitions. 

This surge in productivity and creativity signaled that you were ready for the next step—a plan that could grow alongside you and offer even more tailored support for your evolving needs. Recognizing this, we launched our Business Plan in May, designed specifically to meet you where you’re at. 

This plan was crafted to offer the advanced features and scalability that busy teams need, like enhanced collaboration tools and more customization options. 

Is the Beefree HTML Email Builder Right for You? >

After upgrading to a paid plan, 41% of Beefree users saw an ROI in just under a month! 58% report that Beefree has been a KEY part of scaling their email programs. 

Beautiful design matters 

A well-crafted email design does more than look good; it communicates your brand’s personality, values, and message in a way that’s instantly recognizable and engaging. It draws the reader in, guides their eyes through the content seamlessly, and encourages action, whether it’s clicking through to a website, signing up for an event, or making a purchase.

In 2024, you embraced the power of beautiful design like never before, and you were rewarded for it. Beefree users increased their CTR by an average of 25%.

The marketing ROI on the one email alone was immeasurable. Open rates increased by over 20%, engagement rates by 31%, and best of all, the subscribers fell under a healthy .1%. All are driven by the creative firepower of Beefree. 

Aimee Meester, Founder and CEO, Madison Taylor Marketing 
Read the case study

In a digital landscape where first impressions are everything, beautiful design isn’t just nice to have—it’s a necessity. And with Beefree, creating visually appealing emails has never been easier, empowering you to continue delivering designs that captivate and convert.

We can’t wait to see what you create next.

Universities are like small cities. They are made up of dozens (sometimes hundreds) of departments, schools, and initiatives. Each of them has their own goals, audiences, and communication needs. While this decentralized structure is great for creativity and independence, it often leads universities to struggle to balance the creation of on-brand newsletters with data security. One always has to give, and it’s not the latter. 

So, how do you give all these teams the freedom to create without compromising brand integrity and data safekeeping? Well, the right tools and a little strategy can make all the difference.

In a recent conversation with Rice University’s Owl Business Analyst, Sonja Fulbright, we revealed all the challenges that led the university to lean on Beefree—not only to bring their decentralized teams together in one platform but also to increase the speed and quality of the university’s emails. 

What are the challenges universities face in email creation? 

As mentioned above, universities thrive on independence. Each department has unique needs, whether it’s rallying support for the latest research initiative or getting fans hyped about SEC football rankings. While this setup fuels creativity, it also brings some serious challenges:

• Off-brand emails: A well-meaning department might throw together something that doesn’t quite hit the mark.
• Inefficiency: Teams spend hours wrangling email tools that just don’t cut it.
• Data risks: Sensitive info gets passed around in ways that make everyone nervous.

In an effort to tackle some of these challenges and unify teams, Rice University chose to integrate the Blackbaud CRM. However, for Sonja Fulbright and her team, this meant folks felt less empowered to design on their own. The accompanying Blackbaud Internet Solutions (BBIS) platform, used for managing emails and landing pages, was so complex that different schools and departments became heavily reliant on Sonja’s team for design support and sending. Sonja shares:

"Building emails in BBIS was like coding an entire website from scratch—it was a nightmare. 

Although we could create decent emails in BBIS, they were all built-in tables, which required someone skilled in HTML. When something went wrong, we had to dig through code to fix random formatting issues.”

It’s no wonder Universities sometimes feel stuck trying to stay on brand. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Overcoming the challenges with Beefree

Decentralized teams doesn’t have to mean off-brand communications and bringing everyone in one place, and finding new solutions that don’t impact data security doesn’t have to be complex. For Rice University:

“Adopting Beefree was incredibly easy… We were able to get started right away.”

With Beefree, every department gets the tools they need to create standout emails without compromising the university’s brand or security – here’s how:  

#1: On-brand communication becomes a non-negotiable 

Your university’s brand is more than just colors and logos. It’s your identity. It’s how people recognize you, trust you, and connect with your mission.

When branding is inconsistent, it can cause confusion—or worse, make your school seem less credible. In many universities, the people creating and sending emails are not marketers or designers, just regular folks who have a message to get across.

Sonja states, “We're not the public affairs department. We're not the keepers of our University's brand, but we are trying to be good campus partners and encourage the use of Branding standards.

The best part about Beefree is being able to lock down assets like logos, colors, and fonts and say, ‘Here’s everything you need to follow the university’s brand guidelines—go forth and build emails.’”

#2: Designing is faster than ever 

Sonja Fulbright from Rice University shared she “spent six hours trying to create one email template, and it still wasn’t finished.” 

This is a relatable challenge for many Higher Education teams juggling tight schedules. Time spent trying to figure out complex solutions is time taken away from what really matters, like connecting with their alumni, donors, and engaging their student body.

Sonja adds, “Even though it was not technically my job description, I got sucked up into building templates for people in that platform, and I was like, there has got to be an easier way to do this.”

Luckily, there was. In six hours, Sonja created 8 newsletter templates in Beefree, and designing an email went from a 48-hour affair to only 45 minutes. 

A standout time-saving feature for Sonja and other universities is the ability to save and sync reusable content blocks.

“The ability to save rows made a huge difference for us. We used building blocks like standard footers and headers to quickly assemble emails in various ways. It’s definitely made everyone’s job a lot easier.”

Additionally, our integrations have made designing for all sending platforms a breeze. Sonja shares, “Outlook is the ruiner of all things visual; it is at the absolute worst, so the fact that I can paste code from Beefree and it renders like 99% correctly in Outlook is huge.”

‍

#3: Empowering everyone to create 

Many professionals in the Higher Education space struggle to bring their creative visions to life, often tied down to complex or limiting tools. For Rice University, this was no different. Remember the template referenced above that took Sonja six hours to make? Sonja shares the full story: Our Architecture School came on board and wanted us to build out templates in our old platform. I thought it was no big deal.

They had a designer share with me the most detailed markup I have ever seen in my entire life, with pixel dimensions and all of that. I knew that it'd be like coding a whole website from scratch kind of thing.” 

Whether you’re creating templates for your student body or engaging donors, your designs should make an impact. Beefree’s solutions are loved by universities because they empower anyone – regardless of skill level to design with ease. 

With a template catalog of over 1,700+ email and landing page templates and dozens of free guided courses and tutorials in our Beefree Academy, we have everything you need to get started. Sonja shares:

"Beefree has been a key tool in making it easier to get people on board. The [enterprise plan] lets us extend access to people using our database for email campaigns. At the same time, departments can set up their own [workspaces], and we can collaborate easily.”

#4 Data security is top of mind

If there’s one thing universities juggle as much as emails, it’s sensitive data—donor lists, alumni records, student info. The last thing you want is for that data to get mishandled in the shuffle of creating and sharing emails. That’s why many universities opt for Beefree. Beefree integrates seamlessly with your CRM, keeping all that valuable info exactly where it belongs.

As Sonja Fulbright from Rice University puts it:

“The fact that Beefree doesn’t store any of our data made adoption easy. Everything stays within our CRM.” 

The big picture: Empowered teams, consistent branding, zero hassle

Successful university communication comes down to balance. Departments need space to create and connect with their audiences. But that creativity doesn’t have to come at the cost of branding, security, or efficiency.

Beefree can bring it all together by providing a centralized university email tool that can help universities go from overwhelmed to organized and from inconsistent to cohesive.

The Senior Web Content Specialist at Rice University shares:

‍“Beefree is the best email designer I've ever used. It gives me the ability to take a design from a print piece and customize it for the best viewer experience in an email format." 

Ready to simplify your email marketing efforts? Join hundreds of university teams like Rice University in transforming their email workflows with Beefree. Sign up now -- it's free!