14 Banner Ideas to Make Your Emails Pop off the Screen

This article has been updated to maintain its accuracy and relevance

When creating a successful email campaign, one of the most important pieces is the banner you use. 

As an email marketer running several e-commerce businesses, I change banners at least once a month. It has helped me highlight offers and create seasonal promotions.

Email banners are critical for grabbing your readers' attention and engagingly conveying the right message.

Jocko Willink, a former Navy SEAL and author, popularized the phrase "discipline equals freedom" through his book and podcast. The mantra has resonated with many people, particularly those in the fitness and self-improvement communities. 

Thousands of people have a flag on their homes, workplaces, and gyms. It has become a common motto for several reasons: It evokes mental and physical discipline, It creates accountability and consistency, and It invites people to overcome obstacles.

Given these reasons, it's understandable why many people embrace and display the "discipline equals freedom" banner in their homes, working spaces, and gyms. It serves as a potent reminder and motivation for individuals to stay focused, committed, and disciplined in their pursuit of physical fitness and personal growth.

So, how can you create a good banner that resonates with your audience? 

In this blog post, we'll provide 14 email banner ideas so you can get inspiration on what makes a great email marketing graphic and also answer some of those questions like "What do I put in an email banner" or "How do I create a quality design?". 

Whether you're just starting to make banners for emails or you are looking for ways to improve existing designs, you will be able to leverage these 14 banner ideas.

Understand What Makes a Good Email Banner

Regarding email marketing, a well-designed banner can make all the difference in whether or not your message is received and opened. So what makes a good email banner? 

It all comes down to a few key elements. Firstly, it should be visually appealing and on-brand with your company's style and messaging. 

Secondly, it should be sized and optimized appropriately to display correctly across all devices. 

55% of people are reading email from their phones, according to 2023 research by emarketer.com. That’s a huge chunk of people you might be missing out on if you don’t optimize your graphics for a mobile experience.

Lastly, it should convey a clear, concise message that entices the reader to continue reading the email. By focusing on these important details, you can create a standout email banner that helps increase engagement and boost your marketing efforts.

Identify Your Audience and Unique Selling Points

Identifying your audience and unique selling points are two key elements when it comes to making a memorable impact in your business.

Your audience is who you aim to attract, and knowing who they are will allow you to tailor your messaging and offerings to their specific needs and desires. Similarly, understanding your unique selling points will help you stand out from the competition and communicate the value you bring to your customers. 

By focusing on these two areas, you can develop a clear and effective marketing strategy that will attract the right customers and ultimately lead to the success of your business.

Choose the Right Colors for Your Email Banner

Color is an essential element when it comes to designing an email banner. It's the first thing that catches the reader's eye and can make or break their interest in your message. 

When choosing colors for your email banner, it's important to consider the emotional response the color creates. For example, blue is associated with calmness, trustworthiness, and reliability, while red conveys urgency, excitement, and energy. 

A practical approach is to select colors that harmonize with your brand and message. By choosing the right colors, you can create a visually appealing email banner to capture your audience's attention and encourage them to engage with your content.

That doesn’t mean that you must only use your original brand colors. It is possible to craft email graphics that go outside of your normal palette (while still being true to your brand). Get creative, like this email from Starbucks: 

14 Banners Examples to Copy Now

Advertising is a crucial part of any business, it's how companies spread their message, create brand awareness, and attract customers. Banners, on the other hand, are an essential tool for effective advertising—they're a dynamic way to grab someone's attention and convey a message. 

Let’s take a look at 14 banner examples from actual companies. From eye-catching colors to witty copy, these banners will inspire and provide examples of how to make an impact with your advertising. 

Whether you're a small startup or a big brand, something can be learned from these companies' banner designs. So let's dive in and uncover what makes these banners so great!

1. Clean and Minimalistic:

Use a simple design with your company logo, a tagline, and a single background color that aligns with your brand.

2. Bold and Colorful:

Create an eye-catching banner with vibrant colors, incorporating your logo, key message, and visually appealing background.

3. Product Showcase:

Display your featured product or service in the banner, along with a captivating image, a brief description, and a clear call to action.

4. Seasonal Theme:

Tailor your banner to a specific season or holiday, incorporating relevant graphics, colors, and messaging to create a festive and engaging atmosphere.

5. Event Promotion:

If you're hosting an event, use the banner to highlight the event details, such as date, location, and a compelling visual that represents the event's theme.

6. Countdown Timer:

Add a dynamic element to your banner by including a countdown timer to create a sense of urgency and encourage recipients to take immediate action.

7. Exclusive Offer:

Display a special offer or discount prominently in the banner, accompanied by an attention-grabbing headline and clear instructions on how to redeem the offer.

8. Social Media Integration:

Incorporate social media icons or handles into the banner, encouraging recipients to follow your brand's social accounts for updates and engagement.

9. Personalized Approach:

Use customer segmentation data to create personalized banners that cater to specific customer preferences, such as showcasing products based on their previous purchases or interests.

10. Trivia or poll:

Your banner can be the perfect place to ask a question for engagement. You can use trivia, as Babbel did above, or create a poll to ask your audience’s thoughts. The key is to ask a question your subscribers want to answer. 

11. Address a pain point

Draw your subscribers by directly addressing a pain point– and offering a solution, like this example from Pottery Barn Kids.  

12. Highlight curated content:

Curate content for your audience, like this Pride Month collection from Max. 

13. Make the content dynamic:

This is a part of the same banner I just showed you from Max. They use gifs to rotate between the images and show “what’s new,” like this show by Chuck and Joanna Gaines. 

14. Let your copy take over: 

Sometimes, less is more– in this case by Today in Digital Marketing, eye-catching copy took center stage over traditional graphics. 

Keep your email banner visually appealing, on-brand, and aligned with your campaign's goals and messaging. Test different designs to see which ones resonate best with your audience and drive higher engagement.

Designing a good email banner can seem intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Many companies have crafted creative and successful email banners that serve as great examples and inspirational resources. 

Remember to identify the audience when creating your effective email banner, choose colors that fit the brand, and pick the right image to pair with the content. 

Also, you don't have to limit yourself to a single banner. You can change them as frequently as you want. As an email marketer running several e-commerce businesses, I change banners at least once a month. It has helped me highlight offers and create seasonal promotions.

Understanding each element of a good email banner and thinking of ways to make it impactful can quickly achieve an impressive design for any message. 

Get started with beehiiv

Use the 14 examples from this blog post to craft a unique email banner that will grab your audience’s attention!

You can craft the perfect newsletter– including seamlessly adding your email banner– in beehiiv’s Newsletter Builder. The options to customize your newsletter to fit your brand are endless.

Access the Newsletter Builder by navigating to ‘Design’ then ‘Newsletter Builder’ from your beehiiv dashboard.

beehiiv is the perfect non-code platform to design, create and test different banners in just a few clicks. Get started with your free trial of beehiiv today!