July marketing is all about the holidays. From 4th of July campaigns to preparing for BFCM, now is the time to grow your lists and optimize your messages. 

We’re at the halfway point of 2025, and for many marketers, that means we’re about to head into the busy season. We sat down with Elizabeth Abolt, Lead CSM, Strategic, and Trish Yuse, Sr. Customer Success Manager, to understand what’s top of mind for marketers right now and discuss some July marketing ideas. 

Read on to get advice on how to tap into the fun of Black Friday in July as well as start setting your real BFCM campaigns up for success, get messaging ideas for back-to-school marketing sends, and see examples of July holiday campaigns.

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July marketing benchmarks

We ran the numbers to see how July has changed year-over-year in terms of sends and found that across our bigger customers, there was an increase in total sends when comparing July 2024 to July 2023. 

There was an increase of 27% in total sends, with a 28% increase in Journey sends and an increase of 27% in campaign sends. Given that there are fewer promotional holidays in July, this data tracks as marketers focus on sending triggered messages. This increase in sends led to an increase in revenue to the tune of 122.6% YoY.

Breaking it down by industry revealed some interesting benchmarks for July SMS campaign sends. Last July, these were the results for enterprise retail, food and beverage, and entertainment and media brands. 

Now that you know what benchmarks you want to hit, how do you get those results? 

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Audit and optimize your marketing strategy ahead of peak retail season

When asked what marketers should keep top of mind as we move into July, both of our Customer Success Managers (CSMs) highlighted that this is the time for analysis. It’s the midpoint of the year and it’s time to uncover what’s driving results—especially as we approach BFCM. 

Abolt said, “It’s a unique opportunity to reflect and prepare. Now is the perfect time to review performance from H1 and identify what’s working, and what can be working better. Many consumers are in ‘vacation mode,’ which can lead to a slower purchasing cycle. It’s a great time for internal optimization, refining audience segmentation, and preparing for Q3/Q4 peak retail season.” 

If relevant, it’s also a great time to target consumers who are traveling, participating in summer activities, or embracing outdoor living. Even if your product isn’t seasonally driven, a well-timed nod to summer can boost relatability and engagement.

- Elizabeth Abolt, Lead CSM, Strategic at Attentive

Yuse shared that it’s not just about evaluating campaign effectiveness, but also looking at your tech stack. You want to make sure you’re using the right features or seeing what capabilities are coming that can drive even better ROI for your sends.

July arrives quicker than any marketer or supporting tech stack can imagine. It’s the optimal time to evaluate what has worked in the first half of the year, what optimizations can be taken advantage of in the second half of the year, and what new functionalities can help us target and convert subscribers that may be thinking of going dormant until the bigger sales around BFCM.

- Trish Yuse, Sr. Customer Success Manager at Attentive

Saved by the campaign: Back-to-school marketing ideas

Though consumers are in vacation mode, they also know back-to-school shopping is coming up fast. Yuse, who works with some brands that are no strangers to back-to-school marketing campaigns, shared some insight with us. 

She said, “Back-to-school campaigns have already started to hit inboxes and phones, building a narrative around the best deals being found now while operating within economic uncertainty is landing well. Businesses and consumers know what today brings, but they may not necessarily know what next week and next month will bring.”

We’ve already seen that consumers are starting to pull back on spend. Dipping into your loyal customer base is going to drive dividends. These are the shoppers that have an annual ritual of buying their back-to-school necessities from your brand. If it fits within your margins, offer these brand loyalists an extra incentive to thank them for continuing to show support.

- Trish Yuse, Sr. Customer Success Manager at Attentive

We asked our CSMs about segmentation strategies for back-to-school marketing campaigns. We also asked if marketers should consider running new sign-up units that collect zero-party data to improve segmentation, such as figuring out if a website visitor is a student, parent, or teacher.

Yuse said if collecting zero-party data is going to help you deliver a better SMS or email to your subscribers, then it’s a no-brainer. 

She said, “Aim for two to four optional responses that you know will help you target in a smarter and more efficient manner. Whether it's asking if someone is a teacher and what grades they teach, or if they're a parent and what age group their kids are in, or if teenagers or college kids are shopping for themselves. All of these cohorts will be going back to school and will have needs. If you can speak to them where they're at in their schooling journey, the likelihood of conversion is that much greater.”

Abolt added that the type of sign-up unit can have an impact as well, depending on the generation you’re targeting. She shared, “Gamified list growth tools can be great mechanisms to drive engagement, especially with younger audiences. If brands are hesitant about using gamified units across their site, consider using them specifically for traffic coming from younger-skewing channels like Instagram or TikTok. On the other hand, incentives such as exclusive access or VIP perks tend to drive higher quality signups that lead to stronger long-term retention.”

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Holiday preparation: Black Friday in July

In our first Attentive Consumer Pulse, shoppers said they were expecting some changes to their holiday spend, like holding out for discounts or buying fewer items. The next month, those numbers had already dropped as consumer sentiment around holiday shopping was picking up. But one number that held steady was the fact that 27% of respondents said they’d start shopping earlier, even as early as September. 

Over the last few years we’ve also seen the trend of Black Friday or Christmas in July. So, not totally unexpected for brands to start sharing their BFCM promotions early.

Our CSMs had some easy-to-implement ideas to capitalize on this trend or just start to prepare for Cyber Week shopping.

“Now is the time to visit your journeys and get an understanding of what’s working and what’s outdated. Tighten up messaging, A/B test message copy, refresh creative—all to make sure they are primed to convert as traffic ramps up later in the year. Also, summer is the perfect time to start growing your list ahead of peak season. Think giveaways, early access landing pages, and testing AI Grow for list growth. The bigger the audience you have come November, the higher the revenue potential,” Abolt said.

Did you know? Subscribers who joined marketing lists over the summer accounted for 31% of brands’ Cyber Week revenue last year.

Use July and August to test CTAs, send times, and incentive structures. What promotions best resonate with your audience? Free shipping, tiered discounts, BOGOs, or GWPs? Use these months to gather real insights so your BFCM promo strategy isn’t based on guesswork or assumptions.

- Elizabeth Abolt, Lead CSM, Strategic at Attentive

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Marketing tips for beauty and personal care-themed holidays

Just because the fireworks have fizzled out after July 4 doesn’t mean your marketing campaigns have to as well. There are some excellent opportunities to connect with your customers in July, especially for beauty and personal care brands. July has International Self-Care Day, National Clean Beauty Day, and National Lipstick Day.

Abolt, who works closely with brands in this space, shared a few ways to drive engagement and sales around these holidays. She recommended, “Consider aligning your promotions with the spirit of the holiday. For example, for National Lipstick Day, consider limited-edition shades, BOGO offers, or personalized quizzes to help customers find their perfect lip color. These types of activations drive urgency and conversion while letting your products shine!”

Of course, the journey with your brand shouldn’t stop when the purchase is complete. Abolt added, “Use welcome and post-purchase flows to teach customers how to use your products in warmer weather, how to store them when traveling, or how to layer skincare properly. This builds confidence with your audiences, reduces returns, and drives repeat purchases.”

User-generated content, such as reviews and testimonials, are great mediums to build trust with your audience right when they first join your program in the welcome series. Beauty is personal and visual, so seeing real people use your products adds relatability and urgency.

- Elizabeth Abolt, Lead CSM, Strategic at Attentive

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July marketing holidays and examples

Lastly, we want to share some upcoming holidays that you can anchor your marketing campaigns around.

Quick reference of July marketing holidays:

• July 4: Independence Day
• July 7: World Chocolate Day
• July 15: National Clean Beauty Day
• July 17: World Emoji Day
• July 24: International Self-Care Day
• July 25: Christmas in July
• July 29: National Lipstick Day

Let’s dive into some of the bigger marketing holidays in July that you should build campaigns for—and show some examples of campaigns we love.

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4th of July marketing campaigns

Independence Day is a day for family gatherings, food, and fireworks. It’s also a popular time for sales as consumers are looking to purchase food, decor, and clothing for the holiday. It’s an opportunity to capitalize on the festive spirit and drive sales through special promotions, limited-edition products, and themed marketing content. The 4th of July offers a perfect opportunity to highlight products that are ideal for outdoor activities, such as sun protection, summer apparel, or travel-sized essentials.

Copy-and-paste messaging ideas for 4th of July SMS campaigns:

• Be on theme for 4th of July! Shop our red, white, & star-spangled fits to look cute and patriotic! Save 40% OFF with code: FIREWORKS. Shop now to get them in time: {LINK}
• 🇺🇸 Happy 4th of July! Show off your patriotic spirit with our Independence Day collection! SHOP NOW > {LINK}
• Get ready for the 4th of July! Shop stylish red, white, blue, and striped outfits. Enjoy up to 40% off during our summer sale: {LINK}
• Start 4th of July off with a bang! Save up to 80% off everything and enjoy free shipping. Shop Now: {LINK}
• You want fireworks? 🎆 This 4th of July sale should do just the trick. Check out the savings: {LINK} 
• EARLY ACCESS: Get ready to celebrate in style with our 4th of July collection! 🇺🇸  Find your perfect red, white, and blue looks here: {LINK}
• Celebrate the 4th of July with revolutionary savings of 25% off sitewide. Shop now before the fireworks fizzle out as the sale only lasts 48hrs. Shop: {LINK}
• 💥 Our 4th of July sale is live and it’s explosive! Enjoy 10% off sitewide or join our loyalty program and save up to 30%. Shop Now: {LINK}
• Land of the FREE SHIPPING! Use code FEEDOM for free shipping sitewide! Be 4th of July ready with festive prints made for post-fireworks lounging. 
• Psst! We’re giving you a second chance to save on {PRODUCT}. We know many of you didn’t get the chance to shop the 4th of July sale, so we’re extending the sale for another 12 hours!

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Amazon Prime Days marketing campaigns

Amazon Prime Days are a goldmine for marketers, offering the chance to message subscribers who are primed to shop. Amazon announced the event is being doubled for 2025 and will run in the US from July 8-11. 

Yuse shared her recommendations for capitalizing on this shopping event and told us, “Amazon Prime Days are advertised so heavily that it triggers the mindset of shopping and deal buying. Businesses that don't sell on Amazon can create exclusive offers for their email and SMS subscribers that they won’t be able to replicate on Amazon. If lookalike products are available on Amazon, dip into areas of your product catalog that cannot be replicated. Businesses can also create their own version of prime deals by having flash sales that span a limited amount of time, about 24 to 48 hours.”

Plus, with the timing of Amazon Prime Days, usually in the middle of July, can help boost mid-year sales and clear out inventory.

For businesses that do operate on Amazon—start building hype through your email and SMS channels. Have Amazon-only offers and send subscribers directly to your Amazon store. Send sales reminders via SMS as the day approaches.

- Trish Yuse, Sr. Customer Success Manager at Attentive

Copy-and-paste messaging ideas for Amazon Prime Days SMS campaigns:

• Mark your calendar for unbeatable prices during Amazon Prime Days! Save up to 25% and elevate your beauty routine. Stay tuned for sales: {LINK}
• 🚨 MAJOR Savings Alert! Amazon Prime Day is here and you can save up to 30% and enjoy free 2-Day shipping! Shop Now: {LINK}
• Amazon Prime Day is coming, but we couldn’t wait! Use code PRIME for early deals + free shipping: {LINK}
• Discover why {PRODUCT} has ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ratings from Amazon customers! Save 25% today and tomorrow only for Amazon Prime Day. Shop now! {LINK}
• Amazon isn’t the only one with prime deals. We’re running a sale of our own. Receive a FREE gift with every $100 order and free shipping! No discount code required. SHOP NOW {LINK}
• Rise and PRIME! Amazon Prime Day is on and we’re offering 20% off our fan-favorites. Shop our top picks {LINK}
• It’s our biggest sale yet! Only 6 hours left to get 40% off your favorites and our best-sellers during Amazon Prime Days. Shop now while supplies last: {LINK}
• Don’t miss your chance to stock up on your favorite cleaning products at a discount of 25% off, plus free shipping on Amazon. {LINK}
• Attention Amazon Prime Members! Prime Day Sale ends TONIGHT ⏰ Get 25% OFF plus fast & free delivery on our best-sellers. SHOP PRIME: {LINK}
• Missed out on our prime deals? Save 20% sitewide and enjoy a FREE gift when you spend $75+. Did we mention that you get free shipping? Shop Now: {LINK}

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International Self-Care Day

International Self-Care Day, observed on July 24, presents a unique opportunity to connect with your audience on a more meaningful level. By creating campaigns that emphasize self-care and well-being, you not only build brand loyalty by showing that your brand cares about your customers' well-being but also provide a platform to highlight products that promote relaxation, rejuvenation, and self-love.

Holidays like International Self-Care Day are great opportunities to position your brand as a partner in your audience’s beauty regimen. Share routines, best practices, customer testimonials, or behind-the-scenes employee favorites to lean into storytelling and create stickiness beyond the holiday.

- Elizabeth Abolt, Lead CSM, Strategic at Attentive

Copy-and-paste messaging ideas for International Self-Care Day SMS campaigns:

• Happy International Self-Care Day! Our brand is rooted in self-care so we’re sending you a reminder to take a moment, slow down, and breathe.
• It’s International Self-Care Day and we invite you to treat yourself! Discover how our {PRODUCT} can make your self-care routine even better. Self-care is not selfish, it’s essential. Start nurturing your well-being today: {LINK}
• Enjoy a moment of bliss this Self-Care Day! Because sometimes the best self-care comes in a box. {LINK}
• Spa day just got better! Save up to 25% on our most indulge-worthy self-care sets when you shop our top picks for International Self-Care Day! Treat yourself: {LINK}
• Happy World Self-Care Day! Treat yourself to a FREE {PRODUCT} with any purchase of $50 or more. Shop Now: {LINK}
• For our SMS list only! Elevate your self-care routine and save 20% on organic, luxurious hair treatments > {LINK}
• Summer is all about vacations, but don’t let your self-care routine take a vacation! For Self-Care Day, save up to 30% on our travel sets so you can pamper yourself on the go. Shop: {LINK}

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Check out our marketing campaign calendar to find key dates for campaigns, orchestration tips across your channels, and SMS templates you can copy and paste.

July is a great month for you to reflect on the first half of 2025 to truly understand what your audience wants from your marketing. This way, your campaigns will be optimized ahead of the busy holiday shopping season. Identify what's working for different campaigns, different segments, and even look at your marketing tech stack to make sure you're getting the most out of your tools.