> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.recart.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.recart.com/holiday-playbooks/4th-of-july.md).

# 4th of July

Covers 4th of July campaign ideas, popup designs and offers, from early access to the last day of your sale.

The 4th of July kicks off summer sale season in the US. Shoppers expect a sale, so the brands that stand out give subscribers early access, keep the offer simple and make the most of the long weekend.

This playbook covers what to send, how to theme your popups, and which offers work best for the 4th of July.

{% hint style="info" %}
The 4th of July (Independence Day) is a US holiday. Many brands run their sale over the nearest weekend. If most of your customers are outside the US, use these ideas for a summer sale instead.
{% endhint %}

### Key dates and lead time

* **About 2 weeks before:** launch your 4th of July popup to grow your list before the sale
* **About a week before:** tease the sale and tell subscribers they'll get in first
* **1-2 days before the sale:** early access for subscribers
* **The sale weekend:** your main sale, with a reminder halfway through
* **The 4th itself:** keep it short and send earlier in the day, before evening plans
* **The last day of the sale:** a final reminder

### Campaign send plan

Five sends are enough. Use these messages as a starting point and customize them to suit your brand. Recart adds your site name to the start of every message automatically (shown here as \[Site Name]), and you can personalize further with [variables](/sms/writing-messages/use-variables-in-sms-flows.md) like the subscriber's first name or your support phone number (shown here as \[Support Phone Number]).

| Send                 | When                     | Goal                               |
| -------------------- | ------------------------ | ---------------------------------- |
| 1. Teaser            | About a week before      | Build anticipation                 |
| 2. Early access      | 1-2 days before the sale | Reward subscribers                 |
| 3. Sale launch       | First day of the sale    | Drive the first wave of orders     |
| 4. Mid-sale reminder | Halfway through the sale | Reach anyone who missed the launch |
| 5. Last chance       | Last day of the sale     | Create urgency                     |

#### Sample messages

**1. Teaser**

"\[Site Name]: Our 4th of July sale starts \[date] - and subscribers get in first. Keep an eye on your texts!"

**2. Early access**

"\[Site Name]: You're in early! Shop our 4th of July sale before everyone else, with up to \[30%] off: \[link]"

**3. Sale launch**

"\[Site Name]: Our 4th of July sale is live! Up to \[30%] off, all weekend long: \[link]"

**4. Mid-sale reminder**

"\[Site Name]: Free shipping on every order, this weekend only. Get set for summer: \[link]"

**5. Last chance**

"\[Site Name]: Last chance! Our 4th of July sale ends tonight. Need help with your order? Call us at \[Support Phone Number]. \[link]"

#### Send tips

* Keep it summery - long weekends, outdoor plans, sunshine - and let your brand lead, rather than flags and fireworks on everything
* If you have subscribers outside the US, send them a general summer sale message instead
* Add a product image to your early access and sale launch sends
* Say when the sale ends in every send from the launch onwards

[How to schedule SMS campaigns in Recart](/sms/campaigns/run-successful-sms-campaigns-with-recart.md)

[Add images to SMS messages](/sms/writing-messages/add-images-to-sms-messages.md)

[Create SMS segments and lists](/sms/subscribers-and-lists/create-sms-segments-and-lists.md)

### Popup ideas

Keep your popup on-brand, with a light summer touch - a pop of red or blue, a bright product photo and a clear offer. Four directions to try - two full-screen and two lightbox popups:

#### 1. 4th of July sale

<figure><img src="https://2167119381-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F2I45aTZ733MBi8Vps3Ib%2Fuploads%2FEapx1QYyjBSAI1xMmeb1%2Fj4-sale-v3.webp?alt=media" alt="A navy full-screen popup with a photo of two women in stars and stripes swimwear, labelled 4th of July sale and headed Up to 30% off, all weekend, with a Get my extra 10% button, on desktop and mobile"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Design:** A full-screen popup with a bold sale headline on a dark background and a bright product photo. Give subscribers a little extra on top of the sale.

**Headlines to try:**

* Up to \[30%] off, all weekend
* Our 4th of July sale is on
* Summer starts with savings

**Button text to try:** Get my extra \[10%] · Shop the sale

#### 2. Early access

<figure><img src="https://2167119381-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F2I45aTZ733MBi8Vps3Ib%2Fuploads%2F12Xu6uVQWwIfM9HWm2la%2Fj4-early-access.webp?alt=media" alt="A full-screen split popup with a photo of colorful sunglasses on yellow, headed Shop the sale a day early, with a Get early access button, on desktop and mobile"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Design:** A full-screen popup with a bright product photo on one side and the offer on a light background. Add the date the sale opens to everyone in small text at the bottom.

**Headlines to try:**

* Shop the sale a day early
* Subscribers shop first
* Get first pick of our 4th of July sale

**Button text to try:** Get early access · Count me in

#### 3. Free shipping weekend

<figure><img src="https://2167119381-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F2I45aTZ733MBi8Vps3Ib%2Fuploads%2F1e7kYeL4rWrE45IFeBYS%2Fj4-free-shipping-v2.webp?alt=media" alt="A lightbox popup over a store page with a photo of two pastel Sipwell tumblers, headed Free shipping all weekend, with an Unlock free shipping button, on desktop and mobile"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Design:** A lightbox popup over your store page, with a product photo on one side and the offer on the other. Free shipping is easy to understand at a glance and works well for lower-priced products.

**Headlines to try:**

* Free shipping all weekend
* Your summer order ships free
* No shipping fees this 4th of July

**Button text to try:** Unlock free shipping · Sign me up

#### 4. Free gift with purchase

<figure><img src="https://2167119381-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F2I45aTZ733MBi8Vps3Ib%2Fuploads%2FVaQwMiAMXue47FQEVyGf%2Fj4-free-gift-v2.webp?alt=media" alt="A lightbox popup over a store page with a photo of a tote bag with a rainbow sunrise print and a cream card headed A free tote for your summer plans, offering it free over $60, on desktop and mobile"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Design:** A lightbox popup with a product photo on one side and the offer on a card with a thin border. On mobile, keep just the card. A free summer extra protects your margins while everyone else discounts.

**Headlines to try:**

* A free \[tote] for your summer plans
* A summer extra, on us
* A free gift with every order over \[amount]

**Button text to try:** Claim my free \[tote] · Get my gift

{% hint style="info" %}
A soft decline link like "Maybe later" or "No thanks" keeps the popup friendly. Make sure your Welcome Flow's first message matches the offer on the popup.
{% endhint %}

[Create a welcome popup](/list-growth/popups/welcome-popup.md)

[Schedule your opt-in tools](/list-growth/testing-and-scheduling/scheduling-opt-ins.md)

[Customize your CTA button](/list-growth/popups/customizing-your-cta-button-in-popups.md)

### Discount ideas

Most shoppers expect a 4th of July sale. Keep your offer simple, and give subscribers something extra - early access, free shipping or a gift.

* **Sitewide sale:** a percentage off everything, or up to a percentage off selected products
* **Early access:** let subscribers shop the sale first
* **Free shipping weekend:** no minimum, or over a set order value
* **Gift with purchase:** a free summer extra over a set order value
* **Summer bundles:** ready-made sets at a set price
* **First-order discount:** a percentage or fixed amount off for new subscribers

#### Discount code ideas

Keep codes short - one word or a word and a number - so they're easy to remember and type on a phone.

| Offer                 | Code ideas     |
| --------------------- | -------------- |
| Sitewide sale         | JULY4 · SUMMER |
| Early access          | EARLY · VIP    |
| Free shipping weekend | SHIP · SHIPIT  |
| Gift with purchase    | GIFT · TOTE    |
| Summer bundles        | SET · BUNDLE   |
| First-order discount  | JULY10 · SUN10 |

{% hint style="info" %}
For unique and expiring codes, Recart adds six random characters to your prefix (for example, JULY4ABC123). A short prefix keeps the full code easy to read.
{% endhint %}

[Create and manage discount codes](/discounts/create-discount-codes-in-recart.md)

[Expiring discount codes](/discounts/expiring-discount-codes.md)

### Recart setup checklist

1. Pick your sale dates and offer, and decide whether subscribers get early access
2. Create your 4th of July discount, with start and end dates
3. Build your 4th of July popup and schedule it to start about 2 weeks before
4. Update your Welcome Flow's first message to match the popup offer
5. Add your sale to your abandoned cart and checkout messages, and set a reminder to remove it when the sale ends
6. Schedule your campaigns and send yourself test messages before anything goes live

[Abandoned cart flow](/sms/automated-flows/automated-flows-abandoned-cart.md)

[Test Recart SMS messages](/sms/getting-started/test-recart-sms-messages.md)

If you need help planning your 4th of July sends, [contact the Recart Support team](/contact-recart-support.md). We'd be happy to help!


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