A whopping 376 billion emails are sent every day. and yet, unfortunately, a large percentage of them do not open. good and helpful emails that didn’t even get a chance…
…unless you have an awesome email subject line. This 40 character data is the mvps of email marketing, even more important than the body of the email. And with so many types of emails, there are many types of subject line styles that can increase your open rates. Read on to learn how to write great email subject lines, including tips, templates, and real life examples to get you started.
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best practices for email subject line
Here are some general email subject line best practices to follow in your email marketing efforts.
- test your subject lines. write 3-5 subject lines for each email and then pick the best one, or use a/b tests to pick winners, be Please note that due to the ios 15 update, declaring winners based on open rate may not be the best route.
- keep it short. between 30 and 50 characters. according to a mailchimp study, emails with 50 characters or less have 12% higher email newsletter open rates and 75% higher click-through rates than other emails.
- avoid spam traps. don’t use weird spaces, excessive amounts of punctuation or capitalization, or special fonts and avoid spammy words like earn extra money, make $, pay off debt, click here, 100% free, I won’t believe your eyes and other clickbait terms.
- Personalize where possible: Include not only your name, but also specific information about your location, your purchase, interests, and more. you can use email automation with dynamic tokens for this.
- use preheader text. is like the subheading of your subject line, where you can add more details to increase the attractiveness of the email. move “view in browser” links and other nonsense to the bottom of the email so you can take full advantage of the preview field.
The preheader text adds value and also looks cleaner in the inbox.
how to write great email subject lines
- hook them right away. use interesting words, a compelling stat, an relatable phrase, or convey value.
- have fun with them. attracts a lot of alliteration! and rhyming. and song lyrics. and emojis those tiny communication miracles of the metaverse.
- write conversationally. write like a human being. Even if your brand has a more serious tone, it’s best to use a conversational style for readability and friendliness. for example, use contractions like “you are” instead of “you are”.
- call readers to action. it’s never a bad idea to test a calling phrase to action in the subject line of your email. this makes it clear what your email is about and readers like that.
- ask a question: ask your readers a question, Instead of a standard question statement, it engages them immediately. questions enter into an instant dialogue with users, making them more likely to be opened.
- hard day?
- are you making these mistakes?
- will you save 50%?
- pay x for y (48 hours only!)
- ends today! outlet sale 36 hours. this is your last chance…
- only 5 hours!
Unfortunately, the lack of specificity in this subject line hasn’t earned my trust…
catchy email subject lines
There are many different ways to capture the attention and attention of your readers. you can be…
controversial (just be careful with this one)
- Your Marketing Sucks: Why You Need to Think Local
- Why Your 5-Year-Old Is More Digital Than Most CMOS
- Training Best Practices of pets need to be redone: here’s why
conversational
- the cat is out of the bag! surprise offer tomorrow: up to 50% off!
- it’s confirmed: our prices are lower than the outside temperature. go for it!
- the pressure is on: how much can you save this week?
- wait what? Revolutionary tips you’ll wish you knew sooner.
poetic
- marketing attribution: tips & types, which one is correct?
- how did we do it? can you help us help you?
- ecommerce trends for 2024: the old & new, tested & true
small
- Join the rover pack on social media!
- click, click, click, click and click boom dynamite.
- news! really cool jackets (warm).
- Last chance to save on game time gear!
inquisitive
- hmm, no posts last week? [tips if you get stuck!]
- madison, are you making these lawn care mistakes?
- 30 seconds to spare? [3 click survey!]
lyrical (this is a big one)
- starting slim: baby got (feedback) – putting slim in learning
- oops [figure in news] did it again…
- shone like a …[something unexpected here]?
- [subject]: you. your. your. should. know.
inspired by current events
- [trend] could be the best… but we have something even better
- kristen, take a break from the [event] with [your product]
- [ event] ends [date] but our sale continues!
- 12 things you didn’t know about yourself
good email subject lines
there is a lot to say about minimalism. While creative marketing helps distinguish your brand and connect with your audience, there are times when simple (presumably boring) and direct subject lines are better. time is of the essence and your users want to know what’s what without having to think. good email subject lines can be…
summary
- 10% on the entire store: from December 1 to 12
- enjoy a 15% discount + free shipping ✈️
- get ready for Easter with [ company]
cut and dry
- Podcast: 5 Steps to Accelerate Career Growth
- [Guide]: Guide Name
- Tax Tips Webinar Monday at 1 p.m. m.
informative
- [important news]: what you need to know
- our hours are changing. (opening earlier ☀️)
- your order has been shipped. Yep! 🤸🏾♂️
cold email subject lines
It’s possible to grow your business with cold email, if you do it right. and the first step to get it right? a good subject line. and this may be a personal preference, but whenever I see a “quick question” subject line, I immediately delete it. here are some alternatives.
- [your company + your company]… 2 minutes later today? 🕰
- read your blog post on [topic]
- tips to improve the x of [company name]
- congratulations on the [latest achievement ]!
- a [better/easier/faster] way to [target]
- resources for [company]… take it or leave it! (this is byaf’s concept)
- a new solution for [pain point] 😮
- [achieving the goal] is now easier than ever with [your company name ]
- what do you think about [what you specialize in/the problem you solve]?
- how do you compare to [competitor]? touchy subject?
the best email subject lines for content promotion
Sharing content via email can help drive traffic to your website and give exposure to content that your readers may not know they should be looking for online. remember, a great blog post title makes a great subject line, so indicate the value of the content and quantify where possible to give the reader an idea of what to expect.
- how to plan your move in an hour or less 🕑
- [ebook] ⚡️ speed up website development and design ⚡️
- steal our marketing tricks ( seriously!)
- 15 business card templates available
- [free guide]: guide name
- guide inside! 8 ways to [make profits]
- how to start a business [free guide]
- 🙌 finally: a cheat sheet for [topic]! 🙌🏾
- the last [topic] guide you’ll ever need.
- top secret! 🤫 x lesser-known ways to improve your [x]
- name, x% of [compelling or relevant stat for your content]
best email subject lines for customer appreciation
Engage your customers with customer appreciation emails, and not just on customer appreciation day! (changes annually, usually in April or May). You can send these emails whenever you want: on holidays, anniversaries, or just because. personalize them when you can and don’t use the words “valued customers”.
- free gift. no cheat just because. ❤️
- our way of saying thank you…
- hi kristen, enjoy this token 🏆 of our appreciation.
- customer appreciation day requires a celebration…
- customers like you deserve gifts like these
- thank you for x years together! 🎁
- Happy [business name]versary! get your discount
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On a related note, you might also be interested in these thank you messages and templates for your order.
event email subject lines
Event emails should almost always come in a series: the invitation email, the reminder, and the thank you/follow-up.
invite
- return by popular demand: [event name] round ii!
- it’s that time again… [event name] annual april 12th
- we’re in town! free tacos at the town square 🌮
- happy hour this Wednesday at the dog park!
- you’re invited! startup success breakfast (come hungry!)
- save your spot now! seo webinar: seats limited 🪑
- paul, join my workshop for designers on June 8th.
- Monday: pub run at 6 p.m. m.
- you’re invited: the future of cmx [limited places!] 🏃🏾
- [webinar]: cut your costs in half, in half the time!
- don’t miss it… game viewing party!
- let’s talk cac – Q&A session May 28th
- meet the author: irma haskin [Tues at 2 p.m. m.]
tracking
- so… how was it? share your photos with #hashtag!
- it was great! [photos included!]
- thanks for coming!
- we loved seeing your face!
- thanks for coming to [event name]!
tracking email subject lines
In some cases, a simple “re: [original subject line]” works well for follow-up emails. If you have tried this without success or if this is part of a parenting series, consider the following:
- [name], did our guide help?
- another resource for you, [name]!
- your recent download, any questions?
- Any questions about the quote we sent?
- Based on: Gutter Cleaning Estimate
- [name] here, tracking your floor plan
- hello [name], checking back from our last chat
vacation email subject lines
Call me biased, but localiq is vacation subject line heaven. It’s also where you’ll find a treasure trove of seasonal themes for every month of the year. here is the list:
- Email Subjects for August
- Email Subjects for September
- Email Subjects for October
- Email Subjects for November
- December email subject lines
- January email subject lines
- February email subject lines
- March email subject lines
- April email subject lines
You might also be interested in writing a customer greeting email over the holidays.
intro email subject lines
- we should meet…
- [name] here, from [business]
- introducing [name] to [name]
- asking about [topic]
- hello, [name]! recommendation of [name]
- contact you through [name of sender]
- fellow alumni of [university] who communicate.
- fellow [ niche] business owners looking to connect.
- I’m looking to chat with [role]s like you.
- communicating about [niche/topic].
- nice to meet you, shana!
- continuing our conversation from [event]
- nice to meet you at [event name] last night!
- mention something specific you talked about
- as promised: the billing tool I use!
reference email subject lines
- give $10, get $10, in 10.
- refer a friend and get $20!
- refer your friends. get points. redeem. repeat!
- Join our referral program, it’s free (and super easy).
- refer your friends and save!
- new program of recommendation! free to join!
reminder email subject lines
promotion
- time is running out…
- hurry up! bogo won’t last long ⏳
- your coupon won’t redeem itself…
- half off ends tomorrow! [tomorrow]
- your gift card is about to expire. hurry up! 🏃♀️
- Last chance to save 50%!
- say goodbye to savings.👋🏾
- only 3 days left to save big
event
- x is coming… tickets are selling out!
- five days until the big reveal 5️⃣…4️⃣…3️⃣…2️⃣…
- see you this Wednesday ?
- Reminder: Cook for a cause this Friday! 🥙
- you forgot to save your seat!
- only 2 more hours… then the secret is revealed! 🙊
- workshop reminder: how to create a resume [Tuesday at 14:00]
- can’t wait for tomorrow! (have you registered?)
Cart abandonment
- well… are you going to believe it?
- it’s time to pull the trigger [name]!
- we’re on the edge of our seats here!
- you forgot to pay!
- name, don’t forget to complete your purchase!
- name, it looks like you left some things in your cart.
- those [items] are waiting for you with sad 🥺 puppy dog eyes…
- don’t let the free shipping go to waste
- did you forget something?
- your basket has abandonment problems 😢
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review/survey email subject lines
- do you have a minute (literally) to check us out?
- let’s be friends 🎈 like & check us out!
- dental loving smile? tell us!
- how was your service at zenspa?
- how did it go? help us help you.
- We want your feedback! everything.
- thank you for your review! 🙏🏿 🙏 🙏🏽
- you’re great. really. 🗿
- We really appreciate your review!
- Did you rate us? Thanks!
- Your review means a lot! 🌎
- your opinion matters: 3 minutes for your comments
- do you have 30 seconds? [5 click survey!]
- do you have a minute? [quick survey ⚡️ so we can serve you better.]
- requested feedback: what do you think of [company name]?
thank you email subject lines
- thank you for choosing [business name].
- it was great to see you! thanks for coming
- thank you for your purchase! receipt (and a gift!) inside.
- we asked, you answered. Thanks!
- Your order is on its way! (thank you very much for choosing us!)
- we received your payment. Thanks!
- Thank you for registering. Now what?
- Your support means a lot to us. thank you!
- thank you. just thank you.
- couldn’t decide on the best way to say thank you…
welcome email subject lines
Welcome emails can welcome readers to your newsletter, customers to your business, students to your online course, and more. Regardless, the subject line of your welcome email should be friendly and exciting and hint at what they can expect, either with your tone or with your subscription.
- welcome to the hashtag #branded
- cheers for subscribing! 🍻
- Welcome to [name of business/newsletter]! 3 Steps to Get Started
- Hello [name], welcome to [business]!
- You did it! ✅ complete your registration for [product] inside.
- name, are you ready to meet the [business name] welcome car?
- welcome to the club! your coupon awaits…
- welcome! important information (and fun stuff too)
- nice move! 😎 you are now subscribed to [newsletter/product].
more ways to improve open rates
Have great subject lines but still struggle with your email open rates? there may be other factors at play, such as:
- Is email viewable? If your email doesn’t read properly on a user’s device, they won’t bother trying to decrypt it.
- Are you being a nuisance? If you’ve been emailing people every day, they may be fed up with you and won’t be as likely to open your emails if you’ve been bothering them.
- when did you send it? Many people don’t check their email as often on weekends. check out our post on the best times to send an email newsletter.
- quality of your email list. is this a strong and targeted email list? If your list isn’t high-quality, it can reflect on your open rates. follow our email list building tips to reach the right readers.
- is the “from” field a person? often an email from a person at your company feels more friendly and trustworthy than the company name.
Hopefully, we’ve given you the information you need to make your email subject line appealing to the eye. These tips should help with open rates, but retain those readers? that depends on you! (Just kidding, we’ve got a guide to email writing to help you out, and a free download of 30 small business email examples and templates to meet all your email needs.