With more than 60% of marketing emails getting opened and “41% of recipients opening more than half of their marketing emails, email subject lines are more important that ever. Just like any marketing activity, planning your email subject lines is the first step towards writing excellent email copy: remember to create your campaigns around calls-to-action (CTAs). This post gives you an overview of the best performing email subject lines by industry.
Subject lines can make or break your emails, and determining the right subject line is a crucial step in the email marketing process. Send poorly-crafted subject lines, and you’ll see your open rates plummet — and that’s never a good thing when you’re in sales. We’ll take a look at some of the best performing subject lines out there, tips on crafting your own, and even dive into some of the science behind why people open (or don’t) your emails based on what’s in the subject line.
Yes.
- Be concise.
- Avoid ALL CAPS.
- Keep it under 50 characters, if possible. (You can always add some “extra” in the body of your email.)
- Don’t use symbols like @ or :/, as they can be confusing for some email programs (like Gmail) and cause them to be marked as spam.
- Use your recipient’s name in the subject line if you can—it will help them know what email is theirs when they see it in their inboxes!
- Use strong verbs that show action (“Get 10% off!”) or urgency (“Hurry! Sale ends tomorrow!”). You want something that grabs attention right away, so think about what will make people take notice of this email immediately without having to read further into it like with a typical subject line like: “Subject Line.” It’s also important not only using words but also using numbers such as “$10 off” instead of “$10 discount” because numbers have been proven time and again by marketers everywhere as being more effective than just plain text without any additional formatting added on top of them whatsoever.”
You (Apparently).
You (apparently).
The “You” subject line is one of the most powerful email subject lines you can use. It has a higher open rate than any other type of email subject line, and it works especially well when used in combination with another strategy we’ll talk about later on—the teaser. The reason this tactic works so well is because it offers an immediate benefit to the reader: They get something for free, and they don’t have to do anything in return! This kind of offer is irresistible to anyone who receives your emails, so don’t be afraid to use it frequently.
That being said, there are some important rules that you should follow when using this kind of subject line:
- Don’t mislead or trick people into opening their emails by making them believe they’re receiving something valuable or important when they’re actually not (we’ll talk more about this later).
[First Name], it’s [Company].
The first thing you should do is add the recipient’s name to the subject line. In fact, it’s probably best if you use their first name—after all, it’s less formal than “Dear,” and people like that.
“Hey [First Name]” works well for casual emails and “Hello [First Name]” has a more professional vibe. You can also try “[First Name], It’s [Company].” This makes sure that your email stands out from all of the other ones in their inbox by addressing them by name (and making sure they know you have their attention) while also providing context about who sent it and what they do (just in case they were wondering). Try these different options out so that you can see which one works best for each situation!
[Company] is here to help you.
Subject line: [Company] is here to help you.
This email opens with a customer-oriented approach and focuses on the company, not their product. It also focuses on the customer, and suggests that your company will help them solve whatever problem or need they may have. The focus is on benefits, not features—even if those benefits are “we’re here for you!” You don’t want to give away too much information in this subject line; it should still be a bit mysterious so that people feel compelled to open it up and read more. This subject line is short enough so that when it comes up in an inbox among all the other emails, it stands out as something special and interesting enough to click through.
[First Name], best practice alert.
[First Name],
This is a subject line that works well for emailers who already have a relationship with their customers. It’s short and to-the-point, yet still very effective in communicating what you are trying to say. For example: if you are selling something via email, then this kind of subject line is great because it doesn’t give too much away and lets people know that they will be receiving an offer or discount code soon enough. If you want to just introduce yourself as a company or brand, this type of subject line can work as well since it doesn’t give away any information about what exactly your company sells or offers.
Can we hire you?
- Use a question that is easy to answer.
- Use a question that you would be excited to answer.
- Avoid personal questions and difficult-to-answer questions such as: “Can I hire you?” or “How much money do you make?”
[First Name], how can we help?
First Name,
I’ll never forget the first time I visited Michigan. I was blown away by the natural beauty of the state’s scenery and from there on out, knew that Ann Arbor would be home. As a graduate student at Michigan State University, my favorite thing about living in this area is how close everything is by bike—you can get anywhere in less than 15 minutes! When it comes to food, I love getting coffee from Drip Station (they’re always on top of their latte art game), riding over to Zingerman’s Roadhouse or any of the other wonderful restaurants around town (my current favorite being Sava’s), and then ending up at one of our many bars for dinner or drinks. It doesn’t get much better than this!
(no subject)
Subject lines should be short and to the point. A long subject line is less likely to be read.
Be careful not to mislead your readers with a subject line that doesn’t deliver on its promise. This can actually make people even more annoyed than if you hadn’t used a catchy line at all!
If you’re going for something creative or funny, though, it’s totally fine! It might just not always fit with your brand or audience (but hey—it could!). For example:
- Emails from friends or family that contain photos from vacation tend to use creative ones like ‘That awkward moment when…’ or ‘The dog ate my homework.’ These are both fun and relatable because everyone knows what it’s like to make mistakes sometimes!
- Email marketing campaigns have been known to use funny subject lines as well—especially if they’re targeted towards young adults who don’t mind having some fun while they sign up for an event or buy tickets online…
Hey [First Name].
The most important thing to remember when writing any subject line is that your email should be personalized. Your customers want to feel like they’re talking directly with you and not just getting an impersonal push notification or spammy email blast. The easiest way to do this is by including their first name in the subject line. You can use their first name, last name, or even both (e.g., “Hey Joe”).
This approach lets them know that you’ve taken the time to learn a bit about them and create an individualized message for them instead of sending out generic content across all of your subscribers. This is also helpful because it helps clarify what type of information they’re going to receive from you if they open up the message!
Inquiry From Your Website.
To make sure you’re getting the most out of your email marketing efforts, it’s important to use a subject line that clearly conveys what your email is about. The best way to do this? Use the words “inquiry” or “question.” This can be as simple as Inquiry From Your Website.
The word inquiry should indicate that you are sending them an email because they have visited your site and clicked on something. It’s also useful if they have registered for an event or even entered their email address when signing up for a free trial version of one of your products or services.
Me, too!
You might think that it’s best to avoid clickbait, but there are times when using the words “Me too” can be a great subject line. For example, if you’re teasing an email with a new product or service and want to create some buzz around it, this type of subject line is perfect.
Be as specific as possible: If your product is exclusive to one store in New York City, don’t say “Shop Now!”—say “Shop Now at Bergdorf Goodman!”
Use personalization: Be sure to personalize the message for each recipient so that they feel like an individual in their inbox rather than just part of a group email blast. You might want try something like “You’ll love our new collection at Bergdorf Goodman” or “I think you’ll find something exciting at Bergdorf Goodman.”
Regarding your order from [Date].
When composing your email subject line, keep the following in mind:
- Give a clear indication of the content. While it might be tempting to throw some leading intrigue in there to get a reader’s attention (or even just open the email at all), that strategy can backfire if people don’t know what they’re getting into. If you have an important sale or announcement to make, let your user know right away with something like “Announcing Our Newest Product!” or “[Company Name] Holiday Sale Now Live!” When it comes to emails that require an action from the user (such as clicking on a link), think about how much information you’re giving them upfront. Would they be able to understand which action they’re supposed to take from just reading the subject line? If not, consider tweaking it so that it does—even if it means being more blunt than usual. For example: “Click Here To Buy Our New Product Before They Sell Out!” could become “Don’t Miss This Chance To Buy Our New Product Before It’s Gone For Good!
Subject lines matter a lot to open rates. Avoid being misleading and focus on being succinct.
- Subject lines matter a lot to open rates.
- Don’t be misleading.
- Be succinct, personal, clear and concise.
- Use emojis where appropriate.
- Ask questions in the subject line that pique your reader’s curiosity or interest in the email’s contents by being specific (like: “Have you seen this?” or “Here’s what you’ve been waiting for!”) or general (“What would you do with $500?”).
Conclusion
An email subject line has one goal: to increase the number of clicks that lead to a desired response. Your job is to craft a compelling subject line that will entice recipients to open and read your message. We combed through countless emails from our recent research, and hundreds of email marketing articles, so that you don’t have to.