Email Marketing: Here’s How to Pick the Best Subject Lines [With 51 Examples]

People will evaluate you based on the subject lines of your marketing emails. You must write an engaging subject line if you want your email newsletter content to be opened and read.

After all, contrary to popular belief, subject lines are more crucial than email body content because they are considered a marketer’s key to standing out in a crowded email inbox.

Since even the best email is meaningless if it is not opened, it’s essential that you get this part right.

Not enough marketers test their subject lines, and this leads to lagging results.

The most beautifully email subject lines are typically concise and appropriately detailed to capture readers’ interest. Let’s dig in to what makes an email subject line stand out.

Why is the subject line of an email important?

The subject line of an email is similar to a book or article title. We all know that if you don’t make the reader want to click and read what’s inside, your offer, coupons, and links will all wind up in the garbage.

The subject line of your emails should strike a balance between informative and engaging. That will generate high open rates.

Like other digital content, the subject line should never over- or under-promise what’s inside to get readers to click. Those that don’t accurately portray what’s inside are evaluated as follows: Just based on their subject lines, receivers label emails as spam.

A strong, punny, or hilarious subject line can help your brand build an identity fast, especially if you are a new business. This is because, in the end, the brand’s strength encourages people to click on your email.

Effective email subject line elements

Effective email marketing subject line drives higher open rates and possible conversions more than we expected.

Finding email addresses is a challenging task before starting an email marketing campaign, so once you have done all that work, you need to make it count. Using perfect subject lines, you can convert the recipients of your email communications into high-paying clients.

Curiosity

The open rate of a subject line with a clear message is typically pretty high, but occasionally it is wise to keep a little of the information secret to stimulate the recipient’s interest.

The “mystery” strategy generates curiosity and attention. Additionally, it encourages you to read the email to learn more, which inevitably leads to a greater open rate.

You must align your subject line with the tone of voice, target demographic, and overall company persona.

Delivering on your promise is critical too.

Don’t fool or mislead the email recipients into reading an email that’s not engaging. That can miserably backfire, with the recipient permanently branding you as spam.

Trust should come first.

Urgency

Making something urgent encourages people to act. This information can be strategically used to create email subject lines that will get a greater response.

For instance, stating the conclusion of a sale or campaign using language like “Only 2 hours remaining” increases the likelihood that a user would at least read the email.

Planning a series of personal emails, such as a countdown, is also an excellent idea.

Be careful not to trigger spam filters by using irrelevant subject lines. Remember that a sense of urgency is only effective when it is accompanied by relevance and/or value.

A cleverly written email subject line that expresses urgency with strong language or rapidly approaching deadlines can work wonders because your window of opportunity to capture the reader’s attention is relatively narrow.

Relevance

When we join an email list, it’s to stay updated on recent events or discover more information about a specific subject. Therefore, using a subject line based on a trending topic of conversation or a current occurrence will help you build your brand’s reputation and authority in the market.

By providing information on a topic that is already popular, you will not only gain a competitive edge but also capture the reader’s interest and encourage them to click and learn more.

Even if it may seem simple, it requires considerable effort to write a subject line relevant to your subscribers’ interests, keeping in mind that people’s demands and preferences change over time.

What is important right now could not be important tomorrow. The gathering and updating of consumer data and information, as well as keeping up with your target audience through social media activities, might therefore be valuable in this situation.

Value

Subscribers are constantly seeking the value that your emails provide. Simply ask yourself, “If I were the recipient of this email, would I find this valuable among so many other emails in my inbox?” when you consider an email subject line.

People are ultimately drawn to new goods, experiences, amazing deals, discounts, and relatable material, especially when little or no playful teasing is required.

In the subject line, use words like “free things,” “coupon code,” and “600% off” to let the recipient know you have a special deal for them. However, phrases like “your favorite” or “for you” can spark the recipient’s interest because they hint at the presence of something valuable.

Emotion

Saying that human beings primarily respond to and make decisions based on emotions is nothing new. To encourage individuals to act and open your email, it is crucial to trigger the appropriate emotions.

Sensory language is one of the finest ways to achieve this. You must do that by using language that appeals to all five of our senses sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.

These “power words” carry ten or even one hundred times as much emotional weight as regular words.

Even words with the same meaning might evoke distinct emotions in different people. For instance, it is believed that the word “cheat” has a more significant impact than the word “unfaithful.”

Subject Line Ideas for Emails

The kind of business you run, the loyal customers you’re trying to reach, and the content you produce all play a role in the subject line of your emails.

You can use the following list of common subject line types to enhance your open rates.

1. Informational

These email subject lines are often direct, brief, and provide the essential information to encourage the user to open the email for more information.

Example:

Discover the Secret to Increasing Sales in Three Steps

2. Personal

We all adore thoughtful, personal touches. Making your subject lines more distinctive can help capture readers’ attention immediately. Consider including the recipient’s first name or other private information in the subject line, such as recent purchases.

3. Clever and appealing

A compelling topic line might stand out among the sea of uninteresting ones. But humor is tricky, and you must be careful not to mislead or offend. A funny joke can get your email opened and shared if you are aware of your audience.

4. Go Local

Even if readers initially are not interested in the information, location-specific email subject lines stimulate their curiosity. It demonstrates to the user that you have done your research and are familiar with them.

5. Short and sweet

Clarity is essential because most smartphones only display the first five or six words of a subject line and 47% or more of today’s email campaigns are opened on mobile devices.

6. Lists

A good reason lists are so popular is that they’re effective. Lists generate curiosity by delivering material in an engaging, enjoyable format. Additionally, as our brains are naturally drawn to numbers, using numbers in your subject line helps to focus the reader’s attention.

7. Questions

By posing a query in the subject line, you may grab readers’ attention and start a conversation immediately. To prevent your reader from answering your queries with a simple “no,” try to make them open-ended.

8. How-to

When readers open your email, the how-to subject line reveals the exact benefit they will discover. Additionally, open rates may increase if your “how-to” is beneficial to the readership.

9. Trendy

The majority of people want to be “in the know” about the newest trends, regardless of whether you’re offering clothing, food, technology, or services. The current fascinations are intriguing, tempting readers to read on for more information.

10. Controversial

Controversy is a great way to draw attention to your subject line. But proceed with caution; success with this tactic demands extreme caution. You must strike a balance between controversy and knowledge while thoroughly understanding your audience. Although there’s a good chance the rewards might be amazing.

11. Keyword

According to conventional search engine optimization wisdom, a blog post title must contain keywords. Try putting your subject lines through that same thought process. Ask yourself: What particular words or phrases might someone enter into Google? Better searchability for your communications is a bonus.

12. Command

These days, who couldn’t use a little more clarity? Including a command in the subject line of your email lets recipients know exactly what you want them to do. So, to provoke a response, try beginning your subject line with an action verb.

13. Statistics

Statistics have developed into a fantastic technique to present verified, unbiased information in our age of analytics and data. A basic statistic in your subject line provides clear information while also creating interest.

14. Sneak peek

Why not indulge everyone’s urge to be a trendsetter or early adopter? Exclusives and sneak peek placed directly in your subject line are proven approaches to raise your open rates, presuming you have a worthwhile opportunity.

15. Offers

Excellent incentives produce excellent results. Why not put that incentive in the topic line right away? Make your offer visible to everyone. Your open rates should increase if your list is carefully chosen and your offer is legitimate.

Here are a few Examples of the Best creative email subject lines to boost your open rates

1. What You Should Know About [Important News Event]
2. We’re altering our hours! (Starting earlier)
3. Order shipped for you. Hooray! 
4. Sarah, take a look at these well-chosen outfits.
5. “Surprise Inside! Happy Birthday, Clara!”
6. Do you remember me, Anne?
7. “Hello, new jeans.”
8. “Start planning for summer now”
9. Alert. Flash. Sale.
10. “New necessity for your workplace”
11. “A new offering you won’t want to miss”
12. 25% off for your preferred items
13. “A little luxury at an excellent price”
14. 63-Point Checklist for Designing the Best Optin Form
15. “With these 30 content update ideas, you can grow your email list 10X faster.”
16. “Use these email templates without permission.”
17. “100 post ideas for blogs”
18. Hey, did you forget something? Here’s 20% off.
19. “The cost of an item in your cart has dropped.”
20. I’m going to close your Amazon account.
21. You have my email if you’d want.
22. “Have you taken advantage of some of these new features?”
23. The cost of your pin has decreased!
24. Get connected with the Explorer pack!
25. BOOM, click click click.
26. recent arrivals cool (warm) jackets
27. Last chance to save money on gameday clothing!
28. Why were there no posts last week? 
29. Do you still have 30 seconds? 
30. [Trend] may represent the entire rate…
31. however, we have something even better.
32. Take a break from the event, Jessica, and enjoy [your product]
33. Our sale continues even when [event] ends on [date].
34. Twelve Unknown Factual Facts About Yorkshire
35. You’re all aboard now!
36. Thank you for registering. Here is how to get going:
37. You made a wise choice today.
38. Only better things are ahead…
39. [Name] here; nice to meet you!
40. You must be new here. We’re available to assist you!
41. Welcome to the family! Here is everything you need to know about [company].
42. If you didn’t notice these
43. You are wasting opportunities.
44. Your home needs these inexpensive renovations, [Name].
45. Only Upon Invitation is Special Bonuses Inside!
46. Points are doubled today only.
47. Since when does this happen? 
48. quick favor? 
49. Is that you?
50. You’re Invited
51. Thanks for assisting us.

The best practices for email subject lines

Assuming that email subject lines are essential for boosting open rates, let’s think about the following recommended practices.

1. Keep it short and to the point

Mobile devices account for 46% of email opens. They are automatically cut off if they are too long. For email subject lines to display entirely, they should be no longer than 50 characters. So make an effort to eliminate wordy sentences and unnecessary details.

2. Avoid “no reply” emails

Most people don’t add no-reply or unidentified emails to their address book because they receive hundreds of Spam emails daily. For a more personal impression, always pick a well-known sender’s name because it makes the reader feel like they are speaking to a real person.

3. Add a token of customization

Do you like seeing their name in email subject lines? It not only makes the reader feel connected and important, but it also gives them the impression that the email is written just for them.

Additionally, you can personalize by area, for example, “Top bars in New York City you should visit,” but be careful not to over-personalize since that might come out as weird and backfire.

4. Aware of false words

To imagine a long-term relationship, developing and maintaining potential customer trust is essential. As a result, you should avoid making promises in the subject line of emails that you do not deliver on because doing so will likely result in a lower open rate, a higher bounce rate, and a higher rate of unsubscribes.

5. Keep it action-oriented

Because you want users to click on the email, email marketing subject lines function somewhat like calls to action. As a result, action verbs in subject lines make them more clickable and appealing. People are encouraged to peek inside.

6. Be creative and humorous

The recipient of your email can be entertained by using humor. People enjoy reading humorous, lighthearted material that they can identify with. Pun-filled email subject lines are more likely to draw users in and connect the brand to them. Be careful not to overdo it. Make it a rule to always ask a coworker for clarification.

7. Practice A/B testing

One of the most significant ways to determine which email subject lines perform better is through A/B testing. As a result, it is wise to A/B test your email subject lines and modify them in light of the findings. By doing this, you may quickly determine whether your audience responds better to questions or statements.

8. Avoid overusing capitalization and exclamation points

Because nobody wants to be yelled at, overusing caps and exclamation points might overwhelm the user. combining exclamation points with question marks (e.g. Got a moment? Try this exercise!) in the subject line of your email can potentially cause it to go to the spam folder.

9. Use emojis

Email subject lines with emojis are more engaging. Your emails become more appealing and relatable as a result. Additionally, they assist you in connecting with the audience by improving how they understand your voice tone.

Final thoughts on email subject lines

An email subject line must be excellent to turn incoming leads into paying clients. An eye-catching subject line can increase email open rates and website traffic when utilized properly. Now it’s up to you to come up with catchy subject lines to increase sales.

Don’t forget to pay attention to subject lines while you put in the time and effort to generate fantastic email content. If you can’t persuade your subscribers to open your emails, no matter how wonderful your content is, it’s of little use.

Investigate various approaches and see which ones your subscribers respond to the best. All the issues will be solved by using email automation software, which will also automate the sending of emails.