Email subject lines decide how your email campaign will fare. You may ask what about the content, CTA buttons, images, in-links, etc. Yes, all of these are important, but you see unless your email is opened how will all these play their parts.It has been revealed that about 69% email recipients report emails as spam based on the subject lines alone. Reports also suggest that about 35% of recipients open emails depending upon the best email subject lines.
Related Post: Effective Email Subject lines- MasterGuide.
First thing first. Your recipients will first notice the [su_tooltip style=”bootstrap” position=”north” content=”Best Email subject lines”]subject line of your email[/su_tooltip]. Including the first name and keeping it short are few excellent practices to writing best email subject lines. For more tips and tricks, you can check 17 Tips and Best Practices For Writing Catchy Subject Lines from Hubspot.
Subject Lines that Trigger More Opens
Not all subject lines will strike the winning chord. There are few that will hit the bull’s eye instantly; some will get an average response, and others will get ignored. So, what kind of subject lines get better opens?
XYZ recommended You
XYZ is either a mutual connection, a close friend or just an acquaintance. But the whole idea that someone has referred your name (for whichever purpose) is sure to raise the curiosity bar in you.
Takeaway: Instill a sense of curiosity in your subject lines to compel readers.
Do not [XYZ]
Email subjects, for instance ‘Do not open this email’ or ‘Do not do these’ create a good impact on the recipients. Usually, a negative approach can work wonders if you use it correctly. The habit of a toddler doing exactly what is asked not never dies even when we grow up. And an email subject line like this just taps this habit, revoking the old habits.
Know this about [XYZ]
Offering a help or some useful stats or insights always works. It is more like sharing some knowledge that will benefit the readers.
Did you find what you were looking for?
This is more like reassuring that your users are satisfied. If they want to say yes to this question, you can ask what they liked the most and if they have any more suggestions. If they want to say no, you can straightaway know what went wrong.
These are few sample templates that work. If I have to break it down, here are components that you should take care of while crafting the best email subject lines:
- Induce a feeling of self-interest
- Curiosity
- Urgency or Scarcity
- Offer
- Humanity
- News
- Story
- Social Proof
Email has an ability many channels don’t: creating valuable, personal touches – at scale. – David Newman
Best Email Subject Lines Examples – A Compilation
We have already established that email subject lines are the key to a successful email campaign. You can conduct A/B testing to finalize a subject line that will give you more open rates. Here are few examples of some great subject lines that received accolades from the recipients. Take a note of these, and make sure all your email campaigns work their charms this year.
1. Best of Groupon: The Deals That Make Us Proud (Unlike our Nephew, Steve)
Marketers will seldom opt for humour when crafting their email subject lines. It’s a huge risk, but often the outcome is way more than a normal subject line. In this case, Groupon nailed the subject line by taking a dig at ‘Steve.’ I have no idea who Steve is, but this personalized line had me laughing, and I couldn’t help but open the email. One might say, a subject line like ‘Hot deals’ or something of this sort just works fine. True, there was no need to pull in ‘Steve’ here, but just these last four words changed the repercussions an email can cause in a reader’s mind. Groupon has always been spot on. And this subject line reminded me of their unsubscribe video!
2. Feet Tappers Ayan Ali sent you a custom Quotation for Zumba Fitness Dance
UrbanClap is garnering a lot of attention with all the cool services they provide. So, I signed up and was looking for some Zumba dance classes around. After sending out a request, I get this email with the subject line mentioning clearly about the mentor and “custom quote.” Now, this will work anyways. I was looking for something, and I get it right in my inbox. The name of the mentor triggers a personalised feeling; add to that the customised quote. Altogether, this subject line is simple but a winner as well.
3. New Year, New Travel deals – Aman, where do you want to go?
Almost instantly, I had few places pop up in my head after I saw this email from Booking.com. Who doesn’t like to travel, and an email like this announcing deals is the perfect way to start the year. Personalization goes a long way. This email may or may not contain all those places that I have in my wishlist, but I was still intrigued enough to open and see what deals they have. Emails like this insist on an urgency, and you just cannot ignore!
4. Read your review for John Mulaney
Ticketmaster, an online ticketing service, often sends out emails with subject lines like this. Maybe someone has already posted a review for a particular theatre show. We get emails asking for feedback or reviews. But if a user has posted a review, what do you do next? Ticketmaster plays a marvellous game by urging the user to check out their review that is live on the site, and also it will then get a chance to showcase all other events or shows that are listed there. An email subject line like this gives you a sense of victory or accomplishment. It is an automatic reaction for a human brain to respond to such calls. You are bound to open the email and see what’s happening or what is new.
5. Here’s why smart people don’t do well on Facebook
Nope. This is not something against Facebook. You need to get the pun. Vooza, a startup that creates funny videos in the startup world, uses unusual subject lines. Including a negative tinge or a pun is a huge risk, but Vooza manages to do it with style. You know what Vooza does, and this startup seems to know what will crack up their readers. If you cannot take puns and humour, you might not agree with me. But a subject line like this should make it to the list of best email subject lines. Ofcourse, people at Facebook aren’t dumb! (Got the pun, eh?) Check out the video!
6. 8 Predictions for SEO in 2017 – Moz Blog
Okay, so we have spent a considerable time in debating whether SEO is dead or not. Honestly, it is not dead. Rather SEO has evolved. However much you argue or refuse to believe, SEO tactics will never go out of trend; it will only evolve. Harping on these nodes, Moz Blog sent out eight Supreme predictions that are enough to get marketers like me hooked. I need to know what is happening around, irrespective of what strategies I will use. This subject line at the onset of a new year is welcome. It instils a sense or urgency, requires your attention and promises some great takeaways before you begin.
7. Buffer has been hacked – here is what’s going on
This email dates back to 2013 when Buffer was hacked. The worst that can happen to a company is this, but Buffer did not allow it to scare its users. It, instead, handled the whole situation smoothly. This email was like a morale booster! Buffer included all the necessary steps to stay safe while they promised to get things sorted quick. There were continuous updates on the Facebook and Twitter page of Buffer. This email was soon followed by another email the next day stating “Buffer is up and running again – here is what you need to know.”
They listed down few important facts on what will work and what is on hold and all other details. Most importantly, Buffer took the effort to address its users and also quickly resolve it. This email campaign from Buffer will continue to make a place in my best email subject lines examples.
Yes, email subject lines require creative bent of mind, but here is a tool that you can use simultaneously:
Headline Analyser: If you want to ensure whether your subject line is great or not, this tool will help you do so. You can simply test it out with this tool. It will give you a score and also show you the likeliness of getting clicks. It analyses the words you use, and how these trigger an emotional response.
wait !!! Are you looking for Few more examples of best email subject lines?
We are sharing some of our best email subject lines
If these were anything great, here are few more examples of best email subject lines that you can use. Let’s go by the categories:
Self-Interest Email Subject Lines
①⓪① reasons to [A topic of interest; something actionable]
Read this before Starting your campaign
PS: Binary numbers work well in subject lines!
Curiosity Email Subject Lines
2 BRAND NEW features now available
This isn’t related to your social media profile
Humanity Email Subject Lines
We’re sorry […]
I am so happy …
Offer Email Subject Lines
Products that sell – Pro Tips
25 Subject Lines that Work
Story Email Subject Lines
How I got 100,000 visitors in a month
[Case Study] XYZ generates 2X more sales by doing this!
Urgency Email Subject Lines
Grab the best deals before [any date]
Your website traffic is going down. Know why
Email subject lines have the power to convince as well as distant your recipients. So, it is very important that you pay to heed to use the best email subject lines for your campaign. You want them to click on your emails, open them and perform the desired actions; for that, they HAVE to get convinced. And how do you do that? Craft a subject line with utmost precision.
If you have recently received any email with the best email subject lines , tell me about it. I can keep adding them to this list. If you need any help (or tips maybe), you can ping me below in the comments section. Let’s get the discussion started already!
The best email subject lines examples are short, catchy, and descriptive. They should accurately reflect the content of the email and be engaging enough to get the reader to open the email. Examples of good email subject lines include “Get the Latest Updates,” “Save 20% on Your Next Order,” and “It’s Time to Act Now.”
Some tips for writing good email subject lines include:
– Keep it short, preferably between 5 and 15 words.
– Use action words to encourage the reader to take action.
– Use specific numbers and words to create a sense of urgency.
– Personalize the subject line by using the reader’s name.
– Test different subject lines to see which works best.
You should avoid including too many symbols, using misleading or false information, using all capital letters, using exclamation points excessively, and using clickbait phrases.
Okay, I am a great movie buff and I love reading movie reviews. Really liked Ticketmaster’s way of writing email subject lines. A line like,”Read your review for John Mulaney” would definitely work for me and I would read each and every word of the review with deep interest and then follow it up by subscribing to the email newsletter with a deep respect for my subject. This is not just signing up, it is an act of devotion and loyalty to one’s subject.I think it is a more involving of pulling relevant audiences.
Hey Ankit
Nice Info which you shared.
Keep sharing
Awesome. Thanks for the article. Now I have more options to test for my email campaigns. I love how this article showcases various types of subject lines based on your email purpose.
If you are searching for the ideal subject lines for your emails, EasySendy can be a viable option. Various template lines are there that are alluring and ensures engagement with the subscriber to a greater extent.
It is so true that a subject line either attracts me to open the mail or directly send it to the spam folder! This article demonstrates that we must think from the customer’s point of view while sending a mail to stop annoying them. This is such an insightful article! Thanks.
Fantastic article Ankith! I am pleased about you chiming in marketer’s point of view. Emails have been centered on promotions, blog posts, charity, and certifications and a subject line decides the open rate so we must take more time in creating a better one.
Great article. Thanks for such amazing blog.
Great blog. The information give is very useful.