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Best Email Subject Lines to Boost Your Open Rates!(Examples)

Emails are the preferred method of reconnecting with potential customers. Usually, there is a gap in the time frame between consuming content posted by a brand and buyers deciding to purchase.

Emails are a great tool to continue communication in such instances. But what are the chances that the target audiences will open an email sent by you? It’s hard to state exact numbers and statistics, but you can follow all the necessary steps to ensure your email open rates increase or are at least maintained.

To compel people to open your emails, you need a great email subject line to capture attention. An email subject line is a single text you see when you receive an email. Because it is the first line viewed, it is often the determining factor of whether an email will be opened or moved directly to the trash bin.

Statistics show that 47% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line alone and that 69% report email as spam based solely on the subject line.

Another aspect to keep in mind is email preheaders. It is the text that follows the subject line of any email and serves as a preview of the content of an email. The research found that preheader text could increase email open rates by 3%. Thus, Subject email pre-headers and subject lines successfully convince recipients to open emails.

If you’re wondering just how effective they are and how you can write the best email subject lines, this blog is for you.

What is the Purpose of a Good Subject Line in an Email?

Your email subject lines can either make or break your marketing campaigns. You might be baffled how this is possible – but remember that the subject line of an email followed by the pre-header is the first and only thing email recipients see when they receive an email.

Also, everybody’s inbox these days are flooded by dozens of emails daily, so unless your subject line is particularly captivating, chances are your email will end up being moved directly to spam or the trash bin.

So, the goal is to create catchy and clear subject lines for your emails. Another purpose of a good subject line is that it impacts whoever reads it. However perfectly curated or greatly crafted the content of your email is, at first sight, only your subject line has the chance to grab attention and spark interest.

If you succeed in conjuring up an impactful subject line for an email, then you’ve boosted the success rate of your marketing campaign to a significant extent.

A statistic reveals that 33% of email recipients open emails because of catchy subject lines. So, spending that little extra time and effort and even brainstorming to come up with the best subject lines will thus help boost email open rates and attract customers whom you can potentially build brand loyalty with.

Now we will list the 5 essential things to note when writing a subject line for an email. Think of these tips as you craft your subject line and tweak them in a way that works and resonates with your marketing campaign.

5 Tips to Write a Good Subject Line

1. Focus on Word Count

Focus on word count in your email subject lines

By this, we mean the length of your subject line. Nobody wants to be bombarded with a long-winded message they must get through the first time they see an email. Not only is it taxing for the recipient, a long email subject line just does not make any practical sense. With everyone’s busy schedules, people often check emails on their phones while running errands or amid other activities, so you risk having your email swiped straight to spam or the trash if it’s too long. Shorten your subject lines and focus on word count.

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2. Avoid Spam Words

Some words are more commonly found in spam mail than others. Words such as ‘Free’ or ‘Buy Now’ are often included in spam emails, so you should make it a point to avoid using them. Also, choose your words wisely. It’s best to avoid words that can set an overly aggressive tone for your subject line, such as ‘Act Now’ or ‘Apply Now’. Instead of solely focusing on promotion, you should try to utilize the subject line of an email to convey information in an interesting and catchy way.

3. Use Open-Ended Questions

You can leverage human tendencies and psychological principles and convince your recipients to open an email. A great way to do this is with open-ended questions because they can pique curiosity and direct the reader’s focus. Because questions by nature feel incomplete on their own, you can compel your email recipients to open emails in search of the answer to the question posed.

4. Include Deadlines

Include deadline in email subject lines

Another great trick with a success rate is to include a deadline in the subject line of your email. This stems from the sensation called FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, which all humans tend to possess. The strategy of using deadlines works because it creates a sense of urgency in readers, thereby making them want to open the email. You can also employ phrases such as – ‘Last chance’ or ‘Now or Never’, and you should not be afraid to create limited turnaround periods as short as 24 hours either; These limited time frames have proved to be most successful.

5. Humor as a Tool

Most people assume that emails are to relay information and often write them in a formal tone. Although a sense of formality needs to be maintained, this does not mean your subject line has to be boring. Not many people will smile when they receive an email, so if you can include a funny joke in your subject line, your email will stand out amongst other emails.

The best way to explain any topic is by giving examples. On this note, we’ve curated the best examples we could find so that they might be helpful when you craft subject lines for your emails.

Best Email Subject Lines Examples

1. FOMO Subject Lines

FOMO translates to fear of missing out. It’s a rather new term coined by millennials, but the concept has been around for ages. You can create a sense of urgency and hint at limited availability by leveraging this innate fear and using certain phrases in your subject lines like – ‘expiring’, ‘limited’, or ‘urgent’. Examples of FOMO Subject lines are:

  • Just ONE DAY before this offer expires.
  • First come, first serve on limited sales.
  • 50% off for 24 hours.

2. Announcement Subject Lines

announcement email subject lines

Exclusivity and urgency can also be conveyed through announcements. Including an announcement in the subject line of your email can urge readers to take immediate action. A study shows that one of the top three reasons customers subscribe to emails is to get exclusive deals – 14% because they want to receive special gifts and offers, while 8% want exclusive content. Listed below are some apt examples of announcement subject lines:

  • Special access – You don’t want to miss it.
  • Available NOW – Access to new (insert product or service) features.
  • Early access – View all new offers.

3. Question Subject Lines

A short question can play a core role in campaign success. Including a witty question in the subject line of your email can make recipients want to open them seeking answers. This strategy is perhaps the most commonly used one because of the simple fact that it works. Some examples of question subject lines are –

  • Can we make your life 50% easier?
  • Did you get what you were looking for?
  • Pick one – Heads or Tails?

4. Social Proof Subject Lines

Including social proof in your subject lines, customer testimonials, endorsements, or social media mentions, can make your email more credible. All marketing campaigns have done the above-mentioned strategies of asking questions, making announcements, and using FOMO, so if you can leverage social proof, you’re bound to boost your email open rates. We’ll list out some examples of the social proof subject line below:

  • Here are our amazing skincare transformation stories in 2022.
  • @DailyPilates said it best. We have the best yoga mat on the market.
  • If our blender is good enough for @MarthaStuart, it’s good enough for you.

Final Thoughts

We’ve scoured far and wide to provide you with the best tactics you can apply to write a great email subject line. We’ve also listed out examples to paint a better picture.

Regardless of whatever tips and tricks you wish to employ, we’ll leave you with some final suggestions – Make sure that your email subject lines are optimized for mobile usage.

No matter how stellar your subject line is, if it’s not visible to your target audience, then your efforts will have been to no avail. Remembering the nature of the product or service you will market will also be important.

Trial and error will be your best friend, so don’t be afraid to pitch an idea because you can always change and reframe your subject lines. So, all that’s left to do is to start trying. Good Luck!

Further Reads:

10 Email Preheader Best Practices To Boost Open Rates!

Improve Email Open Rates with these 11 Powerful Tips & Tricks!

9 Ways to Revamp Your Newsletter Using elink!

Top 15 Email Marketing Tips To Revamp Your Marketing Strategy

How To Write A Gentle Reminder Email? (Steps & Examples)

Email Etiquette: 17 Important Rules To Write A Professional Email!

Customer Onboarding Emails:What Are They & How To Create Them?

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