How to Write Excellent Email Subject Lines Every Time

Countless emails, including yours, get deleted sight unseen, all because they were sent out into the world with a subpar subject line.

In fact, you personally might be to blame for the untimely deaths of hundreds — if not thousands — of emails, but this madness stops today. You can easily learn how to write better email subject lines by following the simple — yet undeniably effective — tips below.

10 Tips for Writing Better Email Subject Lines

If you’re ready for your emails to have their day in the sun, check out the tips below to start writing the exceptional subject lines your email list will want to open.

1. Be Mindful of Length

When it comes to crafting subject lines, less will always be more. Remember that many consumers view your emails from their phones, which restricts how much of your subject line they’ll see.

This means two things: You’ll want to get your most important words toward the front and keep the character count as low as possible.

This can be a battle because too short often means you’re not saying enough to hook a reader, and too long can convolute your message, resulting in your email being ignored.

So what do you do? According to MailChimp, your subject lines should be no longer than six words and 60 characters each for optimal results.

2. Use Power Words

Power words are great to use because they can trigger an emotional response in your audience. (You should use these words in your headlines as well.)

Whether they help create that fear of missing out (Today only! 50% off all summer dresses) or entice consumers with an intriguing statement (The secret makeup trick all celebs know), they can help catch your audience’s eye and persuade them to open your email.

While we think these words do hold power, if you’re using “Killer,” “Outstanding,” “Epic,” or something similar every time, it’ll get old fast and can even start to seem spammy. Switch things up often to avoid overuse.

Here are some power words to start incorporating:

3. Avoid Spam-Triggering Words

Whether it’s a faux prince offering to give you his inheritance or outrageous claims of penis enlargement, we all know a spammy email when we see one. But what about those spammy emails we never see? How do those get filtered immediately to spam folders while some still manage to make it to your email list?

There are a few factors, but word choice is huge.

If you don’t want to be the spammy prince of the marketing world, try to avoid using these words in your email subject lines and body of text if possible.

And while you may be able to use one or more of these words and be just fine, it’s always good to be mindful of why your email open rates are low or suddenly take a turn for the worse by looking at your word choice.

Here’s a non-comprehensive list of some spammy words to avoid:

4. Use Action-Oriented Language

Using action-oriented language in the subject line can prompt the recipient to act, such as clicking on a link or making a purchase.

Action-oriented language can include verbs such as “discover,” “explore,” or “get.”

• Discover the latest trends in [Industry/Niche]
• Get your hands on our exclusive new collection
• Explore our newest product line and save 10%

5. Personalize the Subject Line

Personalizing the subject line can make the email more relevant and engaging to the recipient. You can use the recipient’s name or location to make the email feel more personalized, like these examples:

• [Recipient’s Name], check out our new arrivals
• Hey [Recipient’s Name], we’ve got something special for you
• [Recipient’s Name], our [location] sale ends soon!

Here’s how to get started with email personalization:

• Email marketing platforms: Many email marketing platforms, such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and Campaign Monitor, offer built-in tools to personalize email subject lines. These tools allow you to insert variables, such as the recipient’s name, location, or previous purchase history, into your subject lines.
• Customer relationship management (CRM) software: CRM software, such as HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho CRM, can help you personalize by providing detailed information about your customers. You can use this information to create targeted and relevant subject lines that resonate with your audience.
• Marketing automation software: Marketing automation software, such as Marketo, Pardot, and Eloqua, can help you automate your email marketing campaigns and personalize your subject lines based on the recipient’s behavior, interests, and preferences. You can use triggers and rules to send personalized emails to your audience at the right time and with the right message.
• Personalization plugins: There are many plugins and add-ons available that can help you personalize. For example, Crystal Knows is a plugin that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide personality insights about your recipients, which you can use to create more personalized subject lines.
• Dynamic content tools: Dynamic content tools, such as RightMessage and OptinMonster, allow you to personalize your subject lines based on the recipient’s behavior on your website. You can use this information to create targeted and relevant subject lines that address the recipient’s specific needs and interests.

6. Create a Sense of Urgency

Creating a sense of urgency in the subject line can prompt the recipient to act quickly. You can use phrases such as “limited-time offer,” “exclusive deal,” or “last chance” to create a sense of urgency.

Countdown timers are another effective way to create a sense of urgency in email marketing. Adding a timer to an email shows the recipient how much time they have left to take advantage of a promotion. Countdown timers can be included in the email’s design or embedded on a landing page that the email links to.

Abandoned cart emails are another powerful way to use urgency for your email list. These emails are triggered when a customer adds a product to their cart but does not complete the purchase. By sending an abandoned cart email reminding them of the products they left behind, you can create a sense of urgency by indicating that the products they were interested in may sell out or the offer might expire soon.

Here are a few examples:

• Last chance to save 20% on our products!
• Only a few spots left for our webinar
• Don’t miss out on this limited-time offer

7. Test Different Types of Subject Lines

The examples below are all real email subject lines we used in the past and were some of our most successful. As you can see, we used various methods to entice our subscribers to open emails because we believe constantly switching things up helps keep subscribers from getting bored or annoyed.

We check analytic reports every week to determine what worked — and what didn’t — so we can not only continue to get better but also write more targeted subject lines that our readers will have a stronger response to.

Ask a Question

• Have you given your business a death sentence?
• Are you willing to give up control?
• Is this limiting your success?
• Think you’re effective? Why you may be DEAD wrong…
• Are you making this rookie mistake?
• Hairspray hacks that’ll change your life

Be Provocative

• How foreplay can make you more successful
• Become a badass business owner in 2 days
• Our sexiest looks of the season, guaranteed
• No bullshit advice for choosing a logo you’ll love
• WTF is a PicMonkey?

Clearly Show There’s a Benefit Inside

• Use this promo code for 25% off today only
• One easy trick for mastering social media
• 3 Proven ways to be more successful
• A Facebook strategy that actually works
• How to WOW your customers — backed by stats!

Be Intriguing

• A marketing tactic you must try in 2023
• You MUST do this for your business…
• Easy marketing you can do from bed
• This is your perfect lipstick shade
• Can a marketing tactic be beautiful?

8. Rate Emotional Impact

Unless you just get lucky, or are innately outstanding (power word!) at writing subject lines, it will probably take you a few tries to develop something great. That’s why we recommend you never settle for the first one that comes to your mind.

Instead, write that one down and keep going. We recommend writing five different options per email because they usually get better and more creative as you go along.

If we have a few that we like equally, we will use the Advanced Marketing Institute’s Headline Analyzer to help decide which will work the best.

You simply paste each option you are considering into the analyzer, and it will give you a rating based on the emotional impact each will supposedly have on your audience. It’s a helpful tool and only takes a second to use.

9. Don’t Use Exclamation Points

Think again if you’re tempted to use exclamation points in email subject lines. While they’re often used as the default punctuation choice, they can send the wrong message if used too often or inappropriately.

Here’s a look at the top reasons why you might want to leave the exclamation point off your subject lines:

• It can come off as unprofessional: Using too many exclamation points in your subject line can make your email appear unprofessional and immature, which might turn off your target audience, depending on their age. It can also make it seem like you’re overly excited or emotional, which may not be appropriate for the situation.
• It can be interpreted as spam: Email filters are designed to detect spam, and using too many exclamation points can trigger these filters, causing your email to be sent to the spam folder or blocked altogether.
• It can lose its impact: If you use exclamation points too often, they can lose their impact and become less effective. Your recipient may start to ignore them, and your subject line may not stand out as much as you intended it to.
• It may not reflect the tone of your email: The tone of your email should match the subject line. If your email is more serious or formal, using exclamation points in the subject line may be inappropriate and send the wrong message to your recipient.

10. Consider Using Emojis

In recent years, emojis have become increasingly popular in email marketing. Emojis can add a visual element to your subject line and make it stand out in a crowded inbox. However, there are pros and cons to using emojis in subject lines for email marketing.

Pros of using emojis for email marketing:

• They can make your subject line stand out: Emojis can grab the reader’s attention and make your subject line more visually appealing. This can increase the chances of your email being opened and read.
• They can convey emotions: Emojis can add a touch of emotion to your subject line and help you convey the tone of your message. For example, a smiling face can convey a positive message, while a sad face can convey a negative message.
• They can save space: Emojis can help you save valuable space in your subject line, as they can replace words and convey the same message in a more concise way.

Cons of using emojis for email marketing

• They can be misinterpreted: Emojis can be interpreted differently by different people, depending on their cultural background, age, and context. This can lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings.
• They can be overused: Using too many emojis in your subject line can make it look cluttered and unprofessional. It’s important to use them sparingly and only when they add value to your message.
• They may not be appropriate for all audiences: Emojis may not be appropriate for all audiences, particularly an older audience that may be annoyed by their usage. It’s essential to consider your target market and the context before using them.

If you decide to use emojis, pull from a spot like Emojipedia to ensure they render properly on all devices.

Subject Line Examples to Increase Email Open Rates

Still need some help coming up with good email subject lines that’ll help you increase open rates and get more clicks?

Here’s a list of examples to inspire you:

• Our biggest sale of the year! 🤩
• Last chance to save [X]%
• [New Arrival]: Be the first to shop our latest collection
• [Product Name] is back in stock – get it before it’s gone
• You won’t believe what’s on sale today
• Don’t miss out on our limited-time offer
• Ready for a wardrobe refresh? 👗
• Your favorite products are now available for pre-order
• Treat yourself – new products just added
• Summer essentials: Shop our latest collection now
• Get [X] for free when you purchase [Y]
• [Recipient’s Name], we have a special offer just for you
• Stock up and save: Buy [X] items, get [Y] free
• Our best-selling products are back in stock
• Only a few left in stock – get yours before it’s gone!
• Limited time: [X] off your first purchase
• Shop our anniversary sale today only 🤗
• Free shipping today only – don’t miss out
• You deserve a treat – check out our latest products
• New markdowns: Save up to [X]% on select items
• [Recipient’s Name], we think you’ll love this
• [Product Name] just restocked – get it before it’s gone
• Unlock exclusive deals – sign up for our newsletter
• Need a gift idea? We’ve got you covered
• Our top picks for you 🫶

Practice Makes Perfect

Practicing is the only way to get better at writing email subject lines. And the only way to know what will work the best with your email list is by trying different styles and then analyzing stats. (If you have the capability to A/B test, that’s also a great way to try out two different styles on one email.)

However you work best, keep your audience in mind. What will interest them? What will they respond to? The answers to these questions will come from the reader profiling you’ve probably already done, but also from the analytics provided in whichever email program you use.

To help you with this task, keep a spreadsheet of your stats (what subject you used, how many opens it got, how many clicks, and an ongoing subscriber count) to make it easy for you to identify positive and negative patterns.

We’re no math whiz, but this formula always works for us:

Brevity + creativity + no spammy words + a power word = enticing subject lines that your audience can’t resist opening!

Related Reading

• Best Online Marketplaces: The Definitive Guide to Selling Products in 2023
• 12 Easy Ways to Improve Your Content Marketing Skills
• 10 Easter Marketing Ideas That Will Boost E-Commerce Sales
• 10 Blogging Mistakes That Are Tanking Your Results
• Low-Cost Spring Marketing Ideas That Will Skyrocket Your Sales