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For entrepreneurs, small business owners, and creatives who are new to email marketing, one of the biggest obstacles is getting your audience to click “open.” That’s where a good subject line can make a major difference.
Your subject line is the first—and sometimes only—chance you get to make an impression. It’s the headline of your email, the hook that pulls readers in. A well-written subject line can boost your open rates, improve traffic to your site or content, and ultimately support sales, subscriber, and conversion goals.
You don’t need to be a professional copywriter to write great subject lines. You just need to follow a few clear guidelines and know what to avoid.
Why subject lines matter
Think of your email subject line as a front door. No matter how beautiful the interior is, people won’t want to come inside unless the entryway looks inviting. Subject lines:
Determine your open rate: A compelling subject line can mean the difference between a 15% open rate and a 40% one. According to one study, 47% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line alone.
Affect deliverability: Spammy or misleading subject lines can trigger spam filters, meaning your emails might not make it to someone’s inbox.
Set expectations: A clear and relevant subject line helps your audience know what to expect and keeps them engaged with your brand over time.
If you're investing time in email marketing, subject lines deserve your attention. They help to ensure the content of your email gets read. A few thoughtful tweaks can make a major difference.
7 types of subject lines
There are several different types of subject lines you can use, depending on the kind of message you're sending. Choose a type based on the end goal of your email.
You can use the example subject lines as inspiration for your own brainstorming and adapt them to fit your voice and brand.
Promotions: Highlighting discounts and coupons to encourage purchases
20% Off All Prints This Weekend
Flash Sale Ends Tonight—Don’t Miss Out
Buy One, Gift One for a Limited Time
Newsletters: Driving opens, replies, or clicks to your website content
3 Creative Tools You’ll Love This Month
What’s New in the Studio: June Edition
Your Weekly Creative Spark
Events: Earn more sign-ups for live or in-person events, classes, or trips
You’re Invited: Live Marketing Workshop This Friday
Free Webinar: Boost Your Visibility in 30 Minutes
Summer Pop-Up Tour Kicks Off!
Holidays and seasons: Highlighting seasonal discounts or products to drive sales
Wrap Up Your Holiday Shopping with 15% Off
Cheers to Fall! New Arrivals Are Here
Send Something Sweet for Valentine’s Day
Product releases or announcements: Encourage conversion or website traffic for a new product
Meet The New [Product Name]
Big News: Our Website Just Got a Makeover
Our Most-Requested Feature
Discounts and urgent offers: Add extra urgency to drive more sales
Last Call: 30% Off Ends at Midnight
Early Access: Our Best Deal of the Year
Subscribers Only: Save Before the Weekend
Customer service and outreach: Collect feedback, reviews, or earn return business
How Was Your Last Order?
We’d Love Your Feedback
A Quick Thank You—And a Little Gift
Best practices for writing great subject lines
Writing an effective subject line is part art, part strategy. Before you start, make sure you feel certain of who you’re trying to reach and the main focus of the email. This will help guide your voice and what you highlight in the subject line. Below are some proven tips to help your subject lines stand out.
1. Keep it short and clear
Most people check email on their phones, where space is limited. Depending on screen size and the email app being used, long subject lines run the risk of getting cut off. Aim for under 50 characters as a rule of thumb. Clarity is more important than cleverness.
For example, instead of “Exciting News You Won’t Want to Miss Inside! New Summer Collection”, try “New Summer Collection Just Dropped”. In this case, the most important information, the new summer collection, could get lost.
2. Be specific and show value
People tend to skim their inboxes, and some experts estimate that the average U.S. worker gets 120 emails per day for work alone. That means you have a limited amount of time and space to make someone feel your email is worth opening and interacting with. Don’t be vague in your subject lines, and spell out the top benefit clearly.
For example, instead of “A Special Update Just for You” you could try “Download Our Free Branding Guide”. The second option is specific about what you get out of opening the email and highlights that the guide is free as an additional benefit.
3. Avoid spammy words and punctuation
Certain words and formats can activate spam filters or make your message feel untrustworthy. Avoid ALL CAPS, multiple exclamation marks, or terms like “Buy Now” or “Act Immediately.”
Landing in spam too often can hurt your deliverability, the measure of how often your emails go to a subscriber’s inbox. Even if your message makes it into someone’s inbox, spammy wording may put them off from opening and reading your message.
Instead of something like “BUY NOW—FREE GIFTS INSIDE!!”, you could use “Gift With Purchase This Weekend Only”. This gets the same benefit across and creates a feeling of urgency by emphasizing that the offer is only for a weekend without using spammy formats.
4. Use personalization when appropriate
According to one study, emails with personalized subject lines are 22% more likely to be opened. Personal touches, like using someone’s name or referencing their past activity on your site, can boost open rates. But don’t overdo it or get too personal, which could risk feeling unprofessional.
Instead of “Hello Friend, Ready to Book?” you can try “Scott, Ready for Your Next Adventure?” Most email marketing tools allow you to autofill basic details like this based on information your subscribers have already shared with you.
5. Create a sense of urgency
FOMO works, as long as it’s honest and respectful. Use phrases that communicate urgency without sounding pushy. With the right touch, that can not only encourage opens, but traffic to your site and sales or signups.
An overly pushy subject line might be something like “Hurry Up or Miss Out!” A better version might be: “Last Chance to Save 20%: Ends Tonight”. This is both more specific and less aggressive in tone.
6. Don’t forget your preview text
Preview text appears after your subject line in someone’s inbox. If you use this strategically, you can treat it like a second subject line or a continuation of your subject line. Try to keep preview text to 40-140 characters. This is a great way to either add to your subject line, show your brand personality a bit more, or highlight additional benefits that didn’t fit in the subject line.
For example, you might have a subject line like, “New: Summer Collection Drop” and preview text that says “Something big is coming”. Or something like, “Sale Extended: 20% Off” and preview text that adds urgency like “Only 24 more hours”.
7. Use action-oriented language
Starting with a verb gives your subject line more energy and encourages action. Words like “Get,” “Join,” “Try,” “Apply,” or “Discover” can be effective. This is a good place to return to the ultimate action you want readers to take after opening your email. That can give you an idea of which action words to use.
For example, “Our Latest Product” feels less encouraging than “Get Access to Our Newest Tool”.
8. Prioritize originality and clarity
It could be tempting to be overly clever or copy and paste the first subject line ideas an AI writer generates for you. It’s important to be both clear and true to your unique brand voice. If your reader doesn’t immediately understand what you mean, they’ll move on. And if the subject line and email copy don’t sound authentic, there’s less of an incentive to keep opening your messages.
A clever-sounding subject line like “Crack the Code…” is ultimately unclear about what your email is offering. A better option might be “5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Website”.
9. Test your subject lines
Most email platforms let you test different subject lines and see which performs better. You can do this with a built-in A/B testing tool or simply split your subscriber list in half and send a different subject line to each group. Then, compare the opens, clicks, and traffic or conversions from the different versions. Even small changes can make a big difference.
Unconventional subject line strategies
Subject lines tend to lean towards hooking a reader with clarity, urgency, or value. But sometimes the best way to stand out is by breaking the rules. Counterintuitive approaches can spark curiosity and surprise. The key is to be authentic to your brand while trying something unexpected.
These less conventional strategies are good options for A/B testing, so you can more clearly judge whether they were successful or not. Here are some creative, less conventional ideas you can try.
Ask an intriguing question. Get attention by inviting readers to think instead of giving everything away. For example, you could try, “What’s the one thing your website is missing?”
Use reverse psychology or negative phrasing. If it fits your brand voice and your relationship with your subscribers, you could challenge or tease your audience to create a playful hook. For example, “Don’t open (unless you want a surprise)”.
Get oddly specific or include unusual details. Odd or very specific details create curiosity and authenticity. For example, “Why we switched from blue mugs to green ones”.
Make it feel like a secret. Mimicking a private message can foster intimacy and exclusivity. For example, “A little secret I wanted to tell you…”, adds a touch of personalization without using any names and stands out from other standard subject lines.
Be deliberately vague. Ambiguity can create curiosity that leads to opens, with the right audience. For example, “This could change how you think about marketing”.
Flip urgency by inviting relaxation. Offering calm instead of pressure can feel refreshing. The unexpected tone can also draw more attention. Instead of highlighting an expiring offer, you might try, “No rush—15% off is here when you’re ready”.
Using counterintuitive subject lines requires a decent understanding of your audience’s preferences. What do they respond to? Does it feel in line with your brand’s personality and how you’d normally interact with your audience? Done well, the creative approach can add personality to your emails and keep subscribers interested in future messages.
Writing strong subject lines just takes empathy and a bit of practice. When in doubt, think about what you would click on and keep your audience’s needs front and center. Then test to learn what works for your subscribers. Try writing a few subject lines for your next email and pick your favorite. Pay attention to how your emails perform and make small changes each time. Over time, you’ll build confidence and clarity about what’s most effective.